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{{Hinduism}}<br />
Unlike some other religions, [[Hindus]] are not required to undertake pilgrimages during their lifetime.<ref>[http://berkleycenter.georgetown.edu/resources/traditions/hinduism Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs - Hinduism] See drop-down essay on "Hindu Practices"</ref> However, most Hindus go on such journeys to numerous iconic sites including those below:<ref>{{Cite web|title=Hindu Temple Pilgrimage|url=https://hindutempleyatra.in/|access-date=2023-04-12|language=en-US|archive-date=2023-05-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230520092617/https://hindutempleyatra.in/|url-status=dead}}</ref><br />
<br />
==India==<br />
{{main|Hindu pilgrimage sites in India}}<br />
[[File:Kashi Vishwanath temple.jpg|thumb|[[Varanasi]] known as ''[[Kashi Vishwanath Temple|Kashi]]'' is one of the holiest pilgrimage sites.]]<br />
[[File:Kodlamane Vishnumurthy Temple.jpg|thumb|Kodlamane Shree Vishnumurthy Temple]]<br />
[[File:Tirumala gopurams.JPG|thumb|[[Venkateswara Temple, Tirumala|Tirupati temple]]]][[File:शाकम्भरीदेवी.jpg|thumb|Shakumbhari devi, right side Bhima and Bhramari left side Goddess Shatakshi]]<br />
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[[File:Shakumbhritemple.jpg|thumb|Ancient Temple of Shakumbhari devi is near Saharanpur UP]]<br />
'''Char Dham (Famous Four Pilgrimage sites):''' The four holy sites [[Puri]], [[Rameswaram]], [[Dwarka]], and [[Badrinath]] (or alternatively the [[Himalaya]]n towns of [[Badrinath]], [[Kedarnath]], [[Gangotri]], and [[Yamunotri]]) compose the ''Chota [[Char Dham]]'' (''four small abodes'') pilgrimage circuit.<br />
<br />
'''Kumbh Mela:''' The ''[[Kumbh Mela]]'' (the "pitcher festival") is one of the holiest of Hindu pilgrimages that is held every three years; the location is rotated among [[Prayagraj]], [[Haridwar]], [[Nashik]], and [[Ujjain]].<br />
<br />
'''Old Holy cities as per Puranic Texts:''' [[Varanasi]] formerly known as Kashi, [[Prayagraj]] also known as Prayag, [[Haridwar]]-[[Rishikesh]], [[Mathura]]-[[Vrindavan]], [[Kurukshetra]], the Land of Bhagavad Gita in [[Haryana]] and [[Ayodhya (Ramayana)|Ayodhya]].<br />
<br />
'''Old Temple cities:''' [[Puri]], which hosts a major [[Vaishnavism|Vaishnava]] [[Jagannath]] temple and [[Rath Yatra]] celebration; [[Katra, Jammu and Kashmir|Katra]], home to the [[Vaishno Devi]] temple; [[Tirumala - Tirupati|Tirumala – Tirupati]], home to the [[Tirumala Venkateswara Temple]]; [[Shirdi]], home to the [[Sai Baba of Shirdi]] temple; [[Madurai Meenakshi temple|Madurai Meenakshi]] and [[Ranganathaswamy Temple, Srirangam|Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple]] in [[Sri Rangam]]; [[Dwarkadhish Temple]] – [[Dwarka]], home to Dwarkadhish form of [[Krishna|Sri Krishna]]; [[Radha Rani Temple|Radharani Temple]] – [[Barsana]], dedicated to [[Radha|Sri Radha]], [[Sabarimala]], where [[Ayyappan|Swami Ayyappan]] is worshipped; [[Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple]] at [[Thiruvananthapuram]], [[Kerala]]; [[Guruvayur temple]] at [[Guruvayur]]. The oldest of these temple pilgrimages is the [[Pandharpur Wari]] which is said to be in tradition from the past 800 years.<br />
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'''New Pilgrimage Centres:''' Three comparatively recent temples of fame and huge pilgrimage are [[Belur Math]], the hub of the worldwide [[Ramakrishna Movement]] in West Bengal, [[Dakshineswar Kali Temple]], [[Kolkata]] West Bengal;[[Tarapith]] West Bengal, [[Vivekananda Rock Memorial]] at Kanyakumari; [[Sri Ramana Ashram]] at [[Tiruvannamalai]]; and ISKCON temples in [[Ujjain]], [[Bangalore]],<ref>{{Cite web|title=ISKCON temple in Bangalore|url=https://www.iskconbangalore.org/|access-date=2020-09-04|language=en-US}}</ref> [[Patna]], [[Tirumala]], [[Vishakapatnam]], [[Delhi]], [[Chennai]], and [[Mumbai]]. [[Ramakrishna Mission Swami Vivekananda's Ancestral House and Cultural Centre]], the birthplace of [[Swami Vivekananda]] is also another popular destination. [[Nandikeshwari Temple]] West Bengal,[[Kankalitala]], [[Kiriteswari Temple]], [[Nabadwip]], [[Mayapur]],<br />
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'''Shakti Pitha:''' An important set of pilgrimages are the ''[[Shakti Pitha]]'', where [[Shakti|the Mother Goddess]] is worshipped, the three principal ones being ''[[Kalighat]], [[Tarapith]]'' and ''[[Kamakhya]]''. {{further|Shakti Pitha}}<br />
<br />
'''Jyotirlingas:''' Other set of important pilgrimages are the ''[[Jyotirlinga]]s'', where lord [[Shiva]] is worshipped in the form of Shiva Lingas. There are twelve Jyotirlingas in India. The twelve Jyotirlingas are:<br />
* [[Bhimashankar Temple]], near [[Pune]]<br />
* [[Somnath]] at [[Veraval]] in [[Gujarat]]<br />
* [[Mallikarjuna Jyotirlinga]] at [[Srisailam]] in Andhra Pradesh<br />
* [[Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga]] at [[Ujjain]] in Madhya Pradesh<br />
* [[Omkareshwar]] in Madhya Pradesh<br />
* [[Kedarnath]] in [[Uttarakhand]]<br />
* [[Vishwanath Temple]] at [[Varanasi]] in Uttar Pradesh<br />
* [[Trimbakeshwar Shiva Temple]] at [[Nashik]] in Maharashtra<br />
* [[Baidyanath Temple|Baidyanath Jyotirlinga]] at [[Deoghar]] in [[Jharkhand]]<br />
* [[Aundha Nagnath]] in [[Hingoli]], Maharashtra or [[Nageshvara Jyotirlinga]] at [[Dwarka]]<br />
* [[Rameshwar]] at [[Rameshwaram]] in [[Tamil Nadu]]<br />
* [[Grishneshwar]] at Verul near [[Ellora]] [[Aurangabad, Maharashtra|Aurangabad]]<br />
<br />
==Sri Lanka==<br />
* [[Pancha Ishwarams]] – the five ancient Shiva temples of the island from classical antiquity.<br />
* The [[Arunagirinathar]]-traversed ancient [[Murugan]] pilgrimage route of Sri Lanka including<br />
** [[Maviddapuram Kandaswamy Temple]], [[Maviddapuram]], [[Kankesanthurai]]<br />
** [[Nallur Kandaswamy temple]], [[Jaffna]],<br />
** [[Koneswaram temple]], [[Trincomalee]],<br />
** [[Verugal]] Murugan Kovil, [[Verugal Aru]], [[Verugal]], Trincomalee District<br />
** [[Thirukkovil Sithira Velayutha Swami Kovil]], in [[Thirukkovil]], [[Batticaloa]],<br />
** [[Arugam Bay]], [[Amparai]]<br />
** [[Panama (Sri Lanka)|Panamai]], Amparai<br />
** [[Ukanthamalai Murugan Kovil]], in [[Okanda]], [[Kumana National Park]]<br />
** [[Kataragama temple]], [[Katirkamam]] in the South.<br />
<br />
==Mauritius==<br />
These Hindu pilgrimage sites are only located on the main island country and not on the other [[Outer Islands of Mauritius|outer islands]] of the [[Mauritius|Republic of Mauritius]].<br />
<br />
[[File:Grand Bassin, Mauritius.jpg|thumb|Ganga Talao (Grand Bassin), Savanne]]<br />
<br />
[[File:DSCN1121 2 (5488435679).jpg|thumb|Mangal Mahadev, Savanne]]<br />
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[[File:Temple vers trou aux biches.JPG|thumb|Maheswarnath Mandir, Triolet|alt=]]<br />
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[[File:Sagar Shiv Mandir 1.jpg|thumb|Sagar Shiv Mandir, Poste de Flacq|alt=]]<br />
<br />
* [[Ganga Talao|Ganga Talao (Grand Bassin)]] together with [[Mangal Mahadev]] statue in [[Savanne District|Savanne district]]<br />
* [[Maheswarnath Mandir|Maheswarnath Mandir, Triolet]]<br />
* [[Sagar Shiv Mandir|Sagar Shiv Mandir, Poste de Flacq]]<br />
<br />
==Trinidad and Tobago==<br />
[[File:Waterloo Temple, Trinidad.jpg|thumb|Waterloo Temple, Trinidad]]<br />
<br />
*[[Temple in the Sea]], Waterloo Road, Waterloo, [[Carapichaima]], [[Couva–Tabaquite–Talparo]]<br />
*Dattatreya Mandir and 85-foot Karyasiddhi Hanuman Murti, Datta Drive, Orangefield, [[Carapichaima]], [[Couva–Tabaquite–Talparo]]<br />
*Shiva Lingam Mandir, Patiram Trace, [[Penal]], [[Penal-Debe]]<br />
* Ganga Dhara festival at the Trinnaadeeshwar Mahadeo Ghat, Kailash Ghat, Hanuman Ghat, Tulsidas Ghat, Ardha Naareshvar Ghat, and Mundan Sanskaar Ghat at Marianne River [[Blanchisseuse]], [[Tunapuna-Piarco]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.triniview.com/blog/?p=575|title=Ganga Dhaaraa Teerath: Water is Life: TriniView.com|website=www.triniview.com|access-date=2019-09-19}}</ref><br />
*[[Siparia#La Divina Pastora (Siparia Mai)|Siapria Mai (La Divina Pastora) Church]], La Pastora Street, [[Siparia]], [[Siparia region]]<br />
*Exchange Village Shiv Mandir, Brickfield Road Exchange Village, [[Couva]], [[Couva–Tabaquite–Talparo]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://nationaltrust.tt/location/exchange-village-mud-mandir/|title=Exchange Village Mud Mandir|website=National Trust of Trinidad and Tobago|language=en-US|access-date=2019-09-19}}</ref><br />
*Moose Bhagat Mandir, Naparima Mayaro Road Mairad Village, Tableland, [[Princes Town region|Princes Town]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://nationaltrust.tt/location/moose-bhagat-hindu-temple/|title=Moose Bhagat Hindu Temple|website=National Trust of Trinidad and Tobago|language=en-US|access-date=2019-09-19}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.guardian.co.tt/neo/NeoProxy.dll?app=NeoDirect&com=6/2/359773/8d7f0a797b|title=The Moose Bhagat Mandir|last=Bissessarsingh|first=Angelo|date=November 6, 2016|website=guardian.co.tt|language=en|access-date=2019-09-19}}</ref><br />
*Shiva Mandir, 1 Railway Road Reform Village, Gasparillo, [[Princes Town region|Princes Town]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://nationaltrust.tt/location/shiva-mandir/|title=Shiva Mandir|website=National Trust of Trinidad and Tobago|language=en-US|access-date=2019-09-19}}</ref><br />
*Balka Devi Mandir (Mud Volcano Temple), St. Marie Road, [[Cedros, Trinidad and Tobago|Cedros]], [[Siparia region|Siparia]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://nationaltrust.tt/location/balka-devi-temple/|title=Balka devi Temple|website=National Trust of Trinidad and Tobago|language=en-US|access-date=2019-09-19}}</ref><br />
*Shree Pavan Putra Hanuman Shiv Shakti Mandir Cunjal Road, Cunjal, [[Princes Town region|Princes Town]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://nationaltrust.tt/location/hanuman-temple/|title=Hanuman Temple|website=National Trust of Trinidad and Tobago|language=en-US|access-date=2019-09-19}}</ref><br />
*Triveni Mandir, Sisters Road, Hardbargain Village, Williamsville, [[Princes Town region|Princes Town]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://nationaltrust.tt/location/triveni-mandir/|title=Triveni Mandir|website=National Trust of Trinidad and Tobago|language=en-US|access-date=2019-09-19}}</ref><br />
<br />
==Suriname==<br />
[[File:P1060656a.jpg|thumb|260px|The exterior of the Arya Diwaker temple]]<br />
<br />
*[[Arya Diwaker]] Mandir<br />
<br />
==Pakistan==<br />
{{Main|List of Hindu temples in Pakistan}}<br />
<br />
[[File:Katas Raj Temples 2.JPG|thumb|[[Katas Raj Temples]] are said to date from the times of the [[Mahabharata]].]]<br />
* [[Hinglaj Mata]] – A ''Shakthi Peeth'' in Pakistan's [[Balochistan]] province<br />
* [[Katasraj temple]] – Site of a famous temple which has a lake that is said to have been created from the teardrops of [[Shiva]]. Also known for being home of the [[Pandava]] brothers during part of their exile.<br />
* [[Sharada Peeth]] – An abandoned ''Shakti Peeth''<br />
* [[Shrine of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar]] – [[Sufi]] shrine that is important to Sindhi Hindus<br />
* [[Tilla Jogian]] – ancient shrine reportedly over 2,000 years old.{{Citation needed|date=April 2025}}<br />
* [[Chandragup]]<br />
* [[Amb Temples]]<br />
* [[Umarkot Shiv Mandir]]<br />
* [[Churrio Jabal Durga Mata Temple]]<br />
* [[Kalat Kali Temple]]<br />
* [[Goraknath Temple]]<br />
* [[Kalibari Mandir, Peshawar]]<br />
<br />
==Nepal==<br />
{{main|Hindu pilgrimage sites in Nepal}}<br />
<br />
[[File:Pashupatinath ritesh.JPG|thumb|A view of [[Pashupatinath Temple]]]]<br />
[[File:Bindabasini temple pokhara.JPG|thumb|<br />
[[Bindhyabasini Temple]], [[Pokhara]], Nepal]]<br />
[[File:Ambikeshwari Temple अम्बिकेश्वरी मन्दिर, Ghorahi.jpg|thumb|Ambikeshwari Temple is a [[Shakti Peethas|Shaktipeetha]] which is supposed to have emerged due to the falling of right ear of [[Sati (goddess)|Satidevi]] according to the [[Swasthani]] Purana. |238x238px]]<br />
[[File:Goraksh or Ratnanath or Choughara Temple Chaughara Ghorahi Dang Nepal Rajesh Dhungana (12).jpg|thumb|272x272px|The [[Dang Valley]] remained a pilgrim place for disciples of [[mahasiddha]] [[Gorakhnath]] for over 1300 years in the Indian sub-continent]]<br />
[[File:Tripurasundari temple, Baitadi.jpg|thumb|[[Tripura Sundari Temple, Nepal]]|300px]]<br />
<br />
* [[Barahachhetra]]<br />
* [[Janakpurdham]]<br />
* [[Muktinath]]<br />
* [[Pashupatinath Temple]]<br />
* [[Changu Narayan|Changu Narayan Temple]]<br />
* [[Budhanilkantha Temple|Buddhanilkantha]]<br />
* Krishna Temple of [[Patan Durbar Square]]<br />
* [[Rishikesh Complex of Ruru Kshetra]]<br />
* [[Vyas Municipality|Vyas]] cave<br />
* [[Doleshwor Mahadeva Temple|Doleshwor Mahadev]] (considered the head part of [[Kedarnath Temple|Kedarnath temple]] of [[India]])<br />
* [[Dolakha District|Dolakha]] Bhimsen temple<br />
* [[Pathibhara Devi Temple|Pathibhara Devi temple]]<br />
* [[Halesi Mahadev Temple]] and [[Halesi-Maratika Caves]]<br />
* [[Tripura Sundari Temple, Nepal]]<br />
<br />
==China==<br />
[[File:Manasarobar.jpg|thumb|[[Lake Manasarovar]]]]<br />
* [[Mount Kailash]]<br />
* [[Lake Manasarovar]]<br />
<br />
== Bangladesh ==<br />
<br />
* [[Chandranath Temple]]<br />
* [[Chatteshwari Temple]]<br />
* [[Langalbandh]]<ref>{{Cite news |script-title=bn:মহা অষ্টমীর স্নানে লাখো পুণ্যার্থীতে মুখর লাঙ্গলবন্দ |url=https://www.prothomalo.com/bangladesh/district/punu7kltzf |access-date=2023-04-05 |work=Prothom Alo |language=bn}}</ref><br />
* [[Orakandi Thakur Bari]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=PM Modi offers prayers at Orakandi Temple in Bangladesh's Gopalganj &#124; India News - Times of India |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/pm-modi-offers-prayers-at-orakandi-temple-in-bangladeshs-gopalganj/articleshow/81720975.cms |website=The Times of India}}</ref><br />
* [[Sindurmati Tirthadham]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=কুড়িগ্রামের সিন্দুরমতি দিঘি কাহিনী |url=https://thedhakatimes.com/48087/lots-kurigram-tank-story/ |access-date=2022-09-04 |website=The Dhaka Times |language=en-US}}</ref><br />
* [[Sugandha Shaktipeeth]]<ref>{{cite book |last=Kapoor |first=Subodh |title=The Indian Encyclopaedia |publisher=Cosmo Publications |year=2002 |location=New Delhi |page=6325}}</ref><br />
<br />
==Indonesia==<br />
[[File:Prambanan Temple Yogyakarta Indonesia.jpg|thumb| [[Prambanan]]]]<br />
* [[Mother Temple of Besakih]]<br />
* [[Prambanan]]<br />
* [[Mount Bromo]]<br />
<br />
==Cambodia==<br />
[[File:Angkor Wat.jpg|thumb|[[Angkor Wat]]]]<br />
* [[Preah Vihear]]<br />
* [[Angkor Wat]]<br />
<br />
==Malaysia==<br />
[[File:Batu caves.jpg|thumb|[[Batu Caves]]]]<br />
* [[Batu Caves]]<br />
* [[Arulmigu Balathandayuthapani Temple, Penang]]<br />
<br />
==United States==<br />
{{Unreferenced section|date=March 2021}}<br />
* Vivekananda Cottage, [[Thousand Island Park]], [[Jefferson County, New York]]<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
{{Wikiquote}}<br />
<br />
* [[Hindu pilgrimage sites in India]]<br />
* [[List of Hindu temples]]<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{reflist}}<br />
<br />
{{Worship in Hinduism}}<br />
{{Hindu holy cities}}<br />
{{Hindudharma}}<br />
{{Worship in Hinduism}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Hindu pilgrimage sites| ]]<br />
[[Category:Hinduism-related lists]]<br />
[[Category:Lists of pilgrimage sites]]</div>Evajzp