Religious tourism in India

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Religious tourism in India is a focus of Narendra Modi's national tourism policy. Uttarakhand has been popular as a religious and adventure tourism hub. [1]

Contents

Tourism by religion

India-origin religions

Since India is birthplace of Indian-origin religions, namely Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, and Sikhism, their holiest sites and highest concentration of religious sites pertaining to these religions are in India. Common pilgrim circuits, sites and practices are as follows:

Buddhism

Mahabodhi Temple Mahabodhitemple.jpg
Mahabodhi Temple

The Mahabodhi Temple in Bodh Gaya is one of the holiest sites in Buddhism. [2] Buddhist sites, many related to the travels of Buddha, are spread across India. Important Buddhist prikarma sites are, Bodh Gaya, Sarnath, Sravasti (Jetavana), Rajgir hills, Kurukshetra (Bodh Stupa on bank of Brahma Sarovar, pilgrimage undertaken by Gautama Buddha), Shrughna (Yamunanagar, vihara visited by Buddha for sermon), Adi Badri (saraswati udgam sthal and vihara visited by Buddha), Parinirvana Stupa (place of death and nirvana of Lord Buddha at Kushinagar, and Sankissa. See also Buddhist pilgrimage sites.

Hinduism

Hindus pilgrims in India undertake yatra (pilgrimage) to numerous sites, temples and samadhis (shrines) of saints) for puja and parikrama to earn punya with the aim to attain moksha. In order of importance for pilgrims in India, there are 4 Dhams (Char Dham) and 12 Jyotirlings devoted to the Lord Shiva, 51 Shakti Pithas devoted to the feminine manifestation of the god, and the important Lord Rama circuit (Ayodhya, Chitrakoot, Hampi and Rameswaram) and Lord Krishna circuit (Mathura, Vrindavan, Barsana, Govardhan, Kurukshetra, Dwarka and Bhalka). Sacred pilgrim sites related to Lord Rama are Ayodhya, Prayagraj, Chitrakoot, Hampi and Rameswaram. Sacred pilgrim sites related to Lord Krishna are Mathura, Vrindavan, Barsana, Govardhan, Vraja Parikrama, 48 kos parikrama of Kurukshetra, Dwarka, Bhalka (place of death of Lord Krishna).

India has become a major destination for yoga tourism, [3] bringing business to ashrams in places such as Mysore (for Ashtanga Yoga) and Rishikesh (for Sivananda Yoga, among others). That has led to the creation of many yoga schools offering teacher training and promotion of India as a "yoga tourism hub" [4] by the Indian Ministry of Tourism and the Ministry of AYUSH. [5]

Jain

The holiest site of Jainism are spread across India.

Sikhism

The Golden Temple is the holiest site in Sikhism.

The holy sites for Sikhs include the following in the order of importance:

Foreign-origin religions

Baháʼí

The roots of the Baháʼí Faith in India go back to the first days of the Bábí religion in 1844. [6] For Baháʼís in India, the Lotus Temple in Delhi, is most well known Baháʼí House of Worship that was dedicated in December 1986. [7]

Islam

The dargahs or shrines of major Sufi figures in India, such as Ajmer Sharif and Nizamuddin, attract many Muslims. Qadian is a considered a holy city by Ahmadi Muslims.

Zoroastrianism

Due to persecution of Zoroastrians, in other countries and the liberal atmosphere and patronisation of India, today the largest population of Zoroastrians resides in India.

Zoroastrians, the practitioners of Zoroastrianism have been living in India since the Sasanian period (224-651 CE), [8] started to migrate to India in successive waves migrations after the Muslim invasion of Persia when invading Muslim started religious persecution and Zoroastrianism suffered a decline in Iran, later another wave of migration to India started when Safavids forced their subjects to convert to Shiism. [9] Zoroastrians in India, have numerous fire temples in India where they travel for worship. Udwada Atash Behram is the oldest fire temple in India The temple attracts Zoroastrian pilgrims from around the world and considered the most sacred for Zoroastrians.

List of Important Places

MAP of Places
SrPlaceDeityImportance
1Sharda Peeth, POKSharadaShaktipeeth
2Nankana Sahib, PakistanSikh
3Kartarpur Sahib, PakistanSikh
4DharamshalaBuddhist
5Jwalamukhi, KangraJwalamukhiShaktipeeth
6AmritsarGolden TempleSikh
7Anandpur SahibSikh
8Talwandi SaboSikh
9KurukshetraKrishnaGita
10BehatShakambariShaktipeeth
11HaridwarSaptapuri, Kumbha Mela
12Rishikesh
13YamunotriChota Dham
14GangotriChota Dham
15KedarnathShivaJyotirlinga, Chota Dham
16BadrinathVishnuChar Dham, Chota Dham, Swayambhu Vishnu
17GarbyangAdi Kailash
18Kailash, TibetShiva
19DelhiNizamuddin, Lotus Temple, AkshardhamMuslim, Bahai, Hindu
20VrindavanKrishna Circuit
21MathuraSaptapuri, Krishna Circuit
22NaimisharanyaVishnuSwayambhu Vishnu
23AyodhyaRama, HanumangarhiSaptapuri, Rama Circuit, Hanuman
24Lumbini, NepalBuddhist
25Muktinath, NepalShaligram VishnuSwayambhu Vishnu
26Pashupati, NepalPashupatinathShiva
27KushinagarBuddhisht
28PrayagrajAlopi Sankari, HanumanShaktipeeth, Kumbha Mela, Hanuman
29ChitrakootRama Circuit
30SarnathBuddhist
31Varanasi (Kashi)Vishalakshi & Vishveshwar, HanumanSaptapuri, Shaktipeeth, Jyotirlinga
32PatnaMahavir Hanuman, Takht Sri HarimandirSikh, Hanuman
33PawapuriJain
34RajgirBuddhist, Jain
35GayaMangla GauriShaktipeeth
36BodhgayaBuddhist
37ParasnathJain
38BaidyanathJyotirlinga
39KamakhyaMaa KamakhyaShaktipeeth
40Pandua, West BengalMaa ShrinkhalaShaktipeeth
41KolkattaMaha KaliShaktipeeth
42JajpurBirajadeviShaktipeeth
43BhubaneswarLingaraj TempleSwayambhu Hari Har
44PuriJagannath & VimalaChar Dham, Shaktipeeth.
45PurusottampurMaa Tara TariniShaktipeeth
46PithapuramKukkuteswara, DattatreyaShaktipeeth, Sripad Vallabha
47DraksharamaBheemeswaraShaktipeeth
48TirupatiVenkateshwaraSwayambhu Vishnu
49KanchipuramKamakshiSaptapuri, Shaktipeeth
50SrimushnamBhuvarahswamySwayambhu Vishnu
51TiruchirappalliRanganath SwamySwayambhu Vishnu
52RameshwaramShiva, Panchamukhi HanumanJyotirlinga, Char Dham, Hanuman
53Koneshwaram, Sri LankaShaktipeeth
54NanguneriVanamamalai PerumalSwayambhu Vishnu
55Chamundeshwari, MysuruChamundeshwariShaktipeeth
56HampiRama circuit
57AlampurJogulambaShaktipeeth
58SrisailamMallikarjun & Bhramaramba, DattatreyaJyotirlinga, Shaktipeeth, Narsimha Saraswati
59Kurvapur, RaichurDattatreyaSripad Vallabha
60KudalasangamaBasaveshwarLingayat
61GanagapuraDattatrayaNarsimha Saraswati
62ManikanagaraDattatrayaManik Prabhu
63AkkalkotDattatreyaSwami Samartha
64TuljapurBhavani MataShaktipeeth
65PandharpurVithoba Rukmini
66Shikhar ShingnapurShambhu MahadevShiva
67NarsobawadiDattatreyaNarsimha Saraswati
68Mahalaxmi KolhapurAmbabai MahalaxmiShaktipeeth
69Pali, SataraKhandoba
70Janai Malai SataraDevi
71MahadVaradavinayak GaneshaAstavinayak
72HarihareshwarHari Har, KalbhairavnathSwayambhu
73Pali, RaigadBallaleshwar GaneshaAstavinayak
74KalajKhandoba
75JejuriKhandoba
76MorgaonMayureshwar GaneshaAstavinayak
77SiddhatekSiddhivinayak GaneshaAstavinayak
78TheurChintamani GaneshaAstavinayak
79RanjangaonMahaganapatiAstavinayak
80OzharVigneshwar GaneshAstavinayak
81LenyadriGirijatmaj GaneshAstavinayak
82BhimashankarJyotirlinga
83MumbaiSiddhi Vinayak, Mahalaxmi
84UdvadaIranshah Atash BehramParsi / Zoroastrian
85TrimbakeshwarJyotirlinga
86NashikPanchavatiRama Circuit, Kumbha Mela
87SaptshrungiShaktipeeth
88ShirdiSai Baba
89Shani ShingnapurShanidev
90ElloraGrishneshwarJyotirlinga
91AmbejogaiYogeshwari
92NandedSikh
93Aundha NagnathJyotirlinga
94MahurRenukaShaktipeeth
95ShegaonGajanan Maharaj
96OmkareshwarJyotirlinga
97UjjainMahakal, MahakaliJyotirlinga, Shaktipeeth, Saptapuri, Kumbha Mela
98PalitanaJain
99SomnathJyotirlinga
100GirnarDattatreya, Neminatha
101DwarkaNageshwar, DwarkadishChar Dham, Saptapuri, Jyotirlinga
102AjmerAjmer SharifSufi Saint
103PushkarVarah SwamySwayambhu Vishnu

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pilgrimage</span> Journey or search of moral or spiritual significance

A pilgrimage is a journey to a holy place, which can lead to a personal transformation, after which the pilgrim returns to their daily life.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bodh Gaya</span> Historical city in Bihar, India

Bodh Gayā is a religious site and place of pilgrimage associated with the Mahabodhi Temple complex, situated in the Gaya district in the Indian state of Bihar. It is famous for being the place where Gautama Buddha is said to have attained enlightenment under what became known as the Bodhi Tree. Since antiquity, Bodh Gaya has remained the object of pilgrimage and veneration, for both Hindus and Buddhists. In particular, archaeological finds, including sculptures, show that the site was in use by Buddhists since the Mauryan period. Bodh Gaya and the nearby regions were invaded and destroyed in the 12th century CE by Muslim Turk armies, led by Delhi Sultanate's Qutb al-Din Aibak and Bakhtiyar Khilji.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bodhi Tree</span> Sacred fig tree in Bodh Gaya, Bihar, India

The Bodhi Tree, also called the Mahabodhi Tree, Bo Tree, is a large sacred fig tree located in Bodh Gaya, Bihar, India. Siddhartha Gautama, the spiritual teacher who became known as the Buddha, is said to have attained enlightenment or buddhahood circa 500 BCE under this tree. In religious iconography, the Bodhi Tree is recognizable by its heart-shaped leaves, which are usually prominently displayed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kaithal</span> City in Haryana, India

Kaithal is a city and municipal council in the Kaithal district of the Indian state of Haryana. Kaithal was previously a part of Karnal district and later, Kurukshetra district until 1 November 1989, when it became the headquarters of the Kaithal. It shares a border with the Patiala district of state Punjab and the Kurukshetra, Jind and Karnal districts of Haryana. Kaithal district is situated in the North-West of the Haryana state. Its North-West boundaries, which include Guhla-Cheeka are attached to Punjab.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parikrama</span> Religious practice

Parikrama or Pradakshina is clockwise circumambulation of sacred entities, and the path along which this is performed, as practiced in the Indic religions – Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism and Jainism. In Buddhism, it refers only to the path along which this is performed. Typically, in Indic-religions the parikrama is done after completion of traditional worship and after paying homage to the deity. Parikrama must be done with dhyāna.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buddhist pilgrimage sites</span>

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<i>Yatra</i> Pilgrimage in Indian religions

Yatra, in Indian-origin religions, Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism, generally means a pilgrimage to holy places such as confluences of sacred rivers, sacred mountains, places associated with Hindu epics such as the Mahabharata and Ramayana, and other sacred pilgrimage sites. Visiting a sacred place is believed by the pilgrim to purify the self and bring one closer to the divine. The journey itself is as important as the destination, and the hardships of travel serve as an act of devotion in themselves.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tourism in Bihar</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ramgarhia Bunga</span> Two identical minarets situated at entrance of the Golden Temple complex

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur</span> Sikh gurdwara in Kartarpur, Pakistan

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Golden Temple</span> Sikh religious site in Amritsar, Punjab, India

The Golden Temple (also known as the Harmandir Sahib, or the Darbār Sahib, is a gurdwara located in the city of Amritsar, Punjab, India. It is the pre-eminent spiritual site of Sikhism. It is one of the holiest sites in Sikhism, alongside the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur in Kartarpur, and Gurdwara Janam Asthan in Nankana Sahib.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hazur Sahib</span> One of the 5 Takhts in Sikhism

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A takht, or taḵẖat, literally means a throne or seat of authority and is a spiritual and temporal centre of Sikhism. There are five takhts, which are five gurudwaras that have a very special significance for the Sikh community. Three are located in Punjab whilst the remaining two are located outside of it.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kapal Mochan</span> Religious site in Haryana, India

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tourism in Marathwada</span> Overview of tourism in Marathwada, India

Tourism in Marathwada refers to tourism in the Marathwada region of Maharashtra state in India. Aurangabad is a regional headquarters in Marathwada, and the tourism capital of Maharashtra state. Out of the four UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Maharashtra, two are in the Marathwada region. There are also 110 monuments in Marathwada which are protected by Government of Maharashtra and recognized by Archaeological Survey of India.

Tourism in Haryana relates to tourism in the state of Haryana, India. There are 22 tourism hubs created by Haryana Tourism Corporation (HTC), which are located in Ambala, Bhiwani Faridabad, Fatehabad, Gurgaon, Hisar, Jhajjar, Jind, Kaithal, Karnal, Kaimla, Kurukshetra, Panchkula, Sirsa, Sonipat, Panipat, Rewari, Rohtak, Yamunanagar, Palwal and Mahendergarh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">48 kos parikrama</span> Hindu Pilgrimage

The 48 kos parikrama is a parikrama of various Mahabharata-related and other Vedic-era tirthas around the holy city of Kurukshetra in the state of Haryana, India.

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