Nizhal Thangal ( ta, நிழல் தாங்கல்) ( ml, നിഴൽ താങ്കൽ) also called Inai Thangals) are secondary worship places of the
Ayyavazhi
Ayyavazhi ( ta, அய்யாவழி, ml, അയ്യാവഴി ''Ayyāvaḻi'' , ) is a henotheistic belief that originated in South India.Tha. Krishna Nathan, ''Ayyaa vaikuNdarin vaazvum sinthanaiyum'', p. 62: "" (The day at which Vaik ...
, often smaller in size than
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, built per 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 ...
. Cleanliness is strictly enforced.
Though the common people, mainly in early times call them as ''Narayanaswami koil'' or ''Narayanaswami pathi'', the Ayyavazhi scriptures consider these centers distinct from 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. They call these worship centers, which were not associated with the religious activities of
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 ...
, 'Inai Thangals'.
History
![Attoor Palliyarai](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9a/Attoor_Palliyarai.jpg)
After the trial of Vaikundar with the king of Travancore, the followers built religious centers following his instructions to propagate his teachings which were called as ''Nizhal Thangal''.
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 ...
call this as religious schools. The LMS reports too speak in abundance about these worship centers
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, nati ...
is the official language of worship, and the object of worship is
Lord 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 consi ...
with the trinity of
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 ...
,
Vishnu
Vishnu ( ; , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism.
Vishnu is known as "The Preserver" within t ...
, and
Shiva
Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hindu ...
.
Nizhal Thangals in
Chettikudiyiruppu,
Agastheeswaram
Agastheeswaram is a panchayat town in Kanniyakumari district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.
History
Agasteeswaram is named after Sage Agastya who had visited this place to teach Ramayana. Most of the people from this village are well educat ...
, Paloor,
Sundavilai,
Vadalivilai,
Kadambankulam and
Pambankulam were established during the period of
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 ...
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 ...
. And after a large number of Thangals were established throughout India. There are more than 8000 worship centres throughout India
These Nizhal Thangals formed place in the socio-religious life of the people. All the people were brought together here irrespective of caste distinctions. The mode and formalities of worship were revolutionalised in these centers.
Architecture and Structure
![Nelli Ninta Vilai Thangal](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/60/Nelli_Ninta_Vilai_Thangal.jpg)
Unlike
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 this Thangals were of small size. Inside the Nizhal Thangals, no
murti
In the Hindu tradition, a ''murti'' ( sa, मूर्ति, mūrti, ) is a devotional image such as a statue, or "idol" (a common and non-pejorative term in Indian English), of a deity or saint. In Hindu temples, it is a symbolic icon. Thus ...
or
idol
Idol or Idols may refer to:
Religion and philosophy
* Cult image, a neutral term for a man-made object that is worshipped or venerated for the deity, spirit or demon that it embodies or represents
* Murti, a point of focus for devotion or medit ...
is used. The
Palliyarai
Palliyarai is a Tamil word used for the Sanctum Sanctoram in Hindu temples, the equivalent of garbhagriha in Sanscritic or Indo-Aryan languages. It generally means the place for divine resting and is considered very holy by the Hindus. In many tra ...
of Thangals generally seems similar to Pathis. But inside, in most of the Thangals instead of raised pedestal, chairs were placed as asanas in which the saffron or silk cloths are wrapped-around. A garland made of
rudraksha
''Rudraksha'' (IAST: ') refers to a stonefruit, the dried stones of which are used as prayer beads by Hindus (especially Shaivas), as well as by Buddhists and Sikhs. When they are ripe, ''rudraksha'' stones are covered by an inedible blue out ...
(string of rudraksha beads) is placed around the neck of the
asana
An asana is a body posture, originally and still a general term for a sitting meditation pose,Verse 46, chapter II, "Patanjali Yoga sutras" by Swami Prabhavananda, published by the Sri Ramakrishna Math p. 111 and later extended in hatha yoga ...
. Mirrors were placed behind. In front of these there will be two standing oil lamps''(kuthu vilakku)''made of brass, each placed on the either side of the asana.
In some of the Thangals there will be inner corridors as pathis to circumambulate the
Palliyarai
Palliyarai is a Tamil word used for the Sanctum Sanctoram in Hindu temples, the equivalent of garbhagriha in Sanscritic or Indo-Aryan languages. It generally means the place for divine resting and is considered very holy by the Hindus. In many tra ...
. A hall is attached to this palliyarai for the worshippers. In some of the Thangals there are
flag mast
A flag is a piece of fabric (most often rectangular or quadrilateral) with a distinctive design and colours. It is used as a symbol, a signalling device, or for decoration. The term ''flag'' is also used to refer to the graphic design employ ...
s,
Vahana
''Vahana'' ( sa, वाहन, or animal vehicle, literally "that which carries, that which pulls") denotes the being, typically an animal or mythical, a particular Hindus, Hindu God is said to use as a vehicle. In this capacity, the vahana ...
s and
temple car
Temple cars are chariots that are used to carry representations of Hindu gods. The car is usually used on festival days, when many people pull the cart.
The size of the largest temple cars inspired the Anglo-Indian term Juggernaut (from Jagan ...
s etc.
Administration
Some of the thangals were built and maintained by single individuals, some by various organisations and some built as town or village-commons. Since
Ayyavazhi
Ayyavazhi ( ta, அய்யாவழி, ml, അയ്യാവഴി ''Ayyāvaḻi'' , ) is a henotheistic belief that originated in South India.Tha. Krishna Nathan, ''Ayyaa vaikuNdarin vaazvum sinthanaiyum'', p. 62: "" (The day at which Vaik ...
is not an organised religion, thangals are not officially controlled by
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 ...
, though it was considered as the religious headquarters. It was considered ritualistic by the Ayyavazhi followers to lay foundation stones for new Thangals by some one from
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 ...
. It seems that the scriptures too give a high status to them in such matters. A survey from the year 2004 states that there are more than 8000 Nizhal Thangals throughout
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 ...
mostly 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 ...
.
Some Nizhal Thangals serve as community centers, with facilities to cook for large crowds of people; others serve as schools for the community and some as both.
Prayer and Rituals
![Churul](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7d/Churul.jpg)
Though the
Ayyavazhi
Ayyavazhi ( ta, அய்யாவழி, ml, അയ്യാവഴി ''Ayyāvaḻi'' , ) is a henotheistic belief that originated in South India.Tha. Krishna Nathan, ''Ayyaa vaikuNdarin vaazvum sinthanaiyum'', p. 62: "" (The day at which Vaik ...
scriptures says about a three-time-worship in common for Nizal Thangals and
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, most of the Nizhal Thangals use to conduct ''Panividais'' (poojas) only twice per day. The three time worship includes
Ukappadippu along with
Pothippu at the dawn and at the dusk and the
Ucchippadippu in the noon.
But most of the Nizhal Thangals conduct this
Ucchippadippu on every Sundays seven times collectively, considering one time per day of a week.
[There is an oral tradition 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 ...
asked the followers to do so for their comfort. On that days
Anna Dharmam
{{Ayyavazhi
Anna Dharmam is a term used for an Ayyavazhi ritual that involves sharing food without inter-dining. Inter-dining refers to the act of dining within one's own caste, and excluding others. The practice of Anna Dharmam may have emerged ...
(charity on food) is conducted. Some Thangals use conduct this Ucchippadippu on Fridays too. While at few Thangals, which were run by single individuals, the Panividai is conducted only once per day in the evening.
Pal vaippu
This '' 'Pai vaippu' '' is a festival in which the rice boiled in milk and used to serve as grew. At present every worship centers of Ayyavazhi has this practice at least once in a month, while in some other Thangals it was conducted once in a week. During this Pal vaippu cooked rice is also served in addition to this 'Pal' as an action of charity. During this days as ritualistic actions, the 'Periya Ukappadippu' (the extended Ukappadippu), ' ''Thana Niraivu Vasakam'' ' and '
Vazappadippu' is also sung in the evening as additional form of Prayers during this days.
Festivals
The main form festival which is conducted in Nizhal Thangals are The
Thiru Eadu Vasippu
Thiru Eadu Vasippu is the festival celebrated in the worship centers of Ayyavazhi. It is celebrated for three, five, seven, ten or seventeen days annually. During these days the holy scripture of Ayyavazhi, the Akilathirattu Ammanai
Akilat ...
and the ''Vaikunda Avatharam''. The Thiru-Eadu Vasippu was conducted for several days while the Vaikunda Avatharam celebration is mostly for a day of time in Nizhal Thangals. Some Thangals use to conduct Annual festivals too.
Thiru-Eadu Vasippu
![Thirukkalyana Vasippu panthal](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9a/Thirukkalyana_Vasippu_panthal.jpg)
This Thiru Eadu Vasippu, the ritual reading and expatiation of the Holy book
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 ...
, is an important religious observance of Ayyavazhi. During this days the morning ''Panivadais'' are conducted as usual, while in the evening Akilam the scripture of Ayyavazhi is read melodiously by two talented persons and another person use to explain the read verses in a prose form. At the end of every days Anna Dharmam was conducted. This festival was conducted in several Nizhal Thangals for seventeen days (as in Pathis) and the whole content is read-finished. While some other thangals conduct this for three, five, seven, or ten days term reading selected part from the scripture.
Some thangals conduct this Thiru-Eadu Vasippu along with the Annual festivals while on some other centers annual festivals are celebrated separately. During that days ' ''Vahanam Eduppu'' ' is conducted in which the asanam is carried on Vahanas (vehicles) as processions by the followers.
Vaikunda Avatharam
This was the only festival in Ayyavazhi, which is celebrated at a time throughout all the worship centers across the country. During this festival on 19th masi (3 March) the day before 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 ...
, the Nizhal Thangals used to conduct one day festival for a grand scale along with Anna Dharmam throughout the day. On the next day 20th of the Tamil month masi, (4 March) all the followers used to visit
Panchappathis
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 pathi ...
and so most of the Thangals remain closed while some thangals used to continue the festival as the previous day.
See also
*
List of Ayyavazhi-related articles
A ''list'' is any set of items in a row. List or lists may also refer to:
People
* List (surname)
Organizations
* List College, an undergraduate division of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America
* SC Germania List, German rugby union ...
*
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 ...
*
Ayyavazhi
Ayyavazhi ( ta, அய்யாவழி, ml, അയ്യാവഴി ''Ayyāvaḻi'' , ) is a henotheistic belief that originated in South India.Tha. Krishna Nathan, ''Ayyaa vaikuNdarin vaazvum sinthanaiyum'', p. 62: "" (The day at which Vaik ...
Citations
References
* R. Ponnu, ''Sri Vaikunda Swamigal and Struggle for Social Equality in South India'', 2000
* G. Patrick, ''Religion and Subaltern Agency'', University of Madras.
* C. Paulose, ''Advaita Philosophy of Brahmasri Chattampi Swamikal'', 2002.
External links
AyyaVaigundar.org: Assembled Worship (Nizhal Thangals)* http://kanyakumarionline.com/ayya/social_reforms.asp
{{Ayyavazhi large
Religious buildings and structures in India
Worship centers of Ayyavazhi