Ayyavazhi ( ta, அய்யாவழி, ml, അയ്യാവഴി ''Ayyāvaḻi'' , ) is a
henotheistic
Henotheism is the worship of a single, supreme god that does not deny the existence or possible existence of other deities. Friedrich Schelling (1775–1854) coined the word, and Friedrich Welcker (1784–1868) used it to depict primi ...
belief that originated in
South India
South India, also known as Dakshina Bharata or Peninsular India, consists of the peninsular southern part of India. It encompasses the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana, as well as the union territo ...
.
[Tha. Krishna Nathan, ''Ayyaa vaikuNdarin vaazvum sinthanaiyum'', p. 62: "" (The day at which Vaikundar is given rebirth could be considered as the date of origin of the Ayyavazhi religion.)] Though generally regarded as a branch of Hinduism,
it is cited as an independent
monistic
Monism attributes oneness or singleness (Greek: μόνος) to a concept e.g., existence. Various kinds of monism can be distinguished:
* Priority monism states that all existing things go back to a source that is distinct from them; e.g., i ...
belief by several newspapers, government reports, and academic researchers.
[Graham Harvey and Robert J. Wallis, (2007), ''Historical Dictionary of Shamanism'', , Scarecrow Press, pp. 101]
Ayyavazhi is centered on the life and preachings of
Ayya Vaikundar
Ayya Vaikundar (c.1833 –c.1851) ( ta, அய்யா வைகுண்டர், sa, अय्या वैघुण्ढर्) also known as Vaikunda Swami is the first and the foremost Purna avatar of Eka-Paran born to Lord ...
; its ideas and philosophy are based on the holy texts ''
Akilathirattu Ammanai
Akilathirattu Ammanai ( ta, அகிலத்திரட்டு அம்மானை; ''akilam'' ("world"), ''thirattu'' ("collection"), ''ammanai'' ("ballad")), also called Thiru Edu ("venerable book"), is the main religious text of the T ...
'' and ''
Arul Nool
Arul may refer to:
People Given name
* Arul Chinnaiyan
* Arul Kanda Kandasamy
* Arul Kumar Jambunathan, Malaysian politician
* Arul Pragasam
* Arul Ramadas, Indian politician
* Arul Shankar, Indian mathematician
* Arul Suppiah (born 1983), Malay ...
''. Accordingly,
Ayya Vaikundar
Ayya Vaikundar (c.1833 –c.1851) ( ta, அய்யா வைகுண்டர், sa, अय्या वैघुण्ढर्) also known as Vaikunda Swami is the first and the foremost Purna avatar of Eka-Paran born to Lord ...
was the Purna
avatar
Avatar (, ; ), is a concept within Hinduism that in Sanskrit literally means "descent". It signifies the material appearance or incarnation of a powerful deity, goddess or spirit on Earth. The relative verb to "alight, to make one's appearanc ...
of
Narayana
Narayana (Sanskrit: नारायण, IAST: ''Nārāyaṇa'') is one of the forms and names of Vishnu, who is in yogic slumber under the celestial waters, referring to the masculine principle. He is also known as Purushottama, and is co ...
. Ayyavazhi shares many ideas with Hinduism in its beliefs and practice, but differs considerably in its concepts of
good and evil
In religion, ethics, philosophy, and psychology "good and evil" is a very common dichotomy. In cultures with Manichaean and Abrahamic religious influence, evil is perceived as the dualistic antagonistic opposite of good, in which good shoul ...
and
dharma
Dharma (; sa, धर्म, dharma, ; pi, dhamma, italic=yes) is a key concept with multiple meanings in Indian religions, such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism and others. Although there is no direct single-word translation for '' ...
. Ayyavazhi is classified as a dharmic belief because of its central focus on dharma.
Ayyavazhi first came to public attention in the 19th century as a Hindu sect. Vaikundar's activities and the growing number of followers caused a reformation and revolution in 19th-century
Travancore
The Kingdom of Travancore ( /ˈtrævənkɔːr/), also known as the Kingdom of Thiruvithamkoor, was an Indian kingdom from c. 1729 until 1949. It was ruled by the Travancore Royal Family from Padmanabhapuram, and later Thiruvananthapuram. At ...
an and
Tamil society
Tamil may refer to:
* Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia
** Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils
**Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia
* Tamil language, nati ...
, surprising the feudal social system of South India. It also triggered a number of reform movements including those of
Narayana Guru
Narayana Guru, , (20 August 1856 – 20 September 1928) was a philosopher, spiritual leader and social reformer in India. He led a reform movement against the injustice in the caste-ridden society of Kerala in order to promote spiritual ...
and
Ramalinga Swamigal
Thiruvarutprakasa Vallalār Chidambaram Ramalingam (5 October 1823 – 30 January 1874), commonly known in India and across the world as Vallalār, Ramalinga Swamigal and Ramalinga Adigal, was one of the most famous Tamil Saints and also one of t ...
.
Though Ayyavazhi followers are spread across India,
[C. Paulose, ''Advaita Philosophy of Brahmasri Chattampi Swamikal'', p. 24, "To propagate his teachings and ideas he opened upon seven Pathis and seven Tangs (The Primary Nizhal Thangals) in Travancore, hundreds of small pagodas (Nizhal Thangals) throughout India." Accrediting the ]Worship centers of Ayyavazhi
The ''Pathis'' and '' Nizhal Thangals'', are centers of worship and religious learning for the followers of Ayyavazhi which are established in different parts of India. They served as centres for propagation of the beliefs and practices of Ayyava ...
across India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
and so the Ayyavazhi followers. they are primarily present in South India, especially concentrated in
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a States and union territories of India, state in southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of India ...
and
Kerala
Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...
. The number of practitioners is estimated to be between 8,000,000 and 10,000,000 although the exact number is unknown, since Ayyavazhis are reported as Hindus during censuses.
Etymology and history
![Swamithope Pathi West view](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d1/Swamithope_Pathi_West_view.jpg)
''Ayya'' in Tamil means 'Master' and ''vazhi'', 'way'; the simple translation is "Master's way" or 'Father's way' Due to the diverse
synonymous
A synonym is a word, morpheme, or phrase that means exactly or nearly the same as another word, morpheme, or phrase in a given language. For example, in the English language, the words ''begin'', ''start'', ''commence'', and ''initiate'' are all ...
versions for the phrase in Tamil, it also leads to various other theories.
[Arisundara Mani, ''Akilathirattu Ammanai Parayana Urai'', 2002, p. 4]
Ayyavazhi began to be noticed initially by the large number of people gathering to worship
Vaikundar
Ayya Vaikundar (c.1833 –c.1851) ( ta, அய்யா வைகுண்டர், sa, अय्या वैघुण्ढर्) also known as Vaikunda Swami is the first and the foremost Purna avatar of Eka-Paran born to Lord ...
(known historically as "Mudisoodum Perumal")
(c. 1809 – c. 1851
CE) at
Poovandanthoppe. The
Thuvayal thavasu
{{Ayyavazhi
Thuvayal Thavasu, literally washing penance, was a significant religious event that took place in the 19th century. It was also called as thuvayal panthi. (panthi means an arrangement of people in a row for meals during feasts). By t ...
(washing
penance
Penance is any act or a set of actions done out of Repentance (theology), repentance for Christian views on sin, sins committed, as well as an alternate name for the Catholic Church, Catholic, Lutheran, Eastern Orthodox, and Oriental Orthodox s ...
) of 1840 is the origin of Ayyavazhi as an alternative religio-cultural phenomena. The majority of its participants were from marginalised and poor sections of society.
[G. Patrick, ''Religion and Subaltern Agency'', Chapter 5, pp. 90–91] They began to function as a distinct and autonomous society, and gradually, they identified their path with the phrase 'Ayya vazhi'. Although the majority of these followers were from the
Nadar
Gaspard-Félix Tournachon (5 April 1820 – 20 March 1910), known by the pseudonym Nadar, was a French photographer, caricaturist, journalist, novelist, balloon (aircraft), balloonist, and proponent of Aircraft#Heavier-than-air – aerodynes, h ...
caste, a large number of people from other castes also follow it. Ayyavazhi's rapid growth throughout its first century of existence was noted by
Christian missionary reports from the mid-19th century.
By the middle of 19th century, Ayyavazhi had come to be a recognisable religious phenomenon with deep roots in the regions of South
Travancore
The Kingdom of Travancore ( /ˈtrævənkɔːr/), also known as the Kingdom of Thiruvithamkoor, was an Indian kingdom from c. 1729 until 1949. It was ruled by the Travancore Royal Family from Padmanabhapuram, and later Thiruvananthapuram. At ...
and South
Tirunelveli
Tirunelveli (, ta, திருநெல்வேலி, translit=Tirunelveli) also known as Nellai ( ta, நெல்லை, translit=Nellai) and historically (during British rule) as Tinnevelly, is a major city in the Indian state of Tami ...
. The numbers of faithful increased significantly from the 1840s.
By the close of the 19th century, Swamithope was considered the religio-cultural epi-center of Ayyavazhi. After the time of Vaikundar, Ayyavazhi was spread through his teachings. The five
Seedars
According to Akilattirattu Ammanai, the scripture of the Ayyavazhi religion, Ayya Vaikundar, the Incarnation of Lord Narayana in Kali Yukam, has five Seedar (disciples). They were in the previous Dwapara Yukam as Pandavas who were transmigrated ...
, disciples of Vaikundar and their descendants, traveled to several parts of the country bearing the mission of Ayyavazhi. Meanwhile, the
Payyan dynasty
Payyan dynasty is the family which manage and administer Swamithope pathi, the temple of Ayyavazhi.
Payyan in Arul Nool
A quote in Arul Nool
Arul may refer to:
People Given name
* Arul Chinnaiyan
* Arul Kanda Kandasamy
* Arul Kumar Jam ...
started administrating the
Swamithoppe
Swamithope (alternate spelling Swamithoppe) is the name of a village that lies southeast of the City of Nagercoil, the capital of the District of Kanyakumari in the State of Tamil Nadu, at the extreme southern tip of India. In the past, Swamitho ...
pathi
Pathi ( ta, பதி - "The place where God is") is the name of the primary centres of congregational worship for the South Indian religious system of Ayyavazhi, having a relatively large structure like that of a temple. They are seven in numbe ...
, while other Pathis came under the administration of the followers of Ayya. Following the instructions of
Akilattirattu Ammanai
Akilathirattu Ammanai ( ta, அகிலத்திரட்டு அம்மானை; ''akilam'' ("world"), ''thirattu'' ("collection"), ''ammanai'' ("ballad")), also called Thiru Edu ("venerable book"), is the main religious text of the T ...
(Akilam), the
Nizhal Thangals (small pagodas) have been established across the country for worship and the study of scripture.
![Ayya's Holy Perambu and Surai koodu](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f4/Ayya%27s_Holy_Perambu_and_Surai_koodu.jpg)
Arul Nool, the first Ayyavazhi work in print was released in 1927, followed by the Akilam in 1933, almost a century after it had been written down. As a result, Ayyavazhi abandoned active oral traditions in favor of literary scriptures. Ayyavazhi headquarter reports that Ayyavazhi spread more rapidly after
Indian Independence (1940s) and still more rapidly through the 1990s.
[N. Elango and Vijaya Shanthi Elango, ''Ayya Vaikuntar The light of the world'', p. 61] Many Ayyavazhi-based social welfare organisations were established in the late 20th century. Several alternative versions of Akilam, including some controversial versions, were released during the same period. The
Anbukkodimakkal Thirucchabai
Anbukkodimakkal Thirucchabai is a democratic bureau established by the religious headquarters of Ayyavazhi in the late 20th century. It was one among the latest developments in the religious history of Ayyavazhi.
In every village there will be ...
, a democratic bureau, was established by the religious headquarters in the early 1990s to organize and govern the religion. Organisational conferences are held in various cities in South India including
Mumbai
Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...
,
Chennai
Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...
and
Thiruvananthapuram
Thiruvananthapuram (; ), also known by its former name Trivandrum (), is the capital of the Indian state of Kerala. It is the most populous city in Kerala with a population of 957,730 as of 2011. The encompassing urban agglomeration populati ...
.
Considering the growth of Ayyavazhi, Ayya Vaikunda Avataram, the day of Vaikundar's incarnation, was declared a holiday by the state administration for the
district of Kanyakumari in 1994, followed by the districts of
Tirunelveli
Tirunelveli (, ta, திருநெல்வேலி, translit=Tirunelveli) also known as Nellai ( ta, நெல்லை, translit=Nellai) and historically (during British rule) as Tinnevelly, is a major city in the Indian state of Tami ...
and
Tuticorin
Thoothukudi (formerly Tuticorin) is a port city, a municipal corporation and an industrial city in Thoothukudi district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The city lies in the Coromandel Coast of Bay of Bengal. Thoothukudi is the capital and he ...
in 2006. From 2012 C.E
Vaikunda Avataram was declared a restricted holiday for the entire
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a States and union territories of India, state in southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of India ...
state. and for the
Kerala
Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...
State from 2015. Currently,
Bala Prajapathi Adikalar, heir to the
Payyan dynasty
Payyan dynasty is the family which manage and administer Swamithope pathi, the temple of Ayyavazhi.
Payyan in Arul Nool
A quote in Arul Nool
Arul may refer to:
People Given name
* Arul Chinnaiyan
* Arul Kanda Kandasamy
* Arul Kumar Jam ...
, is considered the leader of Ayyavazhi.
Scriptures and holy places
![Akila Thirattu Ammanai](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9f/Akila_Thirattu_Ammanai.JPG)
The holy books of Ayyavazhi are the
Akilattirattu Ammanai
Akilathirattu Ammanai ( ta, அகிலத்திரட்டு அம்மானை; ''akilam'' ("world"), ''thirattu'' ("collection"), ''ammanai'' ("ballad")), also called Thiru Edu ("venerable book"), is the main religious text of the T ...
(commonly referred to as ''
Akilam'') and the
Arul Nool
Arul may refer to:
People Given name
* Arul Chinnaiyan
* Arul Kanda Kandasamy
* Arul Kumar Jambunathan, Malaysian politician
* Arul Pragasam
* Arul Ramadas, Indian politician
* Arul Shankar, Indian mathematician
* Arul Suppiah (born 1983), Malay ...
, and they are the source of
the religion's mythology. The ''Akilattirattu Ammanai'' was written by
Hari Gopalan Seedar in 1841, as if hearing the contents of Akilam told by
Narayana
Narayana (Sanskrit: नारायण, IAST: ''Nārāyaṇa'') is one of the forms and names of Vishnu, who is in yogic slumber under the celestial waters, referring to the masculine principle. He is also known as Purushottama, and is co ...
to his consort
Lakshmi
Lakshmi (; , sometimes spelled Laxmi, ), also known as Shri (, ), is one of the principal goddesses in Hinduism. She is the goddess of wealth, fortune, power, beauty, fertility and prosperity, and associated with ''Maya'' ("Illusion"). Alo ...
. In addition to the mythological events Akilam also provides an extensive quantity of historical facts, especially that of mid and late
2nd millennium
File:2nd millennium montage.png, From top left, clockwise: in 1492, Christopher Columbus reaches North America, opening the European colonization of the Americas; the American Revolution, one of the late 1700s Enlightenment-inspired Atlantic Rev ...
CE. While the original text is damaged, the daughter versions such as the ''Swamithope'' version, the ''Kottangadu'' version as well as the ''Panchalankurichi'' versions, are the earliest existing palm-leaf versions of Akilam.
Other released versions includes the
Sentrathisai Ventraperumal, the
Vivekanandan, the highly criticised
VTV[''N. Vivekanandan'', ''Akilathirattu Ammanai Moolamum Uraiyum'', Part-1.] and the earliest and commonly accepted
Palaramachandran version
The Palaramachandran Version was the ever first published version of Akilam, the scripture of Ayyavazhi by Thankaiyah. It was published in 1939 and thus become the second printed work to be published in Ayyavazhi after the Arul Nool. There is ano ...
.
Akilam contains more than 15,000 verses in seventeen sections. It is written in poetic
Tamil
Tamil may refer to:
* Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia
**Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils
**Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia
* Tamil language, nativ ...
in a
ballad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads derive from the medieval French ''chanson balladée'' or ''ballade'', which were originally "dance songs". Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and ...
form, and is composed with a unique literal-style with two subgenres, ''Viruttam'' and ''Natai'' throughout.
The secondary scripture,
Arul Nool
Arul may refer to:
People Given name
* Arul Chinnaiyan
* Arul Kanda Kandasamy
* Arul Kumar Jambunathan, Malaysian politician
* Arul Pragasam
* Arul Ramadas, Indian politician
* Arul Shankar, Indian mathematician
* Arul Suppiah (born 1983), Malay ...
, includes various books that are believed to be written by Arulalarkal (one possessed by divine power).
[G. Patrick, ''Religion and Subaltern Agency'', Chapter 5, pp. 119–120] It contains prayers,
hymn
A hymn is a type of song, and partially synonymous with devotional song, specifically written for the purpose of adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification. The word ''hymn'' ...
s and instructions for the way of worship in Ayyavazhi, as well as
rituals
A ritual is a sequence of activities involving gestures, words, actions, or objects, performed according to a set sequence. Rituals may be prescribed by the traditions of a community, including a religious community. Rituals are characterized, ...
prophesy
In religion, a prophecy is a message that has been communicated to a person (typically called a ''prophet'') by a supernatural entity. Prophecies are a feature of many cultures and belief systems and usually contain divine will or law, or pret ...
and many acts.
It also contains many events found in the Akilam pertaining to the life of Vaikundar. Unlike Akilam, there is no definitive history for Arul Nool. All these texts are compiled in
Tamil language
Tamil (; ' , ) is a Dravidian language natively spoken by the Tamil people of South Asia. Tamil is an official language of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, the sovereign nations of Sri Lanka and Singapore, and the Indian territory of Pudu ...
.
[C. Paulose, ''Advaita Philosophy of Brahmasri Chattampi Swamikal'', p. 24.]
![Location of Pancha Pathi](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/84/Location_of_Pancha_Pathi.png)
To the Ayyavazhi devotees, there are seven holy places, called
Pathi
Pathi ( ta, பதி - "The place where God is") is the name of the primary centres of congregational worship for the South Indian religious system of Ayyavazhi, having a relatively large structure like that of a temple. They are seven in numbe ...
s,
[R.Shanmugam, ''Nadar Kulatthil Narayanar Avataram'', p. 195] with the
Pancha pathi
Pancha pathi (Tamil: பஞ்ச பதி, "the five abodes of God") are the five important pilgrim centers of Ayyavazhi. These are also considered as the primary Pathis and as worship centers of Ayyavazhi with primary status. The first pat ...
s being the most important. The temple of the Swamithope pathi is the headquarters of the Ayyavazhi.
The five Pancha pathi are:
1. the
Swamithope Pathi, the venue of the great
Tavam
Tapas (Sanskrit: तपस्) is a variety of austere spiritual meditation practices in Indian religions. In Jainism, it means asceticism (austerities, body mortification); in Buddhism, it denotes spiritual practices including meditation and se ...
and the religion's headquarters.
2.
Ambala Pathi, where Vaikundar joined six of the Seven Deities unto himself.
3.
Mutta Pathi, the venue of the Second and Third
Vinchai
In the literature of Hinduism, Vinchai are proclamations and instructions to the newly born child Vaikundar, by his father Lord Narayana, also known as Vishnu, one of the three godheads in Akilathirattu Ammanai, the source of Ayyavazhi mythology. ...
s.
4.
Thamaraikulam Pathi, where the
Akilattirattu Ammanai
Akilathirattu Ammanai ( ta, அகிலத்திரட்டு அம்மானை; ''akilam'' ("world"), ''thirattu'' ("collection"), ''ammanai'' ("ballad")), also called Thiru Edu ("venerable book"), is the main religious text of the T ...
was written down.
5.
Poo Pathi
Poo Pathi ( ta, பூப்பதி) is one among the Pancha pathi, which are the primary worship centers and holy places of Ayyavazhi. As the incarnational activity of Vaikundar, the marriage with Poomadanthai, the Goddess of Earth was th ...
, where Ayya unified the Earth goddess
Poomadanthai to himself by symbolic marriage.
Vakaippathi
Vakaippathi, one among the Panchappathis is a holy site for the People of Ayyavazhi.
Vakaippathi is the place situated 4 km northeast to Kanyakumari in the seashore near vattakkotai. This is the place where 700 families from Swamithoppe ...
, though not included in the
Pancha pathi
Pancha pathi (Tamil: பஞ்ச பதி, "the five abodes of God") are the five important pilgrim centers of Ayyavazhi. These are also considered as the primary Pathis and as worship centers of Ayyavazhi with primary status. The first pat ...
s by the headquarters, is still considered as a Pathi but with lesser importance. There is disagreement among followers of Ayyavazhi regarding the holiness of some other Pathis, such as
Vaikunda Pathi and
Avathara Pathi
''Avathara Pathi'' is a phrase in Tamil which represents 'The place where God incarnates'. The Avathara Pathi is one among the holy places of Ayyavazhi,''(see: Ayyavazhi Holy Sites)'' which had been erected in Thiruchendur. Avathara Pathi is l ...
. The list of Pathis announced by the headquarters of Ayyavazhi does not include these Pathis.
Symbolism
![Ayyavazhi Sahasrara](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5a/Ayyavazhi_Sahasrara.jpg)
The symbol of Ayyavazhi is a
lotus carrying a flame-shaped white ''
Namam''.
[Tha. Krishnanathan, ''Ayya Vaikundarin Vazhvum Sinthanaiyum'', p. 108.] The lotus represents the 1,008-petalled ''
Sahasrara
Sahasrara ( sa, सहस्रार, IAST: , en, "thousand-petalled", with many alternative names and spellings) or the crown chakra is considered the seventh primary chakra in some yoga traditions.
Hatha yoga
The Sahasrara is described ...
'' (in
Tamil
Tamil may refer to:
* Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia
**Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils
**Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia
* Tamil language, nativ ...
, ''Ladam''), while the Namam represents the ''Aanma Jyothi'' or ''
atman Atman or Ātman may refer to:
Film
* ''Ātman'' (1975 film), a Japanese experimental short film directed by Toshio Matsumoto
* ''Atman'' (1997 film), a documentary film directed by Pirjo Honkasalo
People
* Pavel Atman (born 1987), Russian hand ...
''.
Both of the Ayyavazhi scriptures refer to
Thirunamam
Thirunamam(; ''Tirunāmam'')) represents the 'Sacred name of God'. The phrase Namam also represents the white clay found at the deeper layer of earth, which is used as the powder to wear a flame shaped mark. The Ayyavazhi people wore this Namam, ...
(the "flame-shaped symbol" present in the top of the Lotus in the Ayyavazhi symbol), but not to the lotus directly. The symbol is the ideological summary of Akilam-based philosophy. This symbol has been in use since the mid-20th century.
![Thiru Nizhal Thangal of Attoor](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/67/Thiru_Nizhal_Thangal_of_Attoor.jpg)
The mythical narration in akilam about the eight
yuga
A ''yuga'', in Hinduism, is generally used to indicate an age of time.
In the ''Rigveda'', a ''yuga'' refers to generations, a long period, a very brief period, or a yoke (joining of two things). In the ''Mahabharata'', the words ''yuga'' and ...
s is often viewed philosophically as a reference to eight
chakra
Chakras (, ; sa , text=चक्र , translit=cakra , translit-std=IAST , lit=wheel, circle; pi, cakka) are various focal points used in a variety of ancient meditation practices, collectively denominated as Tantra, or the esoteric or ...
s.
[A. Arisundara Mani, Akilathirattu Ammanai Parayana Urai, pp. (Additional) XII–XIII " Athara thana vilakka attavanai ".] The first,
Neetiya Yukam, is
Bindu and the final state,
Dharma Yukam
Dharma Yukam is the state of absolute bliss as per Ayyavazhi mythology. Dharma Yukam is described in the Akilam seventeen in Akilathirattu Ammanai. It is related to Dharmic moksha and to Abrahamic heaven.
Vaikundar on throne
As soon as Vaiku ...
, is Sahasrara, or absolute bliss. In this series, the energy of
consciousness
Consciousness, at its simplest, is sentience and awareness of internal and external existence. However, the lack of definitions has led to millennia of analyses, explanations and debates by philosophers, theologians, linguisticians, and scien ...
(''namam'') of oneself is invoked, rising from Bindu (Neetiya Yukam) to the final Sahasrara (Dharma Yukam). This lotus, the highest spiritual center of enlightenment, is for experiencing the absolute "bliss". The reigning power in the final Dharma Yukam (Sahasrara) is
Ekam
Ekam is the Sanskrit for "one, single, solitary" (neuter gender), as a noun meaning "unity".
⠀⠀Ayyavazhi⠀⠀ and ⠀⠀Hinduism⠀⠀refers to a monism conceptAyyavazhi and Hinduism, it refers to a concept of monism akin to that of Brahman ...
, which is a part of Vaikundar a
Trinity
The Christian doctrine of the Trinity (, from 'threefold') is the central dogma concerning the nature of God in most Christian churches, which defines one God existing in three coequal, coeternal, consubstantial divine persons: God the F ...
conception, or a manifestation of the supreme absolute.
Thus Ayyavazhi's symbol is derived from Akilam. The symbol "Lotus with Thirunamam" shows "Vaikundar's experienced in Sahasrara."
In certain
Hindu
Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...
texts, the Sahasrara chakra has 1000 petals. But in
Ayyavazhi symbolism, Saharara has 1008 petals.
In Ayyavazhi, there is no scriptural authority indicating the importance of 1000, but the number 1008 is commonly mentioned. Also, the incarnation year of Vaikundar is 1008 M.E. (Malayalam Era). ''Sahasrara'' is symbolised as a lotus without a stem.
Ayyavazhi architecture was developed in constructing Nizhal Thangals, where the inverted lotus flower of ''Sahasrara'' is used to cover the roof. The lotus may also represent the
heart
The heart is a muscular organ in most animals. This organ pumps blood through the blood vessels of the circulatory system. The pumped blood carries oxygen and nutrients to the body, while carrying metabolic waste such as carbon dioxide t ...
and the flame shape (Thirunamam), the divinity.
Ayyavazhi has used other symbols including
Vaishnavite
Vaishnavism ( sa, वैष्णवसम्प्रदायः, Vaiṣṇavasampradāyaḥ) is one of the major Hindu denominations along with Shaivism, Shaktism, and Smartism. It is also called Vishnuism since it considers Vishnu as the ...
' ''Triple Namam'' '(not used currently), and
Conch
Conch () is a common name of a number of different medium-to-large-sized sea snails. Conch shells typically have a high spire and a noticeable siphonal canal (in other words, the shell comes to a noticeable point at both ends).
In North Am ...
.
Teachings and impact
The majority of Ayyavazhi's key teachings can be found in the book ''Akilattirattu Ammanai'' and other teachings are collated from various books written by unknown authors, whose works feature in the Arul Nool. Like Dharma, the other teachings of Ayyavazhi are twofold, sociological and mystical. The
mystical
Mysticism is popularly known as becoming one with God or the Absolute, but may refer to any kind of ecstasy or altered state of consciousness which is given a religious or spiritual meaning. It may also refer to the attainment of insight in u ...
teachings are devoted to revealing divine knowledge, while social teachings are primarily concerned with eliminating inequality and discrimination in society. The teachings encourage a positive relationship with God, as opposed to one based on fear. Followers are encouraged to refer to God as ''Ayya'', "father", to strengthen their intimacy and affection towards God.
![Ekam evolution](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c9/Ekam_evolution.jpg)
Ayyavazhi mystics focus on supreme oneness. Among its variations, the theology always maintains this focus on oneness. The
evil of Kali blocks the ultimate
oneness
Oneness may refer to:
Economy
* Law of one price (LoP), an economic concept which posits that "a good must sell for the same price in all locations".
Religious philosophy
* Oneness Pentecostalism, a movement of nontrinitarian denominations
* Nond ...
prevailing between individual souls and the universe, creating among them a false sense of
individuality
An individual is that which exists as a distinct entity. Individuality (or self-hood) is the state or quality of being an individual; particularly (in the case of humans) of being a person unique from other people and possessing one's own need ...
and of
extreme pride. This erroneous view causes the apparent sense of separation from the oneness and motivates against it. Ekam —the "over-soul" or the supreme soul—is identified as the whole of existence, changeless in nature and ubiquity. This is "one which undergoes different changes with respect to
space and time Space and Time or Time and Space, or ''variation'', may refer to:
* ''Space and time'' or ''time and space'' or ''spacetime'', any mathematical model that combines space and time into a single interwoven continuum
* Philosophy of space and time
Sp ...
" because of the evil force
maya
Maya may refer to:
Civilizations
* Maya peoples, of southern Mexico and northern Central America
** Maya civilization, the historical civilization of the Maya peoples
** Maya language, the languages of the Maya peoples
* Maya (Ethiopia), a populat ...
.
All of creation evolved from this Ekam, the supreme consciousness. All the qualities of Ekam are within each soul, and evolve from it. Each and every individual soul is a reflection or mirror of the absolute Supreme, which provides the textual basis and metaphor for the
mirror's role in Ayyavazhi worship. Human and all other souls are restricted and limited by the evil of Kali. This is why individual souls are not able to attain supreme bliss, and so are secondary to Ekam. Once a soul overcomes the influence of maya, it becomes one with Ekam. Its individuality is gone, and thereby it is Ekam. On the other hand, this supreme consciousness is personified as
Paramatma
''Paramatman'' (Sanskrit: परमात्मन्, IAST: Paramātman) or ''Paramātmā'' is the Absolute ''Ātman (Hinduism), Atman'', or supreme Self, in various philosophies such as the Vedanta and Yoga schools in Hindu theology, as well ...
(oversoul) by which, God is the "Husband", while all other souls are his "consorts",
[Ari Sundara Mani, Akilathirattu Ammanai Parayan Urai, p. 534] symbolised by
Thirukkalyana Ekanai, where Vaikundar marries the individual souls.
Also, the Ayyavazhi philosophy applies a common formula for the
creation
Creation may refer to:
Religion
*''Creatio ex nihilo'', the concept that matter was created by God out of nothing
* Creation myth, a religious story of the origin of the world and how people first came to inhabit it
* Creationism, the belief tha ...
of
human beings
Humans (''Homo sapiens'') are the most abundant and widespread species of primate, characterized by bipedalism and exceptional cognitive skills due to a large and complex brain. This has enabled the development of advanced tools, culture, an ...
and the rest of the universe. Thus whatever exists externally to human beings exists also internally.
![The Palliyarai of Swamithope Pathi](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5e/The_Palliyarai_of_Swamithope_Pathi.jpg)
Ayyavazhi explicitly condemns the
caste
Caste is a form of social stratification characterised by endogamy, hereditary transmission of a style of life which often includes an occupation, ritual status in a hierarchy, and customary social interaction and exclusion based on cultura ...
based inequalities in its social teachings. It denounces the caste discrimination rather than the 'caste system' itself.
From its inception, Ayyavazhi has doubly served as an engine of social reform, particularly in the area of Travancore, which was previously noted for its strong caste system. In this context, the mingling of castes in Ayyavazhi centers was a vital element in the transformation of society.
Ayya Vaikundar was the first to succeed as a social reformer in launching political struggle, social renaissance as well as religious reformation in the country. Vaikundar was the pioneer of the social revolutionaries of Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
Research scholars regard Vaikundar as a teacher, healer and also a miracle worker. He was also said to be the forerunner of all social reformers of India.
[Immanuel, ''Kanniyakumari: Aspects and Architects'', Chapter 11, pp. 115–116.] Akilam displayed sympathy for the laboring classes, and opposed to the often excessive taxes they were forced to pay. From the beginning the followers, fortified by the teachings, have also taken a strong stand against political oppression. This is most clearly seen in Akilam, where the Thiruvithkanur king is identified as Kalineesan, (one who is a captive of Kali) and the British are identified as
Venneesan
{{Religion of Ayyavazhi
Venneesan was a mythical figure found in Ayyavazhi mythology sect of Hinduism. According to Akilathirattu Ammanai, the holy text of Ayyavazhi and source of Ayyavazhi mythology, he was the son of Kalineesan.
Birth and m ...
(the white neesan) in the social sense. Ayyavazhi was in the forefront of movements for Human Rights and Social Equality.
Ayyavazhi also effected many social changes in southern India, resulting in the emergence of a series of social and
self-respect movements such as ''Upper cloth agitation'',
[A. Sreedhara Menon, ''A Survey of Kerala History'', p. 314] Temple entry agitation and other movements including those of
Narayana Guru
Narayana Guru, , (20 August 1856 – 20 September 1928) was a philosopher, spiritual leader and social reformer in India. He led a reform movement against the injustice in the caste-ridden society of Kerala in order to promote spiritual ...
,
[Selvister Ponnumuthan, (1996), ''The spirituality of basic ecclesial communities in the socio-religious context of Trivandrum/Kerala, India'', , Editrice Pontificia Università Gregoriana, pp. 77–78] Chattampi Swamikal
Chattampi Swamikal (25 August 1853 – 5 May 1924) was a Hindu sage and social reformer. His thoughts and work influenced the launching of many social, religious, literary and political organisations and movements in Kerala and for the first ti ...
,
Vallalar
Thiruvarutprakasa Vallalār Chidambaram Ramalingam (5 October 1823 – 30 January 1874), commonly known in India and across the world as Vallalār, Ramalinga Swamigal and Ramalinga Adigal, was one of the most famous Tamil Saints and also one of t ...
[R. Ponnu, ''Vaikunda swamigal Ore Avataram'', p. 178.] and
Ayyankali
Ayyankali (28 August 1863 – 18 June 1941) was an Indian politician, prominent social reformer, educator, economist, lawmaker, and a revolutionary leader. He worked for the advancement of the oppressed people in the princely state of Travancor ...
.
Worship centers
![Nelli Nintra Vilai Thangal](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6f/Nelli_Nintra_Vilai_Thangal.png)
The followers of Ayyavazhi established ''Pathis'' and ''Nizhal Thangals'', which are centers of worship and religious learning in various parts of the country.
[G. Patrick, ''Religion and Subaltern Agency'', pp. 116–117] They serve as centres for propagation of the beliefs and practices of Ayyavazhi.
There are thousands of ''Nizhal Thangals'' throughout India, mostly in South India.
There more than 7000 worship centres in South India mainly in Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Reports from the
London Missionary Society
The London Missionary Society was an interdenominational evangelical missionary society formed in England in 1795 at the instigation of Welsh Congregationalist minister Edward Williams. It was largely Reformed in outlook, with Congregational miss ...
(LMS) of the mid-19th century also speak of ''Nizhal Thangals''. Since Ayyavazhi is not centrally organised, ''Swamithope pathi'' serves as the religious headquarters for all. The ''Pathi''s earn more importance among the worship centers.
The seven ''
Pathi
Pathi ( ta, பதி - "The place where God is") is the name of the primary centres of congregational worship for the South Indian religious system of Ayyavazhi, having a relatively large structure like that of a temple. They are seven in numbe ...
''s,
obtain their significance from the fact that Vaikundar and his activities were historically associated with these centers of worship.
The ''Swamithope pathi'', though considered the religion's headquarters, does not officially control the rest of the religious centers. All ''Pathis'', except itself, are managed by independent committees. The five ''Pathis'' known as
Pancha pathi
Pancha pathi (Tamil: பஞ்ச பதி, "the five abodes of God") are the five important pilgrim centers of Ayyavazhi. These are also considered as the primary Pathis and as worship centers of Ayyavazhi with primary status. The first pat ...
are considered foremost among Pathis.
Nizhal Thangal
Nizhal Thangal ( ta, நிழல் தாங்கல்) ( ml, നിഴൽ താങ്കൽ) also called Inai Thangals) are secondary worship places of the Ayyavazhi, often smaller in size than Pathis, built per the instructions of Akilatti ...
s, compared with ''Pathis'', are simple small structures built for worship and for learning the teachings of Vaikundar. They also served as centers of school education during the early days. Food and shelter are offered to the needy in these centres. Some of them were established when Vaikundar was alive. Among them Arul Nool, specifies seven Thangals, and these are considered primary over the others. Today, charity is one of the main activities conducted in these centers.
These centers emerged as the abode of Dharma. The Nizhal Thangals form an important institution in the socio-religious life of the people of Ayyavazhi. Panividai may be conducted up to three times daily, but all worship centers provide
Panividai at least once daily.
Ethics
![Flag mast of Swamithoppe](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/66/Flag_mast_of_Swamithoppe.jpg)
The ethics of Ayyavazhi, integrated with the meta-narrative mythology, are found throughout the primary scripture, ''Akilattirattu Ammanai''.
[T. Krishnanathan, ''Ayya Vaikundarin Vazhvum Sinthanaiyum'', p. 112.] Regarding ethics, Arul Nool is an accumulation of the core concepts found in Akilam. In Akilam, the ethical abstracts are pointed out as "told by God" at several places at different situations to lesser
devas
Devas may refer to:
* Devas Club, a club in south London
* Anthony Devas (1911–1958), British portrait painter
* Charles Stanton Devas (1848–1906), political economist
* Jocelyn Devas (died 1886), founder of the Devas Club
* Devas (band), ...
,
saint
In religious belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of Q-D-Š, holiness, likeness, or closeness to God. However, the use of the term ''saint'' depends on the context and Christian denomination, denominat ...
s, etc. whenever asked by them.
Neetham
Neetham (Tamil language, Tamil:நீதம்) are the primary virtues to be followed according to the Akilathirattu Ammanai, Akilathirattu the holy text of Ayyavazhi. They are found in Akilam one, which is the first section of the Akilattirat ...
is the primary virtue of Ayyavazhi. This shows how society, its people, the ruling king, etc., lived in absolute harmony with nature, placing the power of Almighty in all their works, deeds and activities during early ages. In return, nature and the divine beings protect the society which follows the Neetham. Chastity and life in ultimate union with nature form the central theme, an ethical form that is to be followed. As in Akilam,
Vinchai
In the literature of Hinduism, Vinchai are proclamations and instructions to the newly born child Vaikundar, by his father Lord Narayana, also known as Vishnu, one of the three godheads in Akilathirattu Ammanai, the source of Ayyavazhi mythology. ...
is the rules and regulations provided by God (Narayana) to Vaikundar. There are three such Vinchais. Acts found there also fit to humans to improve their moral code. The first ''Vinchai of Tiruchendur'' forms the largest ethical accumulation found in Akilam.
To an extent, the
Dharmic teachings in Ayyavazhi are also considered as ethics. Charity in social ethics and "attempting to realise the ultimate truth of oneness" in spirituality are the ethical codes under the banner of Ayyavazhi dharma. Akilam also gives separate ethics for
Devas
Devas may refer to:
* Devas Club, a club in south London
* Anthony Devas (1911–1958), British portrait painter
* Charles Stanton Devas (1848–1906), political economist
* Jocelyn Devas (died 1886), founder of the Devas Club
* Devas (band), ...
also.
[Mani Bharathi, ''Akilathirattu Ammanai Vilakka Urai (Part – 2)''.] It is notable that the Ayyavazhi ethics undergo a vast deviation from the incarnation of Vaikundar since a universal change took place then.
Over all, as the foremost ethical code, people are advocated to overcome the evil force
kalimayai
Kalimayai is the illusion caused by the evil spirit of Kali Yukam, (''not the Hindu deity kali'') according to Akilattirattu Ammanai the source of Ayyavazhi mythology.
See also
*List of Ayyavazhi-related articles
A ''list'' is any set of item ...
with the weapons of love, forbearance and peace, since Kaliyan as
maya
Maya may refer to:
Civilizations
* Maya peoples, of southern Mexico and northern Central America
** Maya civilization, the historical civilization of the Maya peoples
** Maya language, the languages of the Maya peoples
* Maya (Ethiopia), a populat ...
rules the minds of people.
Arul Nool constitutes the major role in forming the rules and regulations of Ayyavazhi, including ethics. It gives separately the social as well as divine ethics. The
Sivakanda Athikara Pathiram here is the section especially dedicated to teach the ethics. The rituals, especially
circumambulation
Circumambulation (from Latin ''circum'' around and ''ambulātus ''to walk) is the act of moving around a sacred object or idol.
Circumambulation of temples or deity images is an integral part of Hindu and Buddhist devotional practice (known in S ...
s, are to be followed to wash-out the sin committed out of immoral thoughts and acts.
Religious studies
![Tamarai-Namam glossy](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/48/Tamarai-Namam_glossy.png)
It is difficult to give a clear-cut listing to Ayyavazhi concepts because of the relation the Ayyavazhi scriptures maintains with the
Hindu scriptures
Hindu texts are manuscripts and voluminous historical literature which are related to any of the diverse traditions within Hinduism. A few of these texts are shared across these traditions and they are broadly considered Hindu scriptures. These ...
. Akilam primarily says the central themes of the existing scriptures (that of Hindu) had gone awry by the advent of Vaikundar.
[G. Patrick, ''Religion and Subaltern agency'', 'The Religious Phenomenon of Ayya Vali', p.119.] It also narrates that Akilam was given to mankind as an alternative because Kaliyan destroyed the original Vedas and Shastras, and at the beginning of
Kali Yuga
''Kali Yuga'', in Hinduism, is the fourth and worst of the four ''yugas'' (world ages) in a ''Yuga Cycle'', preceded by '' Dvapara Yuga'' and followed by the next cycle's '' Krita (Satya) Yuga''. It is believed to be the present age, which is ...
, several additions were given to the previous scriptures by him. Both of these view points give the views of Akilam on Hindu scriptures, and place them as reasons for rejecting them.
The philosophy, terms and mythology of the Ayyavazhi scriptures are the basis of religious study on
Ayyavazhi theology
Ayyavazhi theology is the theology of a South Indian religious Faith and officially a sect of Hinduism known as ''Ayyavazhi''. Several fundamental theological beliefs distinguish the Ayyavazhi tradition from Hinduism.
Relations between Vaikunda ...
. But several terms quoted in Akilam couldn't be understood wholly unless by referring to the descriptive details of those terms in Hindu scriptures.
[N. Vivekanandan, ''Akilathirattu Ammanaiyil Vaikunda Suvami Sampooranathevana?'', pp.10–20.] For example, if the 96
tatvas
According to various Indian schools of philosophy, ''tattvas'' () are the Classical element, elements or aspects of reality that constitute human experience. In some traditions, they are conceived as an aspect of deity. Although the number of ' ...
are understood, then the
Kaliyan
Kali (Kaliyan in Tamil) was the sixth fragment of the primordial manifestation of Kroni (evil) according to Akilathirattu, the source of Ayyavazhi mythology and the holy book of Ayyavazhi religion. Unlike other previous manifestations, Kali s ...
is understood. Therefore, theologians and philosophers today turn to Hindu scriptures to further their understanding of the tatvas as properties of the human body, which are not elaborated upon in Akilam. However, to understand Akilam and its philosophy, one should have a basic knowledge over the
Hindu
Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...
ideas and concepts.
Since Akilam have no different view in this matter from Hindu scriptures, it was left to be gathered from there.
On
myth
Myth is a folklore genre consisting of Narrative, narratives that play a fundamental role in a society, such as foundational tales or Origin myth, origin myths. Since "myth" is widely used to imply that a story is not Objectivity (philosophy), ...
ical studies, Akilam covers almost the entire main
mythology of Hinduism, including
Mahabharata
The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; sa, महाभारतम्, ', ) is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India in Hinduism, the other being the ''Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the struggle between two groups of cousins in the Kuruk ...
,
Ramayana
The ''Rāmāyana'' (; sa, रामायणम्, ) is a Sanskrit literature, Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epic composed over a period of nearly a millennium, with scholars' estimates for the earliest stage of the text ranging from the 8th ...
, Kantha Purana and
Vishnu Purana
The Vishnu Purana (IAST:, sa, विष्णुपुराण) is one of the eighteen Puranas#Mahapuranas, Mahapuranas, a genre of ancient and medieval texts of Hinduism. It is an important Pancharatra text in the Vaishnavism literature c ...
, but with limited details. It includes only the main events that are directly linked to the mainstream story flow. But to undergo a detailed study on each, the appropriate
Hindu scriptures
Hindu texts are manuscripts and voluminous historical literature which are related to any of the diverse traditions within Hinduism. A few of these texts are shared across these traditions and they are broadly considered Hindu scriptures. These ...
that include those events in detail need to be referred. Akilam provides all these collectively in brief with an overall story line, which make it unique. Many philosophical concepts from Hinduism are found in Akilam; some of them are completely accepted, some are regenerated,
while others are rejected.
Generally it was considered that once a particular concept is not found well-described in Ayyavazhi scriptures, such as Akilattirattu Ammanai or Arul Nool (as detail as in Hindu scriptures), and instead simply was quoted, then that particular conception is accepted as in Hindu scriptures for religious studies.
But once Akilam has different views over something from that of the existing (Hindu) scriptures, then it would be found deeply described in Akilam itself and hence no need for referring other scriptures.
[''Arisundara Mani'', Akilathirattu Ammanai Parayana Urai, p. (additional) v. ''To be noted, Whole contents of this book is written including the heavy details to 'mere noted' Akilam concepts from Hindu scriptures.'']
Theology
![The Evolution of Ekam](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/44/The_Evolution_of_Ekam.png)
The theology of Ayyavazhi differs considerably from other
monistic
Monism attributes oneness or singleness (Greek: μόνος) to a concept e.g., existence. Various kinds of monism can be distinguished:
* Priority monism states that all existing things go back to a source that is distinct from them; e.g., i ...
religions. It speaks of Ekam, the Oneness from which all that exists formed, and also an ultimate oneness that exists behind all differences. The Ekam, which is articulated as the supreme divine power itself, is supposed to remain unaffected by maya deep inside every changeable matter as an
absolute Absolute may refer to:
Companies
* Absolute Entertainment, a video game publisher
* Absolute Radio, (formerly Virgin Radio), independent national radio station in the UK
* Absolute Software Corporation, specializes in security and data risk manage ...
constant. In theological terms, God is, in the highest sense, formless,
infinite
Infinite may refer to:
Mathematics
*Infinite set, a set that is not a finite set
*Infinity, an abstract concept describing something without any limit
Music
* Infinite (group), a South Korean boy band
*''Infinite'' (EP), debut EP of American m ...
, genderless and beyond time and space. The term ''Ekam'' in Tamil language give simply the meanings, ''one'', ''absolute'', ''the whole which exists'' and ''the incomparable''; all give some sort of direct monistic definition about God from Ayyavazhi theology.
Narrating through mythology, The ''Sivam'' and the ''Sakthi'' are the first to get evolved from Ekam. The ''Natham'' (voice), Trimurthi, other lesser gods and the entire universe further evolved. The Trimurthi are greater among the personified
Deva
Deva may refer to:
Entertainment
* ''Deva'' (1989 film), a 1989 Kannada film
* ''Deva'' (1995 film), a 1995 Tamil film
* ''Deva'' (2002 film), a 2002 Bengali film
* Deva (2007 Telugu film)
* ''Deva'' (2017 film), a 2017 Marathi film
* Deva ...
s. Siva, one among the Trimurthi, was the supreme power until
Kali Yuga
''Kali Yuga'', in Hinduism, is the fourth and worst of the four ''yugas'' (world ages) in a ''Yuga Cycle'', preceded by '' Dvapara Yuga'' and followed by the next cycle's '' Krita (Satya) Yuga''. It is believed to be the present age, which is ...
. Vishnu is the supreme from the advent of Kali Yuga. Then, from the incarnation of Vaikundar, again the powers of all god-heads, including that of Vishnu, are transformed to Vaikundar. Ekam, the supreme oneness as one among the
Trinity
The Christian doctrine of the Trinity (, from 'threefold') is the central dogma concerning the nature of God in most Christian churches, which defines one God existing in three coequal, coeternal, consubstantial divine persons: God the F ...
takes a place within Vaikundar for the present age. Therefore, Vaikundar is said to be the only worshippable and supreme power. However, a quote from
Akilam thirteen says this supreme oneness (Ekam) itself is
created by Vaikundar, who is a personified God. In this regard, Ayyavazhi being centered on Vaikundar, is more
monotheistic
Monotheism is the belief that there is only one deity, an all-supreme being that is universally referred to as God. Cross, F.L.; Livingstone, E.A., eds. (1974). "Monotheism". The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church (2 ed.). Oxford: Oxford ...
rather than monistic. No other god-heads, even the Father of Vaikundar, Narayana, have gained an equal or greater status than Vaikundar. Vaikundar is a
triune power who includes the qualities of the Santror, Narayana and Ekam within himself.
In Ayyavazhi mythology, Kroni, a primordial evil manifestation, was fragmented into six and each fragment took birth and plays an anti-Vishnu role throughout the successive six yugas. He was finally destroyed by a final judgment which is followed by the god-ruled Dharma Yukam. This narration gives some dualistic dimension to Ayyavazhi theology. But since the focus of Arul Nool, the accumulation of Ayyavazhi teachings is extremely monistic and since the final fragment of Kroni itself is called ''Kalimayai'' (a conception rather than a physical or material incarnation), it was commonly accepted that the 'Maya' is symbolised in such a way that contrasts the
dualistic view on Ayyavazhi. Apart from all these, there are also separate quotes in Ayyavazhi scriptures which give
pantheistic
Pantheism is the belief that reality, the universe and the cosmos are identical with divinity and a supreme supernatural being or entity, pointing to the universe as being an immanent creator deity still expanding and creating, which has ex ...
and
panentheistic
Panentheism ("all in God", from the Greek grc, πᾶν, pân, all, label=none, grc, ἐν, en, in, label=none and grc, Θεός, Theós, God, label=none) is the belief that the divine intersects every part of the universe and also extends bey ...
definition to Ayyavazhi theology.
Festivals and rituals
![Kodiyetru Thirunal](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1f/Kodiyetru_Thirunal.jpg)
There are two yearly festivals for Ayyavazhi. The
Ayya Vaikunda Avataram
The Ayya Vaikunda Avataram or Vaikunda Jayanthi (Tamil language, Tamil: அய்யா வைகுண்ட அவதாரம் or வைகுண்ட ஜெயந்தி - ''Incarnation of Lord Vaikundar'') is a festival celebrated by the ...
is celebrated on the twentieth day of the
Tamil
Tamil may refer to:
* Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia
**Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils
**Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia
* Tamil language, nativ ...
month ''Masi'' (Feb – March). This is the only Ayyavazhi festival to be celebrated as per the
Solar calendar
A solar calendar is a calendar whose dates indicate the season or almost equivalently the apparent position of the Sun relative to the stars. The Gregorian calendar, widely accepted as a standard in the world, is an example of a solar calendar.
T ...
. The mass procession conducted on this day from
Nagercoil
Nagercoil, also spelt as Nagarkovil ("Temple of the Nāgas", or Nagaraja-Temple), is a city and the administrative headquarters of Kanyakumari District in Tamil Nadu state, India. Situated close to the tip of the Indian peninsula, it lies on an ...
to
Swamithoppe
Swamithope (alternate spelling Swamithoppe) is the name of a village that lies southeast of the City of Nagercoil, the capital of the District of Kanyakumari in the State of Tamil Nadu, at the extreme southern tip of India. In the past, Swamitho ...
is a popular one in this part of the country. The
Thiru Edu-Vasippu is a festival of seventeen days celebrated in the Tamil month of Karthigai (November–December). This celebration of textual reciting as a festival itself is a unique feature to Ayyavazhi. Apart from this, there is a tri-yearly celebration of
Kodiyettru Thirunal
Kodiyettru Thirunal is the festival celebrated in Swamithoppepathi for eleven days by the followers of the Ayyavazhi. This is celebrated three times annually during the Tamil months of Tamil calendar, Aavani, Tamil calendar, Thai and Tamil calend ...
in Swamithope. Another unique feature is the celebration of every day as a festival in Swamithope,(exclusive to Swamithope) called as '' 'Nitham Thirunal' ''.
In addition to the philosophical concepts and mythology, the rituals of Ayyavazhi evolved in their own way. Most of the rituals have different operational and historical meanings. Historically, the rituals were used or viewed as an attempt to break the caste-based inequalities prevailed in the society of the time, and to strengthen and uplift the sociologically downtrodden and ill-treated. Examples of this include the charity on food as '' 'Anna Dharmam' '', physical as well as spiritual
cleanliness
Cleanliness is both the state of being clean and free from germs, dirt, trash, or waste, and the habit of achieving and maintaining that state. Cleanliness is often achieved through cleaning. Culturally, cleanliness is usually a good quality, as ...
through Thuvayal Thavasu, eliminating untouchability through Thottunamam, self-respect and courage through headgear,
[''T. Krishnanathan'', ''Ayya Vaikundarin Vazhvum Sinthanaiyum'', pp. 93–96.] and unifying various castes through Muthirikkinaru.
![Churul](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7d/Churul.jpg)
But they also reveal, however, high philosophical ideas preached in a ritual language. The
Muthirikkinaru and Thirunamam are treated religiously as if the ''Patham'' and ''Namam'' of them have the power to heal all sorts of mental as well as physical illness.
Thuvayal thavasu is suggested as a training to reach the ultimate aim of Dharma Yukam. The
use of the crown reveals that "all are kings", visualising an ideology similar to ''advaita''. Also, Ayyavazhi scriptures succeeded very much in helping to understand these philosophical ideas to the common mass which is very much unusual. The individual rituals, the ecstatic religiosity and the ritual healing, which are the features of Ayyavazhi worship, contributed to the formation of an idea of emancipation and a social discourse. Rituals attempt to uplift and treat the disenfranchised. Another important thing to be noted is the
alternative phrases religiously used in Ayyavazhi universe different from Hinduism, to represent certain practices.
Inclusiveness and exclusivity
The formula of
inclusiveness
Social exclusion or social marginalisation is the social disadvantage and relegation to the fringe of society. It is a term that has been used widely in Europe and was first used in France in the late 20th century. It is used across discipline ...
and
exclusivity, as applied in the religio-cultural universe of Ayyavazhi, is unique because both the theories are mixed up in Ayyavazhi scriptures. The inclusive theory accepts the views of different religions for a certain period of time, and from then onwards exclusively rejects all of them in its narrative.
![Ten Incarnation door](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/da/Ten_Incarnation_door.jpg)
Ayyavazhi accepts different god-heads of several religions, like the concept of
Allah
Allah (; ar, الله, translit=Allāh, ) is the common Arabic word for God. In the English language, the word generally refers to God in Islam. The word is thought to be derived by contraction from '' al- ilāh'', which means "the god", an ...
and almost all the god-heads of Hinduism.
[T. Krishnanathan, ''Ayya Vaikundarin Vazhvum Sinthanaiyum'', pp. 61–65.] It also says that the one and the same God incarnates in different parts of the world at different time for rescuing the people from sufferings.
But due to the advent of Kaliyan and because of the
cruel nature of his boons, for the first time, the supreme power Ekam incarnates in the world as Vaikundar, and so all the lesser god-heads and previous scriptures had lost their substances. So after the time of the Vaikunda
Avatar
Avatar (, ; ), is a concept within Hinduism that in Sanskrit literally means "descent". It signifies the material appearance or incarnation of a powerful deity, goddess or spirit on Earth. The relative verb to "alight, to make one's appearanc ...
, Vaikundar was said to be the only worshippable God and hence, the theology of Ayyavazhi was channeled towards exclusivism. The manner in which Akilam treats the scriptures of different religions is complicated. For instance, while there is no direct reference to the terms 'Christ' or 'Bible' anywhere in any of the Ayyavazhi texts, there is an indirect reference in
Akilam thirteen which is supposed to be an implication that Christ was an incarnation of Narayana,
but it was widely thought that it did not recognise the
Bible composition. It seems the view of Akilam on Bible is "it was created with the intention of man and not that of God". In common, creation of religions and shaping individualities for them are heavily criticised. The concepts 'God' and 'Religion' are kept poles apart in Akilam, and it seems to maintain an ideology something like '' 'Accept God; Reject religion' ''.
Ayyavazhi accepts various
incarnation
Incarnation literally means ''embodied in flesh'' or ''taking on flesh''. It refers to the conception and the embodiment of a deity or spirit in some earthly form or the appearance of a god as a human. If capitalized, it is the union of divinit ...
s in Hinduism, but necessarily rejects the so-called ' ''Hindu'' ' scriptures. It initially accepts Vedas. Later since Kaliyan had bought the Vedas as
boon
Boon may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Boon (game), a trick-taking card game
* ''Boon'' (novel), a 1915 satirical work by H. G. Wells
* ''Boon'' (TV series), a British television series starring Michael Elphick
* The Ultimate Boo ...
they also lost their substance by the advent of Kaliyan, and so had gone invalid. It also says that he (Kaliyan) had performed several additions and had hidden some of their content. And hence God incarnated as Vaikundar. So for the present age, Akilam is said to be the only '' 'Book of Perfection' ''. By this Ayyavazhi rejects all other scriptures and follows only
its own. Akilam highly condemns the creation of religions especially exclusivistic religious and theological ideas. It shows them as the foremost ''Kali mayai'' (evil of Kali). The scriptures teach sensibly and symbolically that God and his activities are beyond the reach of religions. It also preaches about universal oneness.
Mythology
The mythology of Ayyavazhi narrates that the essence of this vision is an account of a history – a past, a present and a future – meant by weaving together of empirical facts, historical events as well as mythical accounts. It moves around three axiomatic typologies, namely
Santror, Kali Yukam and Dharma Yukam, placing their base on the concepts and events of previous yugas that are associated also with
Hindu mythology
Hindu mythology is the body of myths and literature attributed to, and espoused by, the adherents of the Hindu religion, found in Hindu texts such as the Vedic literature, epics like ''Mahabharata'' and ''Ramayana'', the Puranas, and reg ...
. The basic concepts give a symbolic vision which is at once religious and social.
It is closely linked to that of Hinduism. Akilam talks about the previous yugas and the evolution of
Kroni
Kroni ( ta, குறோணி) is a figure in Ayyavazhi mythology. He is the primordial manifestation of evil, and manifests in various forms of evil, such as Ravana and Duryodhana, in different ages or yugas. To counteract and destroy the evil o ...
through them. Events, mythical characters, and concepts are shared with Hinduism, though they may be engendered in different form. The number of Yugas and Avatars differs in Ayyavazhi from Hinduism. The personification of the entity of Evil for the current yuga,
Kaliyan
Kali (Kaliyan in Tamil) was the sixth fragment of the primordial manifestation of Kroni (evil) according to Akilathirattu, the source of Ayyavazhi mythology and the holy book of Ayyavazhi religion. Unlike other previous manifestations, Kali s ...
, is unique to Ayyavazhi. Akilam says that the true concepts were destroyed, so that all previous scriptures had lost their substances due to the advent of Kali.
The book also speaks of God incarnating in the world in the Kali Yukam (the present age) to destroy the evil spirit, the final and the most serious manifestation of
Kroni
Kroni ( ta, குறோணி) is a figure in Ayyavazhi mythology. He is the primordial manifestation of evil, and manifests in various forms of evil, such as Ravana and Duryodhana, in different ages or yugas. To counteract and destroy the evil o ...
. God incarnates as Vaikundar, and since Vaikundar lived recently, he was well known in history. So in the second part of the mythology many mythical as well as historical facts were woven together. Most of the events such as Muthirikkinaru, Wearing of Headgear during worship, Thuvayal Thavasu all were noted in history.
::::
* Chakras: The yugas assumed as chakras & as geological time periods above, are philosophical and geological metaphors respectively and are not mentioned directly so in Akilam.
::::
** Cambrian Explosion: As per Akilam
Akilathirattu Ammanai ( ta, அகிலத்திரட்டு அம்மானை; ''akilam'' ("world"), ''thirattu'' ("collection"), ''ammanai'' ("ballad")), also called Thiru Edu ("venerable book"), is the main religious text of the T ...
the Kroni
Kroni ( ta, குறோணி) is a figure in Ayyavazhi mythology. He is the primordial manifestation of evil, and manifests in various forms of evil, such as Ravana and Duryodhana, in different ages or yugas. To counteract and destroy the evil o ...
is fragmented into six and each of the fragments took birth in each subsequent yugas. So the death of Kroni as in the Akilam narrative is to be considered as the Cambrian Explosion
The Cambrian explosion, Cambrian radiation, Cambrian diversification, or the Biological Big Bang refers to an interval of time approximately in the Cambrian Period when practically all major animal phyla started appearing in the fossil recor ...
, where the diversification of life begins, in spite of it being listed as an extinction in the context of the destruction of Kroni. .
Though there are quotes in Arul Nool to accredit the ten
Avatars of Vishnu
Avatar (, ; ), is a concept within Hinduism that in Sanskrit literally means "descent". It signifies the material appearance or incarnation of a powerful deity, goddess or Spirit (vital essence), spirit on Earth. The relative verb to "alight, ...
, it seems that they are not seen in equal status with these incarnations (as in the table). It was considered secondary to the primary avatars, who are associated with the destructions of the fragments of Kroni. This view is not inconsistent with Hinduism, as only
Narasimha
Narasimha ( sa, नरसिंह, lit=man-lion, ), sometimes rendered Narasingha, is the fourth avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu. He is regarded to have incarnated in the form of a part-lion, part-man being to slay Hiranyakashipu, to end rel ...
, Rama and Krishna are considered the primary avatars who are still worshipped. The other avatars are considered secondary avatars who are not worshipped.
Santror and Dharma yukam
The Santror
The Santror are the seven boys who were brought to life by using the seven seeds from seven upper worlds, by Thirumal, to the Seven Virgins through their instrumentality, according to Ayyavazhi mythology. It also represents their descendants. Ac ...
is the subject of the religious vision of Ayyavazhi. There is both a religious and a social category in its connotation.
[G. Patrick, Religion and Subaltern Agency, Chapter 6, pp. 151–152.] In the social sense, it is believed that the term Santror fits rightly to the early "Chanars", who were called by the Arabs as "Al Hind", and known in biblical times as the "People of Five Rivers"; they are now scattered with more than 250 branches throughout the world. But in turn, in ideological sense and from the literary meaning of the term "Santror" in Tamil, it represents one who is noble and lives with dignity and supreme knowledge, giving an inclusive character and universal reach. Historians account that in ancient dravidian cultures, zealous devotees of God were called as 'Chanars'. A quote from Akilam also reads, "Chanars (Santror) are those who have the ability to see 'the invisible' constantly."
The Santror are given a historical background in Ayyavazhi mythology as seven boys who were made to be born in the mythical garden
Ayodha Amirtha Vanam ''(supposed to be between present-day
Srirangam
Srirangam, is a neighbourhood in the city of Tiruchirappalli in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. A river island, Srirangam is bounded by the Kaveri River on one side and its distributary Kollidam on the other side. Considered as the first amon ...
, Tamil Nadu and Triconamalee,
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...
)'' by using the seven seeds from seven upper worlds, by
Thirumal
Perumal ( ta, பெருமாள் , translit=Perumāl) or Tirumal ( ta, திருமால், translit=Tirumāl) is a Hindu deity. Perumal is worshipped mainly among Tamil Hindus in South India, Sri Lanka, and the Tamil diaspora, who ...
, to the seven virgins. Theologians interpret that these 'Seven boys' refer to the ancestors of the whole human race, and hence the term "Santror" refers to the entire
human race
Humans (''Homo sapiens'') are the most abundant and widespread species of primate, characterized by bipedalism and exceptional cognitive skills due to a large and complex brain. This has enabled the development of advanced tools, culture, ...
. Their lineage started at the end phase of
Dvapara Yukam and continued through the Kali Yukam into the Dharma Yukam. It is believed that Kali is being destroyed continuously by the activities of the Santror in the Path of Vaikundar, and so the Dharma Yukam unfolds eventually. In this sense they have a considerable roll in the destruction of Kali, the foremost evil.
The Ayyavazhi proposes an emancipatory utopia under the banner of
Dharma Yukam
Dharma Yukam is the state of absolute bliss as per Ayyavazhi mythology. Dharma Yukam is described in the Akilam seventeen in Akilathirattu Ammanai. It is related to Dharmic moksha and to Abrahamic heaven.
Vaikundar on throne
As soon as Vaiku ...
. The basis of the belief is that
Ayya Vaikundar
Ayya Vaikundar (c.1833 –c.1851) ( ta, அய்யா வைகுண்டர், sa, अय्या वैघुण्ढर्) also known as Vaikunda Swami is the first and the foremost Purna avatar of Eka-Paran born to Lord ...
had come to establish and rule as the everlasting king over the Dharma Yukam in the place of
Kali Yukam
''Kali Yuga'', in Hinduism, is the fourth and worst of the four ''yugas'' (world ages) in a ''Yuga Cycle'', preceded by ''Dvapara Yuga'' and followed by the next cycle's '' Krita (Satya) Yuga''. It is believed to be the present age, which is ...
after sentencing Kroni to hell by a final judgment from the Lion-throne of ''Dwaraka pathi'', the rising mythical landmass (which was sunken at the end of
Dvapara Yuga
''Dvapara Yuga'' ( Dwapara Yuga), in Hinduism, is the third and third best of the four ''yugas'' (world ages) in a ''Yuga Cycle'', preceded by ''Treta Yuga'' and followed by ''Kali Yuga''. ''Dvapara Yuga'' lasts for 864,000 years (2,400 divine y ...
by
Krishna
Krishna (; sa, कृष्ण ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme god in his own right. He is the god of protection, compassion, tenderness, and love; and is one ...
) located south east of present-day Kanyakumari. The Dharma Yukam is narrated as beyond the limits of time and space. It is often related to
Moksha
''Moksha'' (; sa, मोक्ष, '), also called ''vimoksha'', ''vimukti'' and ''mukti'', is a term in Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism for various forms of emancipation, enlightenment, liberation, and release. In its soteriology, ...
—the personal liberation, and to the state of 'Oneness' too.
Relation with Hinduism
![Kailash Tibet](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/15/Kailash_Tibet.jpg)
The Hindu and Ayyavazhi ideologies are closely tied to each other. The place where Ayyavazhi and Hinduism depart from each other is at the advent of Kali Yuga. Akilam says that until the advent of Kali Yuga, the Vedas and all other
Hindu scriptures
Hindu texts are manuscripts and voluminous historical literature which are related to any of the diverse traditions within Hinduism. A few of these texts are shared across these traditions and they are broadly considered Hindu scriptures. These ...
remained with Divinity. Each of the
gods
A deity or god is a supernatural being who is considered divine or sacred. The ''Oxford Dictionary of English'' defines deity as a god or goddess, or anything revered as divine. C. Scott Littleton defines a deity as "a being with powers greater ...
referred to in the scriptures (Hindu) also remained with all their powers. But from the beginning of Kali Yuga, they and all their virtues collapsed. Kaliyan was a part of the mundane primordial manifestation who spread
maya
Maya may refer to:
Civilizations
* Maya peoples, of southern Mexico and northern Central America
** Maya civilization, the historical civilization of the Maya peoples
** Maya language, the languages of the Maya peoples
* Maya (Ethiopia), a populat ...
or illusion upon the existing scriptures and Devas. In Kali Yuga, all true scriptures are bound to
maya
Maya may refer to:
Civilizations
* Maya peoples, of southern Mexico and northern Central America
** Maya civilization, the historical civilization of the Maya peoples
** Maya language, the languages of the Maya peoples
* Maya (Ethiopia), a populat ...
and are unhelpful.
The reason, as stated in
Akilam
Akilathirattu Ammanai ( ta, அகிலத்திரட்டு அம்மானை; ''akilam'' ("world"), ''thirattu'' ("collection"), ''ammanai'' ("ballad")), also called Thiru Edu ("venerable book"), is the main religious text of the T ...
for the disintegration of the entire system is that, towards the end of
Dvapara Yuga
''Dvapara Yuga'' ( Dwapara Yuga), in Hinduism, is the third and third best of the four ''yugas'' (world ages) in a ''Yuga Cycle'', preceded by ''Treta Yuga'' and followed by ''Kali Yuga''. ''Dvapara Yuga'' lasts for 864,000 years (2,400 divine y ...
, there in
Mount Kailash
Mount Kailash (also Kailasa; ''Kangrinboqê'' or ''Gang Rinpoche''; Standard Tibetan, Tibetan: གངས་རིན་པོ་ཆེ; ; sa, कैलास, ), is a mountain in the Ngari Prefecture, Tibet Autonomous Region of China. It h ...
, Siva believing the words of devas, created Kaliyan without discussing to Vishnu, who had the responsibility to destroy Kaliyan as per previous deeds. So Vishnu refused to take birth in the world to destroy Kaliyan. So
Siva and
Brahma
Brahma ( sa, ब्रह्मा, Brahmā) is a Hindu god, referred to as "the Creator" within the Trimurti, the trinity of supreme divinity that includes Vishnu, and Shiva.Jan Gonda (1969)The Hindu Trinity Anthropos, Bd 63/64, H 1/2, pp. 21 ...
surrendered all their powers to Vishnu. Until this event, Siva was the supreme power as per Akilam. It is notable that this is a theological idea something similar to
Shaivism
Shaivism (; sa, शैवसम्प्रदायः, Śaivasampradāyaḥ) is one of the major Hindu traditions, which worships Shiva as the Supreme Being. One of the largest Hindu denominations, it incorporates many sub-traditions rangi ...
, where Siva is supreme to all. Then onwards, however, Vishnu is the supreme power. Here the ideology changes similar to that of
Vaishnavism
Vaishnavism ( sa, वैष्णवसम्प्रदायः, Vaiṣṇavasampradāyaḥ) is one of the major Hindu denominations along with Shaivism, Shaktism, and Smartism. It is also called Vishnuism since it considers Vishnu as the ...
. This supremacy of Vishnu remains like this from the beginning of
Kali Yuga
''Kali Yuga'', in Hinduism, is the fourth and worst of the four ''yugas'' (world ages) in a ''Yuga Cycle'', preceded by '' Dvapara Yuga'' and followed by the next cycle's '' Krita (Satya) Yuga''. It is believed to be the present age, which is ...
until the incarnation of Vaikundar, from where it changes further.
![Kumbas is Swamithope](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f1/Kumbas_is_Swamithope.PNG)
During the incarnation, Vishnu himself can not incarnate directly in the world to destroy Kaliyan, since he (Kaliyan) had
bought as boon the power of Devas, including Vishnu's, and spread it all over the world as maya. So God needs to be incarnated with a new set of rules and with unique importance. A total universal transformation of the power relation of god-heads, the rules of scriptures, the dharma, etc., took place, and Vaikundar was given birth by taking in the power of Ekam, by
Lakshmi
Lakshmi (; , sometimes spelled Laxmi, ), also known as Shri (, ), is one of the principal goddesses in Hinduism. She is the goddess of wealth, fortune, power, beauty, fertility and prosperity, and associated with ''Maya'' ("Illusion"). Alo ...
and Vishnu conjoining together inside the sea.
And from now onwards all the powers were handled over from Vishnu to Vaikundar inside the sea. Siva, Vishnu and
Brahma
Brahma ( sa, ब्रह्मा, Brahmā) is a Hindu god, referred to as "the Creator" within the Trimurti, the trinity of supreme divinity that includes Vishnu, and Shiva.Jan Gonda (1969)The Hindu Trinity Anthropos, Bd 63/64, H 1/2, pp. 21 ...
therefore form a part within Vaikundar.
[A. Arisundara Mani, ''Akilathirattu Ammani Parayan Urai'', pp. 288–289] This ideology about
Trimurthi
The Trimūrti (; Sanskrit: त्रिमूर्ति ', "three forms" or "trinity") are the trinity of supreme divinity in Hinduism, in which the cosmic functions of creation, maintenance, and destruction are personified as a triad of de ...
(three are equal in power) is similar to that of Smartism. Vishnu alone forms a double role; one, within Vaikundar, and the other, as the father of him, remain inside the sea and regulating Vaikundar through
Vinchai
In the literature of Hinduism, Vinchai are proclamations and instructions to the newly born child Vaikundar, by his father Lord Narayana, also known as Vishnu, one of the three godheads in Akilathirattu Ammanai, the source of Ayyavazhi mythology. ...
s.
After Vaikundar was given birth to, by assuming the Power of Ekam, Vaikundar was supreme to Vishnu and all other God-heads, though Vishnu playing the role of Father to Vaikundar. However, Vaikundar had to obey the order of Vishnu, since Vaikundar was given birth to perform the duties of Vishnu, which he (Vishnu) could not do. Vaikundar (and scriptures given by him) is the manifestation of the supreme Ekam so, in Ayyavazhi spirituality, he is the only worshippable universal power
Regarding scriptures, the first part of Akilam is summed-up events of the previous yugas, which are present in Hindu scriptures.
[G. Patrick, ''Religion and Subaltern Agency'', p. 119] The second part says about the universal transformation and the uniqueness of Vaikundar and his incarnational activities.
So as a summary, till the beginning of
Kali Yuga
''Kali Yuga'', in Hinduism, is the fourth and worst of the four ''yugas'' (world ages) in a ''Yuga Cycle'', preceded by '' Dvapara Yuga'' and followed by the next cycle's '' Krita (Satya) Yuga''. It is believed to be the present age, which is ...
, what is Hinduism, that is Ayyavazhi. From then onwards for a series of reasons, Akilam says that 'Hindu' scriptures and its ideology had lost its purity and was destroyed, and so the
Dharma
Dharma (; sa, धर्म, dharma, ; pi, dhamma, italic=yes) is a key concept with multiple meanings in Indian religions, such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism and others. Although there is no direct single-word translation for '' ...
was re-configured in the name of Akilam and Vaikundar and the 'Hindu' ideas were re-formed.
Phenomenology
![Prajapathi Adikalar](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9b/Prajapathi_Adikalar.jpg)
''
Akilam
Akilathirattu Ammanai ( ta, அகிலத்திரட்டு அம்மானை; ''akilam'' ("world"), ''thirattu'' ("collection"), ''ammanai'' ("ballad")), also called Thiru Edu ("venerable book"), is the main religious text of the T ...
'' points out its basis as a regeneration of Dharma in the form of an entirely new ideology. But today, most of the followers of Ayyavazhi address Vaikundar merely as the incarnation of Vishnu. Likewise, most of the Nizhal Thangals were called ''Narayana Swami Pathi'' or ''Narayana Swami Temple'', similar to Hindu
Vaishnavism
Vaishnavism ( sa, वैष्णवसम्प्रदायः, Vaiṣṇavasampradāyaḥ) is one of the major Hindu denominations along with Shaivism, Shaktism, and Smartism. It is also called Vishnuism since it considers Vishnu as the ...
. Most of the followers also worship Hindu deities such as
Kali
Kali (; sa, काली, ), also referred to as Mahakali, Bhadrakali, and Kalika ( sa, कालिका), is a Hinduism, Hindu goddess who is considered to be the goddess of ultimate power, time, destruction and change in Shaktism. In t ...
,
Hanuman
Hanuman (; sa, हनुमान, ), also called Anjaneya (), is a Hindu god and a divine '' vanara'' companion of the god Rama. Hanuman is one of the central characters of the Hindu epic ''Ramayana''. He is an ardent devotee of Rama and on ...
and other folk deities in spite of the anti-
polytheistic
Polytheism is the belief in multiple deities, which are usually assembled into a pantheon of gods and goddesses, along with their own religious sects and rituals. Polytheism is a type of theism. Within theism, it contrasts with monotheism, the ...
ideas based on Ayyavazhi scripture.
[Vaikundar Seva Sangham's,''Ayya Vaikundar 170th Avathar-Special Edition'', The activities of Nizhal Thangals, pp. 2–4.]
Some followers of Ayyavazhi include Vaikundar as part of the ten
Avatar
Avatar (, ; ), is a concept within Hinduism that in Sanskrit literally means "descent". It signifies the material appearance or incarnation of a powerful deity, goddess or spirit on Earth. The relative verb to "alight, to make one's appearanc ...
s of Vishnu as
Kalki
Kalki ( sa, कल्कि), also called Kalkin or Karki, is the prophesied tenth and final incarnation of the Hindu god Vishnu. He is described to appear in order to end the Kali Yuga, one of the four periods in the endless cycle of exist ...
, while some denominations strongly advocate moksha, the personal liberation, though it is not stated directly in Akilam. Some even reject the
Trinity
The Christian doctrine of the Trinity (, from 'threefold') is the central dogma concerning the nature of God in most Christian churches, which defines one God existing in three coequal, coeternal, consubstantial divine persons: God the F ...
conception in Ayyavazhi and believe Narayana to be the supreme universal power. The unique monotheistic belief which is the central theme of Akilam is completely unknown among most of the followers today.
Deviating far away from the strict monotheistic teachings of Akilam, some thangals provides ''panividais'' for other lesser gods too.
The spread of Ayyavazhi among the common people was mainly due to the practice of
Shamanism
Shamanism is a religious practice that involves a practitioner (shaman) interacting with what they believe to be a Spirit world (Spiritualism), spirit world through Altered state of consciousness, altered states of consciousness, such as tranc ...
. Being similar to Hindus in almost all aspects Ayyavazhi followers are hard to be identified. The only sign to distinguish the practitioners of Ayyavazhi is the fact that they wore the Thirunamam (a sign on their forehead).
[R. Shunmugam, ''Nadar Kulathi Narayanar Avataram'', pp. 189–191] The Nizhal Thangals are identified among the other temples by the fact that idols are replaced by mirrors in the
Palliyarai.
Only the recitations of a handful of scholars educated in the Ayyavazhi scriptures point out the real facts and concepts of Akilam and the philosophical and ideological deviation of Ayyavazhi from Hinduism. Not even the
Payyans from the headquarters able to portray the Akilam-based ideology clearly. All these philosophical, ideological and religious variations in the society of Ayyavazhi make them hard to be identified and differentiated as a separate belief and instead taken as a Hindu sect.
There is a common belief that Ayya Vaikundar is a
prophet
In religion, a prophet or prophetess is an individual who is regarded as being in contact with a divine being and is said to speak on behalf of that being, serving as an intermediary with humanity by delivering messages or teachings from the s ...
and he had made many prophecies during his earthly years. On the contrary, there are no implications in
Akilam
Akilathirattu Ammanai ( ta, அகிலத்திரட்டு அம்மானை; ''akilam'' ("world"), ''thirattu'' ("collection"), ''ammanai'' ("ballad")), also called Thiru Edu ("venerable book"), is the main religious text of the T ...
or other books of
Arul Nool
Arul may refer to:
People Given name
* Arul Chinnaiyan
* Arul Kanda Kandasamy
* Arul Kumar Jambunathan, Malaysian politician
* Arul Pragasam
* Arul Ramadas, Indian politician
* Arul Shankar, Indian mathematician
* Arul Suppiah (born 1983), Malay ...
that Vaikundar himself foretold anything, except in
Thiruvasagam 4, Akilam:12. The common mis-understanding is because, the Akilam and Arul Nool includes hundreds of
Prophecies
In religion, a prophecy is a message that has been communicated to a person (typically called a ''prophet'') by a supernatural entity. Prophecies are a feature of many cultures and belief systems and usually contain divine will or law, or prete ...
and the contents of both the books is being divinely revealed to the
Seedars
According to Akilattirattu Ammanai, the scripture of the Ayyavazhi religion, Ayya Vaikundar, the Incarnation of Lord Narayana in Kali Yukam, has five Seedar (disciples). They were in the previous Dwapara Yukam as Pandavas who were transmigrated ...
by Vaikundar and the Seedars brought them to the written form. So, instead of the prophecies in both the books being considered that of Seedars it is mis-understood that the prophecies is of Vaikundar.
Robert Caldwell
Robert Caldwell (7 May 1814 – 28 August 1891) was a missionary for London Missionary Society. He arrived in India at age 24, studied the local language to spread the word of Bible in a vernacular language, studies that led him to author a tex ...
, one among the very few historians of the contemporary period (whose views are always overwhelmingly negative on Vaikundar, since himself being a
LMS LMS may refer to:
Science and technology
* Labeled magnitude scale, a scaling technique
* Learning management system, education software
* Least mean squares filter, producing least mean square error
* Leiomyosarcoma, a rare form of cancer
* Lenz ...
Christian missionary
A Christian mission is an organized effort for the propagation of the Christian faith. Missions involve sending individuals and groups across boundaries, most commonly geographical boundaries, to carry on evangelism or other activities, such as ...
), also referred to the then belief that seedars (disciples) profess to foretell events.
Social structure
Ayyavazhi worship was marked by its simplicity. The absence of idol worship and priestly mediation, and inclusion of alternate type of centres of worship, the
Pathi
Pathi ( ta, பதி - "The place where God is") is the name of the primary centres of congregational worship for the South Indian religious system of Ayyavazhi, having a relatively large structure like that of a temple. They are seven in numbe ...
s and
Nizhal Thangal
Nizhal Thangal ( ta, நிழல் தாங்கல்) ( ml, നിഴൽ താങ്കൽ) also called Inai Thangals) are secondary worship places of the Ayyavazhi, often smaller in size than Pathis, built per the instructions of Akilatti ...
s, were other characteristics of Ayyavazhi worship. Rituals of Ayyavazhi are a reform or revolutionary activity, focusing upon social equality, deviating from Hinduism. The
rituals
A ritual is a sequence of activities involving gestures, words, actions, or objects, performed according to a set sequence. Rituals may be prescribed by the traditions of a community, including a religious community. Rituals are characterized, ...
are also characterised and bound by religious beliefs that give them an alternative spiritual meaning. Its scriptures cover basic elements and ideas throughout Hinduism. They refer to
Shastras
''Shastra'' (, IAST: , ) is a Sanskrit word that means "precept, rules, manual, compendium, book or treatise" in a general sense.Monier Williams, Monier Williams' Sanskrit-English Dictionary, Oxford University Press, Article on 'zAstra'' The wo ...
,
Agamas
Religion
*Āgama (Buddhism), a collection of Early Buddhist texts
*Āgama (Hinduism), scriptures of several Hindu sects
*Jain literature (Jain Āgamas), various canonical scriptures in Jainism
Other uses
* ''Agama'' (lizard), a genus of lizards ...
,
Vedas
upright=1.2, The Vedas are ancient Sanskrit texts of Hinduism. Above: A page from the '' Atharvaveda''.
The Vedas (, , ) are a large body of religious texts originating in ancient India. Composed in Vedic Sanskrit, the texts constitute the ...
and
Puranas
Purana (; sa, , '; literally meaning "ancient, old"Merriam-Webster's Encyclopedia of Literature (1995 Edition), Article on Puranas, , page 915) is a vast genre of Indian literature about a wide range of topics, particularly about legends an ...
. But address them all to be gone awry by the Advent of Vaikundar,
from where Ayyavazhi scriptures forms negative ideas over all other traditions. Though Ayyavazhi shares many god-heads with Hinduism, it weaves unique ideology and power assumption for them. Ayyavazhi can be portrayed as a ''Hindu renaissance''. Ayyavazhi is viewed as a reform movement too, as it brought many social changes there in the
Tamil
Tamil may refer to:
* Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia
**Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils
**Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia
* Tamil language, nativ ...
and
keralite society during the 19th century.
The religious structure evolved in the path of Ayyavazhi scriptures and, as a result, it transfigured itself as an alternative religio-cultural system in the social category. The Ayyavazhis addressed their system as ''"Path of God"'' with the phrase ''"Ayya Vazhi"''. On one hand, they believe that their tradition had come to replace all old traditions (religions), but on the other hand, they believe that Ayyavazhi is the synopsis of the world's religious knowledge. On one hand, they believe that
Vaikundar
Ayya Vaikundar (c.1833 –c.1851) ( ta, அய்யா வைகுண்டர், sa, अय्या वैघुण्ढर्) also known as Vaikunda Swami is the first and the foremost Purna avatar of Eka-Paran born to Lord ...
unified all deities within him; on the other, as all the previous had gone awry by the advent of Vaikundar.
[G. Patrick, Religion and Subaltern Agency, '' "Ayya Vali – A New and Singular Religious Phenomenon" '', p. 120.] Apart from this, Ayyavazhi has separate
theology
Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...
,
mythology
Myth is a folklore genre consisting of narratives that play a fundamental role in a society, such as foundational tales or origin myths. Since "myth" is widely used to imply that a story is not objectively true, the identification of a narrat ...
,
holy places
Sacred space, sacred ground, sacred place, sacred temple, holy ground, or holy place refers to a location which is deemed to be sacred or hallowed. The sacredness of a natural feature may accrue through tradition or be granted through a bless ...
,
worship centres, and ethics of its own.
Though many new papers, academic researchers
[Graham Harvey and Robert J. Wallis, (2007), ''Historical Dictionary of Shamanism'', , Scarecrow Press, pp. 101] and some of its followers consider it as a separate religion, many of the followers are even of the opinion that this is but a Hindu sect rather than an autonomous religion.
[See ] They indulge in the mystic practices of possessions and divinations similar to the tribal religions of Tamil Nadu. Also, many of its core beliefs are similar to some Hindu sects such as Advaita and Smartism.
Regarding demographics, Ayyavazhi followers are highly concentrated in South India though found across
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
, comparatively in less numbers. In Kanyakumari and Tirunelveli districts of
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a States and union territories of India, state in southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of India ...
, it is very hard to find a village without a
worship centre of Ayyavazhi.
Apart from the listings from the religious headquarters (though it is evident that Ayyavazhi followers are spread across the India from university papers)
[R. Ponnu, ''Sri Vaikunda Swamigal and the Struggle for Social Equality in South India'', p. 100.] there are no official figures for the number of followers of Ayyavazhi because they are considered
Hindu
Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...
s in the census.
See also
*
Bengali Renaissance
The Bengal Renaissance (Bengali: বাংলার নবজাগরণ — ''Banglar Navajagaran''), also known as the Bengali Renaissance, was a cultural, social, intellectual, and artistic movement that took place in the Bengal region of ...
*
Dharmic religions
Indian religions, sometimes also termed Dharmic religions or Indic religions, are the religions that originated in the Indian subcontinent. These religions, which include Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, and Sikhism,Adams, C. J."Classification of ...
*
Eastern religions
The Eastern religions are the religions which originated in East, South and Southeast Asia and thus have dissimilarities with Western, African and Iranian religions. This includes the East Asian religions such as Confucianism, Taoism, Chinese fol ...
*
Hindu denominations
Hindu denominations, ''sampradayas'', traditions, movements, and sects are traditions and sub-traditions within Hinduism centered on one or more gods or goddesses, such as Vishnu, Shiva, Shakti and so on. The term ''sampradaya'' is used for bran ...
*
Outline of Ayyavazhi
*
Religion in India
Religion in India is characterised by a diversity of religious beliefs and practices. The Indian subcontinent is the birthplace of four of the world's major religions; namely Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism. The preamble of Indian co ...
Notes and references
Bibliography
* T. Krishnanathan (2000), ''Ayya Vaikundarin Vazhvum Sinthanaiyum'',
Madurai Kamaraj University
Madurai Kamaraj University (MKU) is a public state university located in Madurai city, in southern Tamil Nadu, India, established in 1966. MKU is one of the 15 universities in India with the University with Potential for Excellence status, wh ...
, Thinai Publications,
Nagercoil
Nagercoil, also spelt as Nagarkovil ("Temple of the Nāgas", or Nagaraja-Temple), is a city and the administrative headquarters of Kanyakumari District in Tamil Nadu state, India. Situated close to the tip of the Indian peninsula, it lies on an ...
.
* C. Paulose (2002), ''Advaita Philosophy of Brahmasri Chattampi Swamikal'', Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit, Ayya Vaikunta Nather Sidhasramam, Pothaiyadi.
* R. Ponnu (2000), ''Sri Vaikunda Swamigal and Struggle for Social Equality in South India'',
Madurai Kamaraj University
Madurai Kamaraj University (MKU) is a public state university located in Madurai city, in southern Tamil Nadu, India, established in 1966. MKU is one of the 15 universities in India with the University with Potential for Excellence status, wh ...
, Ram Publishers,
Madurai
Madurai ( , also , ) is a major city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the cultural capital of Tamil Nadu and the administrative headquarters of Madurai District. As of the 2011 census, it was the third largest Urban agglomeration in ...
.
* R.Ponnu(1987), A Social Revolution in the South, Thenkumari Publishers, Nagercoil.
* R.Ponnu,(1985)"Vaikunda Swamigal: A Case Study of Socio Religious Awakening in South India", Journal of Dharma, Vol.X, No.2, Bangalore
* R.Ponnu(1985), "Vaikunda Swamigal - a Forgotten Reformer of South India", Ithihas, Vol. XIV, No.1, Hyderabad, 1985
* R.Ponnu,(1983) "Sri Narayanaswamy Sect in Tamil Nadu", Quarterly Journal of Mythic Society, Vol. LXXIV,No.3, Bangalore
* R. Ponnu (2002), ''Vaikunda Swamikal Ore Avataram'', Ram Publishers, Madurai.
* N. Vivekanandan (2003), ''Akilathirattu Ammanai Moolamum Uraiyum'' (Part 1&2), Vivekananda Publications,
Nagercoil
Nagercoil, also spelt as Nagarkovil ("Temple of the Nāgas", or Nagaraja-Temple), is a city and the administrative headquarters of Kanyakumari District in Tamil Nadu state, India. Situated close to the tip of the Indian peninsula, it lies on an ...
.
* A. Arisundara Mani (2002), ''Akilathirattu Ammanai Parayana Urai'', Ayya Vaikundar Thirukkudumbam Publications, Nagercoil.
* R. Shunmugam (2001), ''Nadar Kulathil Narayanar Avataram'', Nadar Kuladeepam Publications, Karankadu.
* A. Manibharathi (2003), ''Akilathirattu Vilakka urai'', Thirunamappukazh Publications,
Chennai
Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...
.
* Samuel Mateer (1871), ''The Land of charity: a descriptive account of Travancore and its people, Asian Educational Services'',
* G. Patrick (2003), ''Religion and Subaltern Agency'', Department of Christian Studies,
University of Madras
The University of Madras (informally known as Madras University) is a public university, public State university (India), state university in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. Established in 1857, it is one of the oldest and among the most prestigiou ...
,
Chennai
Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...
* ''Akilathirattu ammanai Arappadanool'' (First grade), Vaikundar Seva Sangam (Organisation), Attoor
* N. Elango and Vijaya Shanthi Elango (1997), ''Ayya Vaikuntar – The Light of the World'', (Published by the authors)
* V.T. Chellam (2002), ''Thamizaka Varalarum Panpadum'' (The History and Culture of Tamil Nadu), Manickavasakar Publications, Chennai
* N. Vivekanandan (2001), ''Arul Nool Moolamum Uraiyum'', Vivekananda Publications, Nagercoil
* Thechanathu Thuvaraga pathi, ''Akilathirattu Akakkorvai'', Published by Thechanathu Thuvaraga pathi
*
Madanjeet Singh
Madanjeet Singh (16 April 1924 – 6 January 2013) was an Indian diplomat, painter, photographer, and writer.
Biography
Madanjeet Singh was born on 16 April 1924 in Lahore, British India.
During Mahatma Gandhi's "Quit India" movement in 1942 a ...
(2005), ''The Sasia Story'', France,
* P. Sundaram Swamigal and K. Ponnumani (2000), ''Ucchippadippu'', Ayyavaikunta Nather Sidhasramam, Pothaiyadi
* P. Sundaram Swamigal and K. Ponnumani (2001), ''Ayyavaikundanathar Jeevacharithram (Biography of Ayya Vaikunta Nathar)'', Ayyavaikuntanathar Siddasramam Publications, Pothaiyadi
* V. Nagam Aiya (1989), ''The Travancore State Manual'', Volume-2,
Asian Educational Services
Asian Educational Services (AES) is a New Delhi, India-based publishing house that specialises in antiquarian reprints of books that were originally published between the 17th and early 20th centuries. Founded by Jagdish Lall Jetley in 1973, th ...
,
* Ward and Conner (1860), ''Geographical and Statistical Memoir of the Survey of Travancore and Cochin States'',
Travancore
The Kingdom of Travancore ( /ˈtrævənkɔːr/), also known as the Kingdom of Thiruvithamkoor, was an Indian kingdom from c. 1729 until 1949. It was ruled by the Travancore Royal Family from Padmanabhapuram, and later Thiruvananthapuram. At ...
Sircar Press,
Trivandrum
Thiruvananthapuram (; ), also known by its former name Trivandrum (), is the capital of the Indian state of Kerala. It is the most populous city in Kerala with a population of 957,730 as of 2011. The encompassing urban agglomeration populati ...
* Ponneelan's, ''Vaikunta Cuvamiyum Avar Kalamum'', Mimeograph note
* ''Akilattirattu Ammanai'' (1989), (published by T. Palaramachandran Nadar), 9th impression
* P. Sarvesvaran, ''Sri Vaikunda Swamikal – A Forgotten Social Reformer''
* V. T. Ramasupramaniyam (2001), ''Thirumagal Thamizhagarathi'', Thirumagal Nilayam, Chennai
* N. Amalan (2000), ''Ayya Vaikundar Punitha Varalaru'', Akilam Publications, Swamithoppu
* Samuel Zecharia (1897), ''The London Missionary Society in South Travancore 1805–1855'',
LMS LMS may refer to:
Science and technology
* Labeled magnitude scale, a scaling technique
* Learning management system, education software
* Least mean squares filter, producing least mean square error
* Leiomyosarcoma, a rare form of cancer
* Lenz ...
Press, Nagercoil.
* M. S. S. Pandiyan (1992) ''Meanings of 'colonialism' and 'nationalism: an essay on Vaikunda Swamy cult, Sage Publications
* Vaikundar Seva Sangam (2002), (An organisation) ''Ayya Vaikundar 170th Avathar-Special Edition'', Attoor.
* Elango Rajagopal(1984), ''Vaikatru'', TTK Publications, Chennai.
* N. Vivekanandan (1988), ''Akilathirattu Ammanaiyil Vaikunda Suvami Sampooranathevana?'', Vivekananda Pathippakam, Nagercoil.
* M. Ilanchezhiyan (1999), ''Pandiyarkula Nadrakal Kulamurai Kilathal'', Chezhiyar Publications,
Virudhunagar
Virudhunagar is a city and the administrative headquarter of the Virudhunagar district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located southwest of the state capital Chennai and south of Madurai. Virudhunagar emerged as an important trade ...
.
* A. Sreedhara Menon (1967), ''A Survey of Kerala History'', D.C. Books, Kottayam,
* Pon. T. Dharmarasan (1996), ''Akilathirattu'', Pon Publications, Chennai.
* Dr. M. Immanuel (2007), ''Kanniyakumari: Aspects and Architects'', Historical Research & Publications Trust, Nagercoil,
* Sm. Ramasamy (2006), ''Geomatics in Tsunami'', Centre for Remote Sensing,
Bharathidasan University
Bharathidasan University (BDU) is a university in the city of Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, India. It is located on Tiruchirappalli-Pudukkottai National Highway 336. It has affiliated colleges in the districts of Ariyalur district, Karur, Nag ...
, India – Department of Science and Technology, New India Publishing,
External links
Ayya Vaikundar The Spiritual light
{{Navboxes
, list =
{{Hindu reform movements
{{Religion topics
{{Religion in India topics
Hindu denominations
Vaishnava sects
Nirguna worship traditions
Nondualism
Hindu new religious movements
New religious movements
1840 establishments in British India