The following legend is narrated concerning the origin of the Variyars. A Sudra woman removed a bone from within a temple in obedience to the wish of certain Brahman priests, and was excommunicated from her caste. The priests, on hearing this, were anxious to better her condition, and made her the progenitor of a class of Ambalavasis or temple servants, who were afterwards known as Variyars. According to another legend, the corpse of a Maran, which was found inside a Nambutiri's house, was promptly removed by certain Nayars, who on that account were raised in the social scale, and organised into a separate caste called Variyar. There is a still further tradition that, in the Treta Yuga, a Sudra woman had five sons, the first of whom became the progenitor of the Tiyatunnis, and the second that of Variyars. A fourth account is given in the Keralamahatmya. A young Brahman girl was married to an aged man. Not confident in unaided human effort, under circumstances such as hers, she devoted a portion of her time daily to preparing flower garlands for the deity of the nearest temple, and conceived. But the Brahman welcomed the little stranger by getting the mother thrown out of caste. Her garlands could no longer be accepted, but, nothing daunted, she worked as usual, and made a mental offering of the garlands she prepared, which, through an unseen agency, became visible on the person of the deity. Though the people were struck with shame at their unkind treatment of the innocent girl, they were not prepared to take her back. The Variyan caste was accordingly constituted, and her child was brought up by the Azhancheri Tambrakkal, and accommodated in the padippura or out-house at the entrance gate. In the Pasupata Tantra, the Variyars are called Kailasavasins, or those who live in Kailas, as they are supposed to be specially devoted to the worship of Siva. Kailasa is the abode of Siva, whither the blessed go after death. The Variyars of Travancore are divided into four groups, called Onattukara, Venattukara, Ilayetattunad (or Ilayathu), and Tekkumkur. The Venattukaras have the privilege of interdining with the Onattukaras, and having their ceremonies performed by priests from that group. But the ceremonies of the Onattukaras appear to be performed without the Venattukaras being admitted into their midst. The third and fourth groups take food in the houses of the first and second, though the reverse seldom happens. The Variyars in British Malabar are divided into several other groups. The Variyars are generally well-read, especially in Sanskrit, make excellent astrologers, and are also medical practitioners. A Variyar's house is called variyam, as the Pisharati's is known as pisharam.