 Major festivals and pilgrimages in reverence of Surya include Makar Sankranti, Pongal, Samba Dashami,Ratha Sapthami, Chath puja and Kumbh Mela.Having survived as a primary deity in Hinduism arguably better and longer than any other of the original Vedic deities apart from Vishnu, the worship of Surya declined greatly around the 13th century, perhaps as a result of the Muslim conquest of north India.New Surya temples virtually ceased to be built, and some were later converted to a different dedication, generally Shiva.