Devalok

Stories 1

All kinds Origin Legend Local story Folk tale From the epics Festival story Temple legend In stone and bronze How a tradition frames it
Everywhere Pan-India 240 South India 81 West India 37 East India 37 North India 28 The Himalaya 17 Northeast India 8 Southeast Asia 6 Central India 5 Sri Lanka 1
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Tradition: Folk · clear

Temple legend · 4 tellings · contested

The birth of Ayyappa

Brahma's boon to Mahishi — that only a child of Vishnu and Shiva can kill her — forces Vishnu to take the Mohini form; Shiva's desire for Mohini yields a son, found and raised by the king of Pandalam, who kills Mahishi and takes his seat at Sabarimala.

Brahma, Vishnu, Mohini, Shiva

Pan-India South India