India has the largest population of Hindus in the world.
It has several significant shrines and circuits in its various parts that stand witness to the Hindu deities' presence- Gods and Goddesses.
North India is mainly responsible for housing the holiest Hindu places in the world.
Here are some of the popular religious destinations in North India.
Chardham: Among the pilgrimage sites in the northern front of India, the Garhwal region (of Uttarakhand) gives shelter to Chardham, a prominent religious destination for Hindus.
This domain has four sites symbolizing the three main Hindu sects- Shaktism, Shaivism and Vaishnavism.
Pilgrims undertaking the Chardham Yatra believe that this journey will not just wash off their sins but will also free them from the birth-death cycle.
The Chardham Yatra packages start with Yamunotri and move on to Gangotri, after which the pilgrim reaches Kedarnath and ends with Badrinath.
Devotees need to have enough physical and mental strength to complete this journey successfully.
Hiking is the chief activity as the path to complete the journey is not fit for any other communication means.
Vaishno Devi: The Vaishno Devi shrine in Jammu and Kashmir, is a sacred pilgrimage centre for the Hindu devotees in India.
A cave houses the temple where devotees come to worship Goddess Vaishno Devi every year.
Annually 8 million people visit this religious site, which makes is second most visited pilgrimages after the Tirumala Venkateswara Temple.
This sanctum lies 5,300 feet above the sea level in the Trikuta Hills where Vaishno Devi went for meditation.
These Trikuta mountains stand at 48 km from Jammu.
The Deity's idol is mainly natural Pindies or stone structures which represent the Goddesses Lakshmi, Saraswathi and Kali.
One can make the most of nature's beauty while scaling the mountain ranges to reach this holy shrine.
Amarnath Yatra: The best time for Amarnath Yatra is between June and August, being in snow-capped mountains of Jammu and Kashmir.
It is a sacred and famed pilgrimage destination for Lord Shiva's followers.
Amarnath counts as the holiest sites for Hindu followers despite its placing at 3,880 m high in Kashmir valley's southern region.
The temple opens up for devotees who come for 'darshan' or visit from June mid or early July (called Ashad Purnima in Hindu Calendar) and closes down in Early August (termed as Shravan Purnima in Hinud Calendar).
The devotees flock to see the naturally made ice stalagmite called the Shiva Lingam, which lies within the Holy Cave.
The Yatra ends at the Raksh-Bandhan time in August and several tour packages arrange for a comfortable and safe journey for the pilgrims.
Amritsar: Amritsar, a north-western city in India, gets fame owing to the Golden Temple that it houses.
It is historically called Ramdaspur and colloquially, Ambarsar.
It is significant for the Sikhs in India, standing as its chief religious centre.
The Golden Temple, also termed as the Harmindar Sahib, is the main cultural and spiritual point for Sikhs all over the world.
This Sikh shrine supposedly attracts more tourists than the world-famous Taj Mahal, welcoming over 100,000 tourists on week days including Non-Resident Indians (NRI).
It is also the most famous destination for NRIs in India.
This Harmindar Sahib is extremely holy and significant to the Sikhs with the Guru Granth Sahib placed within the Gurdwara.
There are no restrictions on men or women from other religious backgrounds to worship God here at this sanctum.
The Harmindar Sahib or Golden Temple grandly celebrates the Bandi Chhor Divas for which devotees form the entire globe rush to this place.
All the Sikhs have to visit this place at least once during their lifetime.
Thus, these are the top destinations in North India for religious folks of the country.
One will find various attractive packages for travelling to these sites.
It has several significant shrines and circuits in its various parts that stand witness to the Hindu deities' presence- Gods and Goddesses.
North India is mainly responsible for housing the holiest Hindu places in the world.
Here are some of the popular religious destinations in North India.
Chardham: Among the pilgrimage sites in the northern front of India, the Garhwal region (of Uttarakhand) gives shelter to Chardham, a prominent religious destination for Hindus.
This domain has four sites symbolizing the three main Hindu sects- Shaktism, Shaivism and Vaishnavism.
Pilgrims undertaking the Chardham Yatra believe that this journey will not just wash off their sins but will also free them from the birth-death cycle.
The Chardham Yatra packages start with Yamunotri and move on to Gangotri, after which the pilgrim reaches Kedarnath and ends with Badrinath.
Devotees need to have enough physical and mental strength to complete this journey successfully.
Hiking is the chief activity as the path to complete the journey is not fit for any other communication means.
Vaishno Devi: The Vaishno Devi shrine in Jammu and Kashmir, is a sacred pilgrimage centre for the Hindu devotees in India.
A cave houses the temple where devotees come to worship Goddess Vaishno Devi every year.
Annually 8 million people visit this religious site, which makes is second most visited pilgrimages after the Tirumala Venkateswara Temple.
This sanctum lies 5,300 feet above the sea level in the Trikuta Hills where Vaishno Devi went for meditation.
These Trikuta mountains stand at 48 km from Jammu.
The Deity's idol is mainly natural Pindies or stone structures which represent the Goddesses Lakshmi, Saraswathi and Kali.
One can make the most of nature's beauty while scaling the mountain ranges to reach this holy shrine.
Amarnath Yatra: The best time for Amarnath Yatra is between June and August, being in snow-capped mountains of Jammu and Kashmir.
It is a sacred and famed pilgrimage destination for Lord Shiva's followers.
Amarnath counts as the holiest sites for Hindu followers despite its placing at 3,880 m high in Kashmir valley's southern region.
The temple opens up for devotees who come for 'darshan' or visit from June mid or early July (called Ashad Purnima in Hindu Calendar) and closes down in Early August (termed as Shravan Purnima in Hinud Calendar).
The devotees flock to see the naturally made ice stalagmite called the Shiva Lingam, which lies within the Holy Cave.
The Yatra ends at the Raksh-Bandhan time in August and several tour packages arrange for a comfortable and safe journey for the pilgrims.
Amritsar: Amritsar, a north-western city in India, gets fame owing to the Golden Temple that it houses.
It is historically called Ramdaspur and colloquially, Ambarsar.
It is significant for the Sikhs in India, standing as its chief religious centre.
The Golden Temple, also termed as the Harmindar Sahib, is the main cultural and spiritual point for Sikhs all over the world.
This Sikh shrine supposedly attracts more tourists than the world-famous Taj Mahal, welcoming over 100,000 tourists on week days including Non-Resident Indians (NRI).
It is also the most famous destination for NRIs in India.
This Harmindar Sahib is extremely holy and significant to the Sikhs with the Guru Granth Sahib placed within the Gurdwara.
There are no restrictions on men or women from other religious backgrounds to worship God here at this sanctum.
The Harmindar Sahib or Golden Temple grandly celebrates the Bandi Chhor Divas for which devotees form the entire globe rush to this place.
All the Sikhs have to visit this place at least once during their lifetime.
Thus, these are the top destinations in North India for religious folks of the country.
One will find various attractive packages for travelling to these sites.
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