Vanavasis Or Tribals have made an enormous contribution to India’s civilisation; all major gods of the Hindu tradition have tribal links. Shiva was worshipped by forest-dwelling communities in large parts of the country, as were Vishnu’s incarnations as Varaha (boar) and Narasimha (lion). Lord Ayyappam in Kerala and Mata Vaishno Devi in Jammu also appear to have tribal links. All these gods and temples, as also that of Jagannath in Puri, enjoy pre-eminent status in the classical Hindu pantheon.