Published Date: May 20, 2024
Previously called Bharath, India is the home of many religions, including Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism. The land has a myriad of pilgrimage centers, spiritual spaces, and holy places. Particularly, spiritual destinations in North India are widely known for their importance in Vedic scriptures and Puranas, comprising several temple sites and the special Ganges River, the river of holiness. Hence, it turned out to be perfect for pilgrimage tourism for people across the globe.
As Hindu pilgrimage centers and devotees are major in this divine land, let’s look into the top ten Hindu pilgrimage centers in this blog.
Pilgrimage tour of North India: 10 must-visit places
- Amarnath, Jammu & Kashmir
- Golden Temple, Punjab
- Kashi Vishwanath Temple, Uttar Pradesh
- Kedarnath Temple, Uttarakhand
- Vaishno Devi, Jammu & Kashmir
- Triveni Sangam, Uttar Pradesh
- Mansa Devi Temple, Uttarakhand
- Mathura, Uttar Pradesh
- Akshardham Temple, Delhi
- Badrinath Temple, Uttarakhand
Amarnath, Jammu & Kashmir
This sacred temple in this northern state of India is known for its naturally melting ice lingam, the personification of Lord Shiva. The specialty is that this 5,000-year-old temple is housed inside a cave. So, do not miss this site when planning your pilgrimage trips this year!
Best time to visit Amarnath: July and August
Golden Temple, Punjab
Though this golden temple in Amritsar is dedicated to Sikh devotees, millions of pious Hindu devotees consider this a place of spiritual significance. This temple is also referred to as ‘The Harmandir Sahib Gurudwara’ and has two levels, of which the lower is made of marble and the upper is made of gold panels. Notably, the temple holds seven hundred and fifty kilograms of golden dome atop it.
Best time to visit Amristar: October to February
Kashi Vishwanath Temple, Uttar Pradesh
Undeniably, every pilgrimage tour packages will have this temple included without fail. Located on the banks of the holy river Ganga in Varanasi, this temple for Lord Shiva is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas in the country. Ancient scriptures say that the Lord Shiva himself installed this linga at this hallowed location.
Best time to visit Kashi: November to March
Kedarnath Temple, Uttarakhand
Pilgrims believe that visiting this revered Kedarnath relieves them from the cycle of birth and death. Even elder people try visiting this holy abode of Lord Shiva without bothering with its high altitude of about 3500 meters. Why not you? Including Kedarnath in your Uttarakhand itinerary for 9 days is a perfect way to start your pilgrimage. Also, this is the first of the ‘Panch Kedars’ in North India.
Best time to visit Kedarnath: May to November
Vaishno Devi, Jammu & Kashmir
Like Amarnath, this is also a cave temple but located on the top of the Trikuta mountains adjacent to Katra. People can opt to walk on foot or use the helicopter services up to a certain point. The temple is devoted to Goddess Durga and the three rock forms of the deity are being worshipped here.
Best time to visit Vaishno Devi: April to October
Triveni Sangam, Uttar Pradesh
According to Hindu mythology, this place is a confluence of three holy rivers, namely the Ganga, Yamuna, and Sarawati. Hence, this place in Allahabad is considered one of the unique pilgrimage destinations in North India. Of these three rivers, Saraswati is invisible, and you can see the pale-yellow Ganga merging with the blue Yamuna.
Best time to visit Triveni Sangam: October to February
Mansa Devi Temple, Uttarakhand
The Hindu devotees worship Mansa Devi to fulfill their wishes, as she is the goddess or the fulfiller of wishes. This temple in Haridwar is known for its festivals, like Navratri and Kumbh Mela.
Best time to visit Mansa Devi Haridwar: November to February
Mathura, Uttar Pradesh
This is one of the must visit North India pilgrimages devoted to Lord Krishna. According to Mahabharat, Mathura is the birthplace of Lord Krishna and Vrindavan is where he grew up. Krishna Janmabhoomi Temple and Dwarkadhish Temple are the two must-visit places in Mathura Vrindavan.
Best time to visit Mathura: October to March
Akshardham Temple, Delhi
This is a hundred-acre holy temple with idols for many deities, including Lord Shiva, Lord Ram, Goddess Parvati, Goddess Sita, Lord Krishna, Goddess Radha, Lord Swaminarayan, Goddess Lakshmi, etc. The main deity, Lord Swaminarayan, is located at the focal point of the temple with an eleven-foot-tall gold-plated idol.
Best time to visit Akshardham: October to February
Badrinath Temple, Uttarakhand
Listed among the top religious places in North India, this temple has mythological importance in Hindu culture, and it is believed that Lord Shiva, Lord Vishnu, Adi Shankaracharya, Bhakt Prahalad, and Bhakt Prahalad have meditated in this holy place.
Best time to visit Badrinath: June to October
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