Pushpakans are said to have arisen out of the union of a Brahman woman in her menses with her husband. Parasurama set them apart, and gave them the occupation of making garlands in the temples of Malabar. Though this derivation is given in the Keralamahatmya, it may be more easily believed that Pushpakan is derived from the occupation of working in flowers. Puppalli, at any rate, is thus derived, and, as Palli signifies anything sacred, the caste name arose from the occupation of preparing garlands for deities. Nambiyassans, called also Nambiyars and Nambis, must have been, as also the Puppallis and Brahmanis, one with the Pushpakans. In some places, Nambiyassans are known to have kept gymnasia and military training schools. The Brahmanis must have undergone some degree of degradation because of the religious songs which they sang during the marriages of the Nayars, while those who did not take part therein became, as it were, a separate sept. Another tradition, accounting for the origin of the caste, is that, as in primitive ages early marriages prevailed among the Malayala Brahmans, the family of the Nambutiri who first married his daughter after puberty was excommunicated, and gave origin to the Pushpakas. This is untrue, as, in Vedic times, adult marriage was the rule, and the Nambutiris in this respect have been known to follow a more primitive custom than the Brahmans of the east coast. The Tiyattunnis are said to be the descendants of a Bhuta or demon directed by Siva to sing songs in praise of Bhadrakali, and appease her anger after the murder of Darika. They must from the first have formed a distinct section of the Ambalavasis. The Karappuram Unnis are supposed to have been elevated to their present status by Cheraman Perumal, one of the rulers of ancient Kerala, as, though belonging to the Sudra caste, they were obliged on one occasion to perform Brahmanical service for him. Perumal is believed to have permitted them to take the title of Unni, and call themselves Pattar, by which name East Coast Brahmans are known in Malabar. Thus they came to own the three names Nattu Pattar, Pattar Unni, and Karappuram Unni, Karappuram or Shertallay being the territory where the sept received the above-mentioned social elevation from their sovereign. Even now, many of them reside in the taluks of Ambalapuzha and Shertallay.