Ayyappan and the transformation of Malikappurathamma / Mahishi traditions

Record summary

Ayyappa-related traditions include the demoness Mahishi, her defeat and transformation into the figure associated with Malikappurathamma, and continuing ritual narratives at Sabarimala and surrounding shrines. The material is relevant to shape-changing research because demon, animal, human, and divine identities are negotiated across textual, oral, and ritual versions. It is a religious myth and pilgrimage tradition, not a modern supernatural report. Scholarly and legal discussions after 2010 also show how variants are contested, especially when ritual practice is treated as evidence of one authoritative story.