14 Facts About Ayyappan

Ayyappan, called Dharmasastha and Manikandan, is a Hindu deity popular in Southern India, He is considered to be the epitome of dharma, truth, and righteousness and is often called upon to obliterate evil.

Ayyappan is referred to as Ayyappa, Sastavu, Hariharasudhan, Manikandan, Shasta or Dharma Shasta and Sabarinath.

Iconography of Ayyappan depicts him as a handsome celibate deity doing yoga and as an epitome of Dharma, who wears a bell around his neck.

In South Indian portrayals, Ayyappan images show him riding a tigress, but in some places such as Sri Lanka he is shown as riding a white elephant.

Ayyappan's popularity has grown in many parts of India, and the most prominent Ayyappan shrine is at Sabarimala, nestled in the hills of Pathanamthitta of Kerala.

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The alternate proposal is supported by the alternate name for Ayyappan being Sastava, a Vedic term that means "Teacher, Guide, Lord, Ruler".

Ayyappan is known as Hariharasudhan – meaning the "son of Harihara" or a fusion deity of Hari and Hara, the names given to Vishnu and Shiva respectively.

Ayyappan'siconography is usually shown with a bow and arrow upraised in his left hand, while in his right he holds either a bow or a sword diagonally across his left thigh.

Ruth Vanita suggests that Ayyappan probably emerged from the fusion of a Dravidian god of tribal provenance and the Puranic story of Shiva and Mohini's interaction.

Sometimes the story is slightly different or extended, such as the younger son of the queen is not disabled, Ayyappan does bring tigress milk for the queen riding on a tiger, but after doing so Ayyappan renounces the kingdom, becomes an ascetic yogi and returns to live as a great warrior in the forested mountain.

In one of the stories, Ayyappan is portrayed as a child of a priest whose father was murdered by the fearsome outlaw Udayanan.

Ayyappan then makes a daring rescue, attacks and kills evil Udayanan.

Some of Ayyappan temples are believed to have been established by the Vishnu avatar Parashurama.

Ayyappan has roots in Kerala, but his influence and popularity have grown among the Hindus in South Indian states.