Top 10 Religious Tourism Places in India

Religion and religious faith in India makes the life force and the foundation of the way of life people lead here. The country is tolerant to several faiths and each faith has erected several edifices in honor of its deity and as an emblem of its religious potency. Thus there is no dearth of religious destinations in our country, India and religious tourism does make an important deciding factor in the country’s economic well being.

Here follows a list of the Top 10 religious places in India:

Shirdi

Shirdi is the holy land of Sai Baba, a great saint and God incarnate. All the temples of Sai Baba at Shirdi are open to devotees of every caste & creed, of every religion and of every color. Throughout his life, Sai Baba taught his followers that there’s only One God controlling the entire universe (Sabka Malik Ek Hai) and this led to huge train of followers from this Saint of great spiritual stature. Shirdi the home town of Sai Baba in the state of Maharashtra is an important pilgrimage spot. Samadhi Mandir, Dwarka Mai and Chavadi are the key places of attraction for pilgrims.

Kashi

Kashi is small legendary & religious town adjoining Varanasi. It falls within the state of Uttar Pradesh. Pilgrims especially Shaivites make a bee-line to Kashi to pay their tribute to the famous Vishwanath temple, an abode of Lord Shiva.

Allahabad

For the followers of Hinduism, the city of Allahabad holds immense spiritual importance. Located on the Sangam or confluence of three mighty holy Rivers- Ganga, Yamuna, Saraswati, this holy town of Uttar Pradesh fetches pilgrims from far and wide. Bathing at the point of Sangam, also known as ‘Prayag’ is considered as a means of absolving all mortal sins. Thus pilgrims never miss that.

Vaishno Devi

Vaishno Devi is one of the most revered & ancient Shakti Peeths of the country. Vaisno Devi has a cave shrine housing three deities: Mahalakshmi, Mahakali, Maha Saraswati. The shrine rests atop Trikuta parvat which is a part of the Shivalik mountain ranges. Every year over thousands of devotees trek the tedious path uphill to reach the shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi who is the Goddess Durga in another form. It is a common belief that once you visit the Vaishno Devi Shrine, all your wishes are fulfilled.

Amarnath

The shrine of Amarnath Ji is a cave shrine located in the state of Jammu & Kashmir. The shrine houses the naturally formed ice lingam of Lord Shiva. Legend holds that in the Amarnath cave Lord Shiva had disclosed to Devi Parvati, his consort, the great mystery of Creation & Immortality. While he was relating the mystery it was overheard by two mating pigeons. It is reported by pilgrims that till date one can see the pigeon pair hovering around in the cave.

Chardham

Chardham are the four most auspicious pilgrimage spots in the four corners of the country; i.e. Badrinath Dham in north, Rameshwaram in south, Jagannath Puri in east and Dwarka in the west. Adi Guru Shankaracharya laid the foundation stone of this all-India circuit of pilgrimage around 8th century. Today all devoted Hindus think it as their spiritual obligation to embark on this ‘Mahaparikrama’ at least once in their lifetime. Those who find it difficult to embark on this All-India Chardham Yatra can embark on the Chota Chardham Yatra as an alternate means to attain salvation. The Chota Chardham are lodged high up in the Himalayas of Uttarakhand and include the four Dham of Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath, Badrinath. It is believed that a Yatra of Chota char dham will yield the same magnitude of religious purification & peace as that of the All-India Chardham.

Amritsar

The golden temple of Amritsar is the holiest shrine for followers of Sikhism. The temple is differently named as Sri Durbar Sahib or Harmandir Sahib. The temple features intricately embellished & engraved panels of Gold atop which rests the spectacular glittering dome gilded out of 750 kg of pure gold. Per day over 100, 000 visitors visit this amazing Golden Temple to pay their tribute to the Sacred Guru. It is a favorite haunt of the NRI’s as well. Amrit sarovar, a tank of pellucid waters is the focal point of this temple complex. A bath in these waters is believed to heal all ailments and purge your soul of all ill-feelings.

Ujjain

Ujjain in the state of Madhya Pradesh is home to the famous Mahakaleshwar temple. It is one among the 12 Shiv Jyotirlinga. Pilgrims from far and wide visit the temple to pay their homage to the Shambhu Mahakal, a form of Lord Shiva who has emerged by himself at this temple site. Harsiddhi temple and Kal Bhairav are two other must-see religious destinations of Ujjain.

Haridwar

Haridwar is a renowned pilgrimage destination cradled on the Himalayan foothills. The holy trinity of Bramha-Vishnu-Maheshwar is believed to reside in this holy land. Haridwar falls within the seven most sacred destinations that make India famous worldwide. Kumbh Mela of Haridwar draws thousands of devotees to the land and is held once in every twelve years. Mansa Devi Temple, Har ki Pauri, Temple of Daksha Mahadev, Maya Devi Temple, Saptarishi are some of the most auspicious places one could visit during the Haridwar tour.

Rishikesh

Rishikesh is a sacred town in the state of Uttarakhand with the sacred River Ganges flowing through it. There are several Ashrams and yoga and meditation centers at Rishikesh. It is a common belief that by meditating on the banks of the River Ganges at Rishikesh, one can easily attain Moksha. Tapovan, Triveni ghat, Laxman Jhula, and Mahadev temple are some of the most visit-worthy places of Rishikesh.