Caste is the important determinant to constitute the hierarchy of social order in the Varna and the Jati system, that is prevalent in India, in past as well as in present. The major criterion of Caste is their traditional occupation that the group of people specialises in and passed down to the future generations. Kammalas, the traditional craftspeople of Tamil Nadu, who are believed to be the descendants of the God of Architect, Vishwakarma, is one such modern day example of caste known for their craft making. They, at present, are comprised of five groups specialising in various crafts viz., Smithing of Iron (Kollan), Copper/Brass (Kannan), Gold (Thattan), Carpentry (Tachchan) and Sculpting (Silpi). However, before 10th Century AD, they were separate caste groups with their own crafts specialisation as their individual identity, and believed to be in the lower strata of the Varna ladder. With the rise in the prominence of Temple architecture in South India between 10th and 13th century AD during Chola reign, there rose the need for amalgamation of different crafts. This provided the opportunity for these five groups to fuse together and form a collective caste identity known as “Kammala”, a person who makes articles pleasing to the eye. At one point, the surge in demand for their crafts aided them to claim the higher strata of the Varna ladder alongside Brahmins. Later, when the craft lost its importance due to the foreign invasion and the industrialisation brought by them, these craftspeople, similar to their craft, lost their stand in the battle to climb the Varna ladder. This paper will illustrate how Kammalas, due to their expanding demand of their craft, rose in their social standing and when it lost its foot, they followed along the rungs of the ladder.
