Top 12 Popular Religious Places in India

The religious places of India reflects the diversity of region,rituals,people and religions. India is home to many religions of different faiths and considered as the most religiously diverse nations in the world. The religious sites of India includes Haridwar- one of the Most visited place of worship,Kumbh mela the largest gathering in the world, 12 Jyotirlingas, Meenakshi Temple and Char Dham yatra.

Vaishno Devi -Jammu

The holiest Hindu temples dedicated to adi Shakti, situated in the hills of Katra in Jammu and Kashmir. Vaishno Devi temple is second most visited religious place in India after the world famous Tirumala Venkateswara Temple. Maa Vaishno Devi shrine also known as Mata Rani is located at an altitude of 5300 feet is a manifestation of the Mother Goddess Durga.

Vaishnodevi-Temple-Jammu

Tirumala Venkateswara -Tirupati

The world famous Tirumala Venkateswara Temple or Tirupati Balaji is a Hindu temple dedicated to god Vishnu. Tirupati Balaji temple is the richest pilgrimage center in India followed by Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple,Vaishno Devi and Shirdi Sai Baba. Brahmotsavam festival is best time to visit Lord Venkateswara Temple, the celebration attracts pilgrims from all over the world.

Tirumala-Venkateswara-Temple-Tirupati

Siddhivinayak -Mumbai

The Siddhivinayak temple is dedicated to Lord Shri Ganesh or the elephant god,located in the capital of Maharashtra, Mumbai. Shree Siddhivinayak Ganapati Mandir is the richest temples in Mumbai and one of the in Maharashtra, other are famous Dagdusheth Ganpati Pune,Mahalakshmi Temple of Kolhapur and Shirdi wale Sai Baba.

Siddhivinayak-Temple-Dadar-Mumbai

Sree Ayyappa -Sabarimala

Sri Lord Ayyappa swami Temple of Sabarimala is located in Sahyadri mountain ranges or Western Ghats in Pathanamthitta District of Kerala. The Sabarimala temple is dedicated to Hindu God Ayyappan and the largest annual pilgrimage in world. Sabarimala Sree Ayyappa Temple is situated on a hilltop of Sahyadris ranges at an altitude of 468 m (1535 ft) and surrounded by dense forests and mountains hills.

Lord-Ayyappa-swamy-Sabarimala-Kerala

Moinuddin Chishti -Ajmer

Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti was the most famous Sufi saint in Indian Subcontinent. The dargah of Moinuddin Chishti is situated in Ajmer and visited by Muslim pilgrims as well as Hindus and Sikhs. Dargah of Moinuddin Chishti is one of the major religious site in India.

Moinuddin-Chishti-Dargah-Ajmer-Rajasthan

Harmandir Sahib - Amritsar

The golden temple or Harmandir Sahib is a prominent Gurdwara and one of the historical heritage monuments of India, located in Amritsar city of, Punjab. Sri Harmandir Sahib is holiest place for Sikhs, surrounded by a beautiful lake and four doors. Vaisakhi,the most important festivals of Punajb is best time to explore the culture and tradition of great Punjab.

The-Golden-Temple-Amritsar

Basilica of Bom Jesus -Goa

The Basilica of Bom Jesus church is one of the UNESCO World Heritage Site located in old Goa. Basilica of Bom Jesus is India’s first minor basilica and the most popular church in India and a landmark in the history of Christianity. This world heritage monument is one of the oldest churches in India as well as in Goa.

Basilica-of-Bom-Jesus-Goa

Sai Baba -Shirdi

The most popular Sai Baba of Shirdi located at Shirdi town in Maharashtra. Shirdi Sai temple is a most beautiful shrine built over the Samadhi of Shri Sai Baba. Sai Baba is a very popular saint worshiped by people of Hindu,Zoroastrian and Muslim all around the world.

Sai-baba-Shirdi

Mahabodhi -Bodhgaya

The Mahabodhi Mahavihara Bodhgaya Temple is located in Gaya district of Bihar state. Mahabodhi Temple is world famous Buddhist temple where the Buddha have attained enlightenment. The Mahabodhi Temple Complex also has a holy Bodhi tree and the Bodhimanda Vihara monastery.

Mahabodhi-Temple-Bodhgaya-Bihar

Ranakpur -Pali

The Ranakpur Jain Temple is located in Pali district of Rajasthan,between two beautiful cities Jodhpur and Udaipur. The spectacular Jain temple of Ranakpur is dedicated to Adinatha and known for its Light colored marbles. Jain temple of ranakpur is one of the grand jain temple and most visited place in jainism.

Ranakpur-Jain-Temple-Pali-Rajasthan

Amarnath Dham -Srinagar

The cave of Amarnath is considered to be most famous and holiest shrines of great God, Lord Shiva in Hinduism. Amarnath Temple cave situated at an altitude 3,888 m (12,756 ft) near Srinagar and surrounded by snowy mountains. An ice stalagmite Lingam formed annually in the caves due to freezing of water during the month of sharavan.

Amarnath-cave-temple

Lord Jagannath - Puri

The Lord Jagannath temple is located in coastal town of Puri in Orissa, dedicated to Lord Jagannath. Shree Jagannath is a Hindu temple and one of the fourth pilgrimage destination for Hindu, Char Dham. The Rath Yatra of Jagannath Puri temple is well famous annual festival celebrated in the month of June.

Jagannath-Temple-Puri-Orrisa

Famous Holy Yatra to sacred pilgrimage in India

Yatra generally means pilgrimage to holy places such as sacred pilgrimage sites,confluences of sacred rivers and temples. Most of the holy yatra stated during the Hindu scared month of Shravan or Sawan and run through the whole season of monsoon. India is the birth place of four of the world’s major religious traditions namely Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism and Sikhism, Also have followers of Muslims, Christians, Parsis and Jews. Every religions in India has it’s own way to worship their respective god’s, two of most sacred yatra are Char Dham Yatra by Hindu and Hajj Yatra by Muslim. During the monsoon India host some of the big fairs and popular festivals such as Teej, Raksha Bandhan,Nag Panchami, snake boat race and Aadi Perukku. The mammoth procession of Rath Yatra at Puri is the biggest in Oddissa.

Mansarovar Yatra: 

Mansarovar is a beautiful and highest fresh-water lake in the world situated in Tibet. Mount Kailash, a place of pilgrimage attracting religious people from India and neighboring countries. The Mount Kailash is considered a sacred place in four religions Hinduism Buddhism, Jainism and Bon. According to Hindu mythology mount Kailash is the abode of Lord Shiva and circumambulating Mount Kailash on foot is a holy ritual. Another lake called Lake Rakshastal lying close to the west of Lake Manasarovar and The Great Mount Kailash. These lake are the source of the Brahmaputra River and the Karnali River a tributary of the Holy river Ganges.

Kailash Mansarovar Yatra

Amarnath Yatra: 

The Amarnth temple located in Jammu and Kashmir is dedicated to one of the holy trinity God “Lord Shiva“. The temple is situated on Amarnath mountain and Amarnath caves are most famous shrines in Hinduism. Every year inside the main Amarnath cave an Ice Shiva Lingam forms, along with two other ice formations representing Shri Ganesh and Maa Parvati. Amarnath yatra is held every year to pay homage to Lord Shiva and Maa parvati. The temple is a very popular yatra destination for Hindus, about 4 lakh people visit during the season.

Amarnath Yatra

Pandharpur Yatra: 

The Palkhi Festival Of Maharashtra is one of the most popular festivals in India. The annual Pandharpur Yatra to the famous vithoba temple at Pandarpur held every year during the month of June and July. Thousands of pilgrims come to Pandharpur with carry Palkhis with the images of the saints of Maharashtra Sant Dyaneshwar from Alandi, Sant Tukaram’s from Dehu, Eknath’s from Paithan, and Nivruttinath’s from Trimbakeshwar. These pilgrims are referred to as Warkaris, they worship Vithoba an incarnation of Vishnu.

Pandharpur Palki Yatra

Ratha Yatra: 

The Festival of Chariots of Lord Jagannatha, held every year at Puri in the tribal state of Orissa. The 10 day’s ratha yatra is commemorates Lord Jagannath’s, annual visit to Gundicha mata’s temple a short distance away. Thousands of pilgrims come to puri during the festival with an desire to help pull Lords chariot with ropes. This is the only day when devotees who are not allowed in the temple premises such as non-Hindus and foreigners, can get their glimpse of the deities.

Jagannath Puri Rath Yatra

Deoghar Yatra: 

Om Namah Shivai ! Deoghar means abode of the Gods and Goddesses, It is also known as Baidyanath Dham or Baba Dham situated on the eastern side of Jharkhand. It is an important Hindu pilgrimage center having Baidyanath Temple one of the twelve Lord Shiva Jyothirlingams in India. The pilgrims carry the holy water of holy river Ganges from Sultanganj’s and offered to the Jyotirlingam of Lord Shiva at Deoghar. These pilgrims called Kanwariya, reciting Bol Bam on the way of walk 109 KM, The march of Kanwariya start during the holy month of Shravan the wet season each year in India. Shravani Mela is the most celebrated 30-day festival in Deoghar Baidyanath Temple of Jharkhand.

Babadham Yatra

Char Dham Yatra: 

The Char Dham belongs to four pilgrimage places in India, They are Badrinath, Dwarka, Jagannath Puri, and Rameshwaram. The Char Dham are often considered the most revered sites for Hindus that have to be visited in one’s lifetime. There is a Chota Char Dham as well inculdes Yamunotri, Gangotri, Badrinath and Kedarnath situated in Garhwal Himalayas.

Chardham Yatra

• Badrinath is located in the North Indian state of Uttarakhand, in Garhwal hills on the banks of the Alaknanda River.
• Dwarka is located in West in state of Gujarat,close to where the Gomti River merges into the Gulf of Kutch.
• Puri located in East, state of Orissa, the oldest city of eastern part situated on the coast of the Bay of Bengal.
• Rameswaram located in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu, situated in the Gulf of Mannar.

Sikkim has created four Dhams of the Hindus Jagannath, Dwarika, Rameshawaram, Badrinath under one roof at  Namchi along with replicas of 12 Jyotirlingas and a incredibly tallest 108-feet statue of Kirateshwar, the hunter form of Lord Shiva.