AYYAPPAN grasp as AYYAN, who belonged to the Vellalar Kulam, was the military chief of the Pandalam royal line. He lived along with his uncle Perisseri Pillai of Erumeli, Kottayam dist, Kerala. This was regarding 10 generations past.
Ayyan was instrumental within the defeat of Udayanan, WHO attacked Sabarimala and tried to demolish the traditional Sastha temple within the thick forest of gift Pathanamthitta district.
Meanwhile the royal line of King Pandya had migrated from Tamilnadu regarding 800 years back. The King reconstructed the destroyed Sastha temple at Sabarimala with the assistance of Ayyan, Vavar, a Muslim youth from Kanjirappally, Kadutha, a Nair youth from Muzhukeer, Chenganoor, Alapuzha dist.
During a clash, Ayyappan got killed. His uncle,Perissery Pillai, made the KOCHAMPALAM - Associate in Nursing recent little Sastha temple - at Erumeli, opposite the VAVAR chummy (MOSQUE), made by Muslims in memory of Vavar swamy.
After the end of Ayyappan folks thought that he was the avathar of Lord Sastha and started to worship him. Later Ayyappan and Sastha became synonymous .
Some say that Ayyappan was the son of a Brahmin however Nalankal avatar Pillai in his book "Mahashekthrangalkkumunpil" states that Brahmins ne'er had the name AYYAPPAN or AYYAN.
In the age recent "Elavarsevampattu" it had been clearly mentioned that Ayyan belonged to "Vellalar kulam, close to Erumeli, Kottayam, Kerala.There still exists a vellala house referred to as Puthenveedu in Erumely. within the same compound there's a three hundred year recent, thatched, depleted, mud house, the house of Perissery Pillai, Ayyappan's uncle and also the Vellal Chieftain of Erumeli. There even these days one will see the traditional steel utilized by Ayyappan to kill the monstrous ERUMA- mahisham. The place wherever the "eruma" was killed became Erumakolly and later Erumeli.
Sabarimala pilgrimers ,Ayyappans, conduct the Erumeli PETTAITHULLAL (Pettatullal is painting the face with colors and diversion with wood weapons to create one look odd. The essence of this follow is to allow up ones ego and surrender to Lord Ayyappa. )This is to commemmorate the killing of mahisham by Ayyan and is celelebrated throughout the month of December-January per annum. "Ayyan / Ayyappan" Pillai is incredibly common name among vellalas of Kottayam, Alapuzha, Pathanamthitta, Idukki and Ernakulam districts of Kerala. variety of Ayyappan kovils were made by Vellalas WHO migrated from Tamilnadu to Kerala e.g. Erumeli, Kanam etc.
Lakhs and lakhs of Tamilian Ayyappan devotees referred to as the "Ayyappans" - come back to Sabarimala per annum to worship Tamil origin "VELLALAR KULA JHATHAN AYYAN AYYAPPAN".