The Kanakkans are employed in fishing in the backwaters, cutting timber and floating it on bamboo rafts down rivers flooded during the monsoon, boating, pumping out water from rice fields by means of water-wheels, and all kinds of agricultural labour. They were at one time solely engaged in the manufacture of salt from the backwaters. Women are engaged in making coir (cocoanut fibre) and in agricultural labour. Vettuva Kanakkans are engaged in cocoanut cultivating, and making lime out of shells. They are very skilful in climbing cocoanut trees for plucking cocoanuts.
The Kanakkans take food prepared by members of the higher castes, and by Kammalans, Izhuvas, and Mappillas. They have a strong objection to eating at the hands of Veluthedans (washermen), Velakkathalavans (barbers), Panans, Velans, and Kaniyans. Pulayas, Ulladans, and Nayadis have to stand far away from them. They themselves have to keep at a distance of 48 feet from high caste Hindus. They pollute Izhuvas by touch, and Kammalans and Valans at a short distance. They cannot approach the temples of the higher castes, but take part in the festivals of temples in rural parts. At Cranganur, they can come as far as the kozhikallu, which is a stone outside the temple at a short distance from it, on which fowls are offered by low caste people.
Kanakku.--A prefix to the name of Nayars, e.g., Kanakku Raman Krishnan, and also adopted as a prefix by the Todupuzha Vellalas of Travancore.
Kancharan.--A Malabar caste, the occupation of which is the manufacture of brass vessels.
Kanchera.--Kanchera and Kanchari are names of the Telugu section of metal-workers.
Kanchimandalam Vellala. --A name assumed by Malaiyalis of the Salem hills, who claim to be Vellalas who emigrated from Conjeeveram (Kanchipuram).
Kanchu (bell-metal).--An exogamous sept of Kuruba. Kansukejje (bronze bell) occurs as a sub-division of Toreya.
Kanchugara.--In the Madras and Mysore Census Reports, Kanchugara is recorded as a sub-division of Panchala, the members of which are workers in brass, copper, and bell-metal. The Kanchugaras of South Canara are described by Mr. H. A. Stuart [88] as "a Canarese caste of brass-workers. They are Hindus of the Vaishnava sect, and pay special reverence to Venkatramana of Tirupati. Their spiritual guru is the head of the Ramachandrapuram math. A man cannot marry within his own gotra or family. They have the ordinary system of inheritance through males. Girls must be married before puberty, and the dhare form of marriage (see Bant) is used. The marriage of widows is not permitted, and divorce is allowed only in the case of women who have proved unchaste. The dead are either cremated, or buried in a recumbent posture. Brahmans officiate as their priests. The use of spirituous liquors, and flesh and fish is permitted. Bell-metal is largely used for making household utensils, such as lamps, goglets, basins, jugs, etc. The process of manufacturing these articles is as follows. The moulds are made of clay, dried and coated with wax to the thickness of the articles required, and left to dry again, a hole being made in them so as to allow the wax to flow out when heated. After this has been done, the molten metal is poured in. The moulds are then broken, and the articles taken out and polished."