#aiyanar

[piyalibhoir]

Lord Aiyanar: The Guardian of Villages

Lord Aiyanar, a significant figure in Tamil folk tradition, is revered as a guardian deity, especially in rural South India. Lord Aiyanar is considered as a guardian deity who defends the villages. He is often associated with protecting villages and is believed to drive away evil spirits, ensuring the safety and prosperity of his devotees.

https://www.indianetzone.com/ayanar_chief_male_deity

[arjuna-vallabha]

A copper alloy figure of Aiyanar, Tamil Nadu

[spotifymines]

Tirusuli Aiyanar Urumi Melam - ஐயப்பா சுவாமி (Ayyappa swamy) Country: Malaysia || Language: Tamil || Style: Urumi Melam https://open.spotify.com/album/1GVQvJUvU20JPv5dzUHiqb

[munichasia]

Education day. Learning more about Hinduism 😇 Sri Maha Mariamman Temple in Bangkok - the oldest and most important such temple in Thailand 💯🇹🇭📸😊 Greetings and have a fantastic day all. ~~~ Sri Maha Mariamman Temple (Tamil: அருள்மிகு ஶ்ரீ மஹாமாரி அம்மன் கோவில்), also known as Maha Uma Devi Temple (Thai: วัดพระศรีมหาอุมาเทวี; RTGS: Wat Phra Si Maha Umathewi and Wat Khaek (วัดแขก) in Thai, is a South Indian architecture style Hindu temple on Si Lom Road in Bangkok, Thailand. It was built in 1879 by Vaithi Padayatchi, a Tamil Hindu immigrant. Following India becoming a colony of the British Empire in 1858 many from the southern state of Tamil Nadu preferred to leave their country than live under colonial rule. One such group of Indians came to Bangkok, many as traders of gemstones or cattle ranchers. A leader of this group of Indians was Vaithi Padayatchi who built this temple about a decade after they arrived. The temple's facade is in strikingly florid style of a riot of different colours with carved images of various gods and goddesses in different shapes and sizes. At the entrance to the temple there is a gopura or tower 6 metres in height and covered with many carved images of deities. The main shrine of the temple complex is a dome with covering of a gilded copper plate. Within the premises of the temple complex there are three shrines dedicated to Ganesh, Kartik and the main shrine of Sri Maha Mariamman.  The main hall of the shrine is also decorated with statue deity in Hinduism Bronze Material of Ganesh , Shiva , Krishna , Vishnu , Lakshmi , Kartik , Mariamman , Kali , Saraswati, and Nataraja with Shivakami , Hanuman. In addition there are also shrines dedicated to the worship of gods Shiva Lingam , Brahma , Navagraha , Aiyanar , Saptha Kanni , Periyachi , Madurai Veeran and Kathavarayan. . . . #visitbangkok #webangkok #bangkokcity #bangkokcityvibes #bangkokspirit #bangkoktravel #bangkoktrip #bangkokview #bbkk  #travelbangkok #travelthailand #beautifulthailand #discoverthailand #ilovethailand #thaiculture #thailand_allshot #thailand_ig #thailandgram #thailandinsider #thailandismagic #thailandphotography #thailandtourism (at Sri Maha Mariamman Temple, Bangkok) https://www.instagram.com/p/Chv0U9Dvgjx/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[maxinejiji]

Do you have a @danielwellington watch yet? Now’s the time! ⌚😉 ⌚ From now till the 30th of November, check out @danielwellington’s incredible offer with 50% OFF on selected items! 😉👌 👉 Or receive a FREE gift (Ring/Bracelet/Watch Strap) when you spend ₱7,900 at www.danielwellington.com. 🤙 Simply enter my code “Maxine2020” at check out for additional 15% OFF and massively save you up to ₱7,073! 🤗🤗 ⌚️Limited quantities available so hurry up and get yours now! ⌚️ Plus, it’s free shipping on all orders too! *T&Cs apply. #DanielWellington #DWinPH #DWPhilippines 🖤🖤🖤 (at Aiyanar Beach and Dive Resort) https://www.instagram.com/p/CIE77N5HE_H/?igshid=1psy925v5q4qi

[subusanta]

one of the best pic #divine #aiyanar #kovil #oneplus5 (at Koradacheri)

[worldofamulets]

Powerful Shiva Pendant for Wealth and Fortune with Om Namah Shivaya Mantra – hindu jewelry

In Yajurveda, two contrary sets of attributes for both malignant or terrifying (Sanskrit: rudra) and benign or auspicious (Sanskrit: śiva) forms can be found, leading Chakravarti to conclude that “all the basic elements which created the complex Rudra-Śiva sect of later ages are to be found here” In the Mahabharata, Shiva is depicted as “the standard of invincibility, might, and terror”, as well as a figure of honor, delight, and brilliance.

The duality of Shiva’s fearful and auspicious attributes appears in contrasted names. The name Rudra reflects Shiva’s fearsome aspects. According to traditional etymologies, the Sanskrit name Rudra is derived from the root rud-, which means “to cry, howl”.Stella Kramrisch notes a different etymology connected with the adjectival form raudra, which means “wild, of rudra nature”, and translates the name Rudra as “the wild one” or “the fierce god”. R. K. Sharma follows this alternate etymology and translates the name as “terrible”.Hara is an important name that occurs three times in the Anushasanaparvan version of the Shiva sahasranama, where it is translated in different ways each time it occurs, following a commentorial tradition of not repeating an interpretation. Sharma translates the three as “one who captivates”, “one who consolidates”, and “one who destroys”.Kramrisch translates it as “the ravisher”. Another of Shiva’s fearsome forms is as Kāla “time” and Mahākāla “great time”, which ultimately destroys all things. The name Kāla appears in the Shiva Sahasranama, where it is translated by Ram Karan Sharma as “(the Supreme Lord of) Time”. Bhairava “terrible” or “frightful” is a fierce form associated with annihilation. In contrast, the name Śaṇkara, “beneficent” or “conferring happiness” reflects his benign form. This name was adopted by the great Vedanta philosopher Adi Shankara (c. 788–820), who is also known as Shankaracharya. The name Śambhu (Sanskrit: शम्भु swam-on its own; bhu-burn/shine) “self-shining/ shining on its own”, also reflects this benign aspect.

Ascetic and householder

Shiva is depicted both as an ascetic yogi, and as a householder with goddess Parvati. Shiva is depicted as both an ascetic yogi and as a householder (grihasta), roles which have been traditionally mutually exclusive in Hindu society. When depicted as a yogi, he may be shown sitting and meditating. His epithet Mahāyogi (“the great Yogi: Mahā = “great”, Yogi = “one who practices Yoga”) refers to his association with yoga.While Vedic religion was conceived mainly in terms of sacrifice, it was during the Epic period that the concepts of tapas, yoga, and asceticism became more important, and the depiction of Shiva as an ascetic sitting in philosophical isolation reflects these later concepts.

As a family man and householder, he has a wife, Parvati and two sons, Ganesha and Kartikeya. His epithet Umāpati (“The husband of Umā”) refers to this idea, and Sharma notes that two other variants of this name that mean the same thing, Umākānta and Umādhava, also appear in the sahasranama. Umā in epic literature is known by many names, including the benign Pārvatī. She is identified with Devi, the Divine Mother; Shakti (divine energy) as well as goddesses like Tripura Sundari, Durga, Kali, Kamakshi and Minakshi. The consorts of Shiva are the source of his creative energy. They represent the dynamic extension of Shiva onto this universe His son Ganesha is worshipped throughout India and Nepal as the Remover of Obstacles, Lord of Beginnings and Lord of Obstacles. Kartikeya is worshipped in South India (especially in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka) by the names Subrahmanya, Subrahmanyan, Shanmughan, Swaminathan and Murugan, and in Northern India by the names Skanda, Kumara, or Karttikeya.

Some regional deities are also identified as Shiva’s children. As one story goes, Shiva is enticed by the beauty and charm of Mohini, Vishnu’s female avatar, and procreates with her. As a result of this union, Shasta – identified with regional deities Ayyappan and Aiyanar – is born. In outskirts of Ernakulam in Kerala, a deity named Vishnumaya is stated to be offspring of Shiva and invoked in local exorcism rites, but this deity is not traceable in Hindu pantheon and is possibly a local tradition with “vaguely Chinese” style rituals, states Saletore. In some traditions, Shiva has daughters like the serpent-goddess Manasa and Ashokasundari.According to Doniger, two regional stories depict demons Andhaka and Jalandhara as the children of Shiva who war with him, and are later destroyed by Shiva

The Om Namah Shivaya Mantra

This mantra is present in the Shri Rudram hymn which is part of the Krishna Yajurveda. Shri Rudram hymn is taken from two chapters in fourth book of Taittiriya Samhita of Krishna Yajurveda. Each chapter consist of eleven anuvaka or hymns. Name of both chapters are Namakam (chapter five) and Chamakam (chapter seven) respectively. Om Namah Shivaya mantra appears without OM in eighth hymn of Namakam(TS 4.5.8.1) as Namah shivaya ca shivataraya . It means “Salutations unto Śiva the auspicious one, unto Śivatara the one than whom none more auspicious can exist”.

This mantra also appears in the Rudrashtadhyayi which is a part of the Shukla Yajurveda. In the Rudrashtadhyayi, the mantra appears in the 5th chapter (also known as Namakam) verse 41 as Namah shivaya ca shivataraya

OM: Vibration which is known as OM Namah Shivaya: Universe is made of five elements( Pancha Boodh)

Litrely meaning to bow down to Lord Shiva who is present in everyone (Inner Self)

By chanting this mantra you are trying to heal your emotions,difficulties,accumulated through bad environment. As you practice chanting this mantra,you are sending positive energy to Cosmos, which in turn return’s you ten folds of positive energy,that is the Magical power this mantra holds.

It gives you inner Peace and clarity during the time of crisis. It develops intellect and helps to prosper in your life. It sways away negative energies and fills it up with positive energies. It helps to understand your inner self and opens up your true identity. It relives your stress burdened mind and ignites the good temperament.

[divenetphil]

A quick Sunday dive trip 😊 because #wejustwanttodive #anilaodiving #scubadiving #goodvibes #allvaxed (at Aiyanar Beach and Dive Resort) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cdk_xs2pWzn/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[igrms]

*Online Exhibition Series-61* (12th August, 2021) From Kumhar Para open air exhibition *Votive Terracotta Horse- AIYYANAR DEITY* यूट्यूब की लिंक / Youtube link- https://youtu.be/Wh625leWbrU वेबसाइट की लिंक / Website link - https://igrms.com/wordpress/?page_id=4120 Ayyanar is a village God worshipped by the folk people in Tamil Nadu. He is primarily worshiped as a guardian deity who protects the villages from unwanted external elements and threats. The temples of Aiyanar are usually flanked by gigantic and colorful statues the God and his companions riding Horses and Elephants. The display of votive figures and clay idols in an Aiyanar temple reflects the social hierarchy that exists in the villages. The Gods are ranked according to the social and economical hierarchy in the village. The Gods with highest position are vegetarian, while those considered with lower rank are believed to be non-vegetarian. An Ayyanar temple is often not a building, but assemblages of one or more figures revered as the ancestral and local deities belonging to various groups of communities. Museum attempted to honour the living legends that preserved this ancient tradition of producing terracotta offerings from Puddukottai District of Tamil Nadu with an installation of an AIYYANAR complex in its premises. Seven artists from the village were invited by the museum to demonstrate the ritual art and to enhance and extend the span of the existing Aiyyanar complex with their proficient hands. A glimpse of museum’s effort towards conservation of culture and devotion of artists is here for you through a short video and photographs. https://www.instagram.com/p/CSdZVOJDaUj/?utm_medium=tumblr

[tramptravellercom]

Ayyanar Horse Temple [ Sivaganga,Tamil Nadu, India ]

Aiyanar or Shasta is a Hindu deity particularly praised by the Malayalis and Tamil speaking community of India and Sri Lanka. Sinhalese worship him in the name of Ayyanayake and in. He is primarily worshiped as one of the guardian folk deities of Tamil Nadu. The village temples of Ayyanar are usually flanked by gigantic and colorful statues of him and his companions riding horses or elephants. He is primarily worshiped as a guardian deity who protects villages from external threats. Horses are a must in every Ayanar temple in every villages... big horses are fixed fixtures in temples. In Ayyanaar Temples, horses are sculpted with great care.

[womanlalaboy]

Womanlalaboy's Travel Guide to Gulugod Baboy

SUMMARY

Elevation: 525+ MASL Jump- off: Philpan Dive Resort, Anilao, Mabini Days / hours to summit: Half-day / 1-2 hours Climb: Minor  Difficulty: 2/9 Trail class: 1-2 Features: Scenic views of Batangas Bay and Balayan Bay 

Type of Travel: DIY + package Date of Travel: Oct. 2018 Duration: 1D Budget: P700 Where we stayed at: Philpan Dive Resort

Joiners are common for many climbing activities. A lot of people do this to be a part of a larger group as this would mean lesser expenses and a merrier climb. Joiners usually join, though, with some of their friends, but when I climbed Gulugod Baboy, I was on my own in a group of groups. It was fun, though- got the chance to learn a lot of life lessons and understand a few things about myself. I’ve gotten to meet interesting people and of course, experience the beauty of Anilao Batangas. 

Gulugod Baboy would be an adventure enthusiast’s amusement park. It’s no longer required to get a guide to climb the mountain since 2005 and there are many trails to choose from to get to the summit. Climbers are also offered a panorama view of the coastal areas surrounding Mabini. More than that, there are many side trips to add in your adventure including island hopping to Sombrero, snorkeling, and possibly diving.

ITINERARY

3:00 AM - Meet up Imus Lumina 6:00 AM - ETA Phil Pan Junction 6:30 AM - Register Site. Breakfast. 7:00 AM - Start Trek 9:00 AM - Summit 10:00 AM - Start Descent 12:00 PM - Philpan drive resort for lunch, swimming 4:00 PM - ETD Phil Pan 8:00 PM - Imus

I joined a company club called TUCLAS (TaskUs Climbing Association) for their climb for a cause to Gulugod Baboy. Their beneficiary was Little Angels Foundation, Inc. They always do hikes with a purpose, and I think that’s beautiful. I found no reason not to join, so I did and I regret nothing.

SAMPLE BUDGET

for 30 pax

1050 - Environmental Fee per head is 35 500 - Guide's fee (divided by the number of persons included in the group) 3000- Entrance fee to Philpan Dive Resort per head is 100 1000 - Cottage per head would be 34 12000- 2 vans; Van transpo per head is 400 3450 - Fund for Little Angels Foundation, Inc. ___________________________________

21000 - 700 / head

We initially paid P 600 inclusive of transportation, cottage, and donation. Other activities such as diving and island hopping are not included in the package, though, as well as the entrance fee of P 100 per head to Philpan Dive Resort. The plan was to hike in the morning and do an island hopping for those who were interested, but we settled by the beach, swam and rested. If you’re just gonna do the climb, you wouldn’t need to shell out that much. Just leave a budget for your transportation, guide fee, and environmental fee if you’ll bring a private car, and you’re all set.

HOW TO GET THERE

Commute from Manila: Board any bus bound to Batangas Grand Terminal  > board any jeep bound for Anilao, Batangas, drop off at Philpan- Mabini Junction  > Rent a tricycle and drop off at Philpan Dive Resort/registration area  

Bus liners are available along LRT-Buendia and Taft in Pasay, and Cubao and EDSA-Kamias in Quezon City (Jam, Jac Liner, ALPS). The fare for a ride to Batangas would be around P 170 depending on the bus liner you’ll catch or from what terminal you’ll come from. From the Batangas Grand Terminal, you can simply ride a jeepney to the Philpan-Mabini Junction for a fare of P 35. From the junction, ride a tricycle and drop off at the registration area. Fare is P 40.

Commute from Bacoor/Imus Cavite: Board a jeepney/bus bound for Dasmariñas Pala-pala terminal for P 25 (the terminal is right after 7/11 from your right) > Board a van bound for Anilao, Philpan- Mabini Junction > Rent a tricycle and drop off at Philpan Dive Resort/registration area for P 40)

The vans available in Pala-pala don’t really follow a schedule. They usually wait for the vans to get full before heading to Batangas. The jeepneys going back to  Batangas Grand Terminal, though, are hard to find later than 8 PM. If you happen to miss the last trip to the Grand Terminal, ride a jeep bound for Bauan instead then board a jeep bound for Batangas Grand Terminal.

OTHER POINTS OF INTEREST

Diving

If you’re into diving, you’ll find Mabini irresistible. They’ve got a lot of Scuba Diving Resorts in the area like Halo Anilao Dive Resort, Aquaventure Reef Club Dive Resort and Aiyanar Beach & Dive Resort, but the closest from Gulugod Baboy, one of the cheapest and the most famous would be Philpan Dive Resort. They’ve got cottages for as low as P 500.

Island Hopping and Snorkeling 

Since it doesn’t have to take too much time to climb Gulugod Baboy, many opt to do Island hopping afterwards to Sombrero Island. Boats can be hired from your lodging area or you can go to Anilao port to board boats going to Sombrero Island.  Boat rental is around P 2500 to P 2800 for 10 pax. 

WHAT TO BRING

Packed lunch if preferred

Med Kit/ Personal medicines

Raincoat when necessary

Extra clothes

At least 2 liters of water

Whistle

Trash Bag

Toiletries (esp. alcohol)

Trail food (energy bars, peanuts, chocolates, banana, salt)

Sunblock

Cap

Headlamp when necessary

Gloves (not required)

Trekking pole (not required)

Handkerchief / scarf

NOTES

Pack light if you’re going to commute. Those who will visit this place with their private car or van would have it easier. They can simply leave their stuff in the van and hike only with those they ultimately need.

Don’t eat heavy before the hike. Energy bars are better for activities like this.

Sun exposure is notoriously acute when dry. Apply plentiful of sunblock whenever needed.

When you encounter something that would hinder you from descending using the trail when you ascend (e.g. an accident / you suddenly felt ill), you can rent a tricycle from the camp to the registration area or to your lodging/resort for P 150.

When you miss all trips to Grand Terminal, you can rent a tricycle, but this would cost P 400 for 4 pax.

It’s not that safe to swim around Philpan as the rocks and pebbles would be too sharp for our bare feet. The place is a diving spot after all. It would help, though, if you use aqua shoes there.

While hiking, wear quick dry clothes and stay away from cotton fabrics and denim pants since you will be sweating profusely during the climb.

Wear a pair of hiking shoes or sandals.

LEAVE NO TRACE (LNT): Kill nothing but time, take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints.

MORE...

Also read: Panhik #3: TUCLAS Climbs Gulugod Baboy Also see: TUCLAS Climbs Gulugod Baboy photo sets

[janalei]

Mood #tb #JanaLei (at Aiyanar Beach and Dive Resort) https://www.instagram.com/p/BtbDrmYgzYmU1zf087ZELEZtDjD5NZredB6kdg0/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=ib727brunsg9

[themuseumwithoutwalls]

MWW Artwork of the Day (1/12/19) Classical India (Aravidu Dynasty, 1542-1646) Ayyanar on an Elephant (16th c.) Stone sculpture Government Museum, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India

Ayyanar is a Tamil village god, worshiped predominantly in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and Tamil villages in Sri Lanka. He is primarily worshiped as a guardian deity who protects the rural villages. His priests are usually non-Brahmins, who belong to mostly the potter caste, but other caste members also officiate in his temples. The temples of Aiyanar are usually flanked by gigantic and colorful statues of him and his companions riding horses or elephants. There are number of theories as to the origins of the deity as well as the etymology of the name. He is associated with god Aiyanayake by the Sinhalese people of Sri Lanka.  (Wikipedia extracts)

[afishtrap]

The ceramic horses of the Tamil region in southern India are connected to cultural meanings that are more than a thousand years old, but the significations associated with them also reach into the contemporary world and even into a utopian beyond. This article explores the status of history provoked by the horses. Jarzombek argues that modernity is not something against which history and "tradition" are posited or against which society is expected to react, but rather is the core element in the cultural pattern of rupture and inscription.

Mark Jarzombek. "Horse Shrines in Tamil India: Reflections on Modernity." Future Anterior: Journal of Historic Preservation, History, Theory, and Criticism, Vol. 6, No. 1 (Summer 2009), pp. 18-36.

In the state of Tamil Nadu in southern India, each of the numerous villages has a special shrine dedicated to what are called "village deities." These deities, some of which are dedicated to particular castes, others to local clans, are not part of the Hindu pantheon but protagonists in a complex fabric of mythologies and tales that spell out the conditions of order and morality in the village.1 The shrines are usually located on the outskirts of town and have at their core a sacred tree in front of which are statues of some of the deities along with a large figure of a horse, sometimes with a rider, sometimes without. Many of the horses that one sees today are concrete and painted in bright yellows, blues, and whites. Some, how ever, are still created from clay and are left natural. This is Aiyanar (also: Ayyanaar), a god unique to the Tamils. Although he acts as rainmaker and as a god who brings prosperity to the fields, his primary mission is to patrol village borders and protect its inhabitants from harm.2 Swift and fierce and hold ing a sword in his hand, he makes the rounds of the village and its nearby fields at night, and should one happen to encounter him in the dark, confrontation is to be avoided if one values one's life.3 Despite the need for respectful distance, villagers can communicate with him by placing paper messages against his sword. Often the solutions are revealed in dreams.4 Apart from the large horse, the village shrine will have smaller horses --sometimes many hundreds of them--that line the pathways to the sacred tree. These horses are thanks giving offerings made by the priest for individual devotees.

The making of these horses is a sacred act carried out by Aiyanar's attendant priests who belong to a caste known as Vishvakarma, the "creator of the world," the "architect of the universe."5 The process begins with a nighttime procession from the house of the village chief to the site of the shrine, where a work pit, identified as a sacred womb, is created and ritually demarcated by the blood of a chicken.6 Over the next fourteen days or so, the horse takes shape to eventually be fired in situ with an improvised kiln of mud, bricks, and straw. When the horse is finished, it is dedicated in an elaborate ceremony, known as kutirai etuppu, that involves the whole village.7

[...]

As deities go, Aiyanar is not particularly old. The first evidence of his existence in visual iconography dates to the rule of the Pallavas in the seventh century CE, the earliest evidence of a temple dedicated to Aiyanar dates somewhat later to the eighth century CE.15 Clearly he predated this, but not by much. There are two arguments about his origins: one, that he is part of the integration of the Brahmin culture into Tamil areas in the sixth and seventh centuries CE; and two, that he is part of the circa-fourth-century BCE formation of village networks in the area.16 Asko Parpola, from the University of Helsinki, defends the first of these positions, arguing that the Aiyanar cult emerged as a consequence of the Aryan migration into the Tamil country, for it was the Aryans, after all, who in the first millennium BCE brought the horse to India. Parpola also notes the similarity of the words Aarya and Aiyan.17 Those who defend the second position cite the possibility that horses existed in this area well before the arrival of the Brah mins. They also point to an alternative etymology that links the word Aiyanarto the old Tamil word Ai, which means "elder, chief, or leader."18 For this group of scholars, the Aiyanar cult had its origins with the creation of village society. And indeed, Aiyanar is considered by Tamil villagers to be more than just the village muscle man; he is the chief of the other village gods, and any dedication to the other gods must be preceded by a dedication to him. The horse cult was a mechanism of surveillance and control.

[...]

If the Mother goddess shrines date back to prehistory, the Aiyanar horses in front of these trees and groves are by comparison quite new. The situation at the Tamil shrines is not dissimilar to the one at Delphi, which began as a sanctuary to the mother earth goddess but, after the invasion of the Dorians around 1200 BCE, was rededicated to the god Apollo, but without totally obliterating the earth goddess elements of the site. Here in Tamil territory, the Aiyanar cult, even if it was homegrown, has to be seen as "the new" that plugged itself into the mother goddess shrines and its associated landscape of sacred trees and groves. What we have is not a fusion of old and new, but an assertion of power that exposed the rupture of time to both borrow the sacredness of the old and bring into the open a new instrument of control. History, which is identical with its devices of enforcement, asserts the legitimacy of its ruptural logic. In this case, Aiyanar is quite literally history on horseback.

[...]

The first instance of Aiyanar's reinvention took place in the thirteenth century, when, with the disappearance of Buddhism in India and the emergence of Hinduism as the state religion, the old village mythologies came to be gradually linked directly and indirectly with the Hindu worldview. Aiyanar was also upgraded, to be defined as nothing less than the son of Siva and Vish'nu; he was born, so the story goes, not through copulation, but from the sperm of Siva when Siva became desirous of Vish'nu, who, though normally a man, took a female form while churning the ocean to get nectar in the Hindu creation myth. In other words, Aiyanar was born ex utero to two male gods in a type of conceptual gap that was created when Vish'nu was in disguise as a woman. It is a unique form of procreation that allowed Aiyanar to be placed post facto into the mythology of the Hindu creation story, while allowing him to exist in a parallel world.23 This newly Sanskritized Aiyanaar was given a new a name, Harihara Putra [Sanskrit: Hari (Vish'nu) and Hara (Siva); Putra (prince or son)] and is shown in the iconography with two consorts, Poora'nai and Pushkalai, holding in his hand either an elephant goad or horsewhip.

The terminus post quern of the Harihara Putra cult is 1224, the date a temple to the god was constructed by Narasimha II.24 The temple no longer exists, but more recent Harihara temples (known also as Sastha temples) do exist and are usually in forests (because the god's parents, accord ing to one story, abandoned him in a forest). This is in line with the older form of Aiyanar worship which was most often located not in the village proper but at its perimeter.

It has been suggested by Fred W. Clothey, a leading scholar of religious practices in India, that the creation of Harihara Putra was politically driven by the ruling elites as a way to offset friction that had developed between Vishnuites and Shavites.25 That explains, so Clothey suggests, why at least two Tamil kings assumed the name Harihara, tightening the bonds, as was often done, between king and god. What made this shift possible was Aiyanar's original position as someone who keeps peace and order. The transformation into Harihara Putra, however, substantially changed Aiyanar's identity since it introduced metaphysics into the equation. The Aiyanar cult did not begin as a metaphysical project, since its original mis sion was to produce and strengthen the inside/outside dual ity. Furthermore, though there are hundreds of Aiyanar shrines, each belonging to a particular village, there was no overarching moral message. But Aiyanar, already modern in the context of one historical framework, could become historicized (and modernized) yet again by drawing on the fact that he was more than just a divine policeman but the "chief" among the deities. In this new version, with his new name and new mythology, he could transcend the scale of the village and in the process obliterate the traditional and institutionalized "obviousness" of the Shiva/Vishnu distinction. He was a new unity rising above an old duality. This god was homegrown, but one cannot rule out the possibility that such a metaphysical postulation was not influenced from other religions, Buddhism included.

[...]

Manikantan /Ayyappan brings the genealogy of this deity back into the fold of human history. Because of his military training, Ayyappan has a quasi-military theme that is different from soldier-horseman Aiyanar. Whereas Aiyanar was worshiped by means of gifts and offerings, the Ayyappan cult requires forty-one days of sexual continence before the pilgrimage and a difficult hike to the hilltop sanctuary, among other acts of purification. Since menstruating women are not allowed to worship at the shrine, the cult has become akin to a cult of masculinity. This is unusual in Hindu India, where women are banned from temples only during the actual time of their menstruation. Here all women between the ages often and fifty-five are banned. For the Ayyappan pilgrimage, men do not travel to the site alone, however, but in small groups from their village or family unit--or perhaps today as a group of business associates --led by a guruswamywho guides them along the long mountain paths to the sanctuary.29 As one scholar has described it, the cult "merges individual men both with the hyper-masculine deity and with a wider community of men" embodied by the other male pilgrims and gurus.30 Unlike Aiyanar, whom one worshiped through outward signs of appreciation and with some trepidation, Ayyappan demanded that his devotees look inward. If Aiyanar worked his magic through fear, Ayyappan was a messenger of brotherly love. The horse has now disappeared. Ayyappan, in the myth, came into town riding a tiger, and so it is the tiger that figures into this imaginary.

This sixteenth-century update of the thirteenth-century cult took place in three ways. First, it was changed from a religion of the ruling elite to a popular, regional cult. Second, it was given the metaphysical conventions of corporeal deprivation and spiritual purification, which were typical of most religions of the time. And third, Ayyappan's reentry into human history was augmented by the fact that each of his gurus--which numbered then in the hundreds of thousands--was to be treated by his charges as an incarnation of Ayyappan himself. In other words, whereas Aiyanar could only go as far as the vil lage boundary, Ayyappan, in his multitudinousness, could move about anywhere. The subtext of Aiyanar's equestrian mobility is still there, but the deity is now released from imprisonment in the "local."31 If no one can "become" Aiyanar (except in the form of a possessed dancer during the village ceremony), any number of people --hundreds of thousands-- can "become" Ayyappan to weave themselves in an increasingly dense way into the fabric of contemporary history.

[zargydoodles]

Really nice place for a weekend getaway! If you're planning to go for a dive in Batangas, this is where you'd wanna stay for the night for comfort and simple luxury. #travel #travelgram #instatravel #travelphoto #travelphotography #wanderlust #traveler #travelPH #philippines #asia #travelasia #discoverasia #the_ph #lakbaypilipinas #itsmorefuninthephilippines #ourplanetdaily #awesomespots #goexplore #keepexploring #wonderful_places #batangas #resorts #summer #holidaygetaway (at Aiyanar Beach and Dive Resort)