1] RAMESHWARAM
Rameshwaram is known as the city of temples and has a great mythological background. Apart from the Ramanathaswamy Temple, the city has other popular places like Adam’s Bridge, the railway route over the sea, and the Palk Strait. According to Hinduism, people come to Rameshwaram to wash away their sins. Many other temples like Koshadaramaswamy Temple, Gandhamathan Parvatham, and four temples of Shiva are popular among pilgrims.
2] VARANASI
This city, also known as Banaras, is India’s religious capital. There are Vishwanath Temple, Kashi Vishwanath Temple, Dhanvantari Temple, and many other ancient and modern temples. There are 88 ghats to reach the holy river Ganga where many rituals are performed. There are also 15 ancient mosques in Varanasi.
3] RISHIKESH
Thousands of people come to this yoga capital of the country for meditation and spiritual education. Triveni Ghat in Rishikesh is the place where three mountain rivers meet. People come here to perform many religious rituals and ceremonies.
4] PURI
Puri is one of the most important pilgrimage sites in India. It is famous for Jagannath Temple which is a beautiful monument. Many pilgrims visit Puri during the annual Rath Yatra and participate in the procession
5] SOMNATH JYOTIRLINGA
It is famous as the first of the twelve Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva. It is a major spiritual place for Hindus. Located on the coast of the Arabian Sea, Somnath Jyotirlinga has survived many attacks. Devotees visit this temple with great faith to get blessings.
6] TIRUPATI
Tirupati is famous among pilgrims for the Tirumala Venkateswara Temple. Located in the state of Andhra Pradesh, this temple is famous for its architecture. Every day about 60,000 devotees visit the Tirupati temple and participate in the puja. It is equally important for the pilgrims coming here to receive ‘Laddu Prasadam
7]AMARNATH
Amarnath is in Jammu and Kashmir. It is famous for the sacred cave, which contains ‘Shivalinga’ naturally formed from ice. You can reach here only after a very difficult climb. This place holds great religious importance because it was here that Lord Shiva told Parvati the secret of immortality which was also heard by a pair of pigeons. These pigeons can still be seen in the cave even today. Every year Shivalinga is naturally formed from ice and people come to see it through the annual Amarnath Yatra
8]DWARKA
Dwarka is the place where Lord Krishna was brought from Mathura. It is one of the famous Char Dham Yatra sites. Dwarka is located in Gujarat and is visited by thousands of Krishna devotees every year
9]MATHURA
Mathura situated in Uttar Pradesh is the birthplace of Lord Krishna. There are many temples including Pahan Krishna Janmabhoomi Temple. The city is filled with devotees and tourists during the festival of Janmashtami, celebrated to commemorate the birthday of Lord Krishna.
10]Madurai
Madurai is a temple town in the state of Tamil Nadu. It holds great religious significance as it is believed that drops of honey fell from the hair of Lord Shiva who came in the dreams of the King of Madurai and hence the city got this name. The place is also famous for the Meenakshi Amman Temple which is one of the most popular temples in India.
11] SHIRDI
Shirdi in Maharashtra is not associated with any religion but you must visit here to experience spirituality. It is famous for the Sai Baba temple, which is visited by thousands of devotees every day. Devotees, irrespective of their religion, visit the temple to seek blessings of Sai Baba who preached that there is only one God. It is one of the most visited pilgrimage sites in India.
12]BADRINATH
Badrinath is a part of the Char Dham pilgrimage, which most Hindus believe must be visited once in their lifetime to attain salvation. The Char Dham pilgrimage includes a visit to Badrinath, Rameshwaram, Dwarka and Puri. Badrinath is located in Uttarakhand and is considered the most important among the 4 Dhams. It is famous for the Badrinath temple, which is visited by thousands of devotees every year.
13] KEDARNATH
Kedarnath Temple is a famous Hindu temple located in Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand state of India. Kedarnath Temple in the lap of the Himalayas in Uttarakhand is one of the four Dhamaka and Panch Kedarshka along with being included in the twelve Jyotirlingas. Due to the favorable climate here, this temple is open for darshan only between April to November. It is said about this stone temple built in the Katyuri style that it was built by Maharaja Janmejaya, the grandson of the Pandavas. The Swayambhu Shivalinga located here is very ancient. Adi Shankaracharya got this temple renovated.
