DakshinaChitra Redux: Lord Ayyanar

I recently visited DakshinaChitra again. There is so much to see here, one visit is not nearly enough. This time, their Ayyanar statuary collection caught my eye. Lord Ayyanar is a Hindu village god, worshipped predominantly in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in Tamil villages in Sri Lanka. He is primarily worshipped as a guardian deity who protects the rural villages. His priests are usually non-Brahmins, who belong to mostly the potter caste, but other caste members also officiate in his temples. The temples of Ayyanar are usually flanked by gigantic and colorful statues of him and his companions riding horses or elephants.

The Tamil word Ayyanar (or Aiyanar) is derived from the root word Aiyā which is a title often used by Tamils, Malayalees and Telugus to designate ‘respectable’ people. The word derives from the Proto-Dravidian term denoting an ‘elder brother‘. It is used in that meaning in various South Indian states. Yet some derive the word Aiyā as a Prakrit version of the Sanskrit word ‘Aria’ which means 'noble’.

Interior South Indian villages often exist outside the reach of the central government. Yet for countless generations they have functioned well and effectively based on an emphasis on civic duty, and codes of honor and respect. It is not necessarily a utopian model as we commonly see it in modern communism. Though there are such elements inherent here as well. But rather than an emphasis on a nameless state, it’s power derives organically from an acceptance of the wisdom of elders who perpetuate an appreciation for strict ancestral lineage.

As the agrarian villages have prospered, the Ayyanar statuary came to be painted in bright, modern colors. The DakshinaChitra collection adheres to the older version in which color has yet to been introduced.

Peter Koelliker; pkoelliker8@yahoo.com

GRT Temple Bay Resort; Mahabalipuram, India

Back in the early seventies when I traveled these parts I remember coming back from Sri Lanka where I had gone to extend my Indian visa. While there, I befriended a young woman - the wife of an American airline pilot - who was traveling alone with her six year old son. At some point, we left this island (pre-Tamil Tiger) paradise and took the ferry back to India. The landing in the middle of night at what amounted to little more than a bleak, out-of-the-way fishing village brought the woman to tears. “There is nothing to buy here,” she wailed, adding, “I must get back to Delhi straight away.”

She was right. India offered very little in those days to keep the consumer-oriented Westerner happy. Going from Lanka to India was like going from India to Burma. At least India had Coca Cola (while Burma did not).

Things have since changed quite dramatically, of course. It now has become possible to spend a boatload of money even in India. Some years back, I remember reading somewhere that Bombay had made the list as one of the most expensive cities in the world. I never believed it, thinking whoever was charged with compiling the data for India was being had.

The GRT Temple Bay Resort in the historic town of Mahabalipuram is one of the places where you can spend dollars in style. The accommodations, food and facilities are first class. There are tiny bungalows with porches from where you can watch the waves rolling in while gently rocking in a hammock. Western style drinks cost around $7.

We went there for Mother’s Day this year, just for the food at the Warf, a thatched roof restaurant right on the water. Looking out at the beach from under a beach umbrella, you are witness to a gentle but steady procession of beach combers, Western and Indian alike. Looking south, you can see the famed Shore Temple in the distance and the jetty that fortifies it against the sea.

From my previous visits to GRT, I remember the beach as having been considerably wider than it is now. It may well be that what has been built to protect the Shore Temple is now washing away sandy beaches elsewhere.

Still, the point is that India is now prepared to take your dollars and give you top notch accommodations and facilities in return. My friend from my Sri Lankan travels would have been pleased. There are other resorts now springing up all along the coast south of Chennai. As with all things, some are better than others; some cater to Indians, some to Westerners. Often the food and cost is the only difference.

GRT is one of the best I’ve seen. The location itself is unassailable. Ocean swimming is often dangerous due to riptides. The outdoor pool, however, looks wonderfully inviting. The way it’s situated it appears almost seamlessly connected with the Bay of Bengal.