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Shasta (IAST Śāstā) is a Hindu deity,[1] described as the son of the deities Shiva and Mohini, Vishnu's female avatar.[2] In South India, he is identified with the Ayyanar, Nattarayan or Sattan in Tamil Nadu, as Ayyanayake in Sinhala and the Ayyappan in Kerala.[3] His principal function is to act as a kuladevata of a given clan, as well as act as a guardian of a village's boundaries.[4]