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Nayanars - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Nayanars
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The Nayanars or Nayanmars (Tamil: )
were devotional saint poets of Shiva in Tamil Nadu who were
active between the fifth and tenth centuries CE. The Tamil
haiva (related to Shiva) hagiography Periya Puranam (a
volume of the Tirumurai written during the 13th century CE)
narrates the history of each of sixty-three Nayanars and the
history of nine Thokai Adiyars.
Sundarar's eighth-century work Thiruthodar thogai lists 60
Shaiva saints[1] but gives none of the legends associated with
The four member team collectively called the
them. In the 10th century CE Nambiyandar Nambi
Nalvars: (from left) Sambandar, Appar, Sundarar,
composed the Tirutoar Antdi, a sequence of interManikkavacakar.
locking verses whose title can be rendered as the Necklace
of Verses on the Lord's Servants. In this work, Nambi adds
Sundarar and his parents to the sequence, creating what is now the canonical list of sixty-three saints, each with a
brief sketch of his legend.
Nayanars were from varied backgrounds. They ranged from kings and soldiers to Dalits. The foremost Nayanars
are Appar, Sundarar and Sambandar[citation needed]. Together with the twelve Vaishnava Alvars, the Nayanars are
sometimes considered South India's 75 Apostles of Bhakti because of their importance to the rise of the Hindu
Bhakti movement[citation needed].
They praised 275 of this deity's most holy temple abodes as the Paadal Petra Sthalams of the Shiva Sthalams on
the continent.

Contents
1 The sixty-three Nayanmars
2 See also
3 Notes
4 External links
5 References

The sixty-three Nayanmars

1.
2.
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4.

Adipaththar Fisherman caste

Aiyadigal Kadavarkon Nayanar, Pallava King Aiyadigal Perumaanaar
Amaraneedi Nayanar Vellala caste
Anaya Nayanar Shepard caste

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Nayanars - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Atputhi Adigal Pallava Kshatriya caste

Arivattaya Nayanar Vellala caste
Chandeshvara Nayanar Brahman caste
Cheraman Perumal Kazharirtrarivaar, Chera King, also called as Kootruva Nayanar Kshatriya caste
Dandi Adigal Nayanar Brahman caste, and born blind
Enathinathar Nadar Sudra caste
Eripaththa Nayanar
Eyarkon Kalikkaama Nayanar
Gananatha Nayanar
Idankazhi Nayanar Irukku Velirs (Yadava) royalty
Ilayankudi Maranar Maravar Kshatriya caste
Isaignaniyaar a Brahman woman, and Mother of Chandeshvara
Nayanar
Iyarpagaiar Vaishya caste
The 63 Nayanmars in a Shiva temple
Kari Nayanar
Kalikkamba Nayanar Vaishya caste
Kaliya Nayanar Sekkar (Oil-monger) Sudra caste
Kanampulla Nayanar
Kannappa Nayanar Hunter tribal
Karaikkal Ammaiyar a Vaishya woman
Kazharchinga Nayanar Kaadavar royalty of the Vanniyar caste
Kochengat Chola, A Chola King
Kotpuliyar Nayanar Vellala caste
Kulachchirai Nayanar Brahman mister to the Pandya king Ninra
Sir Nedumara Nayanar
Kungiliyak Kalaya Nayanar Brahman temple priest
Manakkanychaara Nayanar Vellala caste
Mangayarkkarasiyar, a Chola Princess, the Queen of the Pandya
king Ninra Seer Nedumaara Nayanar
Meiporul Nayanar Cheti Nadu King
Manikkavacakar - Maruthuvar(Navithar) caste
Munayaduvaar Nayanar Kshatriya caste, and Mercinary soldier
Murkha Nayanar
Kannappa Nayanar
Murti Nayanar Vaishya caste
Muruga Nayanar Brahman temple priest
Nami Nandi Adigal Brahman caste
Nandanar Thirunalai Povar Nayanar, (popularly known as Nandanar) Pulayar caste
Narasinga Muniyaraiyar Nayanar
Nesa Nayanar
Ninra Seer Nedumaara Nayanar Pandya king, and former Jain
Perumizhalai Kurumba Nayanar
Pugal Cholar, Chola Monarch
Pugazh Thunai Nayanar A Brahmin army-commander of the Chola dynasty
Pusalar Brahman caste
Rudra Pasupathi Nayanar Brahmin caste

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Nayanars - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Saakkiya nayanar Vellala caste, and former Buddhist

Sadaiya Nayanar Brahman caste, and father of Sundara Nayanar
Sambandar (Tirugnaana Sambandar) Brahman caste
Saththi Nayanar Vellala caste
Seruthtunai Nayanar King
Sirappuli Nayanar Brahman caste
Siruthondar
Somaachi Maara Nayanar
Sundarar
Tiru Kurippu Thonda Nayanar Vannar (Washerman) caste
Thiruneelakandar Kulalar (Potter) caste
Tirumoolar Idaiyar or Shepard caste
Tirunavukkarasar, popularly known as Appar, Vellala
Tiruneela Nakkar Brahman caste
Tirunilakanda Yaazpaanar Pana Dalit caste
Vaayilaar Vellala caste
Viranminda nayanar Vellala caste

Sakya Bayanar was a former Buddhist and Kutruva Nayanar was a former Jain.

See also
Manikkavacakar
Nandanar
Tamil mythology
List of Shudra Hindu saints
List of Dalit Hindu saints

Notes
1. ^ Dr R. Nagasamy. Siva Bhakthi (http://tamilartsacademy.com/books/siva%20bhakti/chapter02.html). Chapter 2.

External links
Nayanmar temples map (http://www.shaktipeethas.org/travel-guide/topic214.html)
[1] (http://www.arunachala-ramana.org/forum/index.php?topic=2630.0)
[2] (http://nayanmars.netne.net/)

References
Lord Shiva and his Worship (http://www.dlshq.org/download/lordshiva.htm#_VPID_115)
63 Nayanmar Saints. (http://www.dlshq.org/download/Nayanmar.htm)
63 Nayanmar Stories (http://www.shaivam.org/nalist.html)
Stories Of Nayanars PDF Download In Tamil
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