India is a 'land of faith' and an abode to different religions, cultures, traditions, customs and ethnic values. Major religions in India are Hinduism, Sikhism, Jainism, Buddhism, Christianity and islam. Similarly, there are large no. of temples, mosques, gurdwaras, churches and monasteries which are visited by people from different religions.
Here are some of the most visited religious places in India:
The holiest temples dedicated to adi shakti, situated in the hills of Katra in Jammu and Kashmir, Vaishno Devi temple is the most visited religious place in India. This shrine is dedicated to Maa Vaishno. There are 3 natural rock formations known as pindies which are worshiped here.
The world famous Trimula Venkateswara or Tirupati Balaji is a Hindu temple dedicated to god vVshnu. Brahmotsavam festival is the best time to visit lord Venkateswara temple. The celebration attracts pilgrims from all over the world.
Sri lord Ayyappa swami temple of Sabarimala is located in Sahyadri mountain ranges or western ghats in Pathanamthitta district of Kerala. The temple is dedicated to Hindu god Ayyappan and the largest annual pilgrimage in India.
The Siddhivinayak temple is dedicated to Lord Shri Ganesha in Mumbai. This temple is the richest temples in Mumbai. It has also gained popularity due to visits by politicians and Bollywood celebrities besides common people.
Sri Harmandir Sahib is holiest place for Sikhs, surrounded by a beautiful lake and 4 doors. The golden temple or Harmandir Sahib is a prominent Gurdwara and one of the historical heritage monuments of India.
The cave of Amarnath is considered to be most famous and holiest shrines of great lord, Lord Shiva. An ice stalagmite lingam is formed annually in the caves due to freezing of water during the month of Sharavan.
Shri Jagannath is a Hindu temple and one of the 4th pilgrimage destination for Hindu, char dham. The temple is located in coastal town of Puri, Orissa and dedicated to lord Jagannath. The rath yatra of Jagannath Puri temple is well famous annual festival celebrated in the month of June.
Mahabodhi temple is world famous Buddhist temple where the Buddha attained enlightenment under the bodhi tree. The temple is located in gaya district of Bihar. The temple also has a holy bodhi tree and the bodhimanda vihara monastery.
Shirdi Sai temple is a most beautiful shrine built over the samadhi sandhill of Shri Sai Baba. The temple is located in Shirdi town of Maharashtra.
Located in Uttarakhand, it is considered as an ideal place to start a pilgrim journey to mount Kailash. Temples are widespread in each and every place of Haridwar city. Most of the Haridwar temples are dedicated either to Shiva or Vishnu. Some of the important temples in Haridwar are Mansa Devi temple, Pawan Dham temple, Parmeshwar Mahadev temple, Chanda Devi and Lal Mata temple.
