Indian Pilgrimage Tourism

Indian Pilgrimage Tourism

Pilgrimage – A Spiritual way of leading life.

Rahul Bhardwaj – Student @airgraceacademy-com

India is a land of pilgrimage. Travel for religious purposes has been there from the most ancient times. Practically, all religions – Hindu, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism have their major and minor pilgrimage centres in different parts of the country.

People also visit centres of Sufism, churches, and mosques. For most domestic tourists in India, pilgrimage has always served as the main motivation. In our country, major temples, shrines, and sacred spots stand scattered along the riverbanks or in the hills.

The confluence of holy rivers, called “Sangam,” attracts millions of tourists every year as pilgrims gather there to take a holy dip. For example, on the day of “Sankranti,” people believe that bathing in the holy Ganga water relieves them of all sins.

Indian Pilgrimage Tourism – The Char Dham Yatra

The Char Dham Yatra, as defined by Adi Shankaracharya, carries deep spiritual meaning. Each dhama represents a particular yuga—Badrinath symbolizes Satya Yuga, Rameswaram represents Treta Yuga, Dwarka stands for Dvapara Yuga, and Puri signifies Kali Yuga.

Moreover, many Hindus believe that visiting these sacred sites helps them achieve moksha (liberation or salvation). However, one should not confuse the Char Dham with the Chota Char Dham, which refers to a separate devotional circuit in Uttarakhand.

In fact, Hindus consider these temples among the holiest places they must visit at least once in a lifetime. Although the exact origins of these four temples remain unclear and mysterious, historical traditions suggest that Adi Shankaracharya established the Advaita school of Hinduism, which also influenced the foundation of the Char Dham.

Geographically, these four temples stretch across the four corners of India. To begin with, the Badrinath Temple lies in the north. Moving to the east, one finds the Jagannath Temple in Puri. In the west stands the Dwarkadhish Temple at Dwarka, and finally, in the south lies Rameswaram, home to the Ramanathaswamy Temple.

Furthermore, Hindus strongly believe their faith requires them to undertake this journey at least once in their lifetime. Traditionally, pilgrims start the yatra from Puri in the east and then move clockwise through the remaining sites.

Different pilgrimage tours and Char Dham tourism organise this journey to these places. If we are speaking geographically, then we can see that these places are situated in a roughly perfect square, falling on the same latitude or longitude.

12 Jyotirlingas

The 12 Jyotirlingas serve as revered shrines dedicated to Lord Shiva, one of the principal deities in Hinduism. These sacred sites, situated across various regions of India, hold immense religious significance for millions of devotees. Moreover, each Jyotirlinga represents a direct manifestation of the Supreme God in the form of Lord Shiva.

After saints attain samadhi, their spiritual work continues at a more subtle level. At that stage, their bodies emit a stronger flow of Chaitanya (divine consciousness) and sattvikta (purity). Similarly, just as a saint’s samadhi rests beneath the earth’s surface, the Jyotirlingas and swayambhu Shivalingas also lie beneath the surface, radiating divine energy.

In addition, these Shivalingas possess a higher level of nirguṇ tattva compared to other Shivalingas. Therefore, they constantly emit greater waves of nirguṇ Chaitanya and sattvikta, which continuously purify the atmosphere on earth.

Furthermore, since these divine waves also travel toward the region of Hell, they engage in a constant battle with negative energies. As a result, the earth remains protected from the attacks of powerful forces arising from the lower regions.

Statistics of Pilgrimage Tourism In India

A study by the Delhi-based National Council for Applied Economic Research (NCAER) shows that out of 230 million tourist trips in India, religious pilgrimages account for the largest share. For instance, 23 million people visited Tirupati, a famous temple town near the southern tip of India. In fact, Tirupati attracts more pilgrims annually than the combined total of travellers visiting Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, and Kolkata.

Moreover, according to the Ministry of Tourism, the Government of India has sanctioned several projects exclusively to promote pilgrimage tourism. In addition, theme-based circuits are under development through the Swadesh Darshan Scheme.

Furthermore, the government has built corridors for many famous temples. For example, projects such as the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor, Mahakal Lok in Ujjain, Kedarnath Redevelopment, and Jagannath Puri Corridor have already been completed, while many more remain under construction to strengthen pilgrimage tourism.

In the same way, a study conducted by an NGO on religious attitudes, behaviour, and practices reveals that a significant portion of people across major religious groups in India undertook religious tourism during the past two years. As a result, pilgrimage sites now witness larger gatherings compared to other tourist destinations.

Mystery Unfold Padmanabhaswamy Temple

Dedicated to Lord Vishnu in His Lying Form. Built by the King of Travancore, one of the oldest and most significant Hindu temples is the Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Kerala, India. The King of Travancore, Anizham Thirunal Marthanda Varma, created it in the eighteenth century AD. The Travancore royal family and subsequent monarchs improved and expanded the temple over time.

Indian Pilgrimage Tourism – The Mystery of Chamber B

To begin with, two massive cobras adorn the enigmatic door and guard the unknown realm behind it. The treasures hidden inside remain a mystery. Nevertheless, many people describe them as extraordinary.

However, entry does not happen easily. Only high-level sadhus who master the chanting of the Garuda Mantra claim they can unlock its secrets.

Behind this large door lies what experts call Chamber B. In fact, the mystery of Chamber B continues to fascinate both researchers and devotees. Moreover, legends warn that misfortune will strike anyone who dares to open it. As a result, people fear disturbing the chamber.

People also believe that behind the door lies another hidden room made of solid gold walls. Therefore, many describe it as the greatest treasure in human history—“the chamber within the chamber.”

In addition, Emily Gilchriest Hatch recorded this legend in her book Travancore: A Guidebook for the Visitor (1933). She explained that in 1931, a group attempted to open the door. Suddenly, cobras appeared, forcing them to flee. Consequently, they never returned to the temple.

Some other Pilgrimage Sites of India

Issues and Concerns in Pilgrimage Tourism in India

Indian Pilgrimage Tourism – Lack of focus on environmental issues linked to pilgrimage tourism has caused both air and water pollution in India. In addition, the government has failed to properly maintain infrastructure and the physical environment of pilgrimage sites, even though the number of foreign tourists continues to increase. This negligence reduces the sustainability and viability of the places tourists visit.

According to an Economist, ecological degradation, accommodation, tariffs, catering, water supply, sewage, and sanitation also pose major problems in pilgrimage tourism in India and demand immediate attention.

Researchers emphasize the need to educate visitors, prevent physical degradation of sites, and create effective travel regulations to reduce the negative impacts of tourism.

Marketing campaigns by travel agencies and tour operators, widely highlighted in the media, clearly show rapid growth in the spirituality and religious tourism segment. Therefore, India and other countries must manage pilgrimage tourism effectively.

A useful description of a spiritual tourist, is that it refers to one who visits a specific place out of their usual environment, with the intention of increasing their level of spiritual meaning and thus spiritual growth and India is an ideal place to do this given the abundance of shrines and temples, for example, in Haridwar and Rishikesh.

Pilgrim Development Program

The number of pilgrims visiting pilgrimages in rural areas is increasing day by day. The government has started a scheme to provide subsidy to the local self- government institutions. This will enables for the development of pilgrimage in rural areas.

Conclusion

Indian Pilgrimage Tourism – It can be stated that it has a significant impact on the environment and the natural ecosystem in India.

It has been identified that pilgrimage tourism offers growth and revenue towards the economy of a country but its adverse impact on the environment requires the stakeholders to analyze and needs to be addressed. Challenges

including increasing accommodation facilities, dumping of waste in water bodies and landfills are creating a significant threat to the environment.

The growth in urbanization due to the increase in tourist inflows into pilgrimage centers has gained significant consideration from government and religious actors, but the threats associated with the environment have not been focused on enough yet .

The challenges and threats that are induced due to pilgrimage tourism need to be considered by tourists, citizens and governmental bodies and others.

“The UNWTO have defined religious tourism as a kind of tourism that reflects itself with socially responsible actions by respecting the sacred and thorough stewardship of sacred sites.

Religious tourism is a very effective way to drive notion of inclusive and sustainable development . It increases awareness of heritage, which benefits in ensuring religious and cultural preservation.

Religious heritage sites are sources of public education, identity and the engender great pride in locals and create needed job opportunities .

Local communities, if involved are able to be developed and empowered, but they should be wholly involved and integrated into the tourism experience in their area. Religious tourism breaks down intolerance and bridges gaps between diverse peoples.

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Author

Rahul Bhardwaj