Sabarimala Sree Dharma Sastha Temple

Sabarimala Ayyappa Temple is one of the largest Hindu pilgrimage sites in the world, drawing 50–60 million devotees annually — second only to Mecca in crowd scale. Perched at 914 m in the Periyar Tiger Reserve, Kerala, it is accessible by an 8 km forest trek. Pilgrims undergo 41 days of austerity (vratham) before the yatra, wearing black clothing and carrying the sacred irumudi. The temple opens only during Mandalapooja, Makaravilakku, and Vishu seasons.