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Pilgrimage

All mankind needs purification of the body, mind and the soul. To achieve the same pilgrimage holidays have been designed. The secularism of India and the variety of religions followed by the people of the country are amazing. The faith reflected in the chanting of 'Om', 'Budham Sharanam Gachami' and 'Wahe Guru' all remind us of the Almighty and focus on the gospel of peace and love for humanity.

Being a country of the pious, India is dotted with pilgrimages. Great religions like Hinduism, Buddhism and Sikhism have originated on the Indian soil. The unity in diversity is the keyword for the grand country. The Hindus flock to take a dip in the holy rivers, the Sikhs walk up to a height of 4329 meters through the difficult terrain to reach the Hemkund Sahib. The cradle of Buddhism, devotees from the world over frequent the holy city of Sarnath.

Haridwar, or the door to God, at the foothills of Shivaliks, is a pilgrim destination for the Hindus. The aarti held every evening at the Har-ki-pauri, with innumerable floating diyas and flowers is a must for all, something not to be missed. The yatra to the char-dhams comprise visit to holy places of Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri. Rishikesh, in the laps of the Himalayas happens to be the common point for all the four pilgrim spots besides being sacred itself. It happens to be a great site for rafting and trekking as well. Thus, devotes as well as the adventurers flock to Rishikesh. The sources of the two most sacred rivers of India Ganga and Yamuna, Gangotri and Yamunotri are amongst the four shrines in the Himalayas.

The pilgrim spot of Devprayag, located at the confluence of the Alaknanda and the Bhagirathi rivers besides is renowned for the Raghunathji temple. Similarly, the town of Uttarkashi is situated on the banks of the river Bhagirathi and its Vishwanatha temple, devoted to Lord Shiva, attracts several pilgrims. The holy city of Rudraprayag located at the confluence of Alaknanda and Mandakini draws several pilgrims to the Radranath, Chamunda Devi and the Koteshwar temples. Further up at Gaurikund, the visit the famous Gauri temple and bathe in the hot water pond. The package is completed with visit to Joshimath, Badrinath and Govind Ghat.

The Buddhists too have several pilgrim spots in the country that are associated with the birth and teaching places of Buddha.

The holy city of Varanasi is situated on the banks of Ganga. Its name has been derived from the two steams flowing through it namely, Varuna and Assi. Pilgrims to the holy land, follow the age-old tradition of bathing and performing puja at the ghats.

The Alamgir Mosque or the Beni Madhav Ka Darera close to the main city is an example of the beauty of amalgamation of the hindu and mughal styles or architecture. Noticeably, the mosque was earlier the Vishnu temple. It boasts of the largest residential university is Asia, namely the Benaras Hindu University. It BHU was founded by Pt. M.M. Malviya. The campus has added attractions like the Vishwanath temple and a museum. Another major attraction for the pilgrims happens to be the Bharat Mata temple, which is not dedicated to any God or Goddess but Mother India.

Lumbini is noteworthy for being the birthplace of Buddha. The city of Sarnath popular amongst the Buddhist as the spot for His first sermon, which revealed the eight-fold path after His enlightenment. Lord Buddha had attained Enlightenment under the Bodhi tree in Bodhgaya, which too is a pilgrimage for the Buddhists. The pilgrimage to Vaishali is significant as Buddha delivered His last sermon here and announced His Nirvana. Similarly

For the Sikhs one of the most revered shrines is the Hemkund Sahib. Pilgrims trek to a height of 4329 meters to pray at the world's Highest Gurudwara. The pilgrimage starts at the base camp of Govind Dham. Devotes visit the Sri Guru Nanak Dev ji gurudwara at Manikaran known for the hot water springs with healing properties. The sacred city of Poanta Sahib is visited to regard the tenth guru, Guru Govind Singh. Pilgrims also flock to Anandpur Sahib, the residence and meditation spot for the Gurus.

With faith in the Almighty, the pilgrims cover the most difficult of terrains with ease. So are you ready for the divine experience? Pilgrimage tourism in India is not just a fad but it is an experience of lifetime. Make this experience your own.

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