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Read the story of Lord Ayyappa, a powerful deity worshipped in southern India and revered as the divine son of Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva. His sacred temple in Sabarimala, Kerala, attracts millions of devotees every year.
Characters in the story:
Mahishi: Mahishi was a shape-shifting she-buffalo demoness and the sister of the demon Mahishasura. After her brother was killed by Durga, the aspect of Parvati, Mahishi sought revenge against the gods and her brother’s killer.
Bhasmasura: Bhasmasura is a figure from Hindu scriptures who was granted a powerful boon by Lord Shiva, which allowed him to turn anyone to ashes by simply touching their head. However, Bhasmasura’s desire to test his powers led to his own downfall.
Lord Shiva: Lord Shiva holds significant prominence in Hinduism as a prominent deity, revered for his role as the vanquisher of malevolence and the catalyst of universal change. Depicted in various forms, he is often portrayed as a tranquil ascetic engaged in deep meditation or as the divine dancer, adorned with a third eye, an entwined serpent around his neck, and a trident grasped firmly in his hand.
Lord Vishnu: Lord Vishnu is one of the three major deities in Hinduism, known as the preserver of the universe and the protector of dharma (righteousness). He is often depicted with four arms holding a conch shell, a discus, a mace, and a lotus flower.
Mohini: Mohini is a female avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu, known for her enchanting beauty and her ability to mesmerize and captivate all who gaze upon her. She is often depicted as the bringer of good fortune and is revered for her role in preserving the universe.
The Story of Mahishi and Bhasmasura
Mahishi was the sister of a demon named Mahishasura. In her previous life, she was a woman named Leelavati, the wife of Dattathreya, an incarnation of the three gods Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. Due to her mistakes, she was cursed by Dattathreya to be reborn as Mahishi, the sister of Mahishasura. After becoming the king of demons, Mahishi’s brother Mahishasura received a boon that no man could kill him. However, he misused this power, causing havoc in the world. To stop him, the gods combined their powers to create Goddess Durga, who defeated Mahishasura. This made Mahishi angry, and she blamed the gods for her brother’s death. To seek revenge, she prayed to Lord Brahma and received a boon that only a being not born from a woman’s womb could defeat her. Feeling invincible, she began to cause destruction everywhere.
At the same time, another demon named Bhasmasura received a boon from Lord Shiva. This boon gave him the power to burn anything he touched into ashes. However, Bhasmasura became arrogant and tried to test his power on Lord Shiva himself. To protect himself, Lord Shiva hid inside a peepal tree and called for Lord Vishnu’s help. Vishnu transformed into a beautiful woman named Mohini. Bhasmasura was enchanted by her beauty and wanted to impress her. Mohini tricked him by asking him to place his hand on his own head as part of a dance move. As soon as he did, he turned to ashes, ending the threat he posed.
The Birth of Lord Ayyappa
After Bhasmasura’s defeat, Lord Shiva met Lord Vishnu and learned about how Mohini’s beauty had deceived the demon. Curious, Shiva asked Vishnu to show him the form of Mohini again. When Vishnu transformed into Mohini, Shiva was so captivated by her beauty that they united. From this divine union, a baby boy was born. This boy, having the combined powers of Vishnu and Shiva, was named Hariharan, later known as Ayyappa. The gods had a divine mission for Ayyappa—to defeat Mahishi and bring peace to the world.
Ayyappa in the Kingdom of Pandalam
The gods left the baby boy near the River Pampa in Kerala. Meanwhile, King Rajashekhara of Pandalam, who had no children, was hunting nearby. He heard the baby’s cries and found the divine child. A saint appeared and advised the king to take the baby to the palace and raise him as his own son. The king followed the saint’s instructions and named the baby Manikanta. Soon after adopting Manikanta, the king’s queen gave birth to a son named Raja Rajan. Both boys grew up as princes, but Manikanta stood out due to his extraordinary abilities in martial arts, scriptures, and divine knowledge. Even his teacher realized that Manikanta was no ordinary boy.
When it was time for Manikanta to offer a gift (Guru Dakshina) to his teacher, the guru asked him to bless his blind and mute son with sight and speech. Manikanta touched the boy’s head, and the child’s vision and speech were restored. This miracle confirmed Manikanta’s divine powers.
The Conspiracy Against Ayyappa
King Rajashekhara decided to make Manikanta the next king. However, a minister, hoping to become king himself, conspired with the queen to stop this. The minister advised the queen to fake an illness and claim that only tigress’ milk could cure her. The plan was to send Manikanta into the dangerous forest, hoping he would not return.
Following the plan, the queen pretended to be sick, and the king asked Manikanta to fetch tigress’ milk. Manikanta agreed and set off into the forest, taking only a few essential items and the blessings of Lord Shiva’s divine elements. In the forest, Manikanta’s true mission was revealed. He battled the powerful demon Mahishi and defeated her after a fierce fight. As Mahishi lay defeated, she recognized Manikanta as the divine son of Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva. Her anger faded, and she attained moksha (spiritual liberation).
The Return to the Palace
After defeating Mahishi, Manikanta prepared to return to Pandalam. Lord Shiva appeared and asked him to reveal his divine identity to the king. Riding on a tiger, with other goddesses disguised as tigresses, Manikanta arrived at the palace. Seeing the royal prince riding a tiger, the king, queen, and minister realized Manikanta’s divinity. Overwhelmed with guilt and devotion, the king apologized to him.
The Temple at Sabarimala
After revealing his divine nature, Manikanta announced that he would return to heaven. The king was heartbroken but requested that a temple be built in his honor. Manikanta agreed and shot an arrow into the forest. The place where the arrow landed was chosen as the site for the temple—Sabarimala.
The king built a beautiful temple at Sabarimala, and Lord Parashurama, a revered sage, carved the idol of Ayyappa and installed it on the day of Makar Sankranti. Ayyappa’s instructions for the devotees’ pilgrimage were clear. They had to observe 41 days of strict fasting, follow a simple life, and maintain celibacy (Brahmacharya). Devotees would walk barefoot, bathe in the holy River Pampa, and climb 18 sacred steps to reach the temple. It was also believed that Ayyappa’s divine light, called “Makara Vilakku,” would appear every year on Makar Sankranti, signaling his presence.
Today, millions of devotees visit the Sabarimala temple every year, following Ayyappa’s strict code of discipline. The pilgrimage to Sabarimala is one of the largest in the world, with devotees seeking the blessings of Lord Ayyappa for peace, strength, and spiritual growth.
