Illam

Illam ( /ˈɪləm/) is a malayalee lineage system used for classification and identification of castes in Kerala, South India. There are mainly two castes which used Illam as there house. They are Thiyya and Namboothiris. The House of Namboothiries (the Brahmins of Kerala) are also called the Brahmaalayam or Mana. The house is built according to the canons of Vaasthusaasthram, meaning architecture in Sanskrit language. For Thiyya, there are mainly eight illams from which the roots of Thiyya originated.