The religions and spiritual beliefs of a country give it a rich culture that appeals people throughout the world. Faith of visitors takes them on various scared journeys to a variety of pilgrimage places located anywhere across the globe. A vast majority of Hindus have special religious places where they are considerably inclined to go during their lifetime. Even though Hindu temples and pilgrimage sites are located at innumerable places, read on to know more about some religious destinations that are most popular among tourists from all over the world and not merely from a particular country.
Haridwar
This holy place is believed to have footprints of various Hindu Gods on its land. Thus, people have a strong devotion to this destination and they worship it from the depth of their hearts. This lush green location has many temples to worship Hindu Gods that are thought to be gateways to heaven. In addition, Haridwar is famous for its religious ponds and rivers, majorly the Ganges that is considered a mother-like river by the Hindus.
Kedarnath
With Kedarnath mountain ranges in its background, the shrine of Kedarnath is a holy place devoted to Lord Shiva. This great Hindu God is considered the perpetuator and destroyer of the entire existence. A jyotilinga of Lord Shiva is believed to be his physical form of existence at this particular place. Out of twelve such Shiva jyotilingas, Kedarnath is one of the most popular among pilgrims.
Amarnath
Thousands of people come to Amarnath on pilgrimage, as this holy site holds a very significant spot among the religious destinations for Hindus. The belief attached to this shrine holds that the ice statue formations of Lord Shiva and his family in this cave keep taking their shapes with the movement of moon that starts every full moon night. A six-foot icy formation at this place is thought to be of Lord Shiva, and the ones on left and right are the idols of Lord Ganesha and Goddess Parvati. The Amarnath cave is located around 140 km. away from Srinagar in India, and people usually take a tour of this place during July and August.
Vaishno Devi
Mata Vaishno Devi shrine is located in the state of Jammu and Kashmir, India where it is based at an altitude of 5,200 feet from the ground. This shrine is located close to a place called Katra, which is quite reachable by buses or another means of road transport. However, the remaining distance of about 13 km. needs to be covered on foot or riding on a pony. You ultimately land up at the mouth of a cave inside which the real place of worship is based. A narrow tunnel takes you inside from the mouth of the cave. A cold stream of water named Charan Ganga runs through this tunnel. Even though it is difficult for some people to travel until this point, their religious beliefs are strong enough to make way for them. Millions of tourists flock to this shrine every year.
Somnath
Located at a distance of 25 km. from Chorwad in India, it is a very special temple for devotees of Lord Shiva. Back in the year 1026, Mehmood Gazni attacked and robbed this temple of its precious jewels, gold and diamonds. Even after facing various vicissitudes in terms of creation and destruction, the Somnath Temple remained intact.
Mathura
Mathura is the birthplace of Lord Krishna where his followers pray him very devotedly. He freed people from the rule of Kansa, the cruel king of this place. Lord Krishna had his own magic and charm that he always used for helping and supporting people. Many followers of Lord Krishna stay in different parts of the world and specially come to visit his birthplace.
Varanasi
Spiritualism flourishes well in the Varanasi city of India that has several Hindu temples devoted to varied Gods. A special place in the heart of devotees is for the Vishvanath Temple, which was built in 1776 in the praise of Lord Shiva. Varanasi is also home to various Ghats alongside the river where this place’s local culture is reflected. People get involved in daily evening prayers at some of these Ghats. Many tourists come to offer a lit lamp or have a holy dip into the river waters.
Ujjain
The most favorite religious destination in Ujjain, India for the followers of Hinduism is Lord Shiva’s Mahakaleshwar Temple. Displaying amazing Mughal architecture, this five-story temple has the idol of the deity facing southward. There is a special prayer done as a ritual in this temple, and this prayer is symbolic of life and death. Many Hindus from various places in the world visit Ujjain and especially this temple of Lord Shiva every year.