ANUPRIY KANTI

ADP

AYYAPPAN SARANAM: A
REFLECTION
Introduction

Lord Ayyappan is an important deity in the southern India, believed to be the offspring of the two major Hindu Gods, Vishnu and Shiva. This unusual heritage of
being born from two male gods plays a crucial role in forming the belief and rituals
associated with the worship.

The article Ayyappan Saranam: Masculinity and the Sabarmila pilgrimage in Kerala
by Filippo Osela and Caroline Osella gives a detailed descriptive account of the
pilgrimage to Sabrimala, its preparation and importance to South Indian males.
Using the pilgrimage and religious belief, it also explores the construction of male
identity and gender roles, especially in the context of local community. In doing so,
it also addresses and answers the dilemma that holds the crux of Hindu philosophy
regarding the way of living to be a renouncer or a householder?

This is an essay, which by highlighting the main points discussed in the article,
reflects on the way the myth and ritual form the male identity and associate itself
with the larger philosophy.

The supporting myth

The story of Lord Ayyappans birth starts with the union of Vishnu and Shiva, when
the former was in the form of Mohini (feminine form) and accidently seduced the
latter. Result of this was Ayyappan, born out of Vishnus thigh. In many legends, it is
said that, due to embarrassment, both the Gods left him out in the banks of a river,
to be found by a King.

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Growing up to be an obedient prince, skillful in many arts, once he ventured out into
the forest to obtain milk of a tigress (a plot by his mother to get him killed, so as to
let her own son become the heir to the throne). On his way, he encountered
Mahishi, an asura, who he fought and killed. Mahishi turned into a goddess and told
him that, for relieving her of the demon curse by killing her, he had fulfilled his
purpose and was supposed to marry her. But bounded by the promise, he returned
to the kingdom with tigeress milk, revealing to everyone that he was no ordinary
being but divinity in a human form. After forgiving an ashamed queen, he decided
that he would spend rest of his life in the forest. The king, pleased to be in presence
of divinity, decided to build a temple in Sabrimala, where he could remain in his true
form and devotees could come on a pilgrimage to worship.

As the pilgrims follow Ayyappan's journey through the forest and act out his story,
Ayyappan could not neglect his devotees, so he is said to have made a pact with the
goddess that on the day when no more kanniswamis (first-time pilgrims) come to
worship him he would marry her. Till then, she is believed to sit near him as
Malikappurattamma (the 'jasmine bush outside/nearby woman').

Thus, as a ritual, it is the duty of the men to go on pilgrimage to Sabarimala and to

take with them a new kanniswami, to prevent the Ayyappan from having to marry
the goddess and losing his divine powers that comes through being celibate.

Pilgrimage: A performance

The entire ritual of the pilgrimage is important, as it gives a form of remembrance

and worship to the devotees towards the deity. It starts with following a vratham
(41-day penance) prior to the pilgrimage, where they are expected to abstain from
sexual activities and eating meat.

After this phase, a date is set to go to Sabarimala which while in the past, was done
so as to arrive at the Sabarimala temple in time for the culmination of the festival
season Makaravilakku (the day Lord Rama met Lord Ayyappan, while passing
through the house of Sabari lady), nowadays, that time is avoided, since the temple
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on that day gets crowded for worship. Dates are decided now by the expertise of
guruswami, who look for a time that is both auspicious and less crowded.

As part the the pilgrimage, the ritual starts with Irumudi making A two
compartment bag made of handwoven cotton cloth containing coconuts filled with
ghee. This is to be carried and by the devotees to be poured on the idol of Lord
Ayyappa. The pilgrim is then to walk backwards away from the house after walking
around a rock in the courtyard.

Pilgrimage preparation acts unequivocally as a rite of passage. Pilgrims are

separated from their usual environment and social relations, and their bodies are
marked out in particular ways--unshaven, barefoot, wearing a black or an orange
waist-cloth, and carrying irumudi bundles on the head. Pilgrims call themselves
'holy man' (swami) while shouting Ayyappan Saranam (Give me refuge, Lord
Ayyappan!).

This entire performance has been compared to the funeral procession, signifying
social death and transformation of pilgrims into renouncers an act thought to
allow them to merge with Ayyappan himself.

The pilgrimage journey involves walking the the traditional mountainous forest path
from Erumely, believed to be taken by Ayyappa himself, to Neeli Mala. From there
there is a steep climb towards Sabarimala. The journey is never taken alone, but in
groups as there is a question of safety from wild animals in the forest.

Male Identity

The article starts with mentioning that this pilgrimage, which is a masculine
religious performance, becomes a major step in constructing a particular style of
maleness or being a man. But as the construction of identity depends largely on
the functionary role played, the entire performance and the stories associated helps
in forming and relationship between transcendence and immanence--between the

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characteristic South Asian figures of the ascetic renouncer and the worldly
householder.

However before dwelling further on construction of male identity, it is important not

to forget Lord Ayyappans heritage. Legends, dictates that, being born out of two
male Gods and maintaining celibate, became the source of his divine powers a
practice that is to be followed by the pilgrims during the pilgrimage, not just to
worship, but also to keep up the conditions of the pact made by the deity to the
goddess.

It is almost as if the identity of male in this community is created by distancing

oneself from women. Further, the belief of associating divinity or be considered
worthy of being in its presence, to asceticism brings a shift in balance of power
between the two roles possible to be played by a male.

However the construction of male identity does not only get formed by segregation
of gender. It is repeatedly mentioned in the article that the pilgrimage is one of
communality and equality before the deity. Personal identity (as all pilgrims
address each other as 'swami') and differences of caste, class, or religion disappear
(the legend talks about Vavarswami, Muslim friend/devotee of Lord Ayyappan who
helps him in fighting Mahishi). The pilgrim, as renouncer, is ideally dead to the
differentiated social world of caste/community.

The Sabarimala pilgrimage thus becomes another example and proof of a cultural
practice in which the lesson is again rehearsed and reiterated (Mircea Eliade theory
of Scared time) that mature renunciation leads to a larger and more powerful sense
of self connected to the wider group.

Connection to the mainstream religion and philosophy

It is important to notice that this pilgrimage is a gender-specific ritual activity

involving two separate forms of union, but it cannot be ignored that traces of the
larger philosophical elements in Hinduism can be seen.
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While renouncing may resonated with attaining salvation or blessing, the role of
householder cannot be undermined. Avoiding social, materialistic engagement
becomes a barrier to necessary act for human existence - procreation of life. The
relationship between two roles and the context in which they both are played
becomes important in forming the identity.

The worship of Ayyappan may also be seen as a political practice to assimilate two
different, often competitive religious groups Vaishnavs (Vishnu followers) and
Shaivites (Shiva followers).The proof of this is further evident as the customs of the
pilgrims to Sabarimala are based on five worshipping methods those of Shaivites,
Shaktists and Vaishnavites. At first, there were three sections of devotees the
devotees of Shakti who used meat, liquor and drugs to worship their deity, the
devotees of Vishnu who followed strict penance and continence, and the devotees
of Shiva who partly followed these two methods.

The merging of all beliefs is best seen in pilgrims who go to Sabarimala. The chain
the pilgrims wear comes from the Rudraksha chain of the Shaivites. The strict
fasting, penance and continence is taken out of the beliefs of the Vaishnavites. The
offering of tobacco to Kaduthaswamy can be considered to be taken from the
Shaktists.

Lord Ayyappan and his worship thus becomes an integral part of the larger religious
belief, thus its gaining acceptance not just in local communities but in Indian
context.