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Aiyanar
Ayyanar (also spelt Aiyyanar, Ayanar or Iyenar) is a village god of Tamil Nadu also worshipped by Sri Lankan Tamils. He is primarily worshipped as a guardian deity who protects the rural villages. Most officiating priests are derive from local potter community, but other caste members also officiate in his temples. The temples of ''Aiyanar'' are usually flanked by gigantic and colorful statues of him and his companions riding horses or elephants. There are number of theories as to the origins of the deity as well as the etymology of the name. He is associated with the god Ayyanayake by the Sinhalese people of Sri Lanka.
==Etymology and other names==
The Tamil word ''Ayyānar'' is derived from the root word ''Aiyā'' which is a title often used by Tamils, Malayalis and Telugus to designate respectable people. There are number of conflicting etymologies for the word ''Aiyā'', generally it is thought to be derived from proto-Dravidian term denoting an elder brother. It is used in that meaning in Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam.〔Indrapala, K., ''The evolution of an ethnic identity: The Tamils in Sri Lanka C. 300 BCE to C. 1200 CE'', p.#〕 Others derive the word Aiyā as a Prakrit version of the Sanskrit word ''Ārya''.〔 According to Fred Clothey, ''Aiyanar'' is a Tamil adaptation of ''Aiyan'', the chief deity of Ay chieftains who ruled parts of Kerala adjoining Tamil Nadu when both areas were collectively known as Tamilaham. He also states that the term ''Aiyar'' meaning a cow herder and a protector is an appropriate appellation for both the ''Ay'' chieftains and their deity.〔Smith, B. L., ''Religion and Legitimacy of power in South Asia'', p.6〕
Another name for the deity is ''Ayyānar-Śāstā'' or ''Śāstā''.〔Williams, J., ''Kaladarsana'', p.62〕 Śāstā is a generic Sanskrit term for a teacher. In South India, Śāstā became deified in the ninth century. The Śāstā cult is particularly well developed in the state of Kerala, where independent temples to Śāstā are known from the 10th century. Prior to that, Śāstā veneration was within Shiva and Vishnu temples who are the premier gods of the Hindu pantheon. Śāstā is also used to describe number of other deities. ''Brahma-Śāstā'' is another name for Murugan and ''Dharma-Śāstā'' is used to describe Ayyappan. Śāstā also has a sanskritising legend that makes him the son of a union between Shiva and the female form of Vishnu.〔 Other names of Aiyanar include Gajavahana and Sātavāhana.〔Williams, J., ''Kaladarsana'', p.66〕
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