Ayyappan popularity has grown in many parts of India, and the most prominent Ayyappan shrine is at Sabarimala, nestled in the hills of Pathanamthitta of Kerala. The shrine receives millions of pilgrims every year in late December and early January, many of whom prepare for weeks before and then climb the hill barefoot, making it one of the largest active pilgrimage sites in the world. The pilgrimage attracts a wide range of devotees, from diverse social or economic backgrounds, except women in their fertile age because Ayyappan is believed to be the celibate deity and a plethora of other scientific arguments to vindicate the same. It remains one of the few Deities in Hindu tradition, that are worshipped by all religious communities, including Muslims and Christians in Kerala. The most significant festival linked to him is the Makaravilakku (Makara Sankranti), observed around the winter solstice.