Source: https://twitter.com/GhorAngirasa/status/1160595153582604288
kShatriya-reclamation
There seems to be an interesting trend of intermediate castes of good socio-economic standing now slowly adopting ब्राह्मण-s, particularly शैव-बराह्मण-s as कुलगुरु-s & reclaiming their status as क्षत्रिय-s.
श्रीमद-आण्ड-शिव-सुब्रह्मन्य-पण्डित-गुरुस्वामी of the कर्मापुर-मठ, one of the few, small शैवमठ-s, still led by the आदिशैव-ब्राह्मण clan & who is the hereditary कुलगुरु of the कॊङ्गु-नाडार communit, will be investing नाडार-s with the sacred उपवीतम् this Thursday (15/08/2019). Since all आदिशैव-s follow यजुर्वेद, their अब्राह्मण disciples will adopt the thread in line with the date of यजुर्वेद-उपाकर्मा (उपाकर्मा—annual renewal of one’s द्विजत्वम् & the commitment to what that entails; now often seen as mere changing of thread).
Last year, certain castes of वन्नियर्-s received their investiture with the sacred thread under the guidance of one of the दीक्षिताः (priests) of the hallowed temple of नटराज-स्वामी of चिदम्बरम् on the same day of यजुर्वेद-उपाकर्मा (some दीक्षिताः follow यजुर्वेद).
AdhIna dominance
The traditional non-ब्राह्मण elite of TN such as the शैव-वेळाळर्, शैव-पिळ्ळै, & शैव-मुदलियार् had attained very high status in history. They took full advantage of the provisions of the “brahmanical” सिद्धान्त-आगम-s, which allowed members of all 4 वर्ण-s to become आचार्य-s. There is, of course, no doubt that these communities produced highly refined men who epitomised bilingual excellence in both संस्कृत & तमिऴ् & made great contributions to हिन्दुधर्म, spiritually & intellectually. Gradually, this unique, landed, cultural & religious elite had obtained complete control of the major शैव-आधीन-s (shaiva mutts); disenfranchising the very शैव-ब्राह्मण-s who had opened up the सिद्धान्त to them & even patronage was falling. More importantly, the institutions now primarily became hubs for certain groups. Now, every institution will have a primary ethnic/communitarian affiliation. That is but natural. But scholarship & outreach, with a few exceptions here & there, had both fallen short.
There are very unfortunate examples of how some of the heads of आधीनम-s had allied themselves with the pernicious Dravidianist ideology. One of them even recites verses of the राक्षस-कुरान् & by all accounts is a big zero in the शैव-शास्त्र-s. A disgrace to the religion of शिवः!! Now, under the leadership of शैव-ब्राह्मण groups, other castes too are gaining an entry into the mainstream religion of the वेद & आगम & this is a good thing.