Spiritual journeys are all about aligning with your faith system and bringing yourself closer to the religion. It has always been about tranquility and knowing the meaning of life. It wouldn’t be wrong to say that spiritual journeys to sacred places and going on meaningful pilgrimages can be challenging, physically and emotionally.
For this reason, it’s important to choose a place that can truly transform your soul. So, if you’ve been meaning to go on a sacred quest, we are sharing the best spots to visit!
Crough Patrick
Locally known as the Reek, this place gets people from all over the world who wish to climb it. The conventional pilgrimage starts from the Balintubber Abbey, and it’s surrounded by vast fields and land (it is at the base of the mountains). At this place, people come for Reek Sunday, which is August’s last Sunday, where thousands of people come over and climb it.
However, there aren’t many locals in the group because they climb on Friday. This climb can be physically tiring, and you’ve to sacrifice your comfort and time to be here if you want mental and spiritual growth.
Lumbini, Nepal
This place is in Rupandehi, Nepal and that is considered the birthplace of Buddha. According to the elders, Siddhartha Gautama was born here in 623B and started his spiritual growth, which transformed him into Lord Buddha. The first pilgrimage here was by King Ashoka back in 249 BC, which sparked the need for a pilgrimage among other people, especially the ones devoted to Buddhism.
For this reason, Lumbini has become a go-to pilgrimage spot for Indian people, and they stop at the end to pay their respects to the special slab. According to people, the slab’s where Buddha was born. Many people dip in Puskarni, which is a pool where Buddha was given his first bath.
Varansi & The Cosmic Dance
This is a huge river that has become a spot for powerful mythology. This is the famous Ganga Ghat, where people from all over India go and take a bath so their sins are washed away, and they come out of the water as a baby with zero sins. According to mythology experts, death and life dance here together because it’s believed that life started in water death is known as indulgence in the river.
Mecca
This is one of the most popular pilgrimage sites in the world because this is where Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was born, and that is where the Quran (the holy book of Muslims) was first revealed. For everyone who has the money and time, it’s mandatory for them to go on a pilgrimage here as it’s a pillar of Islam.
Every year, thousands and millions of people fly to Mecca to participate in Hajj. During Hajj, Muslims wear Ihram, which are simple white clothes. This pilgrimage is meant to promote Islamic values and beliefs among the followers. It shows that everyone is equal in front of Allah, so only a believer of Islam can go here.
Golden Temple
This temple is in Amritsar, India, and it’s constructed from marble. In addition, it has a huge dome that’s covered with gold, and it’s the holy place for Sikh people (it’s a gurdwara). This temple has been around since the 1600s, and it has Guru Granth Sahib’s copy, which is considered the holy book of the Sikh people. The pilgrims coming here get the sermon from this book.
All around the temple is Amrit Sarovar, which is a water body. The pilgrims take a bath here or just sit at the side. In addition, there is a huge kitchen where free food is cooked for visitors, and people can even sleep in the sleeping quarters.
Western Wall, Israel
Also known as the Wailing Wall, this place is located in Israel. It’s considered the last wall of the Second Temple, which was destroyed back in 70AD by the Romans. In fact, it’s located on First Temple’s site, which was constructed by King Soloman. People come here every year to pray, and they usually mourn and worship the old temples.
In fact, the prayers are usually spoken out loud. People also write down the recitations of their religion and place them in the wall cracks.
Badrinath
This is a place of the four most important pilgrimage centers of Hinduism. It’s known as the sacred place of Vishnu, a Hindu god. The Badrinath Temple is considered the most sacred, which was built back in the ninth century. People come here to sacrifice and pay their respects to the Hindu god, Vishnu.
After paying their respects, the pilgrims take a bath in Surya Kund’s and Tapt Kund’s hot springs. After taking a dip, they visit the Vyas Caves, where Mahabharata was curated (it’s a Sanskrit book).
Going on sacred journeys and pilgrimages can be physically tiring, and the mental and spiritual transformation is second to none.
