ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Village deities of South India

Okay kiddo, so in South India, people believe in something called village deities. These are like special spirits or gods that protect their village.

You know how your mom and dad protect you and your home? Well, these village deities protect the people and homes in their village.

People have temples or shrines dedicated to these village deities and they offer them prayers and offerings to keep them happy. They believe that if they keep the village deities happy, they will protect their village from bad things like sickness and disasters.

These village deities can have different names depending on the village or community. For example, there might be a village deity called Mariamman who is believed to protect from diseases, or a deity called Ayyanar who is believed to protect the village from enemies.

So, those are the village deities of South India and why they are important to the people who live there. It's a way for them to feel safe and protected in their homes and communities.