Jyotirlingas

A most revered pilgrimage circuit in India is the visit to the holy places of 12 Jyotirlingas. It will be an enthralling experience for any of the Shiva devotee. In these places Lord Shiva is worshipped in the form of Jyotirlingas, means the Lingam of Light. It is believed that Jyotirlinga is the prime source of energy and the pivot of all kinds of activities on Earth.

Devotees who visit all 12 Jyotirlingas are believed to be entitled for salvation and enlightenment. The views of the Jyotirlingas remove the darkness from the mind and bring peace, enjoyments and prosperity to the devotee. The 12 Jyotirlinga Yatra will purify the mind and body.

The 12 Jyotirlingas are spread across India from southern part to northern part. The south most Jyotirlinga is located at Rameshwaram in Tamil Nadu and the north most Jyotirlinga is located at Kedarnath in Uttarakhand. Other Jyotirlingas are at Somnath in Gujarat, Mallikarjun in Srisailam, Andra Pradesh, Mahakaleshwar in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, Omakareshwar in Shivpuri, Madhya Pradesh, Baidyanath in Deoghar, Jharkhand, Nageshwar in Dwarka Gujarat,Trimbakeshwar in Nasik, Maharashtra, Bhimashankar and Grishneshwar in Mahrashtra and Varansai in Uttar Pradesh. 

We will keep adding more information about each one of them ....

Read more »

Char Dhams of India

Char Dham is referred to the four Hindu religious sites in Uttarakhand state of India. These are Yamunotri, Gangotri, Badrinath and Kedarnath. Nestled in the lap of majestic Himalayas, these four sites are the epicenter of religious activity in north India. Traditionally, the Chardham yatra is undertaken from the west to the east. Thus, the yatra starts from Yamunotri, then proceeding to Gangotri and finally to Kedarnath and Badrinath.

Amongst the four Char Dhams, Yamunotri and Gangotri are dedicated to goddesses Yamuna and Ganga respectively. On the other hand, Kedarnath is dedicated to Lord Shiva while Badrinath is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. Moreover, people also visit Hemkund Sahib in the vicinity, which is one of the highest located religious sites in the country. Thus, pilgrims visit all these places in aspiration of washing away their sins and to attain salvation, by the blessings of the Lord.

Owing to the significance of this religious circuit, devotees from all over the world, come here to experience the eternal bliss. Char Dhams are hustling and bustling with activity during the summer months, as hundreds of devotees embark upon the holy journey. The picturesque surroundings of the mountainous region are simply enthralling, giving the visitors a perfect opportunity to unwind themselves by filling their lungs with fresh air. Moreover, these otherwise silent and tranquil locales resound with the names of the Lord as the pilgrims advance towards their destination.

Read more »

Holy Shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi

Indian Spiritual tradition has propounded four Purusharth (objectives) of a human life. These being Dharm (Righteousness), Arth (Material Pursuits), Kaam (Contentment) and Moksh (Enlightenment). Shri Mata Vaishno Devi is believed to grant all the four boons to those who visit Her Holy Shrine. She is considered to fulfill anything and everything that a person wishes for in life, in a righteous way. It is an experience of all, that no one goes empty handed from Her Great Pilgrimage.

The journey to the Holy Shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi is thus an enchanting journey of the places where Mata Vaishnavi had spent some time while observing various spiritual disciplines and penances. The culmination of this journey is at the Holy Cave where She merged Her Human form with the astral form of Her creators, the three Supreme Energies.

Read more »

Amarnath Dham

"The Himalayan pilgrimages are the oldest organised travel system, evolved over time by Hindu sages and embodying the spirit of wander, adventure and spirituality"

Shiva, in the form of a lingam, is formed naturally of an ice - stalagmite One of the holy trinity, Shiva is a living god. The most ancient and sacred book of India, the Rig Veda evokes his presence in its hymns. Vedic myths, ritual and even astronomy testify to his existence from the dawn of time. Shiva is known to have made his home in the Himalayas. He built no house nor shelter, not for himself or his bride. He was an ascetic, and yet married; he could be both for "he was the wild god sporting in the forest or taking his ease on a cloud."

Legend has it that Shiva recounted to Parvati the secret of creation in the Amarnathji cave. Unknown to them, a pair of mating pigeons eavesdropped on this conversation and having learned the secret, are reborn again and again, and have made the cave their eternal abode. Many pilgrims report seeing the pigeons-pair when they trek the arduous route to pay obeisance before the ice-lingam (the phallic symbol of Shiva).

Read more »

Shirdi Sai Baba

Shirdi Sai temple is a beautiful shrine that was built over the Samadhi of Shri Sai Baba .Shirdi is located approximately 296 Kilometers from Mumbai (Bombay) City in India.Shirdi is famous temple of Shri Sai Baba. It was established in 1922 to carry out the services of Shri Sai Baba.At age of 16 yrs Shri Saibaba arrived at the village of Shirdi in Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra and remained their till his death. Saibaba found shelter in Khandoba temple, where a villager Mahalsapathi in the temple addressed him as Sai or Saint Sai baba.

Shri Saibaba of Shirdi lived between 1838 and 1918, whose real name, birthplace and date of birth are not known. An Indian spiritual guru and a fakir ,Shri Shirdi Saibaba in Shirdi was regarded with great reverence by both Hindu and Muslim followers. Lord Sai lived in a mosque and after death his body was cremated in a temple.

Sri Shirdi Sai philosophy ingrained 'Shraddha' meaning faith and 'Saburi' meaning compassion. According to god sai Shraddha and Saburi were the supreme attributes to reach the state of godliness.

Read more »

Tirupati

The holy hill of Tirumala is one of the most visited pilgrimage centres in India – and indeed the world: it’s said that Venkateshwara Temple eclipses Jerusalem, Rome and Mecca for sheer numbers of pilgrims.

There are never fewer than 5000 pilgrims here at any one time – the daily average is 40, 000 and the total often reaches 100, 000 – anddarshan (deity viewing) runs around the clock. Temple staff alone number 12, 000, and the efficient Tirumala Tirupathi Devasthanams administers the crowds. It also runs guesthouses for pilgrims in Tirumala and Tirupathi, the service town at the bottom of the hill. The private hotels and lodges are in Tirupathi, so a fleet of buses constantly ferries pilgrims the 18km up and down the hill.

Tirumala is an engrossing place, but receives few non-Hindu visitors. The crowds can be overwhelming, but Tirumala somehow has a sense of serenity and ease about it and is worth a visit, even if you’re not a pilgrim.

Read more »