▁These ▁u ts av ars ▁are ▁usually ▁made ▁of ▁bronze ▁and ▁stored ▁in ▁the ▁respective ▁shr ines ▁of ▁the ▁de ities . ▁ ▁Pan ch al oh a ▁( S ansk rit ▁De van ag ari : ▁ प <0xE0> <0xA4> <0x9E> ् च ल ो ह ; ▁I AST : ▁pa ñ cal oh a ) ▁( also ▁called ▁Pan ch al oh am ▁- ▁literally , ▁" five ▁met als ") ▁is ▁a ▁term ▁for ▁traditional ▁five - met al ▁allo ys ▁of ▁sacred ▁significance ▁used ▁for ▁making ▁H indu ▁temple ▁icons . ▁The ▁tradition ▁started ▁from ▁the ▁Ch ola ▁era ▁from ▁the ▁ 7 th ▁century ▁and ▁continues ▁during ▁the ▁modern ▁era . ▁ ▁These ▁festival ▁de ities ▁are ▁taken ▁out ▁of ▁the ▁shr ines ▁in ▁process ions ▁during ▁festiv als . ▁ ▁Village ▁de ities ▁ ▁The ▁village ▁de ities ▁are ▁not ▁part ▁of ▁Sh iva ▁tem ples , ▁but ▁are ▁located ▁outside ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁Sh iva ▁tem ples ▁or ▁outside ▁the ▁village ▁where ▁the ▁Sh iva ▁temple ▁is ▁located . ▁ ▁Most ▁of ▁the ▁male ▁de ities ▁are ▁considered ▁forms ▁of ▁Sh iva ▁and ▁are ▁treated ▁as ▁guard ian ▁de ities . ▁▁ ▁A yy an ar ▁() ▁is ▁wor sh ipped ▁as ▁a ▁guard ian ▁de ity ▁pre domin antly ▁in ▁T amil ▁N adu ▁and ▁T amil ▁villages ▁in ▁Sri ▁L anka . ▁The ▁earliest ▁reference ▁to ▁A i yn ar - Sh asta ▁includes ▁two ▁or ▁more ▁hero ▁stones ▁to ▁hunting ▁chief s ▁from