Nizhal Thangals
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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
Pathi Pathi ( - "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 number. The Pathis ...
s, 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
Pathi Pathi ( - "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 number. The Pathis ...
s. They call these worship centers, which were not associated with the religious activities of
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 ...
, '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 Narayana (, ) is one of the forms and epithets of Vishnu. In this form, the deity is depicted in yogic slumber under the Kshira Sagara, celestial waters, symbolising the masculine principle and associated with his role of creation. He is als ...
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 Agastheeswaram is a panchayat town in Kanniyakumari district in the Indian States and territories of India, state of Tamil Nadu. History Agasteeswaram is named after Agastya, Sage Agastya, who visited this place to teach the Ramayana. Most of t ...
, Paloor, Sundavilai, Vadalivilai, Kadambankulam and Pambankulam were established during the period of
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 ...
per
Akilam 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 ...
. 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
Pathi Pathi ( - "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 number. The Pathis ...
s 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 Idol or Idols may refer to: Religion and philosophy * Cult image, a human-made object that is venerated or worshipped for the deity, spirit or daemon that it embodies or represents * Murti, a devotional image of a deity or saint used during puja ...
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 mast A flag is a piece of fabric (most often rectangular) with distinctive colours and design. It is used as a symbol, a signalling device, or for decoration. The term ''flag'' is also used to refer to the graphic design employed, and flags have e ...
s,
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 car Temple cars or Temple chariots are used to carry representations of Hindu deities around the streets of the temple on festival days. These chariots are generally manually pulled by the devotees of the deity. As of 2004, the Indian state Tamil ...
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 (, ''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 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 someone from
Payyan dynasty Payyan dynasty is the family which manage and administer Swamithope pathi, the temple of Ayyavazhi Ayyavazhi (, ''Ayyāvaḻi'' , ) is a Hinduism, Hindu denomination that originated in South India during the 19th century.Tha. Krishna Nat ...
. 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
Pathi Pathi ( - "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 number. The Pathis ...
s, most of the Nizhal Thangals use to conduct ''Panividais'' (poojas) only twice per day. The three time worship includes
Ukappadippu The Arul Nool is a supplement to the Akilattirattu Ammanai, and is likewise considered a holy scripture of Ayyavazhi. This book contains the collection of messages given by Ayya Vaikundar to his Disciples ('' Citars'' or '' Arulalarkal''), whos ...
along with
Pothippu The Arul Nool is a supplement to the Akilattirattu Ammanai, and is likewise considered a holy scripture of Ayyavazhi. This book contains the collection of messages given by Ayya Vaikundar to his Disciples ('' Citars'' or '' Arulalarkal''), whos ...
at the dawn and at the dusk and the
Ucchippadippu The Arul Nool is a supplement to the Akilattirattu Ammanai, and is likewise considered a holy scripture of Ayyavazhi. This book contains the collection of messages given by Ayya Vaikundar to his Disciples ('' Citars'' or '' Arulalarkal''), whos ...
in the noon. But most of the Nizhal Thangals conduct this
Ucchippadippu The Arul Nool is a supplement to the Akilattirattu Ammanai, and is likewise considered a holy scripture of Ayyavazhi. This book contains the collection of messages given by Ayya Vaikundar to his Disciples ('' Citars'' or '' Arulalarkal''), whos ...
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 Ayyavazhi rituals are the religious practices prevalent among the followers of Ayyavazhi. Most of them are connected with Akilam and Arul Nool and a few, though not associated with the holy books, are practiced for over a century right from the b ...
(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 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 ...
, 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 th ...
, 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 path ...
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 The following outline is provided as an overview and topic guide to Ayyavazhi: Ayyavazhi – Indian belief systemArisundara Mani, ''Akilathirattu Ammanai Parayana Urai'' p. 4 that originated in South India.Tha. Krishna Nathan, ''Ayyaa vai ...
*
Pathi Pathi ( - "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 number. The Pathis ...
*
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 {{Ayyavazhi large