Munishswaran is a Tamil

Tamil people

Tamil people , also called Tamils or Tamilians, are an ethnic group native to Tamil Nadu, India and the north-eastern region of Sri Lanka. Historic and post 15th century emigrant communities are also found across the world, notably Malaysia, Singapore, Mauritius, South Africa, Australia, Canada,...

 folk deity

Deity

A deity is a recognized preternatural or supernatural immortal being, who may be thought of as holy, divine, or sacred, held in high regard, and respected by believers....

 popular in northern Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...

, India

India

India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

. He is a male deity usually depicted as three stones or just one stone with religious marking. The deity is considered a family or village guardian. There are many versions of this deity popular in different parts of Tamil Nadu.

Origins

For the many thousands of years that Tamil people have existed in southern India, they have been nature worshipers. Like Pagans, they considered that women were the center of life,a source of rejuvenation and an entity to be revered for survival. By early 250 BCE, Tondai Nadu comprised the North-eastern region of Tamil Nadu, which was ruled by the Kalabhras and they had adopted Buddhism from the Mauryas and the Satavahanas of the north. At this time, farmers were great followers of Buddhism as it took away the rigidity of vedic rituals and brahminism. With the fall of the Kalabhras and rise of the Pallavas, the buddhist monks had given up their religion. "Muni" in Tamil refers to the braided and coiled hair worn by these sages and nomads and "Ishwar" means 'lord' and therefore, farmers started calling their buddhist monks Munishwarans. As time went by, with the influence of Saviate kings of the Pallava kingdom, they were replaced as village guardian deities.

Versions

Pal Muni is identified as vegetarian deity who doesn't accept any animal sacrifice. He is preferred as the family deity by many. All houses usually depict him with three burnt bricks marked with three saviate strips of ashes and a red kumkum dot in the center(Made of tumeric and slaked lime)

Ratha Muniidentified as more stronger deity, is generally associated with saving the village or the farms that surround him. He is prone to accept animal sacrifices and drink the blood of these animals offered to him from the village.

Kotai Muniis depicted as soldier figurines who protect the town or the fort of rulers. These portrayals carry men carrying long swords and round shields.

Temples

Munneswaram temple in Demala Pattuva region in the Puttalam District, Sri Lanka.

Bodyguard Muniswaran Koil at Chennai

Kottai Muniswaran Koil at Devakottai

Kottai Muniswaran Koil at Rasipuram

Roya Muniswaran Temple opposite Srirangam Temple, Tiruchy

Sri Muneeswaran Temple in Singapore

Val Muniswaran Temple in Seremban

Muniswaran Alayam temple in Setapak

Muniswaran temple in Chemor

Sri Muniswaran Temple in Jalan Kisap, Kedah

Poojas

For the well being of the family, the eldest son performs this pooja and it is usually only performed by men.These poojas are offered with liquor, cigars and poori, and Bournvita laid out on banana leaf. Village functions include offering of sacrificial roosters, goats. This pooja is also an annual ritual which is performed on the first sunday of the month the pooja was initially started in (if for some reason the pooja is not performed on the first sunday it should be done on a different sunday but only in that month).