A late Sanskrit text describes Ayyappan as the son of Shiva and Vishnu (with the latter in his form as the enchantress Mohini). Abandoned by his parents with but a bell around his neck, he was adopted by a Pantalam king of Kerala, and, soon after, his divinity was recognized and a shrine erected to him.

2. Swami Ayyappan
and Sabarimala
temple

3. Lord Ayyappa was the son of Vishnu & Shiva.
Lord Ayyappa is a very popular Hindu deity,
which is mainly worshipped in South India. It is
India. It is believed that he was born out of the
born out of the union between Lord Shiva and
Shiva and the mythical Mohini, who is also
is also considered as the avatar of Lord Vishnu.
Lord Vishnu. Therefore, Ayyappa is also called
also called as ‘Hariharan Puthiran’ which
which means the son of both ‘Hari’ or Vishnu
or Vishnu and ‘Haran’ or Shiva.

4. The Devas joined forces to create Durga, who in
turn killed Mahishasura for causing havoc. And to
avenge the death of Mahishasura, Mahisha, his
sister created a rift in the universe. Once, while
doing penance, she pleased Brahma and was
blessed with a boon that said only a child born to
Shiva and Vishnu could kill her. So Mahishi misused
the boon knowing that she had become invincible.
But she had no idea that the gods would outsmart
her. Vishnu transformed into his avatar Mohini and
united with Shiva to produce a child. And this child
came to be known as HariHara Putra. Therefore, the
main purpose of Ayyappa's birth was to remove
Mahisha and help her attain Moksha.

5. King Rajashekhara of Pandalam and his
wife were childless. One day, when the
King visited the forest, he found an
abandoned baby boy. The King took
the baby to a sage who advised him to
adopt it. Thus, the childless couple was
blessed with a child, and he was raised
like a prince. And that child was none
other than Lord Ayyappa.

6. Sabarimala is an ancient temple. It was mostly
unreachable for about three centuries after its installation.
In the 12th century, a prince of Pandalam Dynasty,
Manikandan, rediscovered the original path to reach
Sabarimala. He had many followers with him, including
the descendants of the Vavar (a Muslim warrior whom
Manikandan defeated) family. This Prince is considered an
Avatar of Ayyappa. It is believed that he meditated at
Sabarimala temple and became one with the divine.

7. The pilgrims of Sabarimala have to reach the temple
through difficult treks in the forest as the vehicles
cannot reach there.
The pilgrims have to observe celibacy for 41 days
before going to Sabarimala. They are also required
to strictly follow a lacto-vegetarian diet, refrain from
alcohol, not use any profanity and allow the hair and
nails to grow without cutting. They are expected to
bath twice in a day and visit the local temples
regularly.
They wear black or blue clothes, do not shave until
the completion of the pilgrimage, and smear vibhuti
or sandal paste on their forehead.

8. The Famous Pilgrimage of
Sabarimala Sabarimala in
Kerala is the most famous
Ayyappa shrine and is
visited by over 50 million
devotees every year. It is
one of the most famous
pilgrimages in the world.
Pilgrims from around the
country visit this place to
get the blessings of Lord
Ayyappa.