Ayyappan is also known as Hariharasudhan - meaning the son of Harihara or a fusion deity of Hari and Hara, the names given to Vishnu and Shiva respectively. He is also called Manikanta from Mani, Sanskrit for precious stone, and kanta, Sanskrit for neck. In some regions, Ayyappa and Ayyanar are considered to be the same deity given their similar origin. Others consider him as different because their worship methods are not the same.