The Lotus Temple Delhi-An Architectural Wonder

Posted by admin | Posted on 12-12-2011

Category : India Pilgrimage

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The Lotus Temple Delhi is a marvelous architectural structure. It has won numerous worldwide accreditations. There are many national treasures of India. Among them, Lotus Temple Delhi is a highly regarded one. The construction of this amazing lotus flower shaped temple was completed in the year 1986. After a grand opening, the entire world began to witness an amazing structure. The architectural grandeur of this place has astonished many world architects. Mother Temple is the concept on which Lotus Temple was built. This temple is not a strictly religiously biased place. It does not belong to any religion. People from all religions and communities are welcome here. Prayers and offerings can be made inside the temple.

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Rameshwaram Travel Guide

Posted by admin | Posted on 08-03-2011

Category : India Pilgrimage

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Rameswaram is located on an island separated from mainland India by the Pamban channel and is less than 40 kilometers from the Jaffna Peninsula, Sri Lanka. Together with Kashi, it is considered by Hindus to be one of the holiest places in India to Hindus. Hence, it is a bustling pilgrim centre.Rameshwaram bridge – Rameshwaram is connected with the mainland through the 2 km long Indira Gandhi Bridge It is situated in the Gulf of Mannar at the very tip of the Indian peninsula.

According to legends, this is the place from where Lord Rama, built a bridge Ram Setu(also known as Adam’s Bridge) across the sea to Lanka to rescue his consort Sita, from her abductor, Ravana. This is also the place where Rama worshipped Shiva to be absolved of the sin of killing Ravana. Both the Vaishnavites and Shaivites visit this pilgrimage centre which is known as the Varanasi of the south.

Rameshwaram is significant for the Hindus as a pilgrimage to Benaras is incomplete without a Pilgrimage to Rameshwaram. The presiding deity here is in the form of a Linga with the name Sri Ramanatha Swamy, it also happens to be one of the twelve Jyotirlingas. The masterpiece of Dravidian architecture boasts of the largest temple corridor in India. Different rulers built the Ramanatha Swamy Temple over a period of time starting from the 12th century. The temple comprises forty wells where the taste of the water of each well is different from the other.

The grandest part of the temple is the 1219 m pillared corridor consisting of 3.6 m high granite pillars, richly carved and well proportioned. The perspective presented by these pillars run uninterruptedly to a length of nearly 230 m.

According to the Puranas, upon the advice of Rishis (sages), Rama along with Sita and Lakshmana, installed and worshiped the Sivalinga here to expiate the sin of Brahmahatya (killing of a Brahmin) (Ravana was a Brahmin the great grandson of Brahma). Rama fixed an auspicious time for the installation and sent Anjaneya to Mount Kailas to bring a lingam. As Anjaneya could not return in time, Sita herself made a linga of sand. When Anjaneya returned with a linga from Mount Kailas the rituals had been over. To comfort the disappointed Anjaneya, Rama had Anjaneya’s lingam (Visvalingam) also installed by the side of Ramalinga, and ordained that rituals be performed first to the Visvalingam.

In Rameshwaram Temple, a spiritual “Mani Darshan” happens in early morning everyday. This “Mani” is made of “sphatik”[a precious stone] and in form of “Holy shivling”. according to ved this is “Mani” of “sheshnag”.

Sethu Karai is a place 22 km before the island of Rameshwaram from where God Ram built a Floating Stone Bridge “Ramasethu” till Rameshwaram that further continued from Dhanushkodi in Rameshwaram till Talaimannar in Sri Lanka as mentioned in the great Hindu epic RAMAYAN. The ruins of the Ramasethu are submerged under the sea as shot from Gemini 1 satellite of NASA in 2004.

Rameshwaram History

Rameshwaram, the holy town has associated with the Mythological tales of Rama. The name of the city itself has been derived from Rameshwara, which was an ‘Iswara’ that was installed by Lord Rama. According to the Puranas, Rama along with Sita and Lakshman came to the town to perform a sacred Puja in order to do penance for the sins for Bhramahatya. It is believed that Rama had fixed an auspicious time for conducting the Puja, and sent Anjaneya to get the lingam from Mount Kailash. However, Anjaneya could not return in time. Thus, Sita caricatured a lingam of sand and they performed the Puja on time.

After successful completion of Brahmahata Dosham ceremony, Lord Rama along with Umadevi announced that anybody who takes bath in the Danudkodi and prays to the Shivalingam, will be known as Ramalingam. Hence, the place came to be known as Rameshwaram after the deity called Ramanathswamy.

When Anjaneya returned with lingam, he found that the Puja was nearly over and in anguish tried to remove the sand lingam from his tail. In spite of many attempts, he was not able to do so and realized the divinity of Sita. Then Ram ordered him to place the lingam that he brought on the northern side of Ramalingam. After it Rama also ordered that people should worship the Ramalingram, only after worshipping the lingam that was brought and installed by Sri Anjaneya.

PLACE TO VISIT Rameshwaram

Sri Ramanathaswamy Temple – this temple situated near the sea on the eastern side of the island is renowned for its magnificent prakaras or corridors with massive sculptured pillars on either side. Rameswaram-Temple corridors The longest corridor in the world is here and it is 197 metres long from East to West and is 133 metres wide from South- North. The temple has a Gopuram 38.4 metres tall. Different rulers built the temple as it stands today, at different periods from the 12th century A.D. Pooja is performed for an hour early morning daily to the Spadikalingamthat was given by the Shankaracharya to this temple.

Agnitheertham – Sri Ramanathaswamy temple faces east. The seashore, about 100 meters from the main entrance of the temple, is very calm and therefore ideal for bathing. The water at this place is considered sacred and known as Agni theertham. Pilgrims perform poojas in honor of their ancestors at this seashore.

Gandamadana Parvatham – is a hillock situated 3 km away and is the highest point in the island. Here one can see the imprint of Lord Rama’s feet on a chakra. The entire island of Rameswaram is visible from this point.

Satchi Hanuman Temple – is considered to be the place where Hanuman delivered the good news of finding Sita to Rama with satchi or evidence, Choodamani or the jewel that belonged to Sita. Situated 3 km from the main temple, on the way to the Gandamadana Parvatham.

The Five-faced Hanuman Temple – (2 km from themain temple) – the deity of Hanuman drawn withsenthooram. Idols of Lord Ram, Sita and Hanumanbrought from Dhanushkodi during the 1964 cyclone were placed here. Thefloating stone, used to build theSethuBandanamor the bridge between India and Lanka can be found inthis temple.

JadaTheertham – (about 3.5 km from Rameswaram on the Dhanushkodi road) – legend has it that Lord Rama, on his way back after killing Ravana, Worshipped SriRamalinga (believed to be installed by him). Before doing so, he washed his hair(Jada) in this theertham to purify himself.

Dhanushkodi (18 km) – the southern tip of the island, Dhanushkodi was completely washed away by the 1964 cyclone. This is a strip of land about one km wide and 18 km long on the eastern end of Rameswaram island. On one side are the waters of the Indian Ocean and on the other the waters of the Bay of Bengal.

The two seas otherwise known as Ratnakaran and Mahodadhi with their confluence is shaped like a bow while the strip of land resemble an arrow poised for release. Devout Hindus consider the Adi Sethu or the arrowhead, a sacred place to perform religious rites. It is also place worth visiting for its scenic beauty and bird life.

HOW TO REACH Rameshwaram

By plane – Nearest Airport in Madurai – 174 km Indian Airlines connect’s Madurai with Chennai, Thiruchi, Bangalore and Mumbai.

By train – Connected with all major cities like Chennai, Madurai, Coimbatore, Karaikudi, Trichy, Thanjavur and Palghat.

By road – Connected with all important towns of Tamil Nadu, City Buses are available including night services. Point to Point services, Tourist taxi, auto / cycle rickshaws and horse carts are also available. Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport corporation ( APSRTC ) operates Rameswaram – Tripathi daily service.

Char Dham Yatra

Posted by admin | Posted on 17-05-2010

Category : India Pilgrimage

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Since ages both God and Man have had just one entreaty i.e. Shanti or peace both for the living as well as the dead. Chardham is also known as Doe Bhumi meaning the Adobe of the Gods.

This Chardham Yatra is the one single phrase around which all the religions hold their discourses. Once a pilgrim reaches there true spirituality and peace is felt because of the pure splendor and the serene beauty. The Chardham is the experience for a lifetime with nature at its best. The Chardhams are Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath. As the Hindu scriptures abide, Char Dham Yatra means ‘four sacred places’. There is no Yatra sacred than this as pilgrims believe. It is a perfect example of Hindu faith in God. People believe that visiting all of these sacred Dhams will rinse away all the sins and also free the person from the continuous cycle of birth and re-birth. There is rule for visiting these sacred temples. One has to start from left and then proceed towards the right like Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and then Badrinath. This route is called the parikrama or the religious cycle.

The Himalayas are incomparable. This grand and haughtiest chain of the world succeeds in attracting pilgrims and visitors from all around the world. The place signifies beauty and calmness. The Chardham are the Himalayan shrines. They obtain water from the four holy streams namely, Yamuna (Yamunotri), Bhagirathi (Gangotri), Mandakini (Kedarnath) and Alaknanda (Badrinath). These majestic mountains have inspired various pilgrims and saints throughout the world. Here in the Char Dhams disciples from all over the world come to pay homage to their deities braving the nature’s furies.

Theese Char Dhams are:

Badrinath Dham

Kedarnath Dham

Gangotri Dham

Yamunotri Dham

Amarnath Yatra – Amarnath Temple – Amarnath Cave

Posted by admin | Posted on 07-05-2010

Category : India Pilgrimage

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Brief historical background

The Amarnath Yatra is an annual pilgrimage taken to the Himalayas by the devotees of Lord Shiva. In the Amarnath cave every year the drops of water form a stalagmite in the shape of the Shiv Ling. That is the symbol of Shiva that all devotees worship. The natural occurrence of this shape of stalagmite is supposed to be considered highly auspicious and many devotees undertake the strenuous journey each year to see it. Some people trek for miles even before they can reach the mountains. Others come in vehicles till Pehelgam and make camp at the base of the mountain range that they must now climb.

Amarnath

Amarnath

The cave in question is myth logically supposed to be the place where Shiva told Parvati, his wife, the secret of immortality. Since he wanted to ensure that no mortal being heard the secret, he took her to this distant and inaccessible cave. After they reached here, he divulged the secret to her. Only trouble is that after the long climb she was so tired that she fell asleep half way through the narration. Yet as he continued to talk some one keep saying “hmmm” and he continued the narration. It later transpired that a white bird had heard it all. When Shiva realized this he told the bird that it would be immortal, but would never be able to leave the cave for too long. This was to ensure that the bird did not pass on the secret to any human being.

Geographical location

In the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir, Amranath Cave is located 16 km north of the city of Pahalgam. Since these are both located in the Himalayan ranges, it is only possible to visit them in the months of April to September. The winter months are too cold for a visit.

How to get there?

The closest rail line ends at Jammu, while the closest airport is at Srinagar. In either case you will have to continue on road till the town of Chandanwari. From here the pilgrims will begin their religious trek. Tourists can go by road up to the town of Pahalgam and then trek the last 16 km in two days. If they trek at a fast pace. This is not always possible as people before you can slow you down. While the distance is not much, the climb is very difficult and no one can continue after dusk as it is very unsafe. Ponies are also available should you wish to ride them.

What to see?

The main attraction here is the Ice Lingam which is supposed to form on top of a natural stone one every year. The Lingam is a symbolic representation of the Lord Shiva. He is the destroyer in the Hindu Trinity. A lord who is much feared and revered. Pilgrims come each year in thousands to complete the difficult journey to the cave at Amarnath. This trek in the mountains takes three days to complete. It is termed as the Amarnath Yatra. Yatra literally translates into journey, so Amarnath Yatra is the journey to Amranath.

Naturally the Amarnath Cave must be visited to see the Ice Lingam which has formed over the previous winter. As the summer progresses the Lingam keeps melting and during the month of July it can be gone. Which is why most pilgrims choose to make the trek in the months of May and June. There is an official date when the Amarnath Yatra is declared open. So make sure you plan on the trek after that date. Each year it is announced with much fan fare by the trust which looks after the temple at the cave.

What to do there?

Besides the trekking and some sightseeing and shopping, there is not much more to do on the Yatra. On the way down if you choose to spend some time in Pahalgam you can enjoy playing golf at the club, a ride on the newly installed cable car and some scenic walks. The Jawahar Institute of Mountaineering is a government run institute which also organizes treks and mountain climbing for groups of people. Camping out in tents and covering a stretch of the mountain can be quite an experience.

No matter how fit you are, this is one demanding hike. The religious faith and zeal are what keep most of the people going. There are huge community kitchens set up at regular distances to feed the people. Some tents are also provided to offer shelter from the elements as you break for the night. The climb is difficult but it is not uncommon to see entire families making the journey together. You will have grand parents, parents and children all climbing up the slippery and treacherous slopes together. Falling, recovering, and supporting each another with physical help and encouraging words.

The journey is perhaps better than the actual destination. As the actual amount of time that you get to spend in the cave is severely limited. The security personnel are told to ensure that the line keeps moving, so you will barely get a feel of the cave before you have to move out again. The sight takes some getting used to, plus the stalagmite is cordoned off so you really wonder about just what you got to see as you get ushered out of the cave. Sure you will be given the “Prasad” and you will have a great sense of achievement at completing the trek up, but the actual site seeing can be over rather fast.

On the way down, one needs to be more careful than on the way up. Coming down moss laden paths is difficult at any time. So when it comes at the end of a couple of days of climbing up, you need to be alert and careful. At the end of the Amarnath Yatra the people who went along with you would have started out as strangers and wound up as best friends. It can be one of the best experiences of your life, as long as you prepare yourself for the trek well. Make sure that you carry adequate woolens and any medication that you will need. There is literally nothing available in the wilderness. There are no shops from where you can buy things. You will be dependent on what you carry or what others are willing to share with you.

There has been some amount of unrest in the Kashmir valley as the militants who claim to be freedom fighters for Kashmir cause trouble. While things have been under control in the past year or so, they do have a way of flaring up suddenly. So it is not a journey to be undertaken by the faint hearted.

Golden Temple Amritsar – Harmandir Sahib Travel

Posted by admin | Posted on 04-05-2010

Category : India Pilgrimage

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Brief historical background

The Golden Temple at Amritsar is the holiest shrine of the Sikh community. It is known as the “Harmandir Sahib” and is a major place of pilgrimage for all Sikhs in India. Sikhism is the youngest religion amongst the many that co exist in India. The founder of the religion was Guru Nanak Dev Ji. A spiritually enlightened man, who traveled far and wide and was regarded as a saint for all the miracles that he did. After him there were a total of ten Gurus, or living heads of the religion, before the last Guru did away with the succession. He had all the wise words of the previous Gurus compiled into a holy book called the “Guru Granth Sahib”. Then he declared that hence forth this book was to be the guide for all members of the Sikh religion.

Golden temple

Golden temple

The place of worship or the “Gurudwara” of the Sikh community is centered around this holy book. In all the Gurudwaras in the country or even else where in the world, this book is imperative. In the Golden Temple the place where one would expect an idol of the god or godess is taken by the holy book. This book is treated as a person. It is read out aloud from by an appointed priest every single day. Then at night it is shut and wrapped up in silk cloth by the priest only to be opened again the next morning. A fan of feathers is used to keep the book, who is considered a person, cool.

It is in the olden part of the city of Amritsar that the holiest of the Sikh shrines exists. The Temple is a two-storey building. the temple was build of beautiful marble structures, precious stones. 100 KG of pure gold was applied to the copper sheets on the dome and the exterior of the building. donated by Maharaja Ranjit Singh in 18th century have led to its unique appearance as a gurudwara and this also to its name of the Golden Temple. The shrine is open to members of all religions and communities and you can visit it every day. The Guru Granth Sahib or the original version of the holy book of the Sikhs which serves as their Guru is kept in this temple. The Golden Temple was stormed by the police and army in 1984 to flush out militants who had hidden inside the temple complex.

Geographical location

The city of Amritsar is located in the Indian State of Punjab and is north of Delhi. Originally founded in 1577 by the fourth Guru Ram Das of the Sikhs, the city was ransacked and destroyed in 1761 by the Mughal emperor Ahmad Shah Durani. It was rebuilt in 1764 and so was the temple. The Golden Temple is in the south east of the city and is surrounded by a circular road which used to be the protective wall of the old city.

How to get there?

Amritsar is very well connected with Delhi and has a railway station as well as an airport. The cheapest way would be to get the day chair car train from Delhi. Once in the city taxis are plenty and can be used to get around.

What to see and do there?

In the Golden Temple one must do a Parikrama, or circumnavigation of the main building.  To do this you need to walk along the marble walkway around the pool. Take a dip in the Amrit Sarovar or sacred pool. Visit the Hari Mandir Sahib which is a two storey temple built out of marble. This is where the Guru Granth Sahib is kept during the day. Four priests will continuously chant verses of Gurumukhi from it and this is broadcast from the room inside to the loudspeakers outside.

These celebrations attracted huge masses of people. Not all of whom were from the Sikh community. To help deal with this rush some systems were put into place and the whole Gurudwara staff was trained to deal with visitors. The entire process of the “darshan” or viewing the book is very well organized. There is an orderly queue which takes you around the whole temple from attraction to attraction.

There is the Sikh Museum located in the clock tower which can be visited from 7 am to 7pm. This tells the tales of Sikhs martyred by the Mughals, the British and by the Indian PM during the 1984 riots. Another interesting place is the Akal Takhat which is the traditional meeting place of the Sikh Parliament. This is also known as the Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee. This area was built originally to commemorate Atal Rai, who was the son of the sixth Guru Har Gobind. The boy performed a miracle by bringing back to life a person who had died of a snake bite. When his father scolded him for interfering in the ways of God, he committed suicide to balance the life he had saved.

The Guru-ka-langar is the massive community feeding area where donations are used to feed the people meals every day. The food served is mixed with the food offered in prayer to the Guru Granth Sahib and is considered holy. Do not waste any of it. All volunteers help to cook the meal which is considered as blessed food and then distributed to all who have a wish to eat. Many destitute and poor people are fed on a regular basis by the Gurudwara. The atmosphere at these mass feedings where people in hundreds are fed by an army of volunteers is great. Just being a part of the process is important to the Sikh community. In fact only if you have helped with cooking or serving the meal are you supposed to be worthy of eating the meal.

Rishikesh Travel – Rishikesh Pilgrimage Tours

Posted by admin | Posted on 03-05-2010

Category : India Pilgrimage

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Brief historical background

Lord Vishnu is one of the main three Hindu gods, who with all his avtaars is the deity associated with Rishikesh travel. For most Hindus the city of Rishikesh is a holy place of pilgrimage that they must visit at least once when alive. And if they can not do so, it is left to the next of kin to ensure that they travel with their body’s cremated ashes and pour them into the Ganges River there. This is the reason why you will see small ceremonies being performed for the last rites of loved ones at the banks of the river all along the town.

Family members dressed in white and priests dressed in saffron robes are the most common site to be seen on the banks of the river Ganga. Part of this is because it is believed by the Hindus that if your ashes are dumped into the river after death, your soul goes straight to heaven. A bit simplistic but has great appeal to many people. After all who would want to miss out a free trip to heaven.

The pilgrimage circuit of the “Char Dham” or four holy places of the Hindus also starts and ends at Rishikesh. These are “Badrinath”, “Kedarnath”, “Gangotri”, and “Yamunotri”. In most cases once a person has settled up his family by marrying his daughters and getting his sons jobs, he is supposed to set out on a pilgrimage of these four places. The first stop is naturally Rishikesh. The “Triveni Ghat” is supposed to be the point of confluence of the three rivers Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati. So all pilgrims usually take a dip in the water at this point and then proceed on their pilgrimage to the Char Dham.

The city of Rishikesh first caught the imagination of the western world when the Beatles decided to stay and write some amazing songs here. This was in the 1960s and since then the city has been a popular destination for people on a quick fix hunt for spirituality. It is the self styled Yoga Capital of the world. It has numerous temples and ashrams which offer yoga and meditation classes. Mythologically speaking the city is the location of many events that took place in the great Indian epic the Ramayana. So you will find references to the Raghuvanshi princes in the local landmarks.

Geographical location and How to get there

The city is situated in the recently formed Indian State of Uttarakhand also known as Uttaranchal. It is also on the banks of the river Ganges. One of the holiest rivers as per the Hindus. The Hindus believe that when the ashes of a dead person are poured into the ganges, the soul gets direct entry into heaven. This is why you will see many priests performing the last rites all along the banks of the river, along with the kin of the deceased. It is also the gateway to the Himalayas. And the starting point for the Char Dham Yatra.

The closest airport is at Dehradun, about 15 km away. While it does have a railway station it is a quiet one with only two or three trains a day. It is better to get to Haridwar railway station and do the remaining journey of about 45 minutes by road. Haridwar is well linked by trains from Delhi. So getting there is not a problem. Local exploration will have to be done by road. 

What to see and Things to do at Rishikesh

The Trayambakeshwar Temple, is a 13 stories high temple with a different diety being worshiped at each level. A must see. The Gita Bhavan and Swarg Ashram must also be visited. This area of the town is best explored walking. It is also good to set the Ganga Arti in the evening. Triveni Ghat is a bathing ghat. Daily there are many pilgrims who throng to this ghat to have the holy dip in the purifying waters of the river Ganges. The river is actually worshiped as the Godess who gave birth to Bhishma, a great warrior prince who was the grand uncle to the Pandavas in the Mahabharat.

One of the major landmarks that one can visit in Rishikesh is the “Lakshman Jhula” where the mythological Prince Lakshman, younger brother of Lord Rama is said to have crossed the river Ganges. The Bharat Mandir dedicated to Lord Vishnu is just one amongst the many temples that one can visit in Rishikesh. There are more than a dozen big and small temples in and around the main city.

There is an ashram dedicated to the “Neel Kanth” or Lord Shiva. The blue throated Lord Mahadev received this name when he swallowed the poison which the ocean threw up as the churning of the ocean was done by the Gods and the Demons. It is an interesting temple to visit, if you have a good guide who can explain things well.

Being some thing of a spiritual centre for Hindus there are many ashrams here which cater to the pilgrims. One of the most famous is the Swargashram Maharishi Mahesh Yogi Ashram, which was associated with the Beatles in the 1960s. Unfortunately not all the ashrams are very spiritual, and some of them are more like cheap motels.   

In fact the city is known as the place from where Yoga came to the western world. It is still regarded as the capital of Yoga world wide. A number of ashrams offer crash courses to pilgrims interested in practicing the art of Yoga. Make sure that you go to one which has a good reputation and trained teachers. Also make sure you shop around for the right price.

Should you want a break from the so called spiritual Rishikesh travel, you can try out some white water rafting on the Ganges. About 27 km from the city centre there is the possibility of getting some adventurous white water rafting experience. It can be quite an exhilarating trip, both spiritually and physically should you decide to take the journey.

Get a basic class in meditation and explore your spiritual self. Learn some yoga or how to play the sitar. Experience some crystal healing or special oil massage. Learn to chant mantras that empower you along with others. If all the spiritually begins to get too much take a break. Go white water rafting or hang out with the numerous back packers who visit the city. Plan a trek into neighboring areas and enjoy camping out in tents. Watch breath taking waterfalls and explore sandy beaches. It is all more than possible in Rishikesh.

Religious tour package of India

Posted by admin | Posted on 02-05-2010

Category : India Pilgrimage

Spiritual Tour in India

Indian land is heterogeneous amalgamation of culture, religion and civilization. Keeping it mind a balance communal approach, India boasts of many spiritual sites of every religion within its precincts. Because a major population in India is Hindu, so there are numerous Hindu temples existing in Indian subcontinent which are dedicated to different god and goddess.

The pilgrimage tours in India are ranging from Hindu temple tour, Buddhist pilgrimage tour, Sikh pilgrimage tour and Muslim Pilgrimage tour. Many devotees and tourists visit India for spiritual purpose where they get chance to explore numerous popular Temples, Mosques, Monasteries, Churches and Gurdwaras.  When we talk about the Hindu spiritual tour then magnificent state of Uttaranchal is highly praised due to its ‘Chardham Yatra’ (meaning four sacred spots). Four holy destinations such as Gangotri, Yamunotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath are collectively known as Chardham. It is a popular pilgrimage tour package and if you are a natural lover and also believe in adventure during your tour then you will definitely enjoy this Chardham Yatra. Since long time, these spiritual sites have been frequently visited by saints and pilgrims in quest of divine. During your ‘Chardham Yatra’ of spiritual tour in India, you will also get opportunity to see a famous Sikh and Hindu pilgrimage site of Hemkund Sahibji which lies en-route of Badrinath.

Apart from this ‘Chardham Yatra’, there are many other Hindu temples and shrines in north India which entices Hindu pilgrimage and tourists as well. Such some destinations are- Haridwar and Rishikesh in Uttarakhand, Varanasi, Mthura and Vrindawan in Uttarpradesh, Vaishno Devi Temple in Jammu, Khajuraho in Madhya Pradesh etc. There are verities of spiritual tour packages offered by many tour operators and one of the foremost among them are india golden tours.

Similarly, there are many spiritual Hindu temples in south India which are frequently visited by tourists and devotees. Such some destinations which houses many temples and religious spots are- Mahabalipuram, Chidambram, Gangekondcholapuram, Tanjore, Tirupati, Madurai, Rameshwaram etc. Indeed, these spiritual sites are highly appreciated among the tourists.

Mata Vaishno Devi Travel Guide

Posted by admin | Posted on 22-04-2010

Category : India Pilgrimage

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Brief historical background

The Mata(Mother) Vaishno Devi is regarded as the combined incarnation of the goddesses Kali, Laxmi and Saraswati. Thousands of people who are devoted to the goddess make the Vaisho Devi Tour in the months of September and October each year. It is believed that this journey can only be successfully undertaken by those pilgrims whom the goddess has called to visit her. People who have not received her holy summons can try as hard as they like, but will never be able to reach the temple without her explicit blessings. The truth is that it is located at a far flung place far away from civilization and in the olden days it must have been near inaccessible.

Mata Vaishno Devi

Mata Vaishno Devi

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