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Lord Ayyappa
is the presiding deity of Sabarimala temple.
Information on the life and teachings of the Lord are
mostly based on legends. In fact, there are very many
popular stories associated with Him among the
devotees. These differ from one to another depending
on the imaginations of the narrator and inherent
variations due to the passing down of the stories
from generation to generation. However, there are a
few events which are common in all the stories and
which can stand historical scrutiny. Examples are
- All
stories confirm that Ayyappa lived in the Pandalam
Palace as the son / savior of the King
- He
had had super-human or divine knowledge, wisdom,
and courage and had great liking for the King and
his people.
- He
protected the King and the kingdom from the
attacks of enemies.
- At
the end of His life in Pandalam, He vanished into
the forests and is ever since worshiped at the
Sabarimala temple
The
most popular and widely accepted story goes to say
that Lord Ayyappa had had His human sojourn as the son
of the Raja(King) of Pandalam. At that time, Raja
Rajasekhara ruled the kingdom of Pandalam. During one
of his hunting expeditions, the Raja was puzzled to
hear the wails of a child on the banks of the river
Pampa. He moved in the direction of the voice to find
a resplendent infant there. The beautiful baby with
radiant face wore a bead ('mani') around his neck.
Mythology has it that Manikantan was Ayyappan, born of
Hari and Hara. The King, though pious, charitable,
just, and God-fearing had no children. He accepted the
child as God's gracious response to his fervent prayer
for an heir to his throne. Manikantan was given proper
education and training and he grew into a boy well
versed in academic lore and martial arts of the
time.Meanwhile the Rani gave birth to a son. The King
regarded Manikantan as his elder son. He decided to
crown him as the Yuvaraja. The King's corrupt Minister
had had a deep dislike for Manikantan. The Minister
made the innocent Queen believe that adverse
consequences would befall her if Manikantan was
crowned Yuvaraja and that the kingdom actually
belonged to her son.
To
know more.. Visit
the Official website of Lord Ayyappa and the Royal
Family of Panthalam
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