Badrinath,
Uttaranchal Pradesh Badrinath is
one of the char dham, the four abodes of Vishnu. Badrinath marks the northern
geographic compass point of India's sacred geography. Badrinath is set in a deep
mountain valley high in the Garwal Himal.
Gangotri & Gamukh, Uttaranchal
Pradesh Gamukh,
known in English as the cows mouth is located on a tounge of the Bhagirathi Glacier
and is the exact source of the Ganga river. 10 miles down valley is the small
village of Gangotri which houses a temple and ashrams.
Hardwar, Uttaranchal
Pradesh Hardwar
is one of the seven sacred cities in India and is located where the Ganga River
enters into the North India plains. Every 12 years a religious fair called the
Khumb Mela attracts millions of pilgrims for a sacrificial bath. In March and
April 1998 the last Kumbh Mela of the century will be held in Hardwar.
Mathura, Uttar Pradesh Mathura
is the birthplace of Lord Krishna and is considered on the seven sacred cities
in India. Mathura is located in the sacred region of Braj, celebrated and famous
for the exploits of Krishna.
Allahabad (Prayag), Uttar Pradesh A sacred
city situated at the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna and invisible Sarasvati rivers.
Another home to the circulating Kumbh Mela bathing mela.
Ayodhya,
Uttar Pradesh The
mythological birthplace of the Lord Rama and one of the seven sacred cities in
India. Ayodhya was the site where militant Hindu activists demolished a 400 year
old Mosque built over the tradtional birth-spot.
Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh Varanasi
is a city of great antiquity and is one of the most important pilgrimage destinations
in all of India. The city is situated along the banks of the Ganga River in a
location where the river turns north. Along the river bank are a series of "ghats"(
steps leading to the water) where pilgrims bathe, pray, and in some cases cremate
their dead.
Ganga Sagar, West Bengal A
remote delta Island in the Bay of Bengal where it is considered the Ganaga River
empties out into the ocean. Each January 13 on Makar Sankranti hundreds of thousands
of pilgrims travel to the bathe and pray at the Kapil Muni Temple.
Puri,
Orissa Site
of the Jaganath temple and the famous annual chariot festival. For two weeks each
summer the images from the temple are brought out onto huge chariots and dragged
through the town by a teams of thousands. The word Juggernaut is derived from
the name of Lord Jaganath - the principal idol within the temple.
Tirupathi,
Andhra Pradesh The
temple of Venkateshvara located in mountains near the city of Tirupathi is both
the richest and most popular temple (by number of visitors) in all of India.
Tiruvanamalai, Tamil Nadu Site
of the sacred mountain Arunachala and the Arunachaleswar Temple, reputed to be
one of the largest in South India. Tiruvanamalai is also home to the ashram of
the late Indian saint Ramana Maharishi.
Chidambaram, Tamil Nadu Location
of the famous Siva Natraja (dancing Siva) temple.
Ramesvaram, Tamil Nadu Located
on a peninsula in southern Tamil Nadu, Ramesvaram is a major pilgrimage location.
Ramesvaram is the southern axis of the sacred space delineated by the four sacred
abodes of Vishnu.
Kanya Kumari, Tamil Nadu The
southern most tip of the Indian subcontinent and the home of the Kanyakumari Temple.
Sabarimalai, Kerala A
mountain temple and pilgrimage site holy for the Ayyappan sect. Pilgrims to Sabarimalai
can easily be spotted throughout Southern India as they wear black clothing as
a symbol of the rigerous practices they undergoe during their pilgrimages.
Nasik, Maharashtra Another
home to the Kumbh Mela bathing festival.
Dwarka, Gujarat The
western node of the four great Vishnu temple. Dwarka has 12th and 16th century
temples and is the home to the Janmashtami festival.
Pushkar,
Rajastan Pushkar
is a city of great antiquity located around Pushkar lake and home of the only
Brahma temple in all of India. In the fall a large camel and animal fair takes
place here.
Badrinath is
one of the char dham, the four abodes of Vishnu. Badrinath marks the northern
geographic compass point of India's sacred geography. Badrinath is set in a deep
mountain valley high in the Garwal Himal.
Gamukh,
known in English as the cows mouth is located on a tounge of the Bhagirathi Glacier
and is the exact source of the Ganga river. 10 miles down valley is the small
village of Gangotri which houses a temple and ashrams.
Hardwar
is one of the seven sacred cities in India and is located where the Ganga River
enters into the North India plains. Every 12 years a religious fair called the
Khumb Mela attracts millions of pilgrims for a sacrificial bath. In March and
April 1998 the last Kumbh Mela of the century will be held in Hardwar.
Mathura
is the birthplace of Lord Krishna and is considered on the seven sacred cities
in India. Mathura is located in the sacred region of Braj, celebrated and famous
for the exploits of Krishna.
A sacred
city situated at the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna and invisible Sarasvati rivers.
Another home to the circulating Kumbh Mela bathing mela.
The
mythological birthplace of the Lord Rama and one of the seven sacred cities in
India. Ayodhya was the site where militant Hindu activists demolished a 400 year
old Mosque built over the tradtional birth-spot.
Varanasi
is a city of great antiquity and is one of the most important pilgrimage destinations
in all of India. The city is situated along the banks of the Ganga River in a
location where the river turns north. Along the river bank are a series of "ghats"(
steps leading to the water) where pilgrims bathe, pray, and in some cases cremate
their dead.
A
remote delta Island in the Bay of Bengal where it is considered the Ganaga River
empties out into the ocean. Each January 13 on Makar Sankranti hundreds of thousands
of pilgrims travel to the bathe and pray at the Kapil Muni Temple.
Site
of the Jaganath temple and the famous annual chariot festival. For two weeks each
summer the images from the temple are brought out onto huge chariots and dragged
through the town by a teams of thousands. The word Juggernaut is derived from
the name of Lord Jaganath - the principal idol within the temple.
The
temple of Venkateshvara located in mountains near the city of Tirupathi is both
the richest and most popular temple (by number of visitors) in all of India.
Site
of the sacred mountain Arunachala and the Arunachaleswar Temple, reputed to be
one of the largest in South India. Tiruvanamalai is also home to the ashram of
the late Indian saint Ramana Maharishi.
Location
of the famous Siva Natraja (dancing Siva) temple.
Located
on a peninsula in southern Tamil Nadu, Ramesvaram is a major pilgrimage location.
Ramesvaram is the southern axis of the sacred space delineated by the four sacred
abodes of Vishnu.
The
southern most tip of the Indian subcontinent and the home of the Kanyakumari Temple.
A
mountain temple and pilgrimage site holy for the Ayyappan sect. Pilgrims to Sabarimalai
can easily be spotted throughout Southern India as they wear black clothing as
a symbol of the rigerous practices they undergoe during their pilgrimages.
Another
home to the Kumbh Mela bathing festival.
The
western node of the four great Vishnu temple. Dwarka has 12th and 16th century
temples and is the home to the Janmashtami festival.
Pushkar
is a city of great antiquity located around Pushkar lake and home of the only
Brahma temple in all of India. In the fall a large camel and animal fair takes
place here.