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]

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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.

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 Hindus and Buddhists both. In particular, archaeological finds, including sculptures, show that the site was in use by Buddhists since the Mauryan period.

<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">Anandpur Sahib</span> City in Punjab, India

Anandpur Sahib, also referred simply as Anandpur, is a city in Rupnagar district (Ropar), on the edge of Shivalik Hills, in the Indian state of Punjab. Located near the Sutlej River, the city is one of the most sacred religious places in Sikhism, being the place where the last two Sikh Gurus, Guru Tegh Bahadur and Guru Gobind Singh, lived. It is also the place where Guru Gobind Singh founded the Khalsa Panth in 1699. The city is home to Takhat Sri Kesgarh Sahib, the third of the five Takhts in Sikhism.

<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>

The most important places in Buddhism are located in the Indo-Gangetic Plain of southern Nepal and northern India. This is the area where Gautama Buddha was born, lived, and taught, and the main sites connected to his life are now important places of pilgrimage for both Buddhists and Hindus. Many countries that are or were predominantly Buddhist have shrines and places which can be visited as a pilgrimage.

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

In religion and spirituality, a pilgrimage is a long journey or search of great moral significance. Sometimes, it is a journey to a sacred place or to a shrine of importance to a person's beliefs and faith. Members of every major religion participate in pilgrimages. A person who makes such a journey is called a pilgrim.

<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>

The state of Bihar in eastern India, is one of the oldest inhabited places in the world with a history going back 3000 years. The rich culture and heritage of Bihar is evident from the innumerable ancient monuments that are dotted all over the state. Bihar is home to many tourist attractions and is visited by large numbers of tourists from all over the world. Around total 6 million tourists visit Bihar every year.

Hinduism is the most followed religion in Bihar, followed by nearly 82.7% of total population as per 2011 Census. Islam is the second-most followed religion which is followed by nearly 16.8% of population. There is also a significant population of Jains and Christians in the state.

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

Ramgarhia Bunga or Burj is the three-storeyed red stone watchtowers complex located near southeastern edge of the Golden Temple, Amritsar. The two minaret-style Ramgarhia Bunga high towers are visible from the parikrama (circumambulation) walkway around the Harmandir Sahib Sarovar. It is a pre-Ranjit Singh structure built by Sikh warrior and Ramgarhia misl chief Jassa Singh Ramgarhia in late 18th-century, after the 1762 destruction and desecration of the Sikh holy temple and site by the Afghan Muslim forces led by Ahmed Shah Abdali. The Bunga watchtowers-related infrastructure was constructed to station sentinels to watch for any surprise attack, house soldiers to help fortify the area, and to protect the holy complex from desecration.

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

Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur, also called Kartarpur Sahib, is a gurdwara in Kartarpur, located in Shakargarh, Narowal District, in the Punjab province of Pakistan. It is built on the historic site where the founder of Sikhism, Guru Nanak, settled and assembled the Sikh community after his missionary travels and lived for 18 years until his death in 1539. It is one of the holiest sites in Sikhism, alongside the Golden Temple in Amritsar and Gurdwara Janam Asthan in Nankana Sahib.

<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

Hazur Sahib, also known as Takht Sachkhand Sri Hazur Abchalnagar Sahib, is one of the five takhts in Sikhism. The gurdwara was built between 1832 and 1837 by Maharaja Ranjit Singh (1780–1839). It is located on the banks of the Godavari River at the city of Nanded in the state of Maharashtra, India.

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

Kapal Mochan is an ancient place of pilgrimage for both Hindus and Sikhs, 17 km north-east of Yamunanagar city-Jagadhari town, on the Bilaspur road in Yamunanagar district, Haryana, India. It is also called Gopal Mochan and Somsar Mochan. As per Legend, Brāhmanahatya i.e. killing of Brahmin is considered as a major sin, but one who kills a Brahmin and bath here, his Brāhmanahatya sins will be washed. Nearby Bilaspur, Haryana in Yamuna Nagar District which takes its name from the corrupted form of "Vyas Puri", was the ashram of Ved Vyasa rishi where he wrote the Mahabharta on the banks of Sarasvati river near Adi Badri where Sarasvati river leaves Himalayas and enters the plains.

<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.

<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.

References

  1. ↑ "U'khand eyes wellness tourism", The Times of India , 13 February 2016
  2. ↑ "Mahabodhi Temple Complex at Bodh Gaya". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 29 July 2019.
  3. ↑ Goldberg, Philip (2010). American Veda: From Emerson and the Beatles to Yoga and Meditation – How Indian Spirituality Changed the West. New York: Harmony Books. pp. 7, 152. ISBN   978-0-385-52134-5.
  4. ↑ Singh, Shikha. "Yoga Tourism in India India can be the Wellness Destination for the World" . Retrieved 3 December 2019.
  5. ↑ Maddox, Callie Batts (2014). "Studying at the source: Ashtanga yoga tourism and the search for authenticity in Mysore, India". Journal of Tourism and Cultural Change. 13 (4): 330–343. doi:10.1080/14766825.2014.972410. ISSN   1476-6825. S2CID   143449133.
  6. ↑ The Baháʼí Faith - Brief History Archived 2009-04-14 at the Wayback Machine National Spiritual Assembly of the Baháʼís of India.
  7. ↑ "Achievements of the Seven Year Plan" (PDF). Baháʼí News. July 1987. p. 3. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 April 2013. Retrieved 2 September 2017.
  8. ↑ Fereshteh Davaran. Continuity in Iranian Identity: Resilience of a Cultural Heritage. Routledge. pp. 54–55, 136–137.
  9. ↑ Monica M. Ringer (13 December 2011). Pious Citizens: Reforming Zoroastrianism in India and Iran. Syracuse University Press. pp. 25, 26. ISBN   9780815650607.
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