Lord Ayya Vaikundar, is believed to be the tenth avatar or incarnation of Lord Vishnu, also called as Sriman Narayana Vaikundasamy or Narayana Pandaram, was a 19th-century social reformer and iconoclast who worked for the upliftment of downtrodden people in the Kingdom of Travancore. He is central to the Hindu denomination of Ayyavazhi, as per holy scripture. Akilattirattu Ammanai says that he was Lord Vishnu. In order to attain human form, Lord Vishnu used the body of previous avatar for the incarnation of Lord Ayya Vaikundar, kept in Parvatha Ucchi Malai after the completion of the Lord Krishna Avatar. In order to attain natural growth of the human body, Lord Vishnu used the soul of Sampooranathevan a deva also called Mudisoodum Perumal, he was granted moksha before the Lord Ayya Vaikundar Avathar in the sea.
In the second yukam called Chathura Yukam, according to Ayyavazhi mythology one of the six Pieces of Kroni was formed as a creature with the name of Kuntomasali with the shape and size of a mammoth leech, and when it disturbed the tavam of those in Thavalokam, Mayon destroyed it by catching it in a hook.
According to Akilattirattu Ammanai, the scripture of the Ayyavazhi religion, Ayya Vaikundar, the Incarnation of God in Kali Yukam, has five Seedar (disciples). They were in the previous Dwapara Yukam as Pandavas who were transmigrated as disciples of Vaikundar in this Yuga.
"Thiruvasakam" in Tamil means The Holy Text. Thiruvasakam is the report which was sent to humanity about the arrival of God to the world according to Ayyavazhi mythology. They are four in number, as written in the Akilattirattu Ammanai.
The holy places of Ayyavazhi includes the following
The following outline is provided as an overview and topic guide to Ayyavazhi:
Thirukkalyana Ekanai was an important part in Akilattirattu Ammanai the religious book of Ayyavazhi, in which Ayya Vaikundar unified all the atmans (souls) of this universe into Himself.
Ekam is the Sanskrit for "one, single, solitary", as a noun meaning "unity". In spirituality, it refers to a concept of monism akin to that of Brahman in Advaita philosophy and Smarta theology.
Ayyavazhi theology is the theology of a South Indian religious Faith and officially a sect of Hinduism known as Ayyavazhi. Several fundamental theological beliefs distinguish the Ayyavazhi tradition from Hinduism.
Ayyavazhi and Hinduism are two belief systems in India. Although Ayyavazhi continues to officially exist within Hinduism and is considered by some observers to be a Hindu denomination, members of the religion claim that it is independent. The most notable distinction between Hinduism and Ayyavazhi is their different approaches to the concepts of good, evil and dharma.
Anna Dharmam is a term used for an Ayyavazhi ritual that involves sharing food without inter-dining. Inter-dining refers to the act of dining within one's own caste, and excluding others. The practice of Anna Dharmam may have emerged in association with inter-dining.
Ayyavazhi, a belief system originating from South India, is mentioned in a number of reports by Christian missionaries in the 19th century. In some of these reports, it is claimed that Ayyavazhi is an anti-Christian religious phenomenon. The rapid growth of the London Missionary Society is heavily challenged by Ayyavazhi in Thiruvithancore, which is the most succeeded venue of LMS in India and revealed in certain reports.
Thiru Eadu Vasippu is the festival celebrated in the worship centers of Ayyavazhi. It is celebrated for three, five, seven, ten or seventeen days annually. During these days the holy scripture of Ayyavazhi, the Akilattirattu Ammanai is sung. In Swamithoppepathi the headquarters of Ayyavazhi, it starts on the third Friday in the Tamil month of Kathikai and continues for seventeen days and ends on the first Sunday of the Tamil month of Margazhi.
The Ayyavazhi symbolism deals with the symbols which are used in or used to represent Ayyavazhi. Though Akilam the scripture of Ayyavazhi does not point out any symbol directly, there are a few symbols which are used for representing Ayyavazhi which came into practice gradually.
The History of Ayyavazhi traces the religious history of Ayyavazhi, a belief-system originated in the mid-19th century in Southern India. Ayyavazhi came to be noticed by the large number of people gathering to worship Ayya Vaikundar in the middle of the 19th century. The majority of the followers of Ayyavazhi were from marginalised and poor sections of society.
The Marunthuvazh Malai also known as the Marunthu Vazhum Malai, forms the part and the southernmost tip of the Western Ghats of Agasteeswaram taluk of Kanyakumari district. In adjacent lying Southern Kerala people refer to it as Maruthuva Mala.
An Ayyavazhi wedding is the wedding custom within the Ayyavazhi belief system of South India. Usually Payyans, Panividaiyalars from Thangals or an older person experienced in Ayyavazhi assumes a role as a Guru and is seated in the Manvarai for leading the wedding ceremony.
The ethics of Ayyavazhi are found scattered throughout the primary scripture, Akilattirattu Ammanai. They are also integrated with the meta-narrative mythography. However, regarding ethics, Arul Nool is considered as an accumulation and prophecy of the core concepts found in Akilam. In Akilam, the ethical abstracts are pointed out as "told by God" at several places at different situations to lesser god-heads, devas, saints etc. when asked by them.
Shamanism is in practice in Ayyavazhi right from the period of Vaikundar. At present certain people who are considered to be posed by the divine power use to perform shamanism in many Ayyavazhi worship centers. Though a whole acceptance from the followers in not there for this practise, several followers accept this. They claim that this practise was based on quotes on scriptures such as "to convey certain messages to the ordinary folk." Some also believe that through the words of these possessed persons one could be able to know what God tells about him or herself or their activities.
