Thirunamam

The phrase Namam also represents the white clay found at the deeper layer of earth, which is used as the powder to wear a flame shaped mark.

The Ayyavazhi people wore this Namam, starting from the central point between the eyebrows, going straight up near the top edge of the forehead.

Zealous devotees smeared it on the exterior of the upper arms, over the chest and below the spinal cord area at the back.

In the nineteenth century Travancore society, the social setup is highly marked for the discriminative hierarchical caste order and the inhumanities unfold from this, such as untouchability, unseeability and unapproachability accordingly some people were shunned from the public approach and sight.

Even in temple the priests while handing over the Prasadam (a ritual object) to devotees after worship, they approach freely with the higher castes, whose nearness and touch would not pollute them, and use to throw the Prasadam on to a platform from where the lower caste devotee (whose touch may pollute him) has to collect this.

In other words, with the under-lying ritual ambience, this 'Tottu Namam' acted fast against the caste based and other inequalities prevalent in the then Travancore Kingdom and Tamil society.

The 'Thiru mun' (sacred soil) for preparing the Thiru Namam is collected from Swamithope pathi for Nizhal Thangals after conducting the Pothippu.

And it was practiced and treated with high religious importance and as the primary ritual from the celebration conducted in Swamithope pathi even during the period of Vaikundar.

The secondary scripture Arul Nool too refers that, Ayya personally touched the devotees and wore Thirunamam for them.