Top 10 Hindu Pilgrimages In India
One of the most diverse countries in the world is India. Our country is rich in mythology and we cannot be lesser proud of this fact. The never ending mythology of our country has led to a lot of pilgrim spots in the country. The Hindu pilgrim spots in the country are considered extremely holy where the pilgrims hover around throughout the year. A lot of people just visit India to know more about its history, culture, heritage, religious practices, mythologies, castes, and festivals. The stories attached to these places make people want to visit these spots and discover everything from the scratch. Spiritual enlightenment in our country is also too strong to be ignored. The interesting thing to note here is that the pilgrim spots of the country are filled with natural beauty to allure the visitors.
One feels that they are living the stories that they have heard when they visit these places. Yes, the vibe is that magical. Here are the top 10 Hindu pilgrimages in India.
One of the topmost holiest cities of India is Varanasi which also happens to be India’s oldest city. The city is the abode of Lord Shiva himself with its prior name being Kashi. There are a lot of mythological stories attached to this place along with so many temples in the city. Along with the stories and the temples, the city is known for 88 sacred ghats that are used for a lot of religious activities. There are a lot of Hindu beliefs attached to this place like having cremation post death here to attain salvation, letting the ashes get immersed here, taking bath in the river to wash away the sins, and lots more.
Rameshwaram
There are 12 Jyortirlingas of Lord Shiva in the entire city and one of them is in Rameshwaram. The Rameshwaram temple is a part of the four circuit or the Chaar Dhaam circuit. The Chaar Dhaam Yatra is a very popular and important religious trip circuit for the Hindus hence this place is extremely important as well. The popular festivals or the peak time to visit this temple or the city is during the festival of Navratri and Mahashivratri. The highlight of this place is that it is located on the Pamban island which is connected with a bridge and it is beautiful. It is a treat of a place to the travelers.
Another very important place in India for the Hindus from the religious perspective has to be Haridwar. Haridwar means the gate of the God where Hari stands for God and war is for gate. It could easily be said as the heaven filled with Gods for the Hindus. It is located on the banks of holy river Ganga where the diyas and garlands keep on floating giving a mystical sight to the eyes. The evening Ganga Aarti at Har ki Pauri is something is a not to miss sight. The place is famous for the Kumbh mela that happens here after every 12 years.
For ages now, this city has been the one of the most important sacred sites of India. It is settled across the holy river Ganga having the stunning backdrop of the gorgeous Himalayas. There are a lot of temples in the town like the Neelkanth Mahadev mandir, Sri Tryambakeshwar temple, Kunjapuri temple, Bharat Mandir, and others. There is a Laxman Jhula as well in the town which is a popular tourist spot and one of the most pictured spots in the town. The hill station is famous amongst the adventures and solo travellers. People love vacationing at this place.
Sarnath is a popular pilgrim site for the Hindus and also for the Buddhist. The town is located in Varanasi near the confluence of the rivers Ganga and Varuna. This is a place of enlightenment where Lord Buddha taught Dharma for the first time. It is this place itself where Buddhist Sangha came into existence through the enlightenment of Kundali. The teachings that were taught here were about the 4 noble truths. Sarnath is visited by Buddhists and Hindus throughout the year. The temple here is the site of attraction.
This beautiful town in Punjab is one of its kind in terms of the positive vibe and also the natural beauty. The pilgrim spot here is the Golden Temple of India also called as the Harmandir Sahib. The calming atmosphere here is so positive that it is capable to change your mind and thoughts entirely. The temple is called so because it is made of pure gold throughout. The scene of the temple is incredibly gorgeous and soothing. Baisakhi and Guru Purab are celebrated massively here. Also, the langar served here regularly is a not to miss thing.
The land or the house of Lord Krishna and his beloved Goddess Radha is Mathura and Vrindavan. This is a beautiful city where one would feel the presence of Lord Krishna and Goddess Radha throughout. There are so many stories attached to so many spots around the city that make you love this place a little more. Vrindavan is a small village town near to Mathura and has the same vibe going. There are more than hundreds of temples in the city dedicated to Lord Krishna and Radha maa. The locals here greet you by saying Radhe Radhe all the time.
Talking about the holiest temples in India, we cannot not miss Tirupati. This is one of those temples where people do enough mannat and this temple is known for that. Lord Venkateshwara who is the incarnation of Lord Vishnu is the main deity of this temple and the temple is dedicated to him. Millions and millions of devotees visit the temple throughout the year. But, the peak time of the temple has to be during the 9 day Brahmotsavan festival that happens in the month of October.
Shirdi
Shirdi is the land of Sai Baba. This one is a small holy town in the state of Maharashtra. The town of Shirdi is synonymous with the name of Sai Baba and goes like Shirdi sai baba. Shirdi Sai Baba was a saint who entered Shirdi as a young lad. He spent a considerable amount of his life time in Shirdi until he took his maha samadhi in 1918. There is a huge temple in Shirdi dedicated to Sai Baba which is always filled with devotees. The festivals like holi, diwali, ram navmi, and Vijaya Dashmi are celebrated in grand level.
Amarnath and Kedarnath
The beauty of Amarnath and Kedarnath is obviously the shivling but also the snow capped mountain sights throughout. The places are dedicated to Lord Shiva and one of the 12 jyotirlingas is in Kedarnath. The temple of Kedarnath is opened in the months of April to November during the summer months. In the winters, the jyotirlinga is transferred to Ukhimath and is worshipped there. The beauty of the glaciers and the snow capped mountains is beautiful to experience. These are the most popular tourist spots of the country that is lovingly visited by loads of Mahakaal bhakts.
Conclusion
Every city or state of India has some religious side attached to it. But, some of the cities of our country are entirely holy because of a lot of mythological and religious stories attached to it. These were some of the top Hindu pilgrimages in our country that is filled with pilgrims throughout the year. Yes, even these places have their peak season but the devotees visit the place throughout the year for paying regards and offer prayers to their Gods.
