Proscriptions
A 16th century writer noted that drinking was unknown in Travancore at that time, but in 1787 AD the Maharaja formally prohibited takara (palm brandy) under pain of forfeiture of property. The Nayar avoided beef, and many did not eat lamb. In the modern day, alcohol is a component of Nair-dominated festivals in Kerala. During the pre-Independence era, consumption of beef and alcohol was strictly prohibited and doing so often resulted in violence or excommunication.