Lord Ayyappa is a symbol of religious unity and communal harmony. He is the presiding deity of Sabarimala temple. He came down to earth to free his devotees from the clutches of demon Mahishi. Lord Ayyappa enshrined in the Sabarimala temple combines both these aspects of Brahman. In the Puranic lore, as usual, this fact is presented in an interesting and symbolic story form as Sri Ayyappa represents both Vishnu and Shiva in one Divinity, He is worshiped both as Protector and Deliverer.
Lord Ayyappa is primarily worshipped for protection, liberation, spiritual augmentation, good health, mental peace and success. He is the son of Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu (in His Mohini form) and thus is also known by the name Hariharputra. Lord Ayyappa took birth to slay the demoness Mahishi. After His birth He was raised by Rajasekhara, the king of Pandalam, as his adopted son Manikantha. When Manikantha was 12 he was sent to the forest to fetch tigress’ milk. There He killed the demoness Mahishi and returned riding the tigress. All including the king understood that Manikantha was Divine and decided to build a temple for Him. Manikantha then transformed into Lord Ayyappa and shot an arrow which landed thirty kilometers away which is today the location of the Sabrimala temple. Today Lord Ayyappa is worshiped in the Sabrimala temple which is a major pilgrimage destination of India as a celibate and ascetic. Every year millions of devotees after practicing strict austerities for 40 days visit the Sabrimala shrine on the occasion of Makar Sankranti to worship the Lord and witness a Divine light.
Swamy Ayyappa is considered to be the remover of all evils.