The Himalayan range that surrounds northern India is considered the home of the god Shiva, one of the three gods of the Trimurti (the Hindu trinity). It is therefore not surprising to find there many places of pilgrimage associated with the lord of Mount Kailash. The “Panch Kedar”, in the state of Uttarakhand, are one …
Char Dham, meaning ‘four abodes’, is the pilgrimage circuit around the four most revered pilgrimage sites in all India. These are in Badrinath, Dwarka, Puri and Rameshwaram. Over time, another Char Dham pilgrimage circuit has developed, in Uttarakhand state in North India. It is known as Chota Char Dham, ‘the four small abodes’ or ‘Himalayan Char …
Char Dham, meaning ‘four abodes’, is the pilgrimage circuit around the four most revered pilgrimage sites in all India. These are in Badrinath, Dwarka, Puri and Rameshwaram, located at the four cardinal points of the Indian sub-continent. Hindus believe that a pilgrimage or yatra around the Char Dham cities opens the way to moksha, liberation …
Rishikesh, the city of the Rishis of Uttarakhand, sometimes called the world capital of yoga, is a tourist town where many Westerners come to take instruction. But it is a very pleasant place, steeped in the mystic atmosphere that so many sages and ascetics (as well as the Beatles!) have come seeking over the centuries.
Haridwar, gateway to the sacred! Haridwar is one of India’s seven holiest places or ‘Sapta Puri‘. It is a major pilgrimage centre, with millions of pilgrims flocking to it each year for it it is one of the four places that host the famous Kumbh Mela, the world’s largest religious gathering. This holy city boasts …
