History of Ayyappan
Ayyappan is the Hindu god, particularly popular in Kerala. Although devotion to Ayyappan has been prevalent in Kerala for a long time, but in the rest of South India, it has become popular in recent times (in the late 20th century). According to Hindu theology, he is the son of Shiva and Mohini(the female avatar of Vishnu). Ayyappan is also referred to as Ayyappa, Sastavu, Hariharasudhan, Manikantan, Shasta or Dharma Shasta. The iconography of Ayyappan depicts him as a handsome celibate god doing yoga and as an epitome of Dharma, who wears a bell around his neck. In the Hindu pantheon, his legends are relatively recent but diverse. For some, he is also an incarnation of the Buddha. He is honored by Muslims in Kerala, with legends wherein Ayyappan defeats and gains worship of the Muslim brigand Vavar. In the Hindu tradition popular in the Western Ghats of India, he was born with the powers of Shiva and Vishnu to confront and defeat the shape shifting evi...