Pilgrimage places of India
India is the land of pilgrimage places. There are many types of religion in India and pilgrimage places are found in every corner of India. Some of the famous pilgrimage places are:
Amarnath
Amarnath is situated 145 km away from Srinagar, the capital of Kashmir. This place is dedicated to the Hindu God Shiva. Situated at the height of 4,175 meters, this place is inaccessible during winters. During September to June, the weather conditions in the area are extremely hostile ad the path remains covered with snow. Amarnath is accessible in the months of July & August.
There are many legends associated with the cave of Amarnath and one of them is that Lord Shiva was describing the secret of creation to Goddess Parvati in a cave in Amarnath. This place has great importance for the devotees, especially of Lord Shiva. It is believed that an ice Shivalinga forms in the cave of Amarnath in every lunar month.
Maa Vaishno Devi
Situated at the height of 5,200 feet, Maa Vaishno Devi Shrine is located near the Katra district which is approximately 50 km away from Jammu. After reaching Katra, one has to undertake a trek of approximately 12 km to reach the cave of Maa Vaishno Devi. After the trek is over, the devotees or visitors are blessed with the darshan of the Goddess inside her holy cave. The cave does not contain any statues or photos. The cave houses three natural rock formations, called the Pindies that represent the three goddesses. The pindi in the middle represents Laxmi Mata, on the right is Kali Mata and on the left is Saraswati Mata. Vaishnodevi pilgrimage tour is considered to be one of the holiest pilgrimages in India.
Golden Temple
Golden Temple is located in Amritsar, a city of the state of Punjab in India. The actual name of the Golden Temple is Harimandir Sahib. The temple (or gurdwara) is a major pilgrimage destination for Sikhs from all over the world, as well as an increasingly popular tourist attraction. The Golden Temple remains open throughout the year and unlike many other Indian temples, visitors to the Harmandir Sahib are made to feel truly welcome and not pressured to buy anything. The information office left of the main gate gives helpful advice and information, as well as booklets on Sikhism.
The most famous and sacred part of the Golden Temple complex is the Hari Mandir (Divine Temple) or Darbar Sahib (Court of the Lord), which is the beautiful golden structure at the center of a large body of water. The water that surrounds the Hari Mandir is a sacred pool known as the Amrit Sarovar (Pool of Nectar). Another major highlight of the Golden Temple complex is the Guru-ka-Langar, a dining hall where around 35,000 people a day are fed for free by temple volunteers. Everyone is invited to join this communal breaking of bread. All participants sit on the floor, regardless of caste, status, wealth or creed, powerfully symbolizing the central Sikh doctrine of the equality of all people.
Tirupati Balaji
Tirupati Balaji Temple is situated at the height of 2,800 feet on the top of the seventh peak of the Venkata Hill in Tirumala on the banks of Swami Pushkarni in Andhra Pradesh. This is the largest temple in the world. Tirupati temple is devoted to lord Venkateshwara who is one of the ten incarnations of lord Vishnu. This temple is the most visited in the entire world. Tirupati Balaji temple is the oldest and blessed temple among all the other temples in India.
The Tirupati Temple is considered as one of the most richest and famous temples all over the world. The temple is built in the ancient Dravidian style. This temple is crowded with visitors throughout the year. There people offer money and jewelry as a token, on the feet of lord Venkateshwara. People can wait for hours to just get one single glance of the deity. There are at least about 6o, 000 pilgrims visiting this temple daily and if there is some special day then the number goes up to 2, 00,000.