Pilgrimages tour in India and religious tourism has always been the crux of any belief system. It is no doubt that ever since time immortal travelling to various places for attaining the blessings of the Lord and offering your prayer has been the only way of showcasing your respect towards the higher power. The entire landscape of India from north to south and from east to west is dotted with numerous holy shrines and places of worship.

Ever since the ancient ages when the gods and goddesses walked the earth pilgrimages have occupied a major part of Hinduism and other religions as well. Even to this day people and believers from different parts of the world make it their life’s agenda to go on various pilgrimages. With the development of infrastructure and various initiatives undertaken by the government of India, these pilgrimages are no longer a far-fetched dream.

Here are the top 10 pilgrimage places in India that you can definitely include in your travel goals list:

• Char Dham Yatra, Uttarakhand
• Hemkund Sahib, Uttarakhand
• Mata Vaishno Devi, Jammu and Kashmir
• Prem Mandir, Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh
• Amarnath Temple, Jammu and Kashmir
• Venkateswara Temple, Andhra Pradesh
• Ramanathaswamy Temple, Tamil Nadu
• Kashi Vishwanath Temple, Varanasi
• Sabarimala Temple, Kerala
• Konark Sun Temple, Odisha

01. Chota Char Dham Yatra

This is one of the variations of the all India Char Dham Yatra that takes place in the north Indian region of Devbhoomi Uttarakhand. The main aim of the Yatra is to attain complete moksha or liberation from the karmic cycle of birth and rebirth. The journey starts from the eastern-most temple of Yamunotri then goes on to cover the holy temples of Gangotri, Kedarnath, and Badrinath. There are several ways through which one can reach these temples ranging from roadways to helicopter journeys. This pilgrimage remains open for a limited duration of 6 months and due to the intense weather changes leading to snowfall it remains shut down for 6 months. Although considered to be one of the most challenging pilgrimages set up on a jagged terrain people from across the globe fight through to get a Darshan of the Lord.

02. Hemkund Sahib

While talking about pilgrimages in India, Hemkund Sahib is always mentioned. This holy Gurudwara is perched upon an altitude of 4,329 Metres above sea level and is undoubtedly one of the highest Gurudwaras for Sikhs in the world. Located in the district of Chamoli this iconic shrine is believed to be the place where Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji is said to have performed deep penance. A clear high altitude lake in front of the Gurudwara also adds on to its spiritual value and taking a dip here is considered to be a deeply rejuvenating experience. The literal name of the shrine translates into ‘the lake of snow’ and invites devotees for a pilgrimage through narrow pathways and challenging routes.

03. Mata Vaishno Devi Darshan Yatra

Vaishno Devi is also referred to as Mata Rani which is a very holy embodiment of goddess Devi or Mata Vaishnavi. Any pilgrimage in India will remain incomplete if you don’t make it a point to visit the holiest of all shrines on the hillock where the Mata is believed to reside. The story of this ancient cave dates back to the treat Yug when goddess Vaishnavi is said to have taken shelter here in this very cave to protect her from the cruel and tyrannical demons. The journey takes you through the scenic hill route in Jammu and Kashmir via a narrow pathway that is paved with the help of concrete slabs to make movement easier and much smoother. This is one of the most enchanting journeys anyone can take in this lifetime.

04. Mathura Vrindavan

Mathura and Vrindavan are undoubtedly 2 of the holiest and highly pious place for Krishna worship and makes for a major part of the pilgrimages in India. The distance between these two holy towns is not much i.e. it is just 15 kms and takes mere an hour or so to reach and can definitely make for one of the most soulful holy pilgrimages. The holy town of Mathura is the place where Lord Shiva was born whereas Vrindavan is where he had spent most of his teenage years. Almost all the parts of these 2 holy towns are dotted with numerous big and small spots associated with Lord Krishna.

05. Amarnath Yatra

Lord Shiva occupies a major role in the life of his devotees and it is almost every pilgrim’s life goal to offer their prayer to the ice Shivling formation of the lord inside a high altitude cave. The journey takes them through extremely challenging weather conditions and equally testing terrain to this incredibly massive cave which is considered to be one of the abodes of Lord Shiva in the world. The lord here is referred to as ‘Baba Barfani’ and the pilgrimage remains open for Darshan for an extremely limited duration of 21 days due to the unexpected weather changing conditions. That is the glory of spirituality in India; it doesn’t come easy and will test you in every step of the way.

06. Venkateswara Temple Pilgrimage

Situated in the holy hill town of Tirupati on the scenic region of the Seshachalam Hills on an elevation of 853 Metres above sea level this iconic pilgrimage temple is dedicated to the Venkateshwara form of lord Vishnu. This glistening white mark of the supreme power is located on the 7th hill called Venkatadri which represents the 7 heads of Adishesha. Temple of 7 hills is another name given to this temple which is frequented by devotees of the Lord and Vaishnavites from all over the globe. This is one of the most spectacular representations of Dravidian architecture at its best and is blessed on all sides with unmatched greenery.

07. Rameshwaram

Pilgrimages in India are incomplete without a visit to this incredible mark of religion in India. Rameshwaram is iconic and legendary in every sense of understanding. The temple is located on the pious Pamban Island that is reachable only via a railway line. The place holds a lot of importance in the lives of devout Hindus as this place has found its mention in the Hindu epic of Ramayan. It is from here that lord ram with the help of Lord Hanuman is said to have built the iconic Ram Setu in an attempt to rescue his consort, Sita, from the clutches of the evil king Raavan. This temple is a part of the all India Char Dham Yatra along with Badrinath, Jagannath, Rameshwaram, and Dwarkadheesh Temple.

08. Kashi Vishwanath Temple

Varanasi is truly one of the most iconic places of Hindu worship in the world. Dotted with big and small, old and new temples dating back to the beginning of time, this holy town by the Ganga is home to the most legendary Jyotirlinga in the world. The golden roofed temple of Kashi Vishwanath dedicated to Lord Shiva is an extremely popular temple in India where he is prayed as the lord of the universe. People from all over the world make it a point to explore this temple as a part of their pilgrimage to Varanasi and Jyotirlinga. The temple has found its mention in the ancient holy book of Skanda Purana and holds a lot of importance in the lives of devotees.

09. Sabarimala

It has been noted that annually more than 30 million pilgrims visit this holy Sabarimala temple and has often been equalized with the mecca of Saudi Arabia which is the largest pilgrimage of the world. Situated amongst the bountiful natural beauty of the Periyar Tiger Reserve in Kerala the temple itself is named after a mythological character. The temple is located within a massive covering of foliage and forest and usually, it requires people to trek up to this place. Some noticeable traditions here one can notice includes a blend of Shaivism, Shaktism, Vaishnavism, and other Sarmana traditions. Initially, only men were allowed but after that, the supreme court of India overturned this rule and is now only allowing women of all age groups to enter the temple.

10. Konark Sun Temple

Famously dubbed as the black pagoda and a UNESCO world heritage site since 1984 this sun temple is a magnificent ancient temple dedicated to the sun god. This epitome of the impeccable Oriyan architecture allows you to travel back in time effectively and is one of the grandest representations of religion and spirituality at its best. Host to the famous Konark Dance Festival on an annual basis it is this temple where the sun god has cured the leprosy of samba (Lord Krishna’s Son) after performing penance for over 12 years, bringing an end to his misery which was bestowed upon him by Lord Krishna himself.