Top 5 Famous Pilgrimages across India

Thousands of people come to India for all over the world to witness the world of spiritual enlightenment. Most of the pilgrimage sites are tucked away in places blessed with unparalleled natural beauty.

The top 5 pilgrimages of India are-

1. Shirdi

The holy town of Shirdi in Maharashtra is known for Sai Baba – the saint who was revered by the followers of different religions and is said to have performed several miracles. The place is also known as Sainagar, it is located in the Rahata Taluka of Ahmednagar District. This place now has a railway station known as the “ Sainagar Shirdi Railway Station” which has been operational from March 2009. Shirdi also has an airport by the name “Shirdi Airport,” it was inaugurated by India’s president Mr Ramnath Kovind on 1st October 2017.

2.  Tirupati

The Tirumala Venkateswara Temple near Tirupati is considered to be the holiest city in India. The temple is dedicated to Lord Venkateswara who is an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Millions of devotees visit the temple every year, and the most pilgrims visit this place during the nine-day Brahmotsavan Festival in the month of October. As of 2011 census, the place had a population of 374,260, making it the ninth most populous city in the state of Andhra Pradesh.

3. Rameswaram

The Ramanathaswamy temple in Rameswaram is one of the 12 Jyotirlinga shrines of Lord Shiva and also a part of the Char Dharm circuit. Located on Pamban Island and connected to mainland India by a bridge, people must visit this place at least once in their life. Mahashivratri and Navratri are popular festivals here. The temple has the longest corridor among all Hindu temples in India. The temple is located in Rameswaram considered a holy pilgrimage site for Shaivites, Vaishnavites and Smarthas. The presiding deity, the Lingam of Ramanathaswamy (Shiva), is believed to have been established and worshipped by Rama, an avatar of the God Vishnu, to absolve the sins committed during the Ramayana war at Sri Lanka.

4. Vaishno Devi

One of the most popular Indian pilgrimages is the Vaishno Devi shrine, near Katra in Jammu. This holy temple is at a height of 5,300 feet and can be reached by an arduous climb. The temple is dedicated to goddess Shakti and is one of the 51 Shakti Peethas. Navratri is the biggest festival celebrated here. The Temple or Bhawan is 13.5 km from Katra and various modes of transportation are available from Katra to Bhawan, including ponies, electric vehicles and palki. Helicopter services are also available up to Sanjichhat, which is 9.5 km from Katra. A newly installed ropeway is also available which runs from the Bhawan to Bhairav Ghati, which is further 2.5 km from the Bhawan.

5. Golden Temple

The Golden Temple is also known as Harmandir Sahib or Darbar Sahib, it is a spiritual temple or Gurudwara located in the city of Amritsar. The Gurudwara Sahib is built around a man-made pool that was completed by Guru Ram Das in 1577. The Gurudwara was repeatedly rebuilt by the Sikhs after it became the target of persecution and was destroyed several times by the Muslim armies from Afghanistan and the Mughal Empire. The Gurdwara is spiritually the most significant shrine in the Sikh Religion. In the early 1980s, the temple became a centre of conflict between the Indian government led by Indira Gandhi, some Sikh groups and a militant movement led by Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale seeking to create a new nation named Khalistan. In 1984, Indira Gandhi sent in the Indian Army as part of Operation Blue Star, leading to the deaths of over 1,000 militants, soldiers, and civilians, as well as causing much damage to the Gurdwara and the destruction of Akal Takht. The Gurdwara complex was rebuilt again after the 1984 damage.