Pilgrimage in India

Journey as religious practice

Pilgrimage is important in several of India’s religious traditions, though its meanings and obligations differ. A journey may be made to a temple, shrine, river, tomb, monastery, gurdwara or landscape associated with a deity, teacher, saint or sacred event.

Hindu tirtha and sacred geography

In Hindu traditions a pilgrimage place may be described as a tirtha, literally a crossing-place. Rivers, confluences, mountains and cities can become part of sacred geographies linked by stories and prescribed routes. Varanasi is one of the most prominent examples, but pilgrimage networks extend across the subcontinent.

Buddhist, Jain, Sikh and Muslim journeys

Buddhists travel to places associated with the Buddha’s life, including Sarnath. Jains visit temples and sites associated with Tirthankaras. Sikhs travel to major gurdwaras, including the Harmandir Sahib in Amritsar. Muslim pilgrimage includes the global hajj to Mecca as well as visits, in some traditions, to important shrines and Sufi dargahs in India.

Mass gatherings and intimate journeys

Pilgrimage ranges from solitary or family journeys to enormous public gatherings. UNESCO describes Kumbh Mela as a major congregation centred on sacred river bathing. Scale should not obscure individual motivation: people may travel for devotion, vows, mourning, thanksgiving, community, tradition or personal reflection.

Photography and respect

Pilgrims are not performers for the camera. The archive should distinguish a public religious gathering from an invitation to intrude upon every private act within it. Captions should describe what is documented and avoid assigning spiritual motives to individuals unless those motives are known.