Hinduism Pilgrimages

Hinduism is one of the oldest living religions in the world. Evolving in India where 83% of the population is Hindu. Hinduism in India affects family life, food, dress and architecture.  Pilgrimage or Tirthatan is the oldest way of traveling from one place to other in India. From the first instance of civilization to the present day, millions of Hindus leave their home in search of salvation. Hindu pilgrimage centers are in thousands and multiplying.  Some of the important Hindu pilgrimages are as follows:

Buddhist Pilgrimages

The Buddha put forth The Middle Way, The Four Noble Truths and The Eightfold Path at his first sermon the Dharmachakrapravrtana (Turning of the Wheel of Law) at Sarnath,

The message of the Buddha spread rapidly both within and outside India. The Buddha preached that the way to salvation was not dependent on God of Divine Grace but on understanding the way things really are. It is essentially concerned with all living, suffering beings caught in the treadmill of desire and craving.

Sakyamuni's message encapsulated complex issues of existence in a lucid manner, punctuated with anecdotes from day-to-day life. Important places associated with Buddhism in India are as follows:

Pilgrimages of Islam

Islam in India is the second-most practiced religion, with approximately 154 million Muslims in India's population as of 2008 (according to government census 2001), i.e., 13.4% of the population.  Currently, India has the second largest population of Muslims in the world. Since its introduction into India, Islam has made significant religious, artistic, philosophical, cultural, social and political influences to Indian history. Some of the reputed Muslim spiritual places are as follows:

Pilgrimages of Sikhism

The word ‘Sikh’ means learner. Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji, (1469-1538) born in the Punjab area was the founder of the religion. At Sultanpur, he received a vision to preach the way to enlightenment and God.  A succession of nine Gurus (regarded as reincarnations of Guru Nanak) led the movement during the period from Guru Nanak's death until 1708. At that time, the functions of the Guru passed to the Panth and to the holy text, considered the 11th Guru. Places of spiritual importance associated with Sikhism are as follows:

Pilgrimages of Christianity

Christianity has had long and glorious relations with India. According to the legends, St. Thomas sailed to India from Eastern Asia in AD 52. He spent 12 years in India, the last eight of his life in Mylapore in Madras (now Chennai). Several shrines have been created in the places associated with him. Apart from this, 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 are comparable to the best in the world and are as much a part of the heritage of India as its ancient temples. You must visit these churches and explore the fascinating world of Christianity in India.

Jain Pilgrimages

Jainism is one of the oldest religions that originated in India. Jains believe that every soul is divine and has the potential to achieve God-consciousness. Jainism was revived by a lineage of 24 enlightened ascetics called tirthankaras culminating with Parsva (9th century BCE) and Mahavira (6th century BCE.)  In the modern world, it is a small but influential religious minority with as many as 10 million followers in India.