Many people, including several modern-day Iyers themselves, don't have a clear understanding of who exactly the Iyers of India are. Also, many present-day Iyers do not have good knowledge of their own Samskaras: rituals, customs and traditions. They also don't know the implications of Gothras, Sects and Subsects of Iyers. Further, some Iyers are not clear whether they follow the doctrine of Advaitam or Dvaitam or any other School, though, they do respect and adore Shankaracharya; and make it a point to visit the nearest Mutt or Shankara Madam. Whereas, nowadays, the Iyer community follows a lifestyle suited to the modern-day realities in towns and villages, they want to know: what kind of lifestyle has been followed traditionally in the Agraharams?

Even though, I am an Iyer myself, I never had a clear understanding of the genesis, evolution and migration of the Iyer groups over a period of time. Because, the fundamental questions that require unequivocal answers are: Who are the Iyers and where are they from? Are they the so-called Aryans? Then, who exactly are the Aryans? Who are the Palghat Iyers? Have the Iyers been migrating constantly over a period of time? Many of us do not have a clear idea about these; because, we have not cared to investigate them in an organized style. Also, our elders have rarely talked about these in detail.

In order to find answers to such questions, I have carried out a comprehensive study on the genesis, growth, evolution and traditions of the Iyer community, over a period of several years. This book is a compilation of the database developed by me on the Iyer community based on the survey of a number of books, papers, blogs and newspaper articles, as well as, personal discussion with the experts on the subject, over a period of time.

This book gives an account of the unique Iyer samskaras: traditions, rituals and protocols like: Upanayanam, Sandhyavandhanam, Sumangali Praarthanai, Wedding Rituals, Sraadham & Tharpanam, Funeral Rites, etc. Further, this book gives a brief description of the various Festivals celebrated by the Iyers such as Vinayaka Chaturthi, Navaratri, Deepavali, Varalakshmi Vradaham, Pongal, etc. This book also gives an account of the Yatras undertaken by the Iyers, such as Kashi Yatra, Rameshwaram Yatra and Amarnath Yatra. This book has explained the significance of Veda Paraayanam or Vedic Chanting, popular amongst the Iyers. In addition, this book throws some light on the methodology and significance of some Poojas and Homams that the Iyers periodically perform. A description of select Mantras, Slokas, Suktams, etc., commonly chanted by the Iyer community is also presented.