Religious tourism in India

Into words.........

Religious Tourism can be defined as travel with the core motive of experiencing religious forms, or the products they induce, like art, culture, traditions and architecture. India has always been hailed as a land of spirituality. Two of the major world religions, namely Hinduism and Buddhism originated here. India also has several places related to the Sufi sect of Islam, making it a unique land that is home to the philosophy of love and harmony.

Religious Tourism in India

Here are some of the Religious tourist places in India, which are rich in cultural, historical and religious significance.

1) Haridwar

The city of Haridwar is one of the holiest places of Hinduism. The city’s name reflects the multifarious nature of Hindu philosophy. Hari means Vishnu, the preserver of life where as Hara means Shiva, the destroyer of life. Dwar is tanslated as ‘gatway.’ The city is called as Haridwar (gateway to Hari) or Hardwar (Gateway to Hara). Haridwar is the place where the pilgrimage to mount Kailash traditionally begins; hence it is the gateway to Shiva. Similerly, Haridwar being a point in the Char Dham pilgrimage related to lord Vishnu, it is also a gateway to Vishnu.Haridwar is the point where the Ganges enters the Indo-Genetic planes. Once in every 12 years, the city plays host to the Kumbh Mela. Millions of Hindus flock to the Ganges to take a ritual bath which is believed to cleanse one’s sins. The Kumbh Mela is the largest peaceful gathering in the world. The Har Ki Pauri sacred Ghat on the banks of the river is said to be built by Gupta king Vikramaditya in 1st century BC. The area encompasses Bramha Kund. This is the area where all the priests gather at sunset for a spectacular Aart of the Ganga River. Lamps are left to flow with the water and the evening is illuminated with light as well as spirituality.

2) Varanasi

One of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Varanasi is the holiest city among the seven holy cities of Hinduism. Besides being the spiritual capital of India, the city is home to the largest residential university of Asia, the Banaras Hindu University. Varanasi has a rich cultural history with one of the genres of Indian classical music ‘Banaras Gharana’ being developed here. Apart from the sacred Ghats, the city has many more fascinating tourist sites like Jantar Mantar and the Ramnagar fort. The fort was built by the king of Banaras in 18th century. The current resident of the palace is the current king of Banaras who acts as the patron of Varanasi and still plays a major part in religious ceremonies.

3) Ajmer 

The city of Ajmer in Rajasthan is home to the Dargah Sharif. This is the shrine housing the tomb of Sufi Saint Moinuddin Chisthi. Moinuddin Chisthi was a Sufi saint noted for establishing the Chisthi order of Sufism in Lahore and Ajmer. This order stresses on reaching close to God through music.The dargah of Moinuddin Chisthi and the mosk built by Mughal emperor Akbar in 1571 is a major center for Sufi Islam in India. The dargah has been a site of pilgrimage since as early as 1499. The Dargah evolved to be a fantastic work in indo-islamic architecture as Mughal Emperors Akbar and Shah Jahan richly contributed to its beautification.

4) Tirumala Venkateswara Temple in Tirupati

The earthly abode of Lord Venkateswara (incarnation of Vishnu), Tirumala Venkateswara Temple is situated on the last hill of the Seshachalam range in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh. Like many temples in south India, this holy temple is known for its exquisite architecture. It is also amongst the most visited Hindu temples in India as it is said that the temple attracts 60,000 pilgrims each day. One must attend the Puja that is accompanied by many hymns and praises giving it a touch of unmatched divinity. The Laddoo Prasadam is yet another attraction of Tirumala Venkateswara Temple.

5) Bodhgaya: ‘Get Enlightened in the Land of the Buddha’

Witness the historical place called Bodhgaya in Bihar, where Lord Buddha is believed to have been enlightened. Bodhgaya offers Buddhist pilgrims the ultimate place to pray and meditate. The feelling of being on the land where Budhha once himself walked on is truly commendable. Mahabodhi Temple along with several other temples in Bodhgaya are frequented by many pilgrims that visit here from all over the world.

Just end it with this............

Lots of tourists from around the world visit India to seek spirituality at India’s numerous holy places. Even non-religious individuals are visiting these places as sites of cultural importance or just to get an idea about Hinduism and India in general. We hope we have pointed out some of the most important religious destinations of India. Mind you, there are more destinations which we hope to cover and these are some of the places we think are important and have been. We cannot guarantee that you will find God but you will certainly discover yourself in these holy places of India.

Wonderful istanbul

Istanbul, with a long history expanding over years has been a major center for all three religious which are Islam, Christianity and Judaism.

The urban landscape of Istanbul is shaped by many communities. The most populous major religion is Islam. The first mosque in Istanbul was built in Kadıköyon the Asian side of the city, which was conquered by the Ottoman Turks in 1353, a full century before the conquest of Constantinople across the Bosphorus, on the European side. 

The first mosque on the European side of Istanbul was built inside the Rumelian Castle in 1452.

Rumelian Castle

The first grand mosque which was built in the city proper is the Eyüp Sultan Mosque (1458)

Eyup Sultan Mosque

The first imperial mosque inside the city walls was the Fatih Mosque (1470) which was built on the site of the Church of the Holy Apostles, an important Byzantine church which was originally edifice in the time of Constantine the Great.

Fatih Mosque

Many other imperial mosques were built in the following centuries, such as the famous Süleymaniye Mosque (1557) which was ordered by Suleiman the Magnificent and designed by the great Ottoman architect Mimar Sinan.

Suleymaniye Mosque

The famous Sultan Ahmed Mosque (1616) which is also known as the "Blue Mosque" for the blue tiles which adorn its interior.

Sultan Ahmed Mosque

The Eyüp Sultan Mosque was built in 1458 as the first Ottoman mosque after the conquest of Constantinople in 1453. This is considered the holiest site in Istanbul being situated next to the site where Abu Ayyub al-Ansari (Eyüp Sultan in Turkish) is buried. 

He was the standard bearer of the Prophet Mohammed and fell there during the Arab assault on Constantinople in 670. It is said that some of the personal belongings of the Prophet Mohammed himself are preserved in the tomb. Many pilgrims from Turkey and the Muslim world visit the tomb annually. 

Aya Sofya (or Hagia Sophia) is a museum today visited by millions of tourists every year.  As  the  Church  of Holy  Wisdom  it  was  built  initially  by  Emperor  Constantine  the Great and destroyed and rebuilt several times. The final form dates from the time of Justinian I (the sixth century) and is considered to be one of the best examples of Byzantine architecture. As the seat of the Patriarch of Constantinople for more than 900 years.

Hagia Sophia hosted several ecumenical councils. After the conquest of Constantinople by the Ottomans in 1453 it was converted into a mosque until 1934 when it became a museum. Having served as a religious center for both Christianity and Islam the museum is a “must-visit” objective for all religious tourists visiting Istanbul. 

Aya Sofya

Many other old Byzantine churches in Istanbul have been either converted into mosques (Chora Church, Church of Christ Pantokrator, Church of Christ Pantepoptes, Monastery  of  Gastria,  Church  of  Saint  John  the Baptist at Lips, etc.) or function as museums (Hagia Irene). 

Chora Church

Some have been abandoned and are in ruins (Monastery of Stoudios, Church of the Virgin of the Pharos) and a few are still active (the Church of Sainte Mary of the Mongols is the only one from the Byzantine time that has never been converted into a mosque). There are also many newer churches belonging to the Greek, Bulgarian, Syriac and Armenian minorities in Istanbul as well as Catholic (especially Italian) and Protestant churches.  

The Jews of Istanbul have about twenty active synagogues in the city. The Italian Synagogue was built in the 19th century and rebuilt in 1931 by the Sephardic Jews who migrated to Istanbul from Southern Italy. The Ashkenazi Synagogue was founded by the Jews coming from Austria in 1900.  

The Italian Synagogue

Ashkenazi Synagogue