Top 10 Religious Pilgrimage Places in India

Golden Temple - Amritsar:

Golden temple, which is renowned as Harmindar Sahib or Sri Durbar Sahib is the popular holy shrine of Sikhs, located in Amritsar,Punjab-India. The temple is named after the god Hari. It is the sacred and cultural center of Sikhs. This vital Sikh shrine magnetizes more visitors than the Taj Mahal with more than 100,000 tourists per a day. This is the favorite tourist spot for NRI’s (Non-resident Indians). A holy bath at Amritsar Golden temple is believed to purify the soul of the devotee.

Badrinath Temple:

Badrinath Temple is also known as Badrinarayan temple, situated along the Alaknanda River, in the hill town of Badrinath, Uttarakhand in India. The temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu and is widely considered to be one of the holiest Hindu temples in India. The temple and town are also regarded as one of the four Char Dham and Chota Char Dham pilgrimage sites. It is one of the five related shrines called as Panch Badri and also one of the 108 Divya Desams, holy shrines for Vaishnavites.

Kedarnath Temple:

Kedarnath temple is one of the holiest Hindu temples dedicated to Lord Shiva and also one of the 12 Jyotirlingas in India. It is located near the Mandakini River at the Garhwal Himalayan range near in Kedarnath, Uttarakhand in India. The temple is open only between the ends of April to Kartik Purnima (the autumn full moon sometime in November) due to the extreme weather conditions of the place.

Tirupathi/Tirumala:

The sacred and one of the ancient temples of Sri Venkateshwara is nestled in the verdant Eastern Ghats - a mountain range that runs along south-eastern India. These hills are called as Tirumala Hills and are 3200 feet above the sea level. Lord Venkateswara at Tirumala is considered as the world’s richest temple in with an estimated annual income of over 300 crores.

Srisailam:

Srisailam is a famous pilgrimage centre known for the abode of Lord Shiva and His consort Parvathi in the form of Lord Mallikarjuna and Goddess Brahmarambika. The temple of Sri Mallikarjuna and Brahmarambika in Srisailam is considered sacred and must-visit after the temple of Lord Venkateshwara in Tirupati. Over years the popularity of this place has increased so much that Srisailam has gained recognition all over India.

Murudeshwara Temple:

The Murudeshwar temple situated atop a small hill called Kanduka Giri is a major tourist attraction. A huge towering statue of Lord Shiva, visible from great distances in Murudeshwar is a sight worth remembering forever. The statue is 123 feet (37 m) in height, which took about 2 years to build. The idol is designed such that the sun s rays fall directly on its face.

Mecca Masjid:

Mecca Masjid is a magnificent building with a main hall that is 75 feet high, 220 feet wide and 180 feet long. It can accommodate about ten thousand worshippers at a single go. Fifteen graceful arches support the roof of the main hall, five on each of the three sides.

Kali Temple - Kali ghat:

Kali temple is dedicated to Hindu Goddess Kalika and is one of the most sacred pilgrimage destinations of India. The Kali Temple (originally a small hut), was built in 1809 by Raja Basanta Roy of the Sabarna Roy Chowdhury clan - who offered 595 bighas of land to the Temple deity.

Sree Padmanabha Swamy Temple:

Sree Padmanabha Swamy Temple at Syanandoora or today’s Thiruvananthapuram has shed its radiance in continuous flow down the annals of oral tradition and written history. Its evolution reflects the social, historic and religious development of the region over which its influence was felt, which often extended to territories lying well inside present Southern Tamil Nadu. Ranking among the best known temples in Kerala, this shrine retains its position as the most important in Travancore standing in majestic splendor in the heart of Thiruvananthapuram, capital of Kerala.

Sri Krishna Janmabhoomi Temple:

Sri Krishna Janmabhoomi Temple is also known as Keshava Deo or Keshava Dev Temple. It is the most sought after devout centers in Mathura city. Its predominance compared to other holy spots is because of the belief that the temple stands on the birthplace of Lord Krishna. Krishna was born to Vasudeva and Devaki in the prison.

Meenakshi Amman Temple:

Meenakshi Amman Temple is one of the most important Hindu Pilgrimage places, located in the heart of Madurai, Tamil Nadu. This temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva, who is also known as Sundareswarar (Beautiful God) along with his consort Parvati who is also known as Meenakshi. The Temple was first built 2000 years ago and then expanded substantially during the reign of Thirumalai Nayak in the years 1623- 1655 A.D.