Guardians of the Village

摘要

Travelling by road in Tamil Nadu you notice small shrines at the outskirts of towns and villages surrounded by weather-beaten terracotta figures of horses, demon-like figures with raised swords in their hands, and bearded sages in meditation. Some are huge, made of several pottery pieces joined with rope, or more usually, cemented together. These are temples to Ayyanar, the guardian of the village, and protector of travellers. It is a dying craft, and one requiring a high degree of skill by the potter. Around the same shrine, the newer sculptures may be in cement, and in a completely different style, aiming at realism and just ending up looking ordinary.