Lord Ayyappa is a celibate Hindu god. Lord Ayyappa is said to have been
born out of the union of Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu (in His female form
'Mohini'). Hence, he is known by other names like Hariharaputra,
Hariharasuthan, Ayyappan, Manikanta and so on. Lord Ayyappa is known for
his benevolence. As an infant, Lord Ayyappa lay on the banks of the
river Pampa. King Rajashekhara, ruler of Pandalam heard his wails. Since
the king had no children, he brought Lord Ayyappa to his palace and
adopted him.As a child, Lord Ayyappa imparted to the king, the principles of attaining Moksha (salvation). He also instructed the king to construct a temple atop the Sabarimala hill. After the temple was constructed, Lord Ayyappa entered the sanctum sanctorum and never returned. He is said to have merged with the Supreme Power. Lord Ayyappa is worshiped across India, and is the presiding deity of the Sabarimala temple in Kerala (India).
