Pilgrimage in India
The kind of cosmopolitan existence India has is best reflected
in its pilgrim centres. Religion is the heartbeat of the
nation and the followers of all the major religious and
sects, viz., Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism, Jainism, Zororastrianism
have lived here for centuries. Together has come up temples,
mosques, gurudwaras, churches, synagogues and religious
and spiritual centres. Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, Sikhism
and countless minor cults and religious sects were born
in India. Their religious and spiritual centres dot the
country as much as those of the faiths of Islam and Christianity
which came from outside. There is a very long list of temples,
mosques and tombs, churches and gurudwaras spread all over
the India. Infact, a vacation or holiday can hardly be conceived
without a sojourn of pilgrim centres of India.
If the Char Dham Yatra, along with Ayodhya, Allahabad,
Varanasi, Rishikesh and Haridwar in the North India and
other pilgrim centres like Chidambaram, Jagannathpuri and
Rameshwaram are important to the Hindus, the shrine of Moinuddin
Chisti at Ajmer, Jama Masjid of Delhi and Agra, draw millions
of devotees every year. The Golden Temple at Amritsar and
Patna Sahib (in Bihar) Bangla Sahib and Sisganj Gurudwaras
at Delhi are equally severed by the Sikh Community.
The Buddhist pilgrim centres like Rajgriha, Bodhgaya, Nalanda
(all in Bihar) and Sarnath in UP are naturally of special
interests to the followers of Buddhism. These Buddhist pilgrim
centres constitute a very important element of travel and
tourism in India. Further the Jain temples of Dilwara and
Mt Abu draw thousands of followers, proving once more that
a sojourn to pilgrim centres is one of the prominent reason.
So much so, that even a small community like Bahai, have
their own for travelling in India structure, viz. The Lotus
Temple at Delhi, contributing its bit to the tourism in
India.
Moreover, Hinduism being the largest religion, as well
as the oldest one, their pilgrim centres in India outnumbers
the others.
Even , the followers from outside the country travel to
India to make a visit of places like Vaishno Devi, Amarnath,
Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri and Yamunotri, Brajbhoomi,
Rameshwaram - all reflecting the faith and belief of the
one of the largest religious/religious groups of the world.
Followers of Islam form the second largest religious group
in India. Their mosques and shrines of Sufi saints like
Moinuddin Chisti and Nizamuddin Aulia, dot the map of and
give a boost to tourism in India. The European advent resulted
in the erection of number of churches. And the pilgrim centres
of Sikhs, relatively young in origin are connected with
the life and work of their ten Gurus like Hemkund Sahib,
Bangla Sahib (New Delhi), Sisganj (Old Delhi), Nankana Sahib
(now in Pakistan) make India a very good religious holiday
destination.
Moreover, there are festivals to celebrate everything under
the sun, from honouring sacred cows, arrival of monsoon,
new harvest to personal wedding celebrations. All in all,
travel and tourism in India go together with pilgrim and
other religious and spiritual centres. A visit to those
places is more often than not, a great way to enjoy one's
holiday/vacations. Travelmasti invites you to the great
spiritual experience that India is, and request to join
and regalement and enjoy. |
