Iyyappa puranam is not recognise by orthodox hindu fold. .S orry - Not true.
1. Sastha is the family deity of many brahmins in Both Tanjore and Tirunelveli districts
2. sastha legend - Muthuswamy Deekshidar (1775-1835) compoed the Kriti -hariharaputram Sasthanam in Vasntha ragam( well befor the spread of ayyappa cult)
The song is - hariharaputram shAstAram sadA Abstracted from: Compositions of Muddusvami Dikshitar by Sangeetha Kalanidhi T. K. Govinda Rao, published in Chennai 1997 (No. 89). Raga: vasanta / Tala: khaNDa Ekam P: hariharaputram shAstAram sadA bhajEham mAyAkAryam tyajEham A: muraharAdi mOhita shaurigirivihAram muraLIbhErI vAdyAdi priyakaram prartthita putrapradam vasantanata bRndam dIrghAyuSprada dInajanasukhapradam C: phAlguna mAsa paurNimAvatAram pANDya kEraLAdi dEsha prabhAkaram puSpa sharEkSu kArmuka dharam phulla kalhAra daNDadharakaram kaliyugapratyakSam garvita dakSashikSam varaguruguhAntaraHNgam rathagajaturaHNgam
3. I heard one more story. it relates to a sasta temple in tanjore dt. ( could not recollec the templet). themoorti was keeping a finger on his nose. No one could understand the reason. A learned person ( again could not recollect - sridhara ayyaval or the forefather of sengalipuram deekshidar or Appayya deekshidar - will find out) explined that through a sloka.
he is wondering becasue
a. lord Siva is my father b. Lord Vishnu is my mother c. If i meet Godess parvati, i will call her mother because she is my father's another wife d. but what will i call when i meet godes lakshmi, who is my mother's wife?
immediately, themoorti nodded its head and took out the finger.
This shows that - bahmins knew and accepted the story very well.
Even my family is worshippers of Lord Solaiandavar ( sastha) of pallathur much before the ayyappa cult.