Ayyanar Vratham

Date: 03/03/2005
Place: India

I've always been amused by Ayyanar... Ayyanar is the Indian god for some selected group of villages in South India - he stands tall outside the village in an effort to protect te village. People usually beleive he is the strictest God and kindest, if you are true.

We do the following fasting ritual every year in March.
We stop eating non vegetarian, fried food, fermented anything from 03/08... then, mythically, Ayyanar goes to forest for hunting ("vettai") to the forest on 03/20... when he comes back on 03/25 he comes with good vettai (animals?)... ppl mimick that by walking thru forest w/ "kavadi"... Kavadi is a heavy weight teak-wooden structure decorated with peacock feathers, colorful clothes and flowers. The walk is the real test for patience and durability since it involves carrying this heavy weight kavadi for 14 miles walking in barefeet on scorching sun. Every year, one member, in round-robin selection, in the family takes the kavadi while others walk around him.

when the chosen guy takes kavadi, the family will make him sit alone in a madam (village common place) with water and snacks aside. He would fast the whole day... the family will leave to make other arrangements and to take a
sumptuous meal. In the afternoon, the family will come back to offer prayers and the chosen guy lifts the Kavadi and walk back to temple... 14 miles... w/ just a waist (yep, no shirt, no sandals:) his whole body will be covered in sandal paste..
The whole village ppl will fall on his legs, considering him a reprentative of God, to get blessings. Once the temple is reached, he's all tired, takes good food/sleep..
when he gets up - he will have all that missed for a month - morning starts w/ hot idli (rice cake) and 'kudal kichadi' (lamb intestine curry) :)""

By God's wish, I took the kavadi in Mar 2002...