Sacred pilgrimage centers of the Indian subcontinent:
Throughout the length and breadth of India, one may find places
of pilgrimage AKA Theertha Yatra. A brief description on some of the better known
pilgrimage centers has been compiled down below.
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Amarnath caves are situated at an altitude of 12,700 ft in Kashmir Himalayas.
Lord Shiva is manifested as an ice Lingam stalagmite. The cave shrine is
situated between Baltal and sheshnag. The cave is open to pilgrims only
between early July and mid August. Baba Amarnath is considered to be one of
the holiest Hindu pilgrimage centers and an estimated 400,000 devotees visit
the shrine every year. Place the mouse pointer on the image.
Vaishno devi is situated in himalayan foot hills ( altitude 5,250 ft). The
hill range is known as Trikuta Bhagwati at a distance of 60 kms from Jammu city
in the state of Jammu and Kashmir. The last 13 kms of the journey has to be on
foot. At the entrance to the cave, the pilgrims pass thru a narrow
tunnel. A cold stream Charan Ganga flows through it. The pilgrim has to wade
through the stream to arrive at the sanctum sanctorum.
Vaishnodevi is one of the holiest places of Shakti worship. Mata Vaishnodevi
has manifested in three different forms here. The cave has rock formations of
Mahakali, Mahalakshmi and MahaSarasvati.
Badrinath (Altitude 11,200 ft) is located in Himalayas, Chamoli dist, Uttarakhand.
According to Hindu Puranas Lord Vishnu did penance here. Goddess Lakshmi took the
form of a Badri tree to provide sustenance to Vishnu. The Badrinath temple of Lord Vishnu is open only six months in a year. River AlakNanda (tributary of Ganga) flows thru the town. Badrinath is mentioned in MahaBharata.
Sage VedaVyasa(Baadarayana) is supposed have written Mahabharata here. Adi Shankaracharya established the Jyothirmath monastery nearby Badrinath. Shri RamanujaCharya and Shri MadhvaCharya visited Badrinath during their lifetime.
Gangotri is the source of river Ganga(Ganges).
The river is fed by a glacier called Gangotri. It is also believed that Gangotri may be connected to Manas Sarovar thru a underground aquifer. Place the mouse pointer on the image.
Haridwar: AKA Hardwar ( Mayapuri ) is one of the holiest places for Hindus. According to
Hindu Puranas ( scriptures ) Hardwar is one of the places where the nector of immortality ( Amrita ) fell after Samudra Manthan ( churning the milky ocean by Devas and Asuras) event.
River Ganges enters the Gangetic plains at Hardwar after travelling 160 miles from the source at Gangotri glaciar in Himalayas.
Brahma Kund at Har ki Pauri is a ghat where the Amrita is suppose to have fallen. Pilgrims from all over the world take a ritual dip here, Which is supposed
to wash away one's sins and bestow Moksha ( salvation ) in this life time. Hardwar is a site where Kumbha mela is celebrated once in 3 years.
Ayodhya in Uttar pradesh is the birthplace of Bhagavan Ram.
Mathura in Uttar pradesh is the birthplace of Bhagavan Krishna.
Prayag ( Allahabad ) is in the state of Uttar pradesh. Purna Kumbha mela, a gathering of Hindu pilgrims is held
every 12 years at the confluence of Ganga and Yamuna and mythical Sarasvati rivers. Tens of millions of Hindus gather on this auspicious occasion. The Maha Kumbh mela attracts the largest human gathering on earth.
Kashi AKA Varnaasi is probably oldest living city on earth. Kashi is sacred to Hindus, Jains, Buddhists and Hindu scriptures speak of Moksha or Salvation to people who visit Kashi.
The city is mentioned quite often in ancient Indian scriptures and has hosted lots of philosophical debates in the past. Buddha is supposed to have given his first sermon at Sarnath which is 10 Kms from here. Adi Shankaracharya wrote many of his famous commentaries on Vedas and Upanishads here. Place the mouse pointer on the image.
Kailas parvat and Manas sarovar: Situated in Tibet bordering India and Nepal. Mount Kailas is a sacred mountain, connected with Mount Meru, which according to mythology forms the axis of this world system. Situated in an area which is a central watershed of Asia, it has always been the most sacred to Hindus, Jains and Buddhists.
Hindus believe that Mt Kailas is the abode of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati has taken the form of the lake Manasa Sarovar. Deliverance is assured for humans who take a bath in Manasa Sarovar. Hindu puranas mention that Gods come to bathe every morning in this lake between 3 to 5 am and this duration is called 'Brahma-muhurta'. Place the mouse pointer on the image.
As the southern portion of the Kailasa Mountain first comes into view, all travelers whether
they are atheists or theists, cannot help being fascinated and attracted by its ethereal beauty.
- Swami Tapovanam in "Kailas Yatra"
12 Jyothir Lingas ( Place the mouse pointer here to view the Map. )
AKA Dwadasha JyothirLingas:
According to Linga Purana once Brahma and Vishnu started fighting over who was the supreme being. Devas pleaded with Siva to intervene. Suddenly, there appeared a Sivalinga before Brahma and Vishnu as a huge column of fire. Both were instructed by Siva find one end each. Whoever returned first would be acknowledged as supreme. Vishnu assumed the form of a boar and went down. Brahma, in the form of a swan, flew upwards. They searched for days but couldn't find the end. Brahma and Vishnu both realized their mistake and acknowledged Shiva as the Supreme Being. The Shivalinga represents that column of fire as 12 Jyotirlingas. Shaivites go on a tirath yatra to jyothirling kshetras.
* Kedarnath in the snow-clad Himalayas is a very ancient shrine. The temple is accessible by foot, only six months in a year.
* Omkareshwar is an island on Narmada river in Madhya Pradesh and home to a Jyotirlinga shrine and the Amareshwar temple.
* Varanasi (Kashi) in Uttar Pradesh is home to the famous Vishwanath temple with Jyotirling.
* Deoghar parli in Jharkhand is home to the Vaidyanath Jyotirlinga temple.
* Somnath jyotirling in Prabhas Patan in Saurashtra, Gujarath is well known.
* Dwarka in Gujarath is home to the Nageshwar Jyotirling temple.
* Mahakal Ujjain (or Avantika ) in Madhya Pradesh is home to the Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga temple.
* Srisailam in Kurnool dist, Andhra pradesh is home to Jyothirlinga of Mallikarjuna. Sivananda Lahari was composed by Adi Shankaracharya here.
* Bhimashankar near Pune in Maharashtra is the home of a Jyotirlinga. This place is associated with Shiva destroying the demon Tripurasura.
* Triambakeshwar, near Nashik in Maharashtra, is home to a Jyotirlinga. River Godavari originates here.
* Grishneshwar in rock-cut temples of Ellora, Maharashtra has a Jyotirlinga.
* Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu is home to Ramalingeswara Jyothirlinga temple. |
Pandharapur is a major pilgrimage center for people of Karnataka, Maharashtra and Andhrapradesh.
The presiding deity Lord Panduranga Vitthala ( Vitoba) is considered to be Lord Krishna.
The town of Pandharapura is located on the banks of river Bhima and is
about 75 kms from Solapur, Maharashtra. Saint Purandhara Dasa, considered
as Pitamaha of Karnatic music was born here. Purandhara Dasa was a great
devotee of Lord Panduranga Vitthala.
Tirupati is one of the holiest places for Hindus and is in
southern Andhra Pradesh. The city is located in the foot hills of Tirumala and is about 70 miles from Chennai. In Hindu mythology, Tirupati
is known as Aadhi Varaha Kshetra. The main temple on Thirumala hill is dedicated
to Lord Venkateshwara. Each day an estimated 50,000 devotees visit the Venkateshwara temple, making it the most visited pilgrimage center in the whole world.
Sringeri:The name Sringeri is derived from Rishyashrigagiri, a place where Sage RishyaShringa resided and meditated. Sage Rishyashringa is a rishi to certain sukta's in Rigveda. Rishyashringa is mentioned in Valmiki Ramayana as having organized the putra Kameshti Yagna for king Dasharatha.
Adi Shankaracharya found Sringeri to be suitable for establishing the first monastery for propagating Advaitha Philosophy.
Sri Sureshwaracharya( AKA Mandana Mishra) was installed as the first acharya of Sringeri about 1200 years ago. Adi Shankaracharya also consecrated Sharadamba on a Srichakra. Sharadamba represents knowledge. The Sringeri peetha is the keeper of Yajurveda and associated rituals. The Sringeri Peetha(Monastery) has been presided over by great
Acharyas in medieval times such as Sureshwaracharya(Mandan Mishra) and in recent times Abhinava Vidyathirtha( 1917-1989) was well known
all over India. Sri Bharathi Theertha is the presiding Acharya of Sringeri Math.
Udupi is a district headquarters in coastal Karnataka where the wellknown saint philosopher Sri Madhvacharya was born in 1238 AD into a smartha family. Madhvacharya is the proponent of Dvaitha ( dualism) philosophy also known as tatva vaada. Sri Madhvacharya installed the statue of Lord Krishna in Udupi and the temple has become a famous pilgrimage center to Vaishnavites and all Hindus. Udupi is located 375 kms from Bengaluru and 48 kms from Mangalore. The vegetarian cuisine of Udupi brahmins is very popular all over India.
Kollur Mookambika temple is a famous center for Shakti worship in southern India. Kollur is situated in Udupi district of Karnataka. The presiding deity is a Shiva Lingam ( called Jyothir lingam) with a golden line
representing Shakti. Adi Shankaracharya installed a statue of Mookambika behind the Lingam.
Kanchi AKA Kanchipuram is one of the oldest cities in India since medieval times. Kanchi was a place of learning for Hindus,
Jains and Buddhists. Kalidasa has described Kanchi as one of the best places to live in medieval
India. Kanchi grew and prospered under Pallava kings from 600 - 800 AD , who were feudatories to
Chalukhyan empire in Northern Karnataka. Later Cholas ruled Kanchi from 1000 AD to 1300 AD and
then the city came under Vijaynagar empire who ruled until 1700 AD.
Kanchi has many beautiful temples of historical significance. Some of the better known temples are:
* Kamaakshi,
* Kailasanatha,
* Jain Temples,
* Varadaraja,
* Vaikuntanatha,
* Ekambaranatha.
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Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetha is an ancient and well known Shankar Math(monastery).
Sri Chandrasekhara Sarasvathi ( 1894-1994 ) is considered as one of
the greatest Advaitha vedanthins of 20th century.
Srirangam is an island bound by river Kaveri and kolidam. The island is
situated within the city of Tiruchinapalli in Tamilnadu, South India.
Srirangam is considered as the most sacred place of pilgrimage by SriVaishnavas
of South India. The RanganathaSwamy temple is considered as one of the largest
in India. The temple complex is huge and has 21 gopurams and the rajagopuram(main tower) is 72m high.
Chidambaram is a very ancient Shaivaite pilgrimage center in TamilNadu.
The place has references in Skandapurana. In ancient times it is said that Chidambaram
temple area was a mangrove like forest. In the midst of the forest there
existed a lotus pond and on the southern bank of the pond a swayambu
Lingam existed in ether form. Sage Patanjali and Sage Vyagrapada came here to worship the Akasha ( ether) Lingam and had a vision of Shiva's cosmic dance
AKA Shiva Thandava nrithya. The present temple has been built around this ether form.
Shiva is worshipped here in three facets:
- Dancing Nataraja as the image.
- Crystal linga called Chandramoulishwara.
- Formless Akasha (ether) Linga as a Yantra ( abstract geometric form).
The temple developed into a massive 35 acre complex under the patronage
of Chola kings from 1100 AD to 1300 AD.
The temple is run by a set of traditional Deekshitar priests.
Guruvayoor in Kerala is famous for the temple of Lord Krishna also known
as Guruvayoorappan. The temple architecture is very distinct kerala style.
The statue of Lord Krishna here is regarded as very ancient. The early
historical references to Guruvayoor is found in the 14th century Tamil literature Kokasandesam.
In 16th century, Melputhoor Narayana Bhattathiri wrote devotional hymns on Lord Guruvayoorappan. The hymns in sanskrit are known as Narayaneeyam and is very well
known.
Rameshwaram is located at the tip of Indian peninsula in southern state
of Tamilnadu. Hindus, who visit Kaashi ( Varanasi) must also visit Rameshawaram
to complete their pilgrimage. According to Hindu puranas, Lord Rama used
Rameshwaram as a staging area to invade Ravana's Lanka by building a
floating bridge. After being victorious in war, Lord Rama along with his consort
Sita and brother Laxmana, Installed and worshipped a Shivalinga to atone
the sin of killing Ravana who was a brahmin. The Lingam(ViswaLingam) is
supposed to have been brought from Mount Kailash by Hanuman. The Lingam is
one of the twelve JyothirLingas.
Puri is a important Hindu pilgrimage center located in the eastern state of Odisha ( Orissa ).
The name puri is derived from the City's ancient name being puroshottam puri
or Jagannath puri. The temple of Lord Jagannath is very ancient. The present
temple was built at the original site by King Anantha ChodaGangaDeva in
11th century AD. Adi Shakaracharya estabished the Govardhana peeta(Monastery)
in 8th century AD. The Govardhana Math is the keeper of RigVeda and rituals
associated with it. Sankaracarya Sri Bharati Krsna Tirtha Maharaja (1884-1960) of Govardhan Math was a scholar who wrote a treatise on Vedic Mathematics. Swami Nishchalananda Saraswati is the presiding acharya of Govardhan Math. The famous Sun temple at Konark is 30kms from Puri.
Dwarka is known as one of ancient cities of India. The present site is close
to the ancient city of dwaravati which is submerged by the Sea. Dwarka is
located in Jamnagar ditrict, Gujarat in western India. According to Hindu
puranas, Dwarka was built by Yadava king Vasudeva Krishna. Lord krishna
is regarded as an avatar of supreme lord of the universe. The city of Dwarka
is the home of Nageshwara which is one of the twelve JyothirLingas. The Jagatmandir
temple is where Dwarkadish has been installed. The Dwarkadish temple was built by Samba,
Krishna's grandson. Adi Shankaracharya has established a monastery (math) known as Dwarka
peetha. The Dwarka peetha is the keeper of SamaVeda and related rituals. Swami Swaroopananda Saraswati is the presiding acharya of Dwarka ( Sharada ) Peeta.
Char Dham yatra is the pilgrimage ( tirth yatra ) to four corners of India. The four abodes of God are situated in the four directions - Puri (east), Dwarka(west), Badrinath (north) and Rameshwaram in south.
Pilgrimage