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Religion 101: Hindu pilgrimages [1]
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Date: 2025-01-12
In many religious traditions there are rituals of pilgrimage in which people may travel to distant places to establish and reinforce ties to the sacred; to obtain physical, emotional, and spiritual healing; and to gain new spiritual knowledge. The religious pilgrimage involves two basic elements: (1) the journey, and (2) the sacred place which is the destination for the journey. Pilgrimages to sacred sites are sometimes held in conjunction with major ceremonies and at other times pilgrimages may be a solitary undertaking.
The pilgrimage can be a life-changing experience as well as a mystical experience. Philip Wilkinson, in his book Religions, writes:
“Making the pilgrimage in the right way stresses the holiness of the enterprise and makes clear how much the pilgrim has in common with the countless others who have gone before.”
The concept of sacred sites is essential to the pilgrimages. In his book Ritual: A Very Short Introduction, Barry Stephenson writes:
“Pilgrimage to sacred sites (place of apparitions, birthplaces, tombs, caves, mountains, relic sites), though sometimes carried out in opposition to theological and ecclesiastical authorities, is a persistent manifestation of all religions throughout history.”
India is filled with sites that are sacred to Hinduism. Pilgrimages to these sites can enhance one’s karma and assist in the attainment of liberation from the continuous cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. In his chapter on Hinduism in World Religions, Vasudha Narayanan writes:
“Pilgrimage routes are often organized thematically; devotees might visit the one hundred and eight places where Shakti, or the power of the Goddess, is said to be present; the sixty-eight places where emblems of Shiva are said to have emerged ‘self-born’; the twelve places where he appears as the ‘flame of creative energies’ (jyotir lingus); the eight places where Vishnu spontaneously manifested himself; and so on.”
In his book The Handy Religion Answer Book, John Renard writes:
“In a land with countless sacred places associated with numerous divine names and forms, pilgrimage (yatra, ‘going out’) remains an essential expression of religious devotion for all who can afford it.”
John Renard also writes:
“Among the most important goals of pilgrimage are the sources and confluences of major rivers. With its many important temples of Shiva and Kali, as well as the bathing and cremation ghats that line its Ganges banks, Banaras tops the list of pilgrimage cities.”
Vasudha Narayanan writes:
“Millions of Hindus regularly visit sacred towns, worship in temples, bathe in holy rivers, and climb sacred mountains, in order to pray for happiness in this life and in the next.”
Vasudha Narayanan also reports:
“Many holy sites are near mountains and caves, places where Hindu deities are said to reside in the Purana stories.”
A few of the Hindu pilgrimages are briefly described below.
One of the most important Hindu pilgrimages is the ancient Kumbh Mela. In his book Ritual: How Seemingly Senseless Acts Make Life Worth Living, Dimitris Xygalatas writes:
“It takes place at the banks of four major rivers, where pilgrims gather to pray and wash away their sins by bathing in the sacred waters. The ceremonies are held on a twelve-year cycle, with smaller versions taking place every sixth year.”
The twelve-year cycle comes from Hindu mythology which describes a battle between gods and demons which lasted for twelve divine days (divine days are considered to last for a full year).
The four pilgrimage sites are: Prayagraj (at the confluence of the Ganges, Yamuna, and Sarasvati rivers); Harldwar (Ganges River); Nashik (Godavari River); and Ujjain (Shipra River). Bathing in these rivers results in atonement for past mistakes.
The dates for the ceremony are based on the astrological positions of Jupiter, the sun, and the moon.
Dimitris Xygalatas also reports:
“The celebrations last a month, and many pilgrims spend this entire period camping in harsh conditions. They live in makeshift tents or sleep on the ground, exposed to the subtropical sun during the day and near-freezing temperatures at night, at the mercy of the elements. They bathe and drink from the Ganges, which is one of the most polluted rivers on earth, into whose waters chemical waste, garbage and untreated human sewage are dumped by the numerous cities that lie along its course.”
Each year, people in search of divine blessings make the pilgrimage to four sacred mountainous abodes of the gods and goddesses in the central Himalayas. This pilgrimage is known as the Char Dham Yatra. Kedarfnath, situated at the base of the 20,000-foot peaks, is one of the major destinations. In an article in The Conversation, David Haberman writes:
“The mighty Hindu god Shiva is believed to have manifested in the middle of a meadow in Kedarnath as a conical rock formation that has long been worshiped as a lingam, an embodied form of the deity. A stone temple has stood over the lingam for at least a thousand years, at an altitude of about 12,000 feet.”
In the twenty-first century, however, climate change has brought destructive flooding to this area which has, in turn, brought about changes in religious beliefs. David Haberman writes:
“The destructive flooding is changing people’s beliefs. The gods of this region are closely associated with the land itself; and these gods, nature and humans are intimately connected. People living in this region understand the dramatic changes taking place here in terms of this triad.”
David Haberman also writes:
“One significant theological change that appeared to be underway within Himalayan Hinduism as a result of climate change was the transformation of the primary conception of the gods from those who bless to those who punish.”
Hindus pilgrimages, like pilgrimages throughout the world, serve many functions. The pilgrimage strengthens the individual’s association with the religion and its mythology. It also strengthens ties within the religious community, bringing together in a shared experience people from diverse backgrounds, experiences, and geographic regions.
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