In Hinduism, the yatra (pilgrimage) to the tirthas (sacred places) has special significance for earning the punya (spiritual merit) needed to attain the moksha (salvation) by performing the darśana (viewing of deity), the parikrama (circumambulation), the yajna (sacrificial fire offering), the Dhyana (spiritual contemplation), the puja (worship), the prarthana (prayer, which could be in the form of mantra – sacred chants, bhajan – prayer singing, or kirtan – collective musical prayer performance), the dakshina (alms and donation for worthy cause), the seva (selfless service towards community, devotees or temple), the bhandara (running volunteer community kitchen for pilgrims), etc. These sacred places are usually located on the banks of sacred waters, such as sacred rivers or their tributaries (among the rigvedic rivers of sapta sindhu the trio ganges-yamuna-saraswati are considered most sacred), the kundas (pond or lake, among these the Lake Manasarovar is considered most scared), the ghats (water bodies with stairs such as Ghats in Varanasi), or the stepwells (among these the rani ki vav in the form of inverted temple is considered most spectacular), or the temple tanks.
In India there are 7 Sapta Puri holy cities, 4 Dhams (Char Dham) and 12 Jyotirlings devoted to the Lord Shiva, 51 Shakta pithas devoted to the feminine manifestation of the god, the eight swayambhu Vishnu temples (Badrinath, Naimisharanya, Saligram Muktinath, Srimushnam, Tiruchirappalli, Tirupati, Nanguneri, Pushkar) and the important Lord Rama circuit (Ayodhya, Chitrakoot, Hampi and Rameswaram) and Lord Krishna circuit (Braj, Kurukshetra and Dwarka).
Holy Places: Himalayan Chota Char Dham – Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri, and Yamunotri, Varanasi, Prayagraj, Haridwar – Rishikesh, Mathura – Vrindavan, Ayodhya, Dwarka, Rameswaram, Shirdi, Tirupati, Nashik, Pancharama Kshetras. Holy Fairs: The Kumbh Mela (the "pitcher festival") is one of the holiest of Hindu pilgrimages that is held four times every twelve years; the location is rotated among the four cities of Prayagraj, Haridwar, Nashik, and Ujjain. The Mahamaham in temple town of Kumbakonam is also celebrated once in 12 years. Annual Gita Mahotsav at Kurukshetra, Shravani Mela at Deoghar, and Pitrapaksha Mela at Gaya are also notable holy fairs. Holy Temples: the Char Dham, Pancharama Kshetras, Rameswaram, Dwarka, Puri and Badrinath; the Pancha Bhoota Stalam; the eight Ashta Veeratta Sthalams; the Six Abodes of Murugan; the five Pancha Sabhai; the 108 Divya Desams; Katra, home to the Vaishno Devi temple; Puri home to Vaishnava Jagannath temple and Rath Yatra celebration; Tirumala – Tirupati, home to the Tirumala Venkateswara Temple; Shirdi, home to Sai Baba of Shirdi; Sabarimala home to Swami Ayyappan; the Shakta pithas; the twelve Jyotirlingas; the seven Sapta Puri. Cities Celebrated in Literature: 276 Paadal Petra Sthalams, 108 Shiva Temples established by Paraśurāma. Holy Deity : Kuladaivat Hindu families have their own family patron deity. This deity is common to a lineage, a clan or a locality. Samadhis (shrines) of Saints: Alandi, Samadhi of Dnyaneshwar:Mantralayam, Shri Sai baba temple, Shirdi – Shri Samadhi Mandir of Sri Sai Baba of Shirdi at Shirdi, samadhi of Raghavendra Tirtha, Belur Math which enshrine that Holy remains of Sri Ramakrishna, Sri Sarada Devi, Swami Vivekananda Puri, and other direct Disciples of Sri Ramakrishna, Tulsi Ghat, Varanasi where Saint Tulsidas left his mortal coil, Samadhi Mandir of Meher Baba in Meherabad, Samadhi Mandir of Saint Kabir at Gorakhpur, near Varanasi, Panchaganga Ghat, Varanasi where Trailanga Swami lived and left his mortal body, Karar Ashram, Puri where Swami Sri Yukteswar Giri, attained the Mahasamadhi.Yogananda, Paramahansa (1997). Autobiography of a Yogi, 1997 Anniversary Edition p. 383. Self-Realization Fellowship (Founded by Yogananda) http://www.yogananda-srf.org/ , All the tirth places which are important in Hinduism is mentioned below. Madhva saint Vadiraja Tirtha of sixteenth century has written Tirtha Prabandha a document on travelogue of pilgrimage centres throughout India.
Most visited pilgrimage sites Ayodhya Ram Janmabhoomi
Ayodhya is an ancient holy city in Uttar Pradesh, which is one of the seven holy Hindu Saptapuri cites, and considered the home to Ram Janmabhoomi, the birthplace of Rama, in Hindu tradition. The Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, India is a Hindu temple, that was inaugurated on 22 January 2024 after a prana pratishtha (consecration) ceremony. Ayodhya's Ram temple is estimated to have 50 million visitors per year, making it possibly the top pilgrimage site in the world.
Kashi Vishwanath (Varanasi)
Kashi Vishwanath Temple is Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva located in the ancient holy city of Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India. The temple is a prominent Hindu pilgrimage site, and is one of the twelve Jyotirlinga shrines. The presiding deity is known by the names Vishwanath and Vishweshwara (IAST: Viśvanātha and Viśveśvara), literally meaning "Lord of the Universe". The temple has been managed by a board of trustees set up by the government of Uttar Pradesh since 1983. On 1 January 2023, a record 3.35 lakh pilgrims visited the temple. In the month of January 2023, the temple received approximately 45,000 visitors per day.
Jagannath Dham (Puri)
Jagannath Temple, Puri is one of the most sacred sites in Hinduism, located in the township of Puri in Odisha.The Hindu temple is dedicated to the god Jagannath, a form of Vishnu and two of his siblings, Balaram and Subhadra, alongside Sudarshan (the deified form of Vishnu's primary weapon).
Tirupati Balaji (Venkateswara Temple, Tirumala)
Venkateswara Temple, Tirumala, also known as Tirupati Balaji Temple, is a Hindu temple situated in the hills of Tirumala at Tirupati in Tirupati district of Andhra Pradesh, India. The temple is dedicated to Venkateswara, a form of Vishnu, who is believed to have appeared on the earth to save mankind from the trials and troubles of Kali Yuga. Venkateswara is known by many other names: Balaji, Govinda, and Srinivasa. The temple is run by Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), under the Andhra Pradesh Government. The head of TTD is appointed by the Andhra Pradesh Government. The temple is one of the Pancha Kshethram where Maha Lakshmi was born as Bhargavi - the daughter of Maharishi Bhrigu. The other four temples of the Pancha Kshethram are Sarangapani temple, Kumbakonam, Oppiliappan temple, Nachiyar Koil and Sundararaja Perumal Temple, Salem. Tirumala hills are part of Seshachalam Hills range. The hills are above sea level and comprise seven peaks, representing the seven heads of Adisesha. The temple lies on the seventh peak—Venkatadri, on the southern banks of Sri Swami Pushkarini, a holy water tank. Hence the temple is also referred to as "Temple of Seven Hills". The temple is visited by 50,000 to 100,000 devotees per day and reaching 30 to 40 million visitors annually who come to pray to Lord Venkateshwara.
Sri Sai Baba Temple (Shirdi)
Shri Sai Baba Temple, Shirdi, also known as Sri Sai Baba Samadhi Mandir and Sai Baba of Shirdi temple, is a temple which is located in holy city town of Shirdi, Maharashtra is among the top pilgrimage sites of the world.Sai Baba of Shirdi,also known as Shirdi Sai Baba, was an Indian spiritual master and fakir, considered to be a saint, revered by devotees during and after his lifetime.Hindu devotees believed to be an incarnation of the Hindu deity Dattatreya.The temple is a shrine which was constructed in 1922. Shirdi Sai Baba temple is approximately 200 kilometers from Mumbai City. Also, this temple is known to be the second richest temple in India where millions of pilgrims visit daily. Shirdi is frequented by devotees and tourists. The temple is managed by the Sri Saibaba Sansthan Trust. The temple is visited by more than 60,000 per day and the number can increase by up by 2 to 3 lakh on special occasions.
Vaishno Devi Temple (Jammu)
Vaishno Devi Temple, also known as the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Temple and Vaishno Devi Bhavan, is a Hindu temple located in Katra, Jammu and Kashmir, dedicated to Vaishno Devi, a manifestation of Durga. It is located on the Trikuta Mountain at 5,000 feet. The Shakti tradition considers it to be a Shakta pitha. The temple is governed by the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB) and has been chaired by the Governor of Jammu and Kashmir since August 1986. Millions of devotees visit the temple annually. In 2018, the Vaishno Devi shrine reported that it had received 8.5 million pilgrims that year.
List of Important Pilgrimage Places