▁the ▁Arc ot ▁district ▁in ▁T amil ▁N adu . ▁The ▁hero ▁stones ▁are ▁dated ▁to ▁the ▁ 3 rd ▁century ▁C . E . ▁It ▁reads ▁" A yan appa ; ▁a ▁shr ine ▁to ▁C attan ." ▁This ▁is ▁followed ▁by ▁another ▁ins cription ▁in ▁U rai y ur ▁near ▁Tir uch i rap al li ▁which ▁is ▁dated ▁to ▁the ▁ 4 th ▁century ▁C . E . ▁Liter ary ▁references ▁to ▁A i yan ar - C attan ▁is ▁found ▁in ▁Sil app at ik aram , ▁a ▁T amil ▁Buddh ist ▁work ▁dated ▁to ▁the ▁ 4 th ▁to ▁ 5 th ▁century ▁C . E . ▁From ▁the ▁Ch ola ▁period ▁( 9 th ▁century ▁C . E ) ▁ ▁on wards ▁the ▁popular ity ▁of ▁A i yan ar - Sh asta ▁became ▁even ▁more ▁pron ounced . ▁ ▁Mad ur ai ▁Ve er an ▁( , ▁M atur ai ▁V ī ra ņ ▁lit . ▁War rior ▁of ▁Mad ur ai ) ▁is ▁a ▁T amil ▁folk ▁de ity ▁popular ▁in ▁southern ▁T amil ▁N adu . ▁His ▁name ▁was ▁derived ▁as ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁his ▁association ▁with ▁the ▁southern ▁city ▁of ▁Mad ur ai ▁as ▁a ▁prote ctor ▁of ▁the ▁city . ▁ ▁M une es war ar ▁( T amil ▁ ம ு ன <0xE0> <0xAF> <0x80> <0xE0> <0xAE> <0xB8> ் வ ர ன ் ) ▁is ▁a ▁H indu ▁god . ▁' M uni ' ▁means ▁' s aint ' ▁and ▁'