Pilgrimage tourism in India is internationally popular as people from all over the world visit India to seek mental and spiritual enlightenment. India is known for its diverse culture and rich spirituality. We have listed down the top 10 best pilgrimage sites in India for every spiritual seeker to visit.
Table of Contents
Following are the 10 best spiritual places in India:-
1. Dwarka –
Dwarka is one of the seven sacred cities of Hinduism located in the state of Gujarat. Dwarka is included as a part of Char Dham Yatra, a set of four pilgrimage sites. Dwarkadhish temple is dedicated to Lord Krishna, who is worshiped here by the name of Dwarkadhish (King of Dwarka).
2. Puri –
Puri is located in the states of Odisha and is a part of Char Dham Yatra. Temple Puri is famous for its annual Ratha Yatra event, which is dedicated to Lord Krishna (Lord Jagannath), his sister Subhadra and his brother Balbhadra. This event grabs the attention of devotees of Lord Krishna from all over the world. The idols of Temple Puri are beautifully carved out of wood. Idol of Lord Jagannath features a square shaped head with big eyes and unfinished limbs.
3. Rameshwaram –
Rameshwaram is one of the Char Dham Yatra located in the state of Tamil Nadu. Rameshwaram Temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and is one of the twelve Jyotirlinga temples. It is believed that Lord Rama, seventh avatar of Lord Vishnu built the lingam out of sand to worship Lord Shiva. He wanted Lord Shiva to free him from the sin of killing a Brahmin. Ravana was son of a Brahmin, who was defeated by Lord Ram during the war in Sri Lanka.
4. Uttarakhand –
Badrinath is a holy town located in the state of Uttarakhand. It is a part of both Char Dham Yatra as well as Chota Char Dham Yatra circuit. A circuit of four temples Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath, and Badrinath together forms Chota Char Dham Yatra which is also known as Char Dham Yatra of Uttarakhand. All these places are not directly accessible by road, some require an uphill hike. For devotees who wish to skip the hike part have an option to opt for the Chota Chardham Yatra package by Helicopter.
5. Varanasi –
Varanasi also popular as Banaras is located in the state of Uttar Pradesh. Varanasi is one of the few places where the whole city is considered spiritual. It is believed that the city of Varanasi was discovered by Lord Shiva himself. A strong belief that a single visit to the River Ganga will cleanse one’s sins attracts a major population to visit the city throughout the year.
6. Shirdi –
Shirdi is located in the state of Maharashtra. Shirdi or Sainagar is famously known as the home for Shri Sai Baba. Sai Baba left an impact on the society with his teachings of love, forgiveness, contentment, inner peace, helping others and devotion to the Lord. He strongly condemned discrimination based on caste, he practised both Hindu and Muslim rituals and named the Mosque “Dwarkamayi” in which he lived. Every year people from all religions visit Shirdi to worship Shirdi wale Sai Baba. Shri Saibaba Sansthan Trust, Shirdi receives major donations from the devotees of Shri Sai Baba.
7. Tirupati –
Tirupati is located in the states of Andhra Pradesh. Tirupati is famous for Venkateswara Temple which is also known as Tirumala Temple, Tirupati Temple, Tirupati Balaji Temple. It is believed that a loan was sought from the God of wealth Lord Kubera, by Lord Balaji (Lord Venkateswara) for marrying Padmavati. Devotees from all over India visit the temple and make donations to pay back the loan. Tirupati Balaji is the world’s richest temple as it receives major donations from the devotees worshiping the temple.
8. Amritsar
9. Gokarna -
Gokarna literally means Cow’s ear, it is located in the state of Karnataka. Along with its beautiful nature Gokarna is also famous for the Mahabaleshwar Temple. Mahabaleshwar Temple is considered one of the seven sacred places of salvation also known as the Muktikshetras or the Muktistala. It is believed that the Atmalinga now in the temple was placed by Ravana of Ramayan. He carried it from Mount Kashi in the Himalayan range and placed it in Gokarna.
10. Auroville –
Auroville is a township located in the state of Tamil Nadu with some part of it in the Union Territory of Pondicherry. Auroville is one of the best spiritual places to visit in India. What makes this place so unique is that it is not dedicated to a particular religion but focuses on human unity. This township was founded by Spiritual Guru Mirra Alfassa also known as “The Mother” with a goal of building a universal town where people from all over the world can live in peace, irrespective of their caste, creed and nationality.
There are a lot of more spiritual sites in India, but we have narrowed down our search results and listed top sites. Each site has its own significance, its own story to tell, you will get a lifetime experience visiting these sites. You will get to know people of different cultures and religions living in different parts of India. Good Luck planning your visit to these amazing pilgrimage sites and exploring your inner self.
