The Significance of Ayyappa Swamy

Lord Ayyappa is also known as Hari Hara Putra, Dharma Shasta, and Manikantan. Sri Ayyappa is the divine child born as a consequence of the union of Lord Mahavishnu's Mohini avatar and Lord Siva. This avatar of Hariharaputhra was necessary to destroy the evil demoness Mahishi (Buffalo Faced Asura).

Baby Ayyappa was found on the shores of the holy Pamba river by the heirless king of Pandhalam, Rajasekara, when he was out on a hunting trip. As the divine child was wearing a golden bell around his neck, the king named him Manikanta, and adopted Him as his son. Soon the queen had her own child. As the children grew up, young Manikanta was loved and admired by all, and the queen started feeling jealous and wanted her own child to ascend to the throne. The queen feigned a strange ailment, which required tiger's milk, and Manikanta took up the task of getting it for His mother. He ventured boldly into the forests, caught up with Mahishi and fulfilled the purpose of the avatar by killing the demon. The divine child returned home triumphantly riding a tigress and the queen realized the divine nature of her foster son. Prince Manikanta explained to His foster parents His divine mission, helped install His younger brother on the throne and went to the crest of Sabari Hills to be there eternally as a divine yogi. The king wished to have an abode made in his memory. Accordingly, a sanctum was built to install an idol made of Panchaloha (an alloy of five metals), climbing 18 steps to reach the sanctum. These 18 steps represent 5 indriyas, 8 rajas, 3 gunas, Vidya and avidya. Ayyappa also advised the king of the nature of the austerities to be observed before the pilgrimage to this temple. On the day of consecration and installation of the idol, amidst the sound of Saranam chanting and conches, pipes and drums, Sri Ayyappa was transformed into a stroke of lightning and got absorbed in the idol of Dharma Shasta.

Panguni Uthiram is celebrated as the Birthday of Lord Ayyappa.