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Pilgrimage


Pilgrimage in Hinduism, as in other religions, is the practice of journeying to sites where religious powers, knowledge, or experience are deemed especially accessible. Hindu pilgrimage is rooted in ancient scriptures. Devotional literature praise certain places and their miraculous capacities.

Listed some of the places visited.

Holy Mountains

Mount Kailash 6,638 m 31.0667° N, 81.3125° E Kailash Manasarovar 21,778 for almost all religions and faiths like Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, Chinese and Bons. The word kailasha means crystal, which is a purest state of mind. Mt. Kailash is a sacred for Bon-po (the original Tibetan religion). It is called Gangs Rinpoche, regarded as a living entity, a living deity, not just a mountain. The Kali Gandaki Gorge cuts through the main ridge of the Himalaya Mountains between the Annapurna (8091m) and the Dhaulagiri (8167m) Mountains.

The Manimahesh Lake (3,900 meters) in Himachal Pradesh at the foot of Manimahesh champah Kailash peak (5,653 m 32° 23'N 76° 40'E). A rock formation in the shape of a Shivling on Kailash is considered to be the manifestation of Lord Shiva. Manimaheshrefers to a jewel on Lord Shiva’s crown. The lake and its surroundings present an imposing view. The quiet waters of the lake carry the reflection of the snow capped peaks.

Kinnaur Kailash 6,500 m 31.5206° N, 78.3636° E, with a 24 meters Shivlinga changing its colour often. Lord Shiva holds a meeting of all gods and goddesses. One finds a unique blend of Hinduism and Buddhism. The Kinner Kailash Parikrama (circumbulation) starts from Chail, near Shimla and ends at Manali.

Adi Kailash or Chota Kailash 4,730 m

Shrikant Mahadev Kailash 120 km dangerous trek over glaciers from Rampur in HP. The Shiva linga is an 24 meters sheer rock face jutting out from the middle of a glacier at an altitude of 21,700 feet above sea level.

Sapta Puri

Sapta Puri- The Seven Holy Cities of India are: Ayodhya, Mathura, Dwarka, Mayapuri or Haridwar, Varanasi (Benaras, Kashi), Kanchipuram, and Ujjain (Avanti).

Ayodhya - derived from the word "yudh" meaning "to fight," translates to "not to be fought" or "invincible".
Considered as Rama's birth place. Kanak Bhavan and the Kala Ram Temple. The Vashishtha Kund, in the shape of a well. Treth Ka Mandir where Lord Rama is believed to have performed a yajna, a fire sacrifice. Kshireshwaranath temple of Sita established by Lord Rama’s mother Kaushalya. Hanuman Gadhi, a temple dedicated to Lord Hanuman

Mathura (or Madurai) means sweetness or city of nectar. Also means "birthplace of Krishna, while Krishna means dark, black, charming or all-attractive.
The Krishna Janma Bhoomi, on the banks of River Yamuna. A Keshav Dev Temple. The Vishramaghat – it is a ghat on the bank of River Yamuna. Rangabhumi on the Kansatila Hill where Krishna killed Kamsa. Prem Mandir Vrindavan, Govindji temple, Madan Mohan temple, Radha Damodar temple, Radha Gopinath temple, Banke Bihari temple, Krishna Balarama temple, Rangaji temple and Seva Kunja.
Vrindavan means forest of Vrinda(holy basil) or grove of Vrinda. It is where Lord Krishna spent his childhood, is 12 km away from Mathura and has nearly 5000 temples.

Dwarka means "gateway" or "the gated city. It is derived from the Sanskrit words "dwar" (door or gate) and "ka" (Brahma). It was on the banks of the Gomti River, about 5000 years ago. Jagat Mandir and the oldest temple in Dwarka, the Dwarakadheesh Temple Rukmini, the consort of Lord Krishna in Bet Dwarka, 2 km away from Dwarka.

Haridwar is on the western banks of River Ganga. Haridwar means "gateway of God" or gateway to Hari or Vishnu. Har-ki-Pauri ghat or Gangadwara has been constructed at the exact location where River Ganga descends on the plains. The famous temples of Haridwar include: Mansa Devi Temple; Chandi Devi Temple; Maya Devi Temple; Bharat Mata Mandir

Kashi means "luminous" or "shining". It is derived from the Sanskrit word "kas" which translates to "to shine" or "to appear". Varanasi is linked to the tributaries of the Ganges, Varuna and Assi rivers. Varanasi was also known as Banaras means the city of light. Varanasi, or Benaras, (also known as Kashi) is one of the oldest continually inhabited city, and has been bustling with cultural and religious activity since the Bronze Age collapse. Varanasi or Shiv ki Nagri, has more than 2000 temples and 81 ghats. The more important ghats and temples include: Manikarnika, Dashashwamedha and Pancha-ganga, Asi Sangam and Varana Sangam. Temples: Adi Keshava Vishnu temple located at the confluence of River Ganga and River Varana; Vishvanath temple; Visalakshi and Annapurna; Bindhu Madhava; Adi Keshava temple; Durga temple; Sankat Mochan temple

Kanchipuram refers to city of Kanchi flowers" or "the city of Kanchi trees". It is on the banks of the Vegavathy and Palar river in Tamil Nadu. The city has 108 Shaiva and 18 Vaishnava exquisitely designed temples Kamakshi Amman; Ekambareswarar; Kailasanathar and Vaikunta Perumal Temple.

Ujjain or Ujjayini means "invincible" or "victorious". It is on the bank of the Kshipra river. Lord Shiva killed the demon Tripura in Ujjain. Lord Krishna and Balarama were tutored here by Muni Sandipani. Apart from the Mahakaleshwas Temple with the Jyotirlinga, the Gopal Temple with a silver idol of Krishna and Balarama, and Muni Sandipani is also very famous.

SevenSacred Rivers

Seven Sacred Rivers," are the Ganga, Yamuna, Saraswati, Godavari, Narmada, Sindhu (Indus), and Kaveri. The names have lot of meanings.
1 Ganga (Ganges) meaning river, originates from the Gangotri Glacier in Uttarakhand
2 Yamuna is also originating in the Himalayas, is considered the sister river of the Ganges. Yamuna is personified as a goddess Yami, the Lady of Life. She is known as the twin sister of Yama, the Lord of death. Yamuna is also called Kalindi in later literature.
3 Saraswati means possessing water or flowing stream. While its course is now largely dried up, its waters are believed to flow through Rajasthan and Gujarat.
4 Godavari means the river that carries the cows or the river that bestows water and wealth. Godavari originates from the Brahmagiri hills
5 Narmada means "the giver of pleasure" or "one who arouses tender feelings in others". Originating in the Aamarkantak hills, the Narmada flows through Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat.
6 Sindhu (Indus) means river or sea. The Indus River, which flows through Pakistan and India, is a significant river in South Asia and has played a crucial role in the region's history and culture.
7 Kaveri is derived from the words "ka" (meaning water) and "vera" (meaning body). Also means spread by a crow. Kaveri represents the life-giving and ever-flowing nature of water. The Kaveri river flowing through the states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, and is known for its fertile lands and rich agricultural history.

Char Dhams

The four pilgrimage sites are located in four different directions: 1 Badrinath Temple in Uttarakhand, it is a temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu; 2 Lord Jagannath in Puri, Odisha; 3 Rameswaram Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. The distance between Dhanushkodi in Tamil Nadu, India and Talaimannar in Sri Lanka is only about 27 km. 4 Dwarakadhish Temple in Dwarka, Gujarat dedicated to Lord Krishna.

In the Himalayas, there is a pilgrimage circuit in Uttarakhand, known as Chota Char Dham- Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri.

Shakti Peetha

There are more than 50 Shakti Peethas dedicated to goddess sati or Shakti. Some of the Shakti Peethas are: Chhinnamastika Shakti Peeth at Chintpurni in Himachal Pradesh; Mahalakshmi Temple in Kolhapur; Kamakshi Amman Temple in Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu; Chamundeshwari Temple in Mysore; Vishalakshi Temple in Varanasi; Jwala Ji Temple in Himachal Pradesh; Nandikeshwari Shakti Peeth in West Bengal; Vimala (Bimala) Temple in Puri; Kalmadhava Shakti Peeth in Madhya Pradesh and Kamakhya Temple in Guwahati. Vaishno Devi: 3 natural rock formations known as Pindies in Trikuta Mountains in Jammu and Kashmir.

North: Uttarakand - Himalaya

Kailash Peak in Gangotri region.
Neelknath Peak near Badrinath.
Meru Peak 6,660 m 30°52′5″N 79°1′56″E
Om Parvat 6,191 m
Shivling - Gangotri Group 6,543 m near Gaumukh-source of Ganga.
Kedarnath 6,940 m (30.7352° N, 79.0669). Tungnath Temple has perched on the Chandrashila Parvat in the Tungnath mountain range, in the state of Uttarakhand, at an altitude of 3,600 metres. Tungnath Temple translates to “God of Mountain, is also the highest of the PanchKedar temples.
Badarinath or Badarinarayana Temple is at an average elevation of 3,100 metres. It is in the Garhwal Himalayas, on the banks of the Alaknanda River.

North states

North West

North East

West

Central


Karnataka

Andhra

Tamilnadu

Kerala: South to North

(1) Trivandrum - Kollam:
Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple
Attukal Bhagavathy Temple
Pazhavangadi Ganapathy Temple
Aazhimala Siva Temple
Karikkakom Chamundi Devi Temple
Poruvazhy Peruviruthy Malanada at Kunnathoor - open platform open nature. .
Sivagiri Temple, Varkala
Kottarakkara Ganapathy Temple
Thiruvananthapuram
The Napier Museum, Kuthiramalika Palace, Sree Chithra Art Gallery, Priyadarshini Space Planetarium.
(2) Thiruvella Vallaba, 
Pathanamthitta Sastha,
Malayalappuzha Temple, Malayalapuzha 
Nilakkal Mahadeva Temple, Perunad
Erumeli - Pamba - Sabarimalai 
Ambalapuzha Srikrishna,
Aranmula Parthasarathy Temple, Mallapuzhassery
Kaviyoor Mahadeva Temple
(3) Around Kottayam:
Etumaanor, Kaduthurithi, Vaikom
Thiruvalla (Vallabha or Kolappiraan and Shiva). 
IRUMELI for Sastha and Vavar. 
KUMARANALLOOR SRI BHAGAVATHI TEMPLE
THIRUNAKKARA SHIVA TEMPLE, 
Kidangoor Subramanya Swamy Temple
(4) Chottanikkara:
Kaduthuruthy Shiva Temple, Chottanikkara
Poornathrayesa Temple, Chottanikkara
Ernakulatthappan temple, chottanikkara
(5) Around Ernakulam:
Aluva shiva kshethram, 
ALLURUTHI SREE BAVANEESWARA TEMPLE, 
Anchumana at Padivattam in Edapally, 
SREE NARAYANESWARAM TEMPLE, 
PALLURUTHI SREE DHANWANTHARY,
Vamanamoorthy Temple
Parambanar Kulangara Bhagawathy
VASUDEVAPURAM MAHAVISHNU
Kedamangalam Bhagawathy is worshipped in 6 forms
Poornathrayeesa Temple at Tripunithura
Kaladi Shankara mutt temples
(6) Kochi:
Haripad, Mannarsala (head of the Nagaraja)
Jewish Synagogue in the port city of Kochi
Paradesi Synagogue
Santa Cruz Cathedral oldest churches in India
St Mary's Church in Vallarpadam, islet in Cochin backwaters
Hill Palace Museum, 
Dutch palace, Chendamangalam Palace Fort, Pallipuram Fort, 
Vypin Island, Poru (River Bank)
Alleppey(Backwater)
Fort Kochi Beach 
(7) Kodungaloor:
Kodungaloor Bhagavathi and Sri Kurumba Bhagavathi 
Triprayar Sri Rama Temple
Thiruvanchikulam Shiva Temple, Kodungalloor
Cheraman Juma Mosque is a mosque in Methalar
Thomas Syro-Malabar Church 52 AD, Palayur
(8) Thrissur - Guruvayur:
Sri Guruvayur Krishna Temple
Mammiyur Sri Mahadeva, Parthasarathy & Venkatachalapathi
Chowalloor Shiva Temple, Kandanassery
Thrishur - Vadakumnaathan
Thiruvembady Krishna
Paramekavu (tail of the Nagaraja) 
Thrissur Parvati and his 4 children
*From here to coimbatore via palghat
(9) Calicut 
Tali Shiva temple
Kanhilassery shiva temple
ponanghotur subramanya temple
varakkal sree durga deavi temple
valayanad devi temple
pisharikavu temple
Lokanarkavu Temple, Villiappally
(10) Wayanad - Thalassery
Mahe aka Mayyazhi, .
Thalassery Fort, 
Sree Rama Swami Temple, 
Jagannath Temple by Narayana Guru.
Wayanad - Thirunelli Maha Vishnu* - can perform all the rituals
Kannur or Cannanore ancient temples
Parassinikadavu Muthappan Temple

Others

Buddhism:
Bodh Gaya: It is the biggest pilgrim center for the Buddhists in Bihar, and holds significance as Gautama Buddha is believed to have obtained 'enlightenment' here under the 'bodhi tree'.
Sarnath: Sarnath in Uttar Pradesh is a place where Buddha delivered his first teaching on Dharma.
Kushinagar: This place in Uttar Pradesh holds religious significance as here Gautama Buddha breathed his last and attained Parinirvana after his death.

Jainism:
Vaishali: Vaishali in Bihar is the birthplace of the last Jain Tirthankara, Mahavira, and is therefore an important religious place for the Jains. It also holds significance for the Buddhists as Gautama Buddha preached his last sermon here before his death.
Pavapuri: This is a holy place in Bihar where Lord Mahavira attained salvation.
Besides these places, there are many other famous Jain temples in the country. Few of such renowned temples are:
Gomateshwara Temple at Shravanabelagola
Sonagiri Temples in Madhya Pradesh.
Sri Digambar Jain Lal Mandir situated in Chandni Chowk, New Delhi
Palitana Temples in Bhavnagar, Gujarat, they are about thousand in number and are scattered on Shatrunjaya hills.
Bawangaja Temple: It is known for the world's tallest statue of first Jain Tirthankar, Adinatha and is situated in Barwani district of Madhya Pradesh.

Islam
The shrine of Hazratbal is located in Srinagar
Jama Masjid in Old Delhi.
Cheraman Juma Masjid in Kerala, by Malik Ibn Dinar, the first follower of Prophet Muhammad built it in 629 A.D.
Taj-ul-Masajid in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh
Mecca Masjid in Hyderabad
Some of the important mosques in India are Aasfi Masjid, Lucknow; Charminar, Hyderabad; Moti Masjid, Delhi; Sir Syed masjid, Aligarh; Tipu Sultan Shahi,

Sikhism:
Golden Temple: The Golden Temple of Amritsar, also known as Harminder Sahib. The four doors of the temple symbolise that it is open for people of all religions and beliefs.
Anandpur Sahib: It is known as 'the holy city of bliss' and is a part of Rupnagar district in Punjab.
Damdama Sahib: Located in Bhatinda, Punjab, it is the 'Seat of Temporal Authority' and is one of the most revered takhts of the Sikhs.
Patna Sahib is the birthplace of the tenth guru Sri Guru Gobind Singh in Patna
Hazur Sahibin Nanded, Maharashtra
Hemkund Sahib in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand
Gurudwara Paonta Sahib in Sirmour district of Himachal Pradesh. It has a religious significance as it houses the book Dasam Granth, written by Guru Gobind Singh Ji.
Bangla Sahib Gurudwara, Rakab Ganj Gurudwara, Sis Ganj Gurudwara in Delhi.

Christianity:
Bascilica of Bom Jesus in Goa, is known for the tomb of St. Francis Xavier.
St. Cajetan Church in Goa-based Church similar to that of St. Peter's Church in Rome.
St. Francis of Assisi in Goa
Santa Cruz Basilica in Kerala
Little Mount Church or the Shrine of Our Lady of Good Health
Cathedral Church of St. Thomas in Mumbai
Other popular churches in India are Church of St. Andrew, Church of St. Francis Xavier, Cathedral Church, Church & Cathedral of St. Monica, The Chapel of Our Lady of the Mount and Mater Dei Church. All these churches are located in Goa. Some other renowned churches outside Goa are Catholic Church, Sardhana; St. Joseph's Roman Church, Gorakhpur; St. Thomas Shrine, Palayur; St. Francis Church, Cochin; Parumala Palli, Kerala; Santa Cruz Basilica, Cochin and many more.

Judaism:
The religious places of the Jews were divided and built by three different Jewish groups:
Cochin Synagogues: The Paradesi Synagogue in Cochin (Kochi) is the oldest synagogue in Commonwealth of Nations. The people of Cochin Jewish community or the Malabar Yehudan built it in 1567.
Bene Israel Synagogues: In the late 18th to early 19th centuries, the Bene Israel Jews settled in Ahmedabad, Mumbai and Pune and built most synagogues in the country. Sha'ar HaRachamim, Mumbai; Magen Abraham, Ahmedabad; and many more in Konkan, Panvel and Alibag, Maharashtra; are few of the synagogues of Bene Israel.
Baghdadi Synagogues: The Sassoon family (descendants of Iraqi Jews) supported the construction of the Baghdadi synagogues in India. These synagogues generally have Holy Arks where Sefer Torahs are stored. The Magen david Synagogue in Byculla, Maharashtra; the Keneseth Eliyahoo Synagogue in Mumbai and the Ohel-david Synagogue in Pune are some of the Baghdadi Synagogue in India.

Sufism:
Dargah of Moinuddin Chisti or Ajmer Sharif
Haji Ali Dargah: Located on an islet in Mumbai
Nizamuddin Dargah: Located in Delhi, it is a shrine of Sufi saint Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya.
Chirag-i-Delhi Dargah: This Delhi-based dargah is a mausoleum of Sufi saint Hazrat Nasiruddin Mahmud Chiragh Dehlavi, who is titled as Raushan Chirag-i-Dilhi, which means the illuminated lamp of Delhi.
Piran Kaliyar Sharif at Kaliyar village in Haridwar
Hazrat Bu-Ali Shah Qalandar in Panipat
The Sufi dargahs or religious places are open for all. Hence, they are visited by people with distinct religious beliefs in large numbers.

Zoroastrianism:
There are about 150 fire temples in India with majority of them in Mumbai and Gujarat. Some of the popular fire temples in India are Iranshah Atash Behram, Udvada; Vakil Atash Behram, Surat; Maneckji Nusserwanji Chinoy Fire temple, Hyderabad; Seth Hormasji Bomanji Wadia, Mumbai; Mobed Minocherhomji Adarian, Navsari and many more.

The Lotus Temple in Delhi, Bahai House of Worship, notable for its flowerlike shape.

Major Towns

Amaravati
Ayadhya (modern day kanyakumari)
Mayilai (Mylapore - Chennai)
Chidambaram
Coimbatore
Cuddalore
Dharmapuri
Dwarka
Erode
Garthapuri (modern day Guntur / గుంటూరు)
Gwalior
Hampi
Jabalpur
Jaipur
Jhansi
Junagadh
Kalinjar
Kanchipuram*
Kannauj
Karur
Kaveripoompattinam
Keezhadi
Kodumanal
Kollam (Quilon)
Kumbakonam
Kurukshetra
Madura (North and South)
Mahabalipuram
Mangalore (earlier Kudla )
Mannargudi
Mayiladuthurai
Muziris (modern day Kodungallur)
Nagapattinam
Nalanda
Namakkal
Nashik
Pataliputra
Prayag (modern day Prayagraj)
Pratishthana (modern day Paithan)
Puri
Pushkar
Rajagriha Now as Rajgir
Rameshwaram
Somnath
Sravasti
Tiruchirappalli (Uraiyur Srirangam)
Thirussivaperoor (modern day Thrissur)
Tirunelveli
Tiruvannamalai
Tiruvarur
Udayagiri (modern day Bhopal)
Ujjain (earlier Ujjayini, Avanti)*
Vadodara (earlier known with following names Viravati, Chandravati, Vadpatra and Baroda)
Vaishali
Varanasi
Vellore
Vidisha
Vijayavatika (modern day Vijayawada)
Waltair (modern day Visakhapatnam)
Vrindavan
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