The name 'Sri Ayyappan' is used as a respectful form of address in Malayalam and Sanskrit. By the 20th century, there has been an increase in the number of worshipers of Ayyappan from many different groups, spurred by vast improvements in transport and communication in southern India.
He is generally depicted in a yogic posture, wearing a jewel around his neck, hence named Maṇikaṇṭhan, which literally means 'person with gem around the neck'.
Ayyappan Songs in Tamil Ayyappan also known as Dharmasasta, Maṇikanṭhan or Sasta, is a Hindu deity who is the son of Harihara, fused with both Shiva and Vishnu.
