Vavar a Terrorist, Muslim Invader”: Hate Remarks by Sriramadasa Mission Chief at Sabarimala Protection Meet
Pathanamthitta: A controversy erupted at the Sabarimala Protection Meet organized by Hindu outfits in Pandalam after Sriramadasa Mission president Shantananda Maharshi made sharp remarks against Vavar.
Maharshi claimed that “Vavar was a militant and an invader who came to defeat Ayyappa in battle.” He asserted that the popular narrative of Vavar’s association with Sabarimala is historically incorrect.
According to him, “The real tradition is about Vapuran, a ghostly attendant of Lord Shiva. Devotees should have the opportunity to offer coconuts at Vapuran Swami’s temple in Erumeli before proceeding to Sabarimala.”
Challenging the existing practice, Maharshi further said: “There is no such figure as Vavar. It is only in the last 25–30 years that Vavar has been introduced into the Sabarimala tradition. Vavar has no genuine connection with Ayyappa or the shrine. He was a Muslim attacker, a terrorist who came to wage war against Ayyappa. He is not worthy of worship. The one who deserves reverence is Vapuran.”