Lord Vishnu gifts the new-born infant with a small bell necklace and hence this deity is also hailed as Manikanthan Swamy. In Tamil Nadu, Shasta is also called Ayyanar or Shasthappan. While in Tamil Nadu, the legend ends with the birth of the god, the story in Kerala continues with Ayyappan's adoption by the Pandalam Raja, and his fulfilling the mission of destroying Mahishi.