Sridhara Venkatesa Dikshitar, popularly known as Ayyaval, was a Hindu saint and composer who lived in the village of Thiruvisanallur in the then Thanjavur Maratha kingdom.
Background
According to some accounts, Ayyaval was the son of one Sridhara Lingarayar, a Brahmin who settled in Thiruvisanallur, during the reign of Shahuji I. Some accounts mention that Ayyaval"s father was the Diwan of the Mysore kingdom. When Ayyaval, a staunch devotee of the Hindu god Shiva, was offered the post of Diwan upon his father"s death, he rejected the offer and instead, chose to become a sanyasi or Hindu monk and embarked on a pilgrimage of the Saivite temples of the Cauvery Delta region.
Career
Very little is known about Ayyaval"s ancestry or early life. On Ayyaval"s arrival in Thanjavur, he was offered all assistance and respect by Shahuji, the then ruler of the Thanjavur Maratha kingdom. Shortly afterwards, he restored a Brahmin dead of snakebite to life and thus acquired a reputation as a miracle-worker
He was attracted to the Mahalingeswarar shrine at Thiruvidaimarudur and set up his house at the neighbouring village of Thiruvisainallur.
Various events are associated with the life of Sridhara Ayyaval. According to the traditions of the Sri Sridhara Ayyaval Mutt, when Ayyaval had finished reciting the Gangashtakam, water from the holy Ganges river flowed out of the well in his house.
He is believed to have died in 1720 at the age of 85. According to most accounts, he disappeared mysteriously while on a visit to the Mahalingeswarar Temple.
Ayyaval"s followers believe that on entering the temple, Ayyaval"s soul entered the idol of the presiding deity, Mahalingeswarar, and became one with him.
Sridhara Ayyaval was a contemporary of Sri Bodhendra Saraswathi and Sadasiva Brahmendra. Sadashiva Brahmendra"s song Tunga Tarange Gange was written on Ayyaval who brought the Ganges. Several songs have been written and composed on him and are always sung in any proper Namasankirthanam.
The krithis are almost always followed by the namavali "Gangadhara Gangadhara", referring to Ayyaval as the bearer and bringer of the Ganges.
Membership
He also holds an important status in Dakshina Sampradaya Namasankirthanam and is a member of the "trinity".