Page:South-Indian Images of Gods and Goddesses.djvu/250

 the distribution of it. Vishnu assumed the form of a beautiful young woman, called MohinI, and by her attractions enticed the asuras and made them agree to depute her to distribute the precious liquid equally to all. She of course deceived them and gave the nectar to the gods alone. Siva saw MohinI at the time and was enamoured of her. He wedded her, and the result of their union was Hariharaputra. This deity is largely worshipped in Malabar and parts of Tinnevelly and Tanjore. In these districts he is not assigned the subordinate position of a village deity as in others. In the latter, however, he is one of the guardian deities of the village and, as such, is attended by bhutas and pisachas. He has long curly hair, a crown and ear-rings of gold-leaves. In his two arms he holds the bow and the arrow. He is dark of colour and is seated on a throne below a banyan tree. In the illustration given (fig. 140) the position of the hands of what is believed to be a figure of Aiyanar does not appear to suit the weapons, bow and arrow, which he is stated to hold. 1 In the figure from Valuvur he is seen riding on an elephant in the very same posture, holding in his right hand what looks like a whip or an elephant goad (fig. 141). In front of his temple are placed figures of horses, elephants and other animals, made of wood or of painted brick and chunam, which are supposed to serve him as vehicles in his nightly perambulations. A third figure from Ramesvaram(fig. 142) represents him as riding on a horse. Puranai and Pudgalai are stated to be his two wives, and Madurai-Vlran and Pavadairayan, his generals. Madurai- Vlran is a historical person whose adventures are noticed in the South Arcot District Gazetteer? Kuttisattan, Sattan, Karuppan, Mundan and Gulikan are the names of some of the malignant demons that attend upon Aiyanar.

Karuppannasami is a similar god worshipped by the Kallars of Madura. Chains, clubs, spears and bill-hooks are his symbols ; and these are presented by devotees at his shrines as votive offerings. They are generally found either hung on the trees or stuck into the ground. A similar god much dreaded by the people is Munlsvara whose name is quite popular. He is represented by a block of stone, a bush or sometimes a tree. Men and women called Muniyappa, Munisami, Muniyamma, etc., are so named because they were evidently born as the result of propitiating Munis vara. It

1 We have a similar figure of stone within the Nataraja temple at Chidam- baram, which people call Ardhajama-Alagar.

2 Vol. I, p. 101.