Ayyappa lord of the forest

Ayyappa is lord and protector of the forests in Kerala - a modern aspect of Lord Ayyappa is the environmental movement which protects forests. Gods are aspects or manifestations or even abstract forces embodied in an understandable form, to some people, and to others the gods are absolutely real.

It is believed that Ayyappa was born from the union of Vishnu and Shiva. Vishnu appeared as Mohini, the beautiful enchantress - the alluring temptress who manifested at the time of the churning of the Ocean, to entice and distract the Asuras (demons).

The devas (gods) did not want to share the elixir of life with the asuras (demons). They only wished to divide the elixir of life (Amrita) among themselves. The distraction ruse of Vishnu succeeded, and Garuda (the eagle vehicle of Vishnu) headed with the pot of elixir to the heavens, spilling a few drops as he went on to a neem tree.

Meantime, Shiva. having swallowed all the poison that emerged from the ocean had ensured only the elixir remained. Shiva was also distracted by Vishnu's ruse. Shiva succumbed to the beauty of Mohini, and Ayyappan was born out of this union. Hence his name Hari Hara Putra (the son of Vishnu and Shiva).

Ayyappa is regarded as the third son of Shiva, the other two being Ganesha and Karttikeyya (Muruga in South India). Ayappa’s vahana or vehicle is the Tiger and it is believed that Ayyapa has a famous temple deep within the sanctuary of Periyar.

'The Hindu idea is that the whole world is a forest. We are all part of that forest. You can re-order the forest but you cannot bypass it.' Quote from Banwari


In the Bhagvadgita Lord Krishna compares the world to a single Banyan tree with unlimited branches in which all the species of the world wander.


Hindu Tradition describes three basic categories of forest. (i) Shrivan, the forest that provides your prosperity (ii) Tapovan, where people contemplate and seek enlightenment as did the sages of old (iii) Mahavan the great natural forest where all species of life find shelter.


Every village was, in past ages, required to maintain five great trees to represent the forest (shrivan). This has been depleted in the last century but plans to replant the vast forests have already started.