Vavar, also known as Vavaraswami was a Muslim

Muslim

A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...

 saint who became a devotee of Lord Ayyappan

Ayyappan

Ayyappan is a Hindu deity worshiped in a number of shrines across India. Ayyappan is believed to be an incarnation of Dharma Sastha, who is the son of Shiva and Vishnu . The name "Ayyappan" is used as a respectful form of address in the Malayalam language, spoken in the Indian state of Kerala...

. There is a shrine dedicated to Vavaraswami at Sabarimala, as well as Varaswamis mosque at Ezhumeli next to an Ayyappa temple. The devotion of Vavaraswami to Ayyappan and the key role that the Islamic Masjid has in the Ayyappa Pilgrimage, highlights the communal harmony in Kerala. The devotion of Vavaraswami also highlights the relevance of Ayyappa devotion for members of all faiths, and the equality shown to all, whether they are Muslims, Hindus or Christians.

Legend

There are many legends about Vavar and his association with Ayyappa. Some believe that Vavarswami was a Muslim saint who migrated from Arabia to India with the intention of spreading Islam. Others suggest that he was a warrior who reached the shore of Kerala as a pirate in a ship to loot and plunder. During his encounter with Lord Ayyappa, he was defeated and subdued by the Lord. Since then Vavar became a close associate of Lord Ayyappa and helped him in the wars in the mountainous region. As time passed ,Vavar too became an ardent devotee of Ayyappa just like Kaduthaswami and came to be known as Vavarswami. The old sword on the wall of the Vavar shrine symbolises the eminence of Vavar as a great warrior. It is believed that the Lord Ayyappa himself instructed the King of Pandala Desam to build a mosque for Vavar at Erumeliin Kottayam

Kottayam

Kottayam is a city in the Indian state of Kerala, spread over an area of 55.40 km2. It is the administrative capital of the Kottayam district. Kottayam Kottayam (Malayalam: കോട്ടയം) is a city in the Indian state of Kerala, spread over an area of 55.40 km2. It is the administrative...

 District and a shrine at Sabarimala.

Erumely is the gateway to Sabarimala, the hillock shrine of Lord Ayyappa. This place is very famous for 'Pettathullal' a kind of mass spiritual dance perform by Ayyappa devotees. Pettathullal is performed in the Makaravilaku season i.e. from mid December to mid January every year to commemorate the annihilation of a 'Mahishi' by Lord Ayyappa.

It is believed that the aim of the incarnation of Lord Ayyppa as son of Siva and Vishnu was the annihilation of demoness Mahishi.

After killing the Mahishi at Erumely, Ayyappa performed a dance on her dead body. In order to commemorate this event, the devotees perform the ritual called pettathullal in Erumely.

The barefooted devotees perform this dance by wearing black dhotis, and garnishing their body with different colour powders and flowers and carrying toy bows,arrows and shrub branches and chanting the slogan "Ayyappa-thin-thakathom, Swami-thin-thakathom"

The place name Erumely is believed to have been derived from the word 'Eruma Kolly' which got transformed to Erumely.

En route the pilgrimage to Sabarimala during the makaravilakku season almost all of the Ayyappa devotees will come to Erumely and perform the ritual. Pettathullal starts from the small temple situated at the heart of Erumely town known as 'Kochambalam". From there the dance procession advance to the Muslim mosque called 'Vavar palli' opposite to Kochambalam and the devotees worship 'Vavarswamy'.

Finally the procession ends up at Dharmasastha temple known as 'Valliyambalam.'

Shrine

There is a shrine dedicated to Vavaraswami in Sabarimala

Sabarimala

Sabarimala is a Hindu pilgrimage center located in the Western Ghat mountain ranges of Pathanamthitta District in Kerala. It is the largest annual pilgrimage in India with an estimated 45–50 million devotees visiting every year. Sabarimala is believed to be the place where the Hindu God Ayyappan...

 next to the main temple. As per Islamic teachings there is no idol, but just a carved stone slab symbolises the deity of Vavarswami. A green

Green

Green is a color, the perception of which is evoked by light having a spectrum dominated by energy with a wavelength of roughly 520–570 nanometres. In the subtractive color system, it is not a primary color, but is created out of a mixture of yellow and blue, or yellow and cyan; it is considered...

 coloured silk

Silk

Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The best-known type of silk is obtained from the cocoons of the larvae of the mulberry silkworm Bombyx mori reared in captivity...

 cloth is hung across one of the three walls. The fourth side is open. An old sword

Sword

A sword is a bladed weapon used primarily for cutting or thrusting. The precise definition of the term varies with the historical epoch or the geographical region under consideration...

 is also kept near the wall. The main offering to Vavarswami is black pepper

Black pepper

Black pepper is a flowering vine in the family Piperaceae, cultivated for its fruit, which is usually dried and used as a spice and seasoning. The fruit, known as a peppercorn when dried, is approximately in diameter, dark red when fully mature, and, like all drupes, contains a single seed...

. A Muslim priest performs the rituals even today.

External links

• Story of Kadutha and Vavar