South Bhraman: Sabarimala- In love with Ayyappa!

Around 12-13 years back, I read an article on Sabarimala - a sacred temple in South India. At that time the seed to see this place was planted in my mind and recently it sprouted.
It is a temple dedicated to Lord Ayyappa and is situated on a hilltop (about 3000 feet above sea level) named Sabarimala in Pathanamthitta district of Kerala.
Legend goes that Ayyappa is the son of Lord Shankara and Mohini Incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Sounds interesting! I recently visited a Shankaracharya in Rishikesh and during the course of our conversation, told him of my Sabarimala visit. He was very happy (he himself visits Padmanabhaswamy temple of Trivandrum often). But when I asked him about Lord Ayyappa, he said in reality he is Kartikeya. Jokingly he said, "If you are dressed in a female attire and somebody comes after you and something happens, Can a son be born? I said No.
The point he intended to make was that Lord Vishnu was only dressed in a female's attire (Mohini incarnation) and even if Shankar got infatuated, nothing could come out of their union!

Swami Krishnacharya Ji of Rishikesh

The reality is known only to Shankar and Vishnu Ji. Anyways, whoever is Ayyappa, I don't know. But I know one thing. I have never seen an idol as beautiful as that of Ayyappa. At the very first glance, I fell in love with Ayyappa. A pure gold dazzling idol, chanting of mantras, serene atmosphere, in totality a treat for a devotee!