The village temples of Ayyanar are usually flanked by gigantic and colorful statues of Ayyanaar and his companions riding horses or elephants.
Who is Ayyanar?
“In ancient times in south India, the heroes were called Iyyan / Ayyan (leader). Any person entering that village for the first time would notice the hero stone and inquire of the people there , “Indha ayyan yaar? (who is this Ayyan?) and what is the brave deed that he did?” The word “Ayyanar” is derived from “Ayyan yaar”. Tamil Nadu temple history says, Ayyanar is the Tamil deity who sits in the border of village to protect the whole village. Ayyanar fights the boar, the tigers or any evil that tries to get in to the village. It is believed that under Ayyanar’s supervision there’s no danger to the village.. It is also believed that he grants boons and ensures bountiful rain and harvests.
Ayyanar is particularly praised in south India, Srilanka. His worship is prevalent among Tamil people (Tamil Nadu), Malayalees (Kerala), and Sinhalese (Srilanka) Some studies suggest that Ayyanar may have also been worshipped in South east Asian countries in the past.
Ayyanar is also called Sastha. Those days, there was a habit among the villagers offering terracotta horses to the Ayyanar to show their gratitude for the plenty of rain and a good harvest. The terracotta horses are made by Velars (potter community), The entire village takes part in the thanksgiving ritual.
This particular Ayyanaar Horse is made up of Teak wood. And it’s a beautiful piece of art!!