Ayyappan

Ayyappan
   Lord Ayyappan of Sabrimali in Kerala is a divinity with a synthetic character. He is said on the one hand to be the son of SHIVA and MOHINI, VISHNU’s female form. He is also said to be an incarnation of the Buddha. Furthermore he is honored in Kerala by Muslims. According to the myth, the god transformed himself into a baby who was found by the king Pandalam, who was childless. Ayyappan was then adopted as his heir. After a short time, Pandalam’s queen produced her own son, and she tried afterward to get rid of Ayyap-pan. She pretended she was ill and said only tiger’s milk could cure her.
   Ayyappan went off to the forest and returned riding a tigress. In his search for tiger’s milk, Ayyappan had been sent to heaven by Lord Shiva to kill a demoness, Mahishi. Ayyappan had suc-ceeded in ejecting her from heaven and making her fall to Earth. The demoness asked him to take her as his wife, but, he, being celibate, decided not to accept her. However, Mahishi is given a promi-nent place at the Ayyappan shrine.
   In recent years a winter pilgrimage has been instituted to the Ayyappan shrine; it takes place between December 15 and January 15, depend-ing on the lunar calendar. This men-only event involves an arduous climb up the hills of the Western Ghats and has become popular through-out India. Participants dress in black, take a vow of celibacy for the duration of the celebration, prepare for the pilgrimage by singing praises to Ayyappan, and then head off on the long trek. All castes and creeds are allowed to enter the Ayyap-pan, shrine, but women in their fertile years are not permitted as Ayyappan is said to be “lord of celibacy.” Ayyappan is sometimes also referred to as Shasta, or “ruler of the realm.”
   Further reading: E. Valentine Daniel, Fluid Signs: Being a Person the Tamil Way (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1984); Lord Ayyappan, the Dharma Sasta (Bombay: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, 1966); N. T. Nair, The Worship of Lord Ayyappan (Singapore: Print-world Services, 1995); Radhika Sekar, The Sabarimalai Pilgrimage and Ayyappan Cults (Delhi: Motilal Banar-sidass, 1992); P. T. Thomas, Sabarimalai and Its Shasta (Madras: Christian Literature Society, 1973); K. R. Vaidyanathan, Pilgrimage to Sabari (Bombay: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, 1978)

Encyclopedia of Hinduism. . 2007.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать реферат

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Ayyappan — Ayyappan, (Malayalam : അയ്യപ്പന്‍) est une des divinités hindoues les plus vénérées d Inde du sud. Il est aussi connu comme Dharmaśāstā(vŭ), Hariharasuta(n), Sāthanar,Sāstan, Cāttan (du sanskrit Śāstā), Ayyanār, Natrayan, Nattarasan… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Ayyappan — Swami Ayyappan Affiliation Deva Abode Sabarimala, Kerala, India Mantra Swamiye Saranam Ayyappa Weapon Bow and arrow …   Wikipedia

  • Sahodaran Ayyappan — (b. August 21, 1889 d. March 6, 1968) was a social reformer, thinker, journalist, and politician of Kerala, India. He was one of the outspoken followers of Sree Narayana Guru.OverviewSahodaran Ayyappan was born into a traditional Ezhava family of …   Wikipedia

  • A. Ayyappan — is a renowned Malayalam poet in the modernist period. Born in 1949 in a wealthy goldsmith s family, he lost his father at an early age. His mother committed suicide shortly thereafter. Ayyappan was supported by his sister Subbalakshmi and his… …   Wikipedia

  • Sahodaran Ayyappan (film) — Sahodaran Ayyappan is a short documentary from Kerala, India. It depicts the life of Sahodaran Ayyappan through recreated events and archival photos. Sahodaran Ayyappan was a social reformer and the organizer of the Sree Narayana Movement (see… …   Wikipedia

  • A. R. Pillai — Ayyappan Pillai Raman Pillai, also known as A. Raman Pillai or A. R. Pillai, (1880 1938) was an Indian expatriate who worked for India s freedom in Germany, journalist, writer and a book publisher.Early lifePillai was born as the only son of… …   Wikipedia

  • Cheerappanchira — is an Ezhava tharavadu renowned for its Kalari in Muhamma, Alappuzha District. Cheerappanchira family, Mukkal Vettom Ayyappa Temple of the family and their Kalari, are as old as the mythology of Lord Ayyappan and his abode at Sabarimala. It is… …   Wikipedia

  • Sabarimala — Infobox Indian Jurisdiction native name = Sabarimala type = Pilgrimage Town locator position = right latd = 9.26 longd = 77.04 state name = Kerala district = Pathanamthitta District leader title = leader name = altitude = 1260 population as of =… …   Wikipedia

  • Vypin — Vypin, also spelled Vypeen ( ml. വൈപ്പിന്‍) is an island in Ernakulam district of Kerala. The island which is about 27 km long was formed in the year 1341 after a heavy flood. It is known to be the island having highest density of population in… …   Wikipedia

  • List of Hindu temples — Hindu temple is called Mandir or Kovil or Devasthanam or Dega (Nepal Bhasa) or Ambalam (Malayalam) or other words in different Indian languages. It is usually dedicated to a primary deity, called the presiding deity, and other deities associated… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”