India is the land of diverse religions where lies the serenity of its mixed cultural heritage. India is dotted with pilgrimages. Great religions like Hinduism, Buddhism and Sikhism have originated on the Indian soil. The unity in diversity is the keyword to depict multi-religions society living happily in India.
India as a confluence of different religions has always attracted pilgrims from all over the world. India is home to many religions like Hinduism, Christianity, Sikhism, Buddhism, Jainism and Islam and all of them have their important places of worship, here.
Hindu Pilgrimages
In the North India, some of the holiest places to visit are Kelas-Mansarovar, Amarnath, Rishikesh, Haridwar, Varanasi, Prayag (Allahabad), where the Kumbh Mela is held and Mathura, the birthplace of Lord Krishna. In the East India lies Puri in Orissa, famous for the Jagannath Temple and its Rath Yatra. Rameshwaram and Kanyakumari lie in the South and Dwaraka the kingdom of Lord Krishna in the west. Also places like Tirupati, Vaishnodevi, Shirdi, Pushkar, Puttaparthi, and Madurai towns are famous for their temples and shrines and very much on a must visit list.
Tirupati Balaji : Temple is set on a hill at Tirumala, a group of seven hills known as Seshachalam in south India, with an elevation of 2,800ft above the sea level. It is one of the richest temples in the world.
Vaishno Devi : Temple is located in a cave in the upper Trikuta Mountains in Jammu & Kashmir; it is associated with goddess Mahalakshmi.
Shirdi : This sacred site of Sai Baba is located 260 kms from Mumbai, 130 kms from Aurangabad.
Pushkar : Pushkar is famous for Brahma Mandir and the biggest cattle fair which falls in the month of Kartik. It commences two days before the full moon of the month and ends a day after it. Men and women congregate from all over Rajasthan and other nearby places with their horses, camels and cattle to buy and sell. In addition to its commercial importance, the fair is also a window to the cultural richness of Rajasthan. Days before it begins, tradesmen, craftsmen, troupes of dancers and signers, all gather here.
Puttaparthi : Birthplace of Sri Satya Sai Baba, it is one of the religious destinations on your India tour.
Maduriai : Also called the Meenakshi Temple, it is located along river Vaigai. Believed to have been set up by the Pandyan King, Kulasekara in the 6th century BC, it is also referred to as the Athens of the East.
Sikh Pilgrimages : Sikh pilgrimage sites in India include the Golden Temple founded by Guru Ram Das, the fourth Sikh Guru. This is the most sacred shrine of the Sikhs and is situated in the town of Amritasar. Another important pilgrimage site is Anandpur Sahib, where Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Guru, created the Khalsa or the pure ones by baptising them. Hemkund Sabih world’s highest shrine at altitude 4329 meters, in also one of the most sacred destinations of Sikhs.
Jain Pilgrimages : Jain temples in India are an attraction to all the devotees following Jainism religion. One of the most important Jain pilgrimage sits located in the Karnataka state is the monolithic statue of Bahubali at Sravanabelagola. Also the Mount Abu in Rajasthan where the Dilwara Temple is situated is one of the finest examples of Jain art and architecture. Ranakpur, in Pali (Rajasthan) is also one of the most significant Jain pilgrimage site.
Christian Pilgrimages : Christianity has had long and glorious relations with India. History states that St. Thomas sailed to India from Eastern Asia in AD 52 and spent 12 years in India, the last eight of his life in Mylapore in Madras (now Chennai). Also with the advent of Europeans in India from the 15th century onwards led to the mass influx of Christians and subsequent development of Christian worship places. Some of the churches of colonial India fascinate the visitors with their charm and associated history. Owing their roots mostly to early Portuguese settlers, Goan churches are fine examples of late 16the and early 17th century art and architecture. Basilica of Bom Jesus and Goa Se Cathedral are the most prominent among them.
Buddhist Pilgrimages : Buddhist pilgrimage sites found in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Ladakh, and other parts of India are important destinations for millions of people in South East Asia and other parts of the world. Bodhgaya pilgrimage in India is reckoned as the most important Buddhist pilgrimage centre and its magnificent Mahabodhi temple is an architectural amalgamation of many centuries, cultures and heritages. Vaishali is of special significance to the Buddhists. It is here that Buddha delivered his last sermon and announced his Nirvana i.e. eternal bliss or final liberation or emancipation from worldly matter and reunion with Supreme Spirit.
