. A sacred place in South India in the eastern region of केरल on a mountain called शबरिमल . It is not quite certain whether the name of this mountain is in any way related to शबरी , to whom श्री राम had given salvation. At any rate a very ancient temple with शास्ता as the presiding deity therein is found at शबरिमल today. It is proof positive of the great sanctity attached to the ancient temple that every year lakhs of devotees from all parts of India visit it braving dense forests, mountains and wild beasts on their way. Historical evidence about the origin of the temple or its philosophical importance is sparse, but there is a legend, more illuminating than facts of history, about शास्ता ( अय्यप्पन् ) the deity installed in the temple. The legend is as follows--

In olden days the royal family of the पाण्ड्यस् divided itself into two branches, one of them settling down at Velliyūr and the other at Madura. When the king of Madura one day went ahunting in the forest he met a handsome and very powerful and courageous Malayāli youth. The king immediately took a liking for him and appointed him as an officer in his army. The youth gradually rose up in military service to become the Commander-in-Chief. The other officers, who were jealous due to the rise of the youth-- अय्यप्पन् --began conspiring to drive him out. The queen became a weapon in the hands of the conspirators, and at their instance she pretended herself to be very ill and lay in a fainting fit. All the physicians acknowledged defeat in curing her. Then a physician, an agent of the conspirators, came forward and assured the king that he would cure the queen of her illness within one and a half hours if a leopard's milk was made available. The king told अय्यप्पन् about it.

Ayyappan went into the forest and returned to the palace with many she-leopards. He rode a tiger leading the leopards. People in the royal court were frightened by the sight of the leopards. The King realised that Ayyappan was not an ordinary person. Being questioned about him by the King, Ayyappan replied that God was his father and the whole world his home. As he did not like to live any further with tale-bearers and conspirators he returned to केरल . Ayyappan's departure made the King sad and very restless in mind. After giving all his immovable property on rent the King followed Ayyappan to केरल taking all his ornaments, jars and other utensils, and came at last to Pantalam. This region of केरल was then in the control of a petty Chieftain called Kaippuzha Tampān. The King of Madura purchased some land from the Tampān, put up a palace there and lived therein with the members of his family.

अय्यप्पस्वामी on his way back to केरल met परशुराम , who told the former that he had already, for the protection of केरल , installed on mountains and the sea-coast idols of his ( अय्यप्पस्वामी ) and that he would install another idol of अय्यप्पन् at शबरिमल where they had now met each other. From that day onwards अय्यप्पस्वामी took his abode there.

One of those days the पाण्ड्यन् king living at पन्तलम् had a dream, and in that dream अय्यप्पस्वामी appeared and told him that he ( अय्यप्पन् ) was living at शबरिमल and the King might meet the स्वामी if he went there. The next day morning the King with his retinue started for शबरिमल . At शबरिमल the King got the forest cleared and made a search of the ground where he found an idol installed by परशुराम . The King built a temple there and installed the idol of अय्यप्पस्वामी therein. He also got necessary purificatory ceremonies conducted in the temple by the famous tantrī (high-priest) ताज़्हमण् . A routine programme for the conduct of affairs in the temple was fixed. As it was difficult for men to live in the forest infested by wild beasts and conduct पूजा etc. daily, it was fixed that पूजास् need be conducted only for five days in every month and that मकरसंक्रान्ति should be the annual festival day. From the first of मकरं (January) for five days it was to be उत्सव with the deity led in procession. On the fifth of मकरम् every year a 'Kalabham' and on the seventh day a 'guruti' also were ordained.

On the annual festival day the temple priest, the senior pilgrim, मारार् s and other employees go to शबरिमल carrying with them rice etc. for food and calling aloud ' स्वामिये शरणम् अय्यप्प ' (Oh! lord Ayyappa! you are our refuge), devotees climb the mountain today also repeating this slogan. (See under Śāstā) .