Nizhal Thangal () () also called Inai Thangals) are secondary worship places of the
Ayyavazhi
Ayyavazhi (, ''Ayyāvaḻi'' , ) is a Hinduism, Hindu denomination that originated in South India during the 19th century.Tha. Krishna Nathan, ''Ayyaa vaikuNdarin vaazvum sinthanaiyum'', p. 62: "" (The day at which Vaikundar is given rebirth co ...
, often smaller in size than
Pathis, built per the instructions of
Akilattirattu Ammanai
Akilathirattu Ammanai (; ''akilam'' ("world"), ''thirattu'' ("collection"), ''ammanai'' ("ballad")), also called Thiru Edu ("venerable book"), is the main religious text of the Tamil belief system Ayyavazhi. The title is often abbreviated to Ak ...
. 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
Pathis. They call these worship centers, which were not associated with the religious activities of
Vaikundar, 'Inai Thangals'.
History

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 (; ''akilam'' ("world"), ''thirattu'' ("collection"), ''ammanai'' ("ballad")), also called Thiru Edu ("venerable book"), is the main religious text of the Tamil belief system Ayyavazhi. The title is often abbreviated to Ak ...
call this as religious schools. The LMS reports too speak in abundance about these worship centers
Tamil
Tamil may refer to:
People, culture and language
* Tamils, an ethno-linguistic group native to India, Sri Lanka, and some other parts of Asia
**Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka
** Myanmar or Burmese Tamils, Tamil people of Ind ...
is the official language of worship, and the object of worship is
Lord Narayana with the trinity of
Brahma
Brahma (, ) is a Hindu god, referred to as "the Creator" within the Trimurti, the triple deity, trinity of Para Brahman, supreme divinity that includes Vishnu and Shiva.Jan Gonda (1969)The Hindu Trinity, Anthropos, Bd 63/64, H 1/2, pp. 212– ...
,
Vishnu
Vishnu (; , , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism, and the god of preservation ( ...
, and
Shiva
Shiva (; , ), also known as Mahadeva (; , , Help:IPA/Sanskrit, ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐh and Hara, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the God in Hinduism, Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions w ...
.
Nizhal Thangals in
Chettikudiyiruppu,
Agastheeswaram, Paloor,
Sundavilai,
Vadalivilai,
Kadambankulam and
Pambankulam were established during the period of
Vaikundar per
Akilam. 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

Unlike
Pathis this Thangals were of small size. Inside the Nizhal Thangals, no
murti
In the Hinduism, Hindu tradition, a ''murti'' (, ) is a devotional image, such as a statue or icon, of a Hindu deities, deity or Hindu saints, saint used during ''Puja (Hinduism), puja'' and/or in other customary forms of actively expressing d ...
or
idol is used. The
Palliyarai 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
A ''rudraksha'' (IAST: ') refers to the dried Pyrena, stones or seeds of the genus ''Elaeocarpus'' specifically, ''Elaeocarpus ganitrus''. These stones serve as prayer beads for Hinduism, Hindus (especially Shaivism, Shaivas) and Buddhism, Bu ...
(string of rudraksha beads) is placed around the neck of the
asana
An āsana (Sanskrit: आसन) 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 late ...
. 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. A hall is attached to this palliyarai for the worshippers. In some of the Thangals there are
flag masts,
Vahana
''Vāhana'' () or ''vahanam'' () denotes the being, typically an animal or mythical entity, a particular Hindus, Hindu deity is said to use as a vehicle. In this capacity, the vāhana is often called the deity's "mount". Upon the partnership b ...
s and
temple cars 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 (, ''Ayyāvaḻi'' , ) is a Hinduism, Hindu denomination that originated in South India during the 19th century.Tha. Krishna Nathan, ''Ayyaa vaikuNdarin vaazvum sinthanaiyum'', p. 62: "" (The day at which Vaikundar is given rebirth co ...
is not an organised religion, thangals are not officially controlled by
Swamithoppe, though it was considered as the religious headquarters. It was considered ritualistic by the Ayyavazhi followers to lay foundation stones for new Thangals by someone from
Payyan dynasty. 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 Southern India or Peninsular India, is the southern part of the Deccan Peninsula in India encompassing the states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Telangana as well as the union territories of ...
mostly in
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is the southernmost States and union territories of India, state of India. 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 Indi ...
and
Kerala
Kerala ( , ) is a States and union territories of India, 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 ...
.
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

Though the
Ayyavazhi
Ayyavazhi (, ''Ayyāvaḻi'' , ) is a Hinduism, Hindu denomination that originated in South India during the 19th century.Tha. Krishna Nathan, ''Ayyaa vaikuNdarin vaazvum sinthanaiyum'', p. 62: "" (The day at which Vaikundar is given rebirth co ...
scriptures says about a three-time-worship in common for Nizal Thangals and
Pathis, 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, also known as Siva Narayana or Vaikunda Swami, was the founder of the Ayyavazhi faith. The Ayyavazhis believe him to be the first and foremost Purna avatar of Eka-Paran and the god Vishnu (Narayana). As per Ayyavazhi mytholo ...
asked the followers to do so for their comfort. On that days
Anna Dharmam (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 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

This Thiru Eadu Vasippu, the ritual reading and expatiation of the Holy book
Akilam, 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 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 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
*
Pathi
*
Ayyavazhi
Ayyavazhi (, ''Ayyāvaḻi'' , ) is a Hinduism, Hindu denomination that originated in South India during the 19th century.Tha. Krishna Nathan, ''Ayyaa vaikuNdarin vaazvum sinthanaiyum'', p. 62: "" (The day at which Vaikundar is given rebirth co ...
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
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