Madapalli
Madapalli () is a caste found mainly in the northern part of Sri Lanka. Found today as a subcaste of the Sri Lankan Vellalar, the Madapallis were considered an independent caste until recently. Originally serving as cooks for the Jaffna kings, they were also appointed as palace steward of the Jaffna Kingdom. They were reputed as a powerful caste in the colonial era, who held the positions of Mudaliyars and Kanakkapillais. Etymology The etymology of Madapalli is disputed. The word Madapalli can in the Tamil language mean "kitchen" or "cook house", specifically used in a temple, derived from the Tamil words maṭai meaning "cooking" and paḷḷi meaning "place of worship". Mudaliyar Rajanayagam gives the meaning of Madapalli as signifying "Royal kitchen". Others derive the word from a place called "Madapalli" located in the Kalinga region, where some claim origin from. Another theory suggest the word being derived from Madappan meaning "500 villages", as they claim themselves as rulers of 500 villages in the Kalinga region. History As the etymology suggest, the Madapallis were the former cooks of the Jaffna Kingdom. The Yalpana Vaipava Malai credits the last king, Cankili II, with creating the class of Madapalli. Cankili appointed higher-classes of