Festival for the Guardian Deity
In the Auroville bioregion are many temples associated with the local deities which the villagers propitiate for sound living and greater harmony. One such deity is the Ayyanaar, who is the Guardian of the space, known for keeping negative influences at bay. One can identify this deity by the large red warrior sitting with his two consorts, prominently displayed on the roadside.
The custom of the villagers is to conduct festivals at regular intervals to keep the energy of the deity vibrant and alive. One such festival is the celebration of the ‘Marriage day’ of Ayyanaar with his consorts. This festival has been celebrated recently on April 24th. It is surprising to see that this day coincides with that of the Mother’s Final Arrival day in Pondicherry, April the 24th. Coincidence or synchronicity!?! Just a play of the Divine, maybe!
So on this occasion, the village held an all-night play depicting the story of Ayyanaar in the local folk tradition. Here is the audio of some interesting parts from the 5 hour play.