Ayyavali
Ayyavali ( Tamil : அய்யாவழி, Ayyāvaḻi; often Ayyavazhi ; German: "Path of the Father") is, according to its followers, a Tamil monistic religion that arose in southern India in the mid-19th century. Ayyavali, however, does not count as an independent religion in India, but is considered a form (split) of Hinduism and Ayyavali followers are counted among the Hindus in the censuses in India.
Apart from the Ayyavali followers, some social and religious faculties also recognize Ayyavali as a separate religion. Although Ayyavali is practiced outside of the state of Tamil Nadu , Ayyavali followers live mainly in the districts of Kanyakumari , Tirunelveli and Thoothukudi in Tamil Nadu. The rapid growth of the Ayyavali community in the first century after it came into being was noted and recorded by Christian missionaries in the mid-19th century. The ideas and philosophy of religion are based on the teachings of Ayya Vaikundar and the religious texts Akilattirattu Ammanai and Arul Nool .
According to these books, the founder of the religion Ayya Vaikundar, one was Manu - Reincarnation ( Trimurti ). Although Ayyavali and Hinduism share many ideas in mythology and practice, they differ in some respects, particularly in the concepts of "good and evil" and of Dharma .
Word meaning
The origins of the name Ayyavali are unknown. The different readings of its meaning include:
- Path of the Father - in the local Tamil language, ayya (father) + vali (path). This reading is most common in Tamil, as ayya means "dear father".
- The Master's ultimate truth - from ayya (master) + vali (the ultimate truth) - is derived from the figurative use of the words.
- Beliefs of the Guru - Ayya as ( Guru ) + vali (Beliefs = valibadu in Tamil).
- Path to the sacred feet of the deity - Ayya as (deity) + vali (path to union)
The synonymous translations of the phrase are unlimited because the meaning of the Tamil word ayya fluctuates between "father, guru, superior, dignitary, respectful person, master, king, teacher, instructor" and others. The word vali means "way, rule of behavior, manner, method, mode, cause, antiquity, sequence, doctrine of belief, reason" and the like. a.
history
The Ayyavali religion first appeared through the large number of people who gathered to pay homage to the founder Ayya Vaikundar. Most of these Ayyavali supporters came from the marginalized and socially disadvantaged strata of Tamil society. Although most of the followers were from the "Chanar" caste, the religion also gained followers from other castes. The five Citars , the disciples of Vaikundar, and their descendants traveled to different parts of the country and spread the teachings of Ayyavali.
In the mid-19th century, Ayyavali was finally recognized as a religion, albeit limited to the small region of southern Travancore and southern Tirunelveli . The number of his followers had risen sharply since the 1840s. After the death of the founder Ayya Vaikundar, the religion was further spread based on his teachings and the books Akilattirattu Ammanai and Arul Nool . Hundreds of places of worship called Nizal Thangals have been established across the country.
The current leader of this religious group, Bala Prajapathi Adikalar , is a descendant of the Payyan dynasty. He has founded numerous "Nizal Thangals". The day of the alleged incarnation of Ayya Vaikundar ("Ayya Vaikunda Avataram") was declared a public holiday in the Tirunelveli and Thoothukudi districts, previously in the Kanyakumari district.
Scriptures and holy places
The holy books of Ayyavali are Akilattirattu Ammanai (often abbreviated to Akilam ) and Arul Nool . They are the sources of the mythology of the Ayyavali religion. Ayyavali legend claims that the Akilattirattu Ammanai was written down by Hari Gopalan Citar. There is no verifiable history of the origin of the book Arul Nool , but the Ayyavali believe it was written by Citars and Arulalarkal (one who is gripped by divine power). It contains prayers, hymns and instructions for worship in Ayyavali, rituals , prophecies and also many deeds.
Ayyavali followers know five holy places called "Pathi", the most important of which is "Panchappathi". The temple of Swamithoppepathi is the main seat of the Ayyavali religion. The Vakaippathi , where Vaikundar had sent 700 families, was rated as Pathi in the holy book of Akilam, although this place has no direct connection to the deeds of Vaikundar. There is serious disagreement within the Avyyavali community about the actual sanctity of some of the "holy" places. The Avatharappathi in Thiruchendur is accepted as a pathi in the book of Akilam, but some Ayyavali believe that the place where the present day temple stands is not the exact place where Ayya Vaikundar was reborn from the sea; they disagree with the rest of the supporters. There are also a number of devotees who speak out against Thiruchendur's holiness as a pathi , although they accept it as a secondary holy place.
Symbols
The symbol of the Ayyavali religion is a 1,008-petalled lotus flower , which bears a flame-shaped white “ namam ”. The flower symbolizes the Sahasrara (the so-called crown chakra , see also Chakra ), Tamil Ladam , and the Namam represents the Anma Jyoti or Atman , translated as "soul" or "self". There are references to the tirunamam in the primary and secondary scripts Akilattirattu Ammanai and Arul Nool , but it seems that there is no direct reference to the symbol "lotus bearing namam" there in the scriptures. According to some legends, this symbol was in use among the Ayyavali since the early 1840s.
Worship centers
Ayyavali followers established Pathis and Nizhal Thangals , which are centers of learning and prayer, in different parts of the country. They served as centers for the spread of the Ayyavazli beliefs and practices. There are more than 3500 worship centers spread across southern India. Since Ayyavali is not an organized religion, Swamithoppepathi serves as the religious, albeit unofficial, headquarters.
Pathis
Pathis were the important centers of communal worship, they owned structures that were proportionally larger than the temples. The pathis owe their importance to the fact that Ayya Vaikundar and his activities were historically associated with these places of worship. There are six in number.
Nizhal Thangals
Nizhal Thangal are simple little buildings erected to spread the teachings of Ayya Vaikundar. Food and shelter were also offered to those in need in these centers. Some of them were founded while Vaikundar was still alive. Even today, charity and charity is one of the main activities of these centers. They are important places of prayer, but some are also used as schools and community centers.
Controversy
Although the majority of Ayyavali supporters believe that Ayyavali is an independent religion, it is not officially recognized as a separate religion in India. There is also evidence that even some of Ayyavali's followers view this as a Hindu sect rather than a separate religion. The rites of prayer and mythology are similar to Hinduism and the founder of the religion is considered by his followers to be the incarnation of the Hindu god Vishnu . Ayyavali also share the belief in the gods Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva with the Hindus. The mystical practices of the processions and prophecies of the Ayyavali are similar to those of the tribal religions in Tamil Nadu. The widespread illiteracy resulting from the poverty among the followers prevented them from understanding the Ayyavali philosophy. As a result, Ayyavali has degenerated into a Hindu sect.
The distribution of Ayyavali in Tamil Nadu is limited to a few areas in the south of the state as well as in southern Kerala . The majority of the followers came from the Nadar caste. There is no official information on the number of Ayyavali followers; Since the Indian government does not recognize Ayyavali as an independent religion, the followers are counted among the Hindus in the official census. Apart from the two religious texts associated with Ayyavali, Akilattirattu Ammanai and Arul Nool, there are no other sources of information on the philosophy. The philosophy of this belief, its mythology and prayer rites are identical to those of Hinduism such as Advaita and Smartism .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ See - ( Memento of the original from February 14, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
