Mahalayam comes from the tradition of the Shri Adi Shankaracharya, the avatar of Shiva who established many beautiful pilgrimage centers. So our tardition comes from Shiva the highest god
Shri Adi Shankaracharya; (meaning 'the first Shankara' in his lineage), reverentially called Bhagavatpada Acharya (the teacher at the feet of Lord) was the most famous Advaita philosopher, who had a profound influence on the growth of vedic tradition through his non-dualistic philosophy. He advocated the greatness and importance of the important Vedic scriptures, the Vedas (most particularly on the Upanishads, also known as Vedanta), spoke to a spirituality founded on reason and without dogma or ritualism, and gave new life to Vedic tradition at a time when Buddhist tradition and Jain tradition were gaining popularity. more info at