Aiyanar

Aiyanar
Ayyanar, guardian folk deity of Tamil Nadu.
Tamil language	ஐய்யனார்
Affiliation	Śāstā, Harihara or Ayyappan
Mount	Elephant, horse, tiger or bull

Ayyanar (also spelt Aiyyanar, Ayanar or Iyenar) is a Hindu 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.

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. 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.