Spiritual India
From one corner of the country to the other, India remains dispersed with numerous religious places associated with numerous religions – Hinduism, Islam, Jainism, Christianity and Buddhism. Spirituality in India has always been one of the biggest attractions for tourists arriving here from all parts of the world. While visiting the spiritual places in India, one gains a deep insight into the rich cultural heritage of India. Religious customs and traditions in India have continued for years. For travelers, it is really a great experience to make a visit to all these spiritual places and watch people as they perform different rites and rituals. It is at these places that India can be really felt and seen inside-out. Right from the extreme north to the south and from west to east, pilgrimage centres are located all over. Tourists should plan their spiritual tour in advance so as not to miss some of the most popular pilgrimage destinations in India.

Hindu Pilgrimage Destinations
Spiritual centres of the Hindu religion are distributed across the whole of India. Northern India features some of the most ancient and holiest pilgrimage places. Places like Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh), Allahabad (Uttar Pradesh) and Mathura Vrindavan (Uttar Pradesh) are held in extremely high regard by the Hindu community. The Jagannath Temple of Puri in Orissa is a major pilgrimage attraction in eastern India. Rameshwaram, Kanyakumari, Tirupati and Madurai in southern India are known worldwide for their ancient history and age-old temple rites and rituals.

Muslim Pilgrimage Destinations
Muslims happen to be the second largest religious community in India. A number of shrines, tombs, mosques and other Muslim pilgrimage destinations dot India’s soil across its length and breadth. One of the most visited and most revered Muslim pilgrimage sites in India is the Dargah of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti at Ajmer in Rajasthan. The shrine not only attracts Muslims but also people of various other religious in hundreds and thousands. The Jama Masjid in Delhi, Haji Ali Dargah in Mumbai and Fatehpur Sikri (37 km from Agra in Uttar Pradesh) are the popular Muslim pilgrimage destinations in India.

Sikh Pilgrimage Destinations
The Sikh community has also immensely contributed towards making India one of the most culturally rich countries. Sikh pilgrimage destinations are known for their sanctity and religious history. Set up by Sikh Guru Ram Das, the Golden Temple of Amritsar is known almost in every corner of the world. Tourists and pilgrims from far wide come here to soak up the spiritual aura that surrounds the temple. Anandpur Sahib is also a major Sikh pilgrimage destination in India.

Jain Pilgrimage Destinations
Situated in the north-western India state of Rajasthan, the Ranakpur Jain temples and the Dilwara Jain temples are visited for their architectural brilliance and religious importance. The southern India state of Karnataka also features Jain pilgrimage places including the monumental statue of Bahubali which stands in the historical town of Sravanabelagola.

Christian Pilgrimage Destinations
Christianity has had a deep-rooted relationship with India. It was back in AD 52 when St Thomas set sail to India and that is when Christianity began to flourish in India. During the British Era, Dutch Era and the Portuguese Era, numerous churches and cathedrals were constructed across the country. These Christian pilgrimage places stand even today to testify the glorious history of the bygone era.

Buddhist Pilgrimage Destinations
Bodhgaya in the state of Bihar is one of the world’s most popular Buddhist pilgrimage destinations. The Buddhist monasteries and gompas in Ladakh invite both Buddhists and tourists from all across the world. The state of Uttar Pradesh too has many Buddhist spiritual places that must be visited.