Ayyanar

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 worshiped as a guardian deity who protects villages from external threats. Most officiating priests come from the local potter communities, although it is not uncommon for priests from other castes to officiate in the Ayyanar 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, Kannadigas,

Another name for the deity is Ayyānar-Śāstā or Śāstā. 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.

The earliest reference to Aiyanar includes two or more hero stones to hunting chiefs from Arcot, Tamil Nadu. The hero stones are dated to the 3rd century C.E. It reads "Ayanappa; a shrine to Cattan." This is followed by another inscription in Uraiyur near Tiruchirappalli which is dated to the fourth century.