In the Name of God
Brittany Shamess reports on the centuries old cultural practice of piercing young boys' ears in Soolakarai village, a custom done out of reverence to the presiding village deity, Ayyanar.
Ayyappan and Chinnaiya
After being instructed to remove your footwear before walking into the forest near the Soolakarai village, and staring in awe at the hundreds of majestic clay horses lining the pathway to the Ayyanar Temple, one cannot help but think, "I am entering a sacred space." Or at least that's how I felt as I walked towards the temple to meet two priests, Ayyappan and Chinnaiya with regard to a unique cultural practice in their village - piercing every young boy's ears.
Sacred Space
Ayyanar's Soldiers
The temple itself is modest. It is made out of natural materials from the area and takes on the appearance of a small hut. Everyday Ayyappan and Chinnaiya, two of only four people allowed to enter the temple, offer sacrifices to Ayyanar and prepare him meals presented on a purasai leaf. I was not allowed to enter inside the temple but the area surrounding Ayyanar's abode is a stark contrast to the simple exterior of the hut. Breathtaking and daunting statues of spirits tower over the temple, protecting Ayyanar. Their intricate clothing and menacing faces, painted in the most vibrant array of colours, make the peaceful greens of the forest appear dull. Their hands tote spears and knives, evoking a feeling of reverence and fear. They stand ominously beside monstrous horses, whose legs loom above us as I sit down to listen to Ayyappan and Chinnaiya explain why their ears have such large soolams (piercings).
The Origin of the Practice
A Young boy from the Soolakarai village
Male ear piercing is an obligation to Ayyanar that the people of the 1000 -year old village abide by. They believe that hundreds of years ago a man was out hunting for deer in the forest with his brothers and dog. When he became hungry, and had been separated from his brothers, he decided to use an iron bar to dig for edible roots. Unfortunately, while digging for his food he unknowingly pierced a statue of Ayyanar that was buried underground. Blood spurted out onto his face and he immediately became paralysed and soon died. For hours, the dog walked back and forth from his owner to the village, eventually succeeding in getting the people to follow him. When they saw what had happened, an old woman from the village became possessed by Ayyanar and relayed a message from the God. She informed the people that Ayyanar was now deaf and that all boys and men should pierce their ears to recognise what has happened. She also said that those who disregard the rule will face disease or death. The village listened. They immediately built a temple where the statue had been perforated and have been piercing the ears of all boys since that very day.
Decades ago, the soolam was performed by piercing a small hole and inserting heavy earrings or by cutting out a small muscle - the method which was unmistakably used on Ayyappan and Chinnaiya. Today, however, the young boys are taken to the hospital where the doctor pierces a small hole with a gauge only slightly bigger than what is normal for Indian girls. The modification in the piercing size was agreed upon so that the young boys and men could avoid social stigma when leaving the village and acquire jobs and higher education abroad.
Ayyappan's Soolam
Upholding Tradition
What is interesting is that despite the need to reduce the size of the piercing for societal reasons, Ayyappan and Chinnaiya maintain that the village has been more than happy to continue the practice throughout the generations. It may be performed out of fear of disease and death, but it is not a suffering and has actually benefited the village in some ways. The temple has become a tourist attraction, where people come from all over to see the temple and pray to Ayyanar. In fact, this is the explanation for the hundreds of clay horses. Worshippers of Ayyanar will bring the god a horse (his preferred mode of transportation) in hopes that their prayers will be answered - the tradition has evidently been performed for hundreds of years; some of the horses are nearly decaying, while others are still vivid in colour. Furthermore, every year the village hosts a festival in honour of Ayyanar. Ayyappan speaks with pride as he reports that the festival draws in hundreds of people who come to watch the priest become possessed by a spirit and walk over a plate of nails without injuring himself. This year, he adds, the village saw an addition of 237 new horses because of the festival.
Just before I leave Ayyappan eagerly gets up to assist two young girls who have brought offerings to Ayyanar. I leave the sacred space, fascinated by the commitment the village has towards their tradition and feeling privileged to have witnessed one of the many reasons why India is such a beautiful, diverse and unique country.