What is "ayya"

Ayya is a Pali word, translated as "honourable" or "worthy." It is most commonly used as a veneration in addressing or referring to an ordained female Buddhist monk, most often of the Theravadan tradition in southeast Asia. It is sometimes mistaken as equivalent to Christian use of the word, "sister." Ayya can refer to either a bhikkhuni (fully ordained and usually wearing orange or yellow robes in southeast Asia) or a samaneri ( shramanerika) ten-precept novice renunciant or a sikkhamana (wearing white, brown or sometimes pink), but not to non-ordained precept-holders.

Generally for bhikkhunis, robes would be maroon with yellow in Tibet; gray (for Mahayanans) or orange/yellow (for Theravadans) in Vietnam; gray in Korea; gray or black in China and Taiwan; black in Japan; orange or yellow in Thailand, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Laos, Cambodia and Burma. The colour of robes distinguishes both level of ordination and tradition, with white (usually worn by a male renunciant before ordination) or pink symbolising a state of ambiguity, being on the threshold of a decision, no longer secular and not yet monastic. A key exception to this is in the countries where women are not allowed to wear robes that signify full ordination, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and (Theravadans in) Vietnam. So, the majority of Ayyas wear orange/yellow or white/pink.

Ayya is a 2005 Tamil drama film written and directed by Hari. presented by K. Balachander and produced by Pushpa Kandasamy under banner Kavithalayaa Productions. starring Sarath Kumar, Nayanthara, Prakash Raj, Napoleon and Vadivelu in the lead roles. The film was a success at the Chennai Box office and the music was rendered by Bharadwaj. Oru Vaarthai song was very famous around South India. This movie was also Nayanthara's debut in Tamil films.

Ayya may refer to:

• Ayya, අය්යා means 'Brother' in Sinhalese Language.
• Ayya Vazhi, A Tamil/Malayalee Indian religion.
• Ayya (2005 Tamil film), a 2005 Tamil language film directed by Hari
• Ayya (2005 Kannada film), a 2005 Kannada film starring Darshan and Rakshitha
• Ayya (Pali word), Ayya, the Pali term, translated as "honourable" or "worthy," commonly used in reference to ordained female Buddhist monks
• Ayyappan, the son of Vishnu ("Ayya") in his Mohini avatar and Shiva ("Appa")
• Vishnu, whose Tamil name is Ayya
• Ayya Vaikunda Avataram (Incarnation of Vaikundar), Hindu festival celebrated by followers of Ayyavazhi on the 20th day of Tamil Month of Masi
• Ayya Vaikundar, Ayya, reference to the deva, Vaikundar, believed to be the incarnation of Trimurthi in Ayyavazhi

Ayya is a 2005 Kannada film directed by Om Prakash Rao, starring Darshan Thoogudeep and Rakshitha. Darshan plays the role of a brave police officer prepared to go any lengths to control crime in the city. The background music and soundtrack has been scored by V. Ravichandran.

This is a remake of the Tamil super-hit Saamy, Directed by Hari, starring Vikram And Trisha Krishnan.