What is Akilattirattu Ammanai?
'''Akilathirattu Ammanai''' ({{lang-ta|அகிலத்திரட்டு அம்மானை}}; from ''akilam'' (world) + ''thirattu'' (collection) + ''ammanai'' (ballad)), also called '''Thiru Edu''' (venerable book), is the main religious book of the Southern Indian [[Ayyavazhi]], officially a branch of [[Hinduism]]. The title is shortened as [[Akilam]]. This is the largest [[Ammanai]] work. it has more than 15,000 verses. ==History== According to the book, [[Hari Gopalan Citar]] wrote this book on the twenty-seventh day of the [[Tamil Nadu|Tamil]] month of [[Karthikai]] (November/December) in the year 1016 ME ([[1839]] CE). He says that God woke him up during his sleep and ordered him to take the first words from what he said. Akilathirattu was recorded on palm leaves. Then in 1939 it was [[Printer (publishing)|printed]]. The book is the story of God coming in this age, the [[Kali Yukam]] or Iron Age, to rule the world by transforming it into that of [[Dharma Yukam]]. This story of faith has woven together the historical facts about [[Ayya Vaikundar]] and his activities, with mixing of episodes from the Hindu [[Puranas]] (mythologies) and [[Itihasas]] (epics). It is presented as if [[Vishnu]] is telling the whole story to his consort [[Lakshmi]]. Though the [[Seedars|Citar]] Hari Gopalan wrote the book he did not know any thing about the contents of the book. He woke up in the morning as usual and he did not know what he had written the day before. It contains the regulations of the Ayyavazhi sect. <ref>G. Patrick's, Religion and Subaltern Agency, Chapter 5</ref> ==References== {{reflist}} [[Category:Ayyavazhi]] [[Category:Hindu texts]] [[Category:1840s books]]