Pilgrimage

Pilgrimage is the oldest way of travelling from one place to another in India. From the first instance of civilization to the present day, millions of Hindus leave their homes in search of salvation. The destination could be any place which has a mythological legend. From the high hills of Himalayas to the small islands in the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal and from the fertile plains of Northern India to the hilly plateaus of Southern India, Hindu pilgrimage centres are innumerable

Pilgrimage in Uttarakhand

Garhwal is home to two of India's most sacred rivers - the Ganga and the Yamuna. Around these rivers and the lofty peaks of Garhwal mythology and tradition has evolved and, with the passage of time, has become deep-rooted in Hinduism.

Some of India's holiest shrines are located in Garhwal: Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath. Also located here is the revered Hemkund Sahib, venerated by the Sikhs. Apart from these places of worship, Garhwal has several temples dedicated to Goddess Durga in her various incarnations: Jwala Devi, Surkanda Devi, Kunjapuri, to name just a few. Shaivism has very strong roots in Garhwal and the over 350 temples dedicated to Lord Shiva offer the pilgrim a rich heritage to choose from. The Panch Kedar at Kedarnath, Tungnath, Rudranath, Madmaheshwar and Kalpeshwar formed a part of the ancient pilgrim route. Garhwal also boasts of over 61 Vishnu temples including the well-known Badrinath temple, the Panch Badris: Adi Badri, Bhavishya Badri, Yog Badri, Briddh Badri and the venerated Badrinath shrine.