[8] The Nagarathar or Nattukkottai Chettiar were originally salt traders and historically an itinerant community of merchants and claim Chettinad as their traditional home.

[9] How they reached that place, which at the time comprised adjacent parts of the ancient states of Pudukkottai, Ramnad and Sivagangai, is uncertain, with various communal legends being recorded.

[9] In the 19th century, following the Permanent Settlement, some in the Nagarathar community wielded considerable influence in the affairs of the zamindar (landowners) elite.

There had traditionally been a relationship between royalty and the community based on the premise that providing worthy service to royalty would result in the granting of high honours but this changed as the landowners increasingly needed to borrow money from the community in order to fight legal battles designed to retain their property and powers.

[citation needed] In the absence of a proper Chaturvarna (four-fold varna) system in South India, the Nattukottai Nagarathars (also known as Chettiars) have been classified as high-class Vaishyas (merchant caste) due to their extensive involvement in trade, finance, and banking activities.

They donated generously to the construction, renovation, and maintenance of numerous Shiva and Vishnu temples across Tamil Nadu and other regions, leaving a lasting legacy in the religious and cultural heritage of South India.

[14][15] This charitable tradition further elevated their social standing and cemented their role as patrons of South Indian religious institutions.

Although kings are traditionally associated with the Kshatriya varna in the chaturvarna system, the Chettiars' rise to power was based on their economic achievements rather than hereditary lineage.

[16] The nine temples connected with the Nagarathar community include: Ilayathakudi, Iluppaikkudi, Iraniyur, Mathur, Nemam, Pillayarpatti,[17] Soorakudi, Vairavanpatti, and Velangudi.