The Nambutiris are Vedic Brahmans: their scriptures are the Vedas. It is safe to say that the Nambutiris are Shaivas, but not to the exclusion of Vishnu. The ordinary South Indian Vaishnava Brahman has nothing to do with the Shaiva temple over the way, and takes no part or interest in the Shaiva festivals. Siva is to the Nambutiri the supreme deity, but he has temples also to Vishnu, Krishna, Narasimha, Sri Raghava, Ganapathi, Subrahmanya, Bhagavati, etc. There are said to be temples to Sastavu and Sankarnarayanan--amalgamated forms of Siva and Vishnu. The lingam is the ordinary object of worship. Like all Brahmans, the Nambutiris believe that the eight directions or points of the compass, north, north-east, east, south-east, south, south-west, west, north-west, are presided over by eight deities, or Ashtadikpalakas, riding on various animals. Indra reigns in heaven and Yama in hell, and Surya is the sun god. All these and their wives are worshipped. Parvati shares adoration with Siva, Lakshmi with Vishnu, and so on. The Nambutiris believe in the existence of evil spirits which influence man, but they do not worship them. It is said that the Nambutiri has of late been influenced by Vedantism, that wonderful religious idea of the existence of one spirit or atman, the only reality, outside which the world and all besides is mere illusion, and whose doctrine is wrapped up in the three words "Ekam eva advitiyam". (There is but one being without a second). The Nambutiris call themselves Arya Brahmanar. Their legendary transmigration to Malabar from Northern India is doubtless true. Theirs is by far the purest form of the Vedic Brahmanism to be met with in Southern India. A complete account of the religion of the Nambutiris cannot be given in these pages. The Nambutiri's life is a round of sacrifices, the last of which is the burning of his body on the funeral pyre. When the Nambutiri has no male issue, he performs the putra kameshti or karmavipakaprayaschittam yagams or sacrifices to obtain it. Should he be unwell, he performs the mrittyunjaya santi yagam, so that he may be restored to good health. He performs the aja yagam, or goat sacrifice, in order to obtain salvation. Though animal food is strictly forbidden, and the rule is strictly followed, the flesh of the goat, which remains after the offering has been made in this sacrifice, is eaten by the Nambutiris present as part of the solemn ceremonial. This is the only occasion on which animal food is eaten. Namaskaram, or prostration, is much done during prayers. By some it is done some hundreds of times daily, by others not so often. It amounts to physical exercise, and is calculated to strengthen the arms and the back.