About
ten generations ago there lived a Vellala youth by name AYYAPPAN
know as AYYAN. We do not know anything about his parents
except that his uncle was one Perisseri Pillai of Erumeli, Kottayam
dist, Kerala. Ayyan became the army chief of the Pandalam royal
family.
Ayyan,
who belonged to the Vellalar Kulam, was instrumental in the defeat
of Udayanan, who attacked the Sabarimala and tried to demolish
the ancient Sastha temple in the thick forest of present Pathnamthitta
dist.
The
Royal family of King Pandian had migrated from Tamilnadu about
800 years back. Pandian King reconstructed the destroyed Sastha
temple at Sabarimala with the help of Ayyan, Vavar, a Muslim youth
from Kanjirappally, Kadutha, a Nair youth from Muzhukeer, Chenganoor,
Alapuzha dist.
During
a clash Ayyappan was killed. Perissery Pillai, uncle of Ayyan
constructed the KOCHAMPALAM - old small Sastha temple -
at Erumeli, opposite the VAVAR PALLY (MOSQUE), constructed
by Muslims in memory of Vavar swamy.
After
the demise of Ayyappan people thought that he was the avathar
of Lord Sastha and began to worship him. Later Ayyappan and Sastha
became synonymous. Some say that Ayyappan was the son of a Brahmin
but Nalankal Krishna Pillai in his book "Mahashekthrangalkkumunpil"
states that Brahmins never had the name AYYAPPAN or AYYAN.
In
the age old "Elavarsevampattu" it was clearly mentioned
that Ayyan belonged to "Vellalar kulam". Near Sree Ayyappa
talkies of Erumeli, Kottayam, Kerala there is a vellala house
called Puthenveedu. In the same compound there still is one 300
year old, thatched, depleted, mud house, the house of Perissery
Pillai, Ayyappan's uncle and the Vellal Chieftain of Erumeli.
There even today one can see the ancient sword used by Ayyappan
to kill the monstrous ERUMA- mahisham. The place where the "eruma"
was killed became Erumakolly and later Erumeli.
Sabarimala pilgrims - "Ayyappans"- conduct the Erumeli
PETTAITHULLAL during December-January months every year,
here at Erumeli in memory of the killing of mahisham by Ayyan.
"Ayyan / Ayyappan" Pillai is very common name among
vellalas of Kottayam, Alapuzha, Pathanamthitta, Idukki and Ernakulam
districts of Kerala. A number of Ayyappan koils are constructed
by Vellalas migrated from Tamilnadu to Kerala e.g. Erumeli, Kanam
etc. Lakhs and lakhs of Tamilian Ayyappan devotees called the
"Ayyappans" - come to Sabarimala every year to worship
Tamil origin "VELLALAR KULA JHATHAN AYYAN AYYAPPAN".
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