|
|
|
Pilgrimage
In India
Yamunotri
|
The Sacred Origin Of the Yamuna
The Garhwal Himalayas have been blessed with some of the holiest Hindu pilgrimage sites and Yamunotri is one such. One of the Char Dhams according to Hindu philosophy, Yamunotri is the origin of the sacred river Yamuna. Famous for its thermal springs and glaciers, it is one of the most important stopovers on the itinerary of the Hindu pilgrim. According to an old legend, Asit Muni, the revered sage, used to reside here.
|
Gangotri
|
The Eternal Gift Of Bhagirath's Penance
Be it man's urge to placate the Gods above or to quench his desire for adventure, Gangotri is an ideal location. Gangotri, the origin of the sacred river Ganges, attracts tourists in large numbers every year. The confrontation with the daunting rivers and attempts to unravel the mysteries of the supernatural world are ubiquitous sights here. Along with the thrill of conquering nature, what one experiences here is the mystical aura that India is so famous for.
|
Lord Sri Ramachandra
Ayodya
|
Ayodhya, a very holy city and is an important pilgrimage site. Lord Rama was born and had many of His pastimes here. It is said to have once had a perimeter of 96 miles and was the capital of Koshala. It is on the banks of the Gogra (Ghaghara or Saryu) River, bathing in which is supposed to destory even the sin of killing a Brahmin.On the right bank of the river Ghagra or Saryu, as it is called within sacred precincts, stands the holy city of Ayodhya, believed to be the birth place of lord Rama, the seventh incarnation of lord Vishnu.
Ayodhya during ancient times was known as Kosaldesa. The Atharvaveda describes it as "a city built by gods and being as prosperous as paradise itself". The illustrious Ikshvaku of the solar clan (suryavamsa) was the ruling dynasty of this region.
Ayodhya is pre-eminently a city of temples yet, all the places of worship here, are not only of Hindu religion. At Ayodhya several religions have grown and prospered simultaneously and also at different periods of time in the past. Remnants of Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism can still be found in Ayodhya. According to Jain belief, five tirthankaras were born at Ayodhya, including Adinath (Rishabhadeva), the 1st tirthankar.
|
Sri Krishna.
Dwarka |
Dwarka, on the west coast of Gujarat on the shore of the Arabian Sea, features in most of the legends surrounding Lord Krishna. It is from here that the grown Lord Krishna is supposed to have ruled his kingdom. Dwarka is a significant pilgrimage site for the Hindus.
Dwarka is sanctified as the place where Lord Vishnu slew the demon Shankhasura. The Puranas mention the 12 Jyotirlingas or columns of light representing Lord Shiva which manifested in different parts of the country. One of these is located in Dwarka and is known as the Nageshwar Mahadev. The Jagat Mandir or Nij Mandir forms the sanctum of the Dwarkadish temple and dates back to 2500 years. Dwarka is an important pilgrimage center. It is steeped in legends, being
associated with the life of Lord Krishna. In Puranic times, present-day Dwarka
was known as Kushasthali or Dwaravati and enjoyed pride of place as the most
important spot on the Saurashtra coast. It is said that Lord Krishna, after
slaying Kansa, left his abode at Mathura and traveled with the entire Yadava
community to the coast of Saurashtra where he founded a town and named it
Swarnadwarika.
Vajranabh, Lord Krishna's successor and great grandson, is believed to have built the present temple Dwarkanath, also called Trilok Sundar. Many Hindus fervently believe that the temple was erected in one night by a supernatural agency, under Vajranabh's direction. Legend has it that when dying, Lord Krishna asked his devotees to leave Swarnadwarika so that the sea could engulf it. Until this day, Lord Krishna's city lies buried under the sea. Excavations have revealed that the sea swallowed five settlements, the present-day Dwarka being the sixth in line.
|
Lord Shiva
Kedarnath |
Amidst the dramatic mountainscapes of the majestic Kedarnath range stands one of the twelve 'Jyotirlingas' of Kedar or Lord Shiva. Lying at an altitude of 3584 mts. on the head of river Mandakini, the shrine of Kedarnath is amongst the holiest pilgrimages for the Hindus.
Dedicated to Lord Shiva, the exquisitely architectured Kedarnath temple is said to be more than a 1000 years old. According to legend, Lord Shiva wished to elude the Pandavas, who had come to
seek penitence for having killed their kin in the battle of Kurukshetra. He took
refuge in Kedarnath in the form of a bull. Bhima, one of the Pandava brothers,
found Shiva amongst a herd of cattle. Having identified the meanest and most
arrogant of the herd as Shiva, Bhima is said to have grabbed him by the
hindquarters. What remains at the shrine in Kedarnath is the rear end of the
bull, with the rest of its body scattered throughout the Garhwal. Shiva dived
into the ground leaving behind him a hump on the surface. This conical
protrusion is worshipped as the idol. It is the main site of the Panch Kedar
temples.
|
Mathura |
The city of Mathura, in Uttar Pradesh, the nucleus of Brajbhoomi, is located at a distance of 145 km south-east of Delhi and 58 km north-west of Agra.
|
|
Badrinath Krishnan temple
Badrinath |
Badrinath is the abode of the Narayana sages and is a great place of pilgrimage. According to the Srimad Bhagavatam even five thousand years ago this holy place was being visited by such holy persons as Uddhava, and even at that time the place was known to be very old. There are four dhamas, or kingdoms of God, which represent the planets of the spiritual ky, consisting of the brahmajyoti and the Vaikunthas.
These are Badrinath, Rameswaram, Jagannath Puri, and Dwarka. Badrinath is a very important pilgrimage place and is very dear to Lord Krishna. Badrinath is also called "Narada Kshetram" since Narada Muni attained liberation here in five days. Gautama Rishi, Kapila, and Kasyapa are said to have come here, and Sankaracarya established a temple here. Sankaracarya visited some 1,225 years ago; Ramanujacarya visited 955 years ago; Madhvacarya visited twice some 735 years ago; and Lord Nityananda visited 500 years ago.
The murti of Lord Badrinath is self manifested from a two- foot-high black shalagram-shila. He is aiso called Badri Vishal or Badarinarayana.
Lord Badrinath is sitting meditating in the padmasana (lotus posture).
|
|
Khajuraho Temple
Khajuraho
|
Once a great chandela capital, Khajuraho is now a quiet village. The town of exotic temples, Khajuraho is one of India's major honeymoon attractions. They are India's unique gift to the world, representing a melody to life,which encompasses all emotions ranging from love, to joy. Life, in every form and mood, has been captured in stone, testifying not only to the craftsman's artistry but also to the extraordinary breadth of vision of the Chandela kings.
|
Vaishno Devi
Jammu and Kashmir |
The shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi is one of the most visited pilgrim sites in India. Situated at a height of 5, 300 ft., the site is located inside a cave in a hill. One of the most visited pilgrim sites in India, the shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi is located in a cave, amidst the folds of the Trikuta Bhagwati hill at a height of 5, 300 ft., in the state of Jammu and Kashmir (J & K). This cave temple is at a distance of 61 kms from Jammu and the last 13 kms of the way have to be negotiated on foot by the yatris, as the devotees are called. Once at the entrance to the cave, the path turns into a narrow tunnel with a cold stream named the Charan Ganga running through it. The pilgrim has to wade through this to reach the sanctum sanctorum.
The holy cave shrine of Vaishno Devi is nestled in a beautiful recess of the Trikuta Mountains forming a part of the lower Himalayas. It is located 61 km north of Jammu at a height of 5,200 feet above the sea level in the state of Jammu and Kashmir. In the cave there are images of three deities viz. the Mahakali, Mahalakshmi and Mahasaraswati.
|
|
Rishikesh
Uttar Pradesh
|
Rishikesh is located in the northern part of Uttar Pradesh. It is 238 km northeast of Delhi and 24 km north of Haridwar and spreads on the right banks of the Ganges, at its confluence with the Chandrabhaga stream. It is surrounded by hills on three sides and is perched at an altitude of 356 meters above sea level. The name Rishikesh is loosely applied to an association of five distinct sections encompassing not only the town but also hamlets and settlements on both sides of the river.
Legend has it that the sage Raibhya Rishi did severe penance and, as a reward, God appeared to him in the form of Hrishikesh. Rishikesh also represents the site where Lord Vishnu vanquished the demon Madhu. The place is known as the Tapo Bhumi or the place for meditation of the Gods. Tapovan, on the other bank of the Ganges, houses a temple to Lakshmana. It is believed that Lakshmana, the younger brother of Lord Rama, carried out penance here. The Neelkanth Mahadev temple is believed to be the site where Lord Shiva had drunk the venom that came out during the churning of the ocean. In the 1960s, the place came into limelight as the place where the pop group Beatles met their guru, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.
|
| Dakshineswari Kali |
Kali Temple
Built in 1847, on the banks of the Hoogly River, north of Calcutta, the temple is associated with Shri Ramakrishna, the eclectic 19th century saint who revived Hinduism during the British Raj. Across the river stands Belur Math, headquarters of Ramakrishna Mission. The monastery is a heaven of peace and religious harmony. The Goddess Kali is also famous with the Dakshineswari Kali Matha or Belur Matha.
|
i
Mahalakhsmi |
The Mahalaxmi Temple sits atop a long flight of steps on the edge of the Arabian Sea. It is devoted to Laxmi, the Goddess of Wealth, and Lady Lucre to millions of adoring Indians. The shrine itself is quite characterless, but has a curious history. It is said that in the 1890s, when the adjoining causeway was being constructed by a British engineer, the project was always jinxed: every time the foundation was laid, the sea would rush in and destroy it. Then one night, a labourer dreamt of Goddess Laxmi who ordered him to dig out an idol from a spot under the causeway and build a shrine on it. This was done with due alacrity, and the causeway was ultimately completed.
|
Haridwar Temple
Hardwar
|
The Gateway of Four Pilgrimages
Haridwar is considered as the gateway to the four pilgrimages in the Uttrakhand region, The Ganga leaves the mountains and enters the plains with Hardwar being the first major town on the plains. Though the Ganges does not lose its rapids completely nevertheless it becomes very quite and calm here. The water is clean and people prefer taking bath on the numerous ghats built on the river shores. It is said that taking bath here purifies the soul and opens the way for the ultimate freedom, Nirvana.
Haridwar has earned fame as being the place which has been blessed by the trinity of Lord Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma. It is also one of the major Shaktipeeths. Down the ages Hardwar has purified the mind, the body and the soul. Not only in spiritual or religious terms Hardwar has come up as a major learning center for arts, science and culture. This place has maintained the Gurukul tradition of teaching. This ancient tradition of teaching has maintained its fervor in Hardwar.
|
|
|