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Home > Temples of Kerala > Mud Images Lord Saastha and AyyappaSaastha worship has long antiquity and there are references about Saastha in various texts, like Amarakosa of 4th century AD. which considers the deity synonymous with Vishnu. It is also believed that 'Saastha is none other than Buddha adopted into Hinduism'96. There is subtle difference between Saastha and Ayyappa. While Saastha is considered as a Devatha emerged from the combination of jnana (knowledge) of Siva and the Vishnu-maya (merciful charm) ofVishnu, Ayyappa is an incarnation of Lord Saastha. Further Ayyappais a nithya-brahmachaari (celibate) while Saastha has consorts. The idol of the famous hill-shrine of Sabarimala has the sankalpa of nithya-brahmachaari. As Saastha and Ayyappa are synonymously used by all, it is difficult to distinguish one temple from the other unless the sankalpa of the prathishta is known, which is often not available. But if consorts are installed in a temple it is obvious that the temple belongs to Saastha and not Ayyappa. There are a number of temples in the state dedicated to Saastha/Ayyappa either as a principal deity or as a subsidiary deity. The vigrahas belong to swayambhoo, stone or metallic images. The important swayambhoo idols of Saastha are in the temples at Chamravattam (near Tirur) and at Thiruvullakavu (at Cherppu near Thrissur). The swayambhoo idol of Chamravattam deserves special mention. On either side of the principal deity there are prathishtas of His consort Prabha and son Sathyaka. At the Saastha temple,Kollengode (in PaIakkad district) the idol is like Siva-linga with His consort Prabha and son Sathyaka on either side. At Achankovil (in Kollam district) two consorts Poorna and Pushkala are installed by the side of the main idol. Some idols are of different types viz. standing, sitting, on a horse or on a peetha. In standing poses they also vary in heights. The Saastha idol at Arienkavu is very tall. The deity at Achancovil sits on a horse with sword in hand. The pose of Ayyappa in Sabarimala temple is that of a baala-yogi in sitting pose with kireeta, pleasant and handsome face, two-armed, right hand showing jnana-mudra and left hand resting on knee and both legs tied up with a metal hoop known as yoga-patta. There are other sankalpas of Saastha having three-eyes, and four arms with sword, shield, arrow, bow, amrtha kumbha, chakra, conch, rudrakshamaala, and kamandalu. The different sankalpas used at the time of consecration of the idols are not always available. However, characteristics of some of the Saastha temples deserve special treatment. The Saastha idol at Maniyur (Taiparamba taluk) which is dated to 12th century, is seated on a peetha in veeraasana form.
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