Amarnath :Amarnath is located in the Lidder Valley (Kashmir), the cave considered to be the residing place of Lord Shiva and his wife, Parvati is an important pilgrim centre. Pilgrims throng the place annually on the full moon day in July/August to worship the holy ice lingam, which is believed to have spring up of itself. The cave was discovered in early 19th century by a Muslim shepherd. Malik of Batakoot village (near Pahalgam).

Amritsar: Amritsar Founded about 1581 AD by the Fourth Sikh Guru, Ram Das and named after the holy tank Amritsarasby which the Golden Temple, the holiest shrine of the Sikhs, is built. The temple site was granted by Emperor Akbar, Rad Das restored the tank at the site and named it Amritsagar (ocean of immortality). Maharaja Ranjit Singh had gold applied to the exterior of the temple. Hence it is called the `Golden Temple’. It houses the original copy of the Granth Sahib.

Anandpur Sahib (near Chandigarh). Founded by Tegh Bahadur, the ninth Sikh Guru in 1644. It assumes special significance for Sikhs as their las guru, Gobind Singh spent 25 years here beginning 1674. The Khalsa, the Sikh military institution, was formed here. During the hola festival (March), religious functions and meetings are conducted.

Auroville (Pondicherry). The town was conceived as a centre for world brotherhood where people irrespective of creeds and nationalities could co-exist in peace and harmony. The mother, Sri Aurobindo’s chief disciple, put forward the idea of the “universal town”. It was liad out in a manner that would bear out Sri Aurobindo’s philosophical principles. To symbolize the universl spirit, soil from 121 countries was collected into an urn on the occasion of the town’s opening on February 28, 1968.

Ayodhya Earlier called Saket and located on River Saryu (Ghagra). IN UP, it is one of the seven sacred Hindu cities. It was founded by the first king of the Solar dynasty, Ikshvaky, Rama, the main character in Ramayana, was born and cremated here. Many sites in the ciry are associated with episodes in the Ramayana. The Jains hold Ayodhya as sacred as it is the birthplace of Jain Tirthankaras, Adinath, Rishabha and Ajitanath. It flourished as a noted Buddhist centre also.

Badrinath Snow-capped peaks surround this `Abobe of Vishnu’. It is one of the holiest Hindu places near Hardwar (U.P). A visit to the place is a must for any pilgrim according to the shastras. The main Badrinath Temple is a small, brightly-painted edifice from beneath which hot water flows out to form two springs.

Bangla Sahib (New Delhi). The Sikh shrine is dedicated to the eighth Sikh Guru, Har Kishan who lived in the 17th century. It is so named as it once was the residence of Raja Jai Singh.

Belur Math The headquarters of the Ramakrishna Mission and the centre of the Ramakrishna order of monks was set up by Swami Vivekananda in 1899 on the Ganga’s banks near Calcutta.

Bhimbetka Hill Near Bhopal is this hill which has one of Asia’s richest collections of prehistoric paintings in a magnificent group of rock caves and shelters. Some 700 caves contain hundreds of paintings dating from the prehistoric to the medieval ages. The cave paintings, with their colours well preserved, were discovered in 1957.

Bodh Gaya Holy Buddhist centre near River Niranjana (Phalgu) where the Buddha attained englightenment under the Bodhi tree. The tree is said to have been destroyed by King Sasanka of Gauda (Bengal) before Harsha period. The tree Standing at present at the site is believed to have grown from a sapling from original stock. The Mahabodhi Temple that replaced the shrine erected by Asoka has the lotus pond – where, it is believed, the Buddha bathed, the Chandkramana and the spot from which he often gazed at the tree.

Botanical Garden (Calcutta). The gardens extending for more than a km and covering 109 hectares was founded in 1786. Administered by Lt. Col. Robert Kyd, the gardens highlight is its 200-year-old banyan tree, said t6o be the world’s larges, with 1500 offshoots. The tree, whose central trunk has been removed, covers an area of about 400 m in circumstance.

Brindavan Gardens. These pleasant, extensive gardens near Mysore are laid out below the Krishnarajasagar across River Cauvery. They are an ideal picnic spot owing to their flowing lawns, cascades and fountains.

Chidambaram (Tamil Nadu). Ancient temple complex and holy town of utmost importance. The site of the Akasa linga (the ethereal lingo) is located here. The magnificent Dravidian-style temples display superior sculpture with large gopurams, the hall of 1000 pillars and beautiful carvings depicting scenes from Hindu mythology. The town has produced many Tamil saints and poets.

Jesus Church of Bom (Old Goa). An important shrine for Catholic Christians around the world as it houses the body of St. Francis Xavier – died 1552 – brought from the island of Sancian. The body can be viewed once every ten years on the death anniversary of the saint. The event is of great significance.

Dera Baba Nanak (near Amritsar). The Samadhi of Guru Nanak, founder of Sikhism, Is found here. The samadhi, earlier elsewhere on the banks of the Ravi River, was shifted to Dera Baba after the river changed its course. It has a gurudwara with silver decorations which was built by Maharaja Ranjit Singh. A chola of Nanak is enshrined here.

Dwaraka in the Kathiawar, Peninsula, (Gujarat), it is one of the four most holy Hindu Pilgrimage sites and one of the seven Hindu holy cities, It was the `Gateway of India’ (`dvara’ for `door’ In Sanskrit) in ancient times for trading ships. The Dwarkadhish Temple (12th century) devoted to Krishna and said to have been built in one night has a more interesting exterior than interior. It was enlarged in the 15th-16th centuries.

Gaya The town, south of Patna, was inhabited by the Magas (worshippers of the sun) and magicians in the ancient periods. A Hindu Pilgrim centre, it is believed that Vishnu has endowed it with the power to absolve all earthly sins and so performing of shraddhas at the Vishnu temple here will open the route to heaven for a man and his ancestors. The Shikhara-style Vishnupad temple has a long footprint of Vishnu imprinted on a rock.

Gompas of Ladakh These are Buddhist monasteries on hilltops containing marvelously-done images of Buddha and other holy Buddhists. The gompas also bear holy texts of the Ladakh Buddhists. The most well-known and the oldest of the monasteries is the Hemls Gompa of the Red Sect of Lamas. The one at Lamayuru bears a huge figure of Chanrazilk (Avalokiteshvara) – with 11 heads and a 1000 hands. The Shay Gompa has the biggest Buddha image. The gompas stage Ladakh’s mystery plays for which purpose actors dress up in elaborate, brightly-coloured costumes and make-up.

Guru Ka Bagh (near Amritsar). It has a small shrine erected in honour of the visiting fifth Sikh Guru, Guru Arjun Dev.

Gurukul Kangri Seat of Hindu learning established in 1902 in Hardwar (UP) by Arya Samajlsts, it is now a university providing education in Sanskrit medium. Gwalror (MP). A princely state in earlier times famous for its forts, palaces and temples. It was founded by Chieftain Suraj Sen as a sign of gratitude to the Saint, Gwalipa who is said to have cured him of leprosy. It is also the resting place of Emperor Akbar’s famous court singer, Mian Tansen.

Haridwar (Literally, Vishnu door). At the base of the Sivalik hills where the Ganga River, coming from the Himalayas, passes through a gorge in this sacred city of the Hindus. It was sacked by Timur for its wealth in 1399. In the Har-Ki-Pauri, it is said, lies a stone bearing the Inprint of Vishnu’s foot. Here, Daksha performed a great sacrifice and Sati (Parvati) gave up her life. The Ardhkumbh and Kumbh melas are held every once in 6 and 12 years respectively in January-February.

Hastinapur North-east of Meerut (UP), it was the capital for the Pandava Kingdom in ancient times. Every October-November, a fair is held here on a full moon day. A pilgrimage centre of Jains as well.

Iron Pillar Dedicated to Vishnu, it is in the courtyard where the Qutab Minar stands in Mehrauli (New Delhi). Said to have been constructed by the Saka Chandravarman around AD 325. It bears an inscription praising the military conquests of King Chandra – In all likelihood , Chandragupta II (ruled AD 380-415). A similar pillar of the same period is found at Dhar (Madhya Pradesh).

Jaipur (City of Victory). Built by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II in 1728 and designed by Vidyadhar Chakravarty who assimilated Hindu, Mughal and Jain architectural features for the purpose, it is called the `Pink City’ of India as it buildings have a pink exterior. Of interest are the Hawa Mahal, the Amber Palace, the City Palace and the Jantar Mantar.

Kailasa-Mansarovara To Almora’s north in the West Tibetan valley is the Mount Kailasa, with the Mansarovara Lake situated nearby. They are holy places for both Hindus and Buddhists.

Kalakshetra (Madras). A private organisation emphasising unity of all true art whose efforts are aimed at recognition of arts as an essential element of life. The dance centre imparting the art of Bhgaratanatyam was founded by Rukmini Devi Arundale.

Kanyakumari The pilgrim age destination of spiritual significance is at the `Land’s End’, the southern tip of the country. The Bay of Bengal, the Indian Ocean and the Arabian Sea meet at this place. It is possible to view the sun and the moon on the same horizon from here at the time of the full moon in April. It is dedicated to goddess Kanyakumari (meaning, youthful virgin), Shiva’s consort. The Kanyakumri Temple is the most famous one.

Kausambi 63 km from Allahabad, Kausambi on the banks of Yamuna is ancient Kausam founded by a Pandava descendant according to the epics. During Buddha’s time, it was under the Vatsa king, Udayana. Buddha visited Kausambi for preaching his sermons and stayed at the Ghasitarama monastery. In this ancient Buddhist centre can be found remains of an Asokan pillar and another with details of Samudragupta’s conquest of the area. The Huna invasion ravaged the Kingdom.

Kodaikanal North-west of Madurai on the Palani Hills is this spectacular mountain resort with beautiful picnic spots and a lake offering boating and fishing pleasures. The breathtaking waterfalls, like the famous, Fairy, Glen and the Silver Cascade, add to the scenic beauty of the place. The observatory here, established in 1899, is a centre for the study of solar physics, meterology and related subjects.

Kosala Ancient kingdom in the eastern part of North India. Rama was exiled from this kingdom but eventually ruled over it.

Kuruskshetra (Haryana). Owing to the Kurukshetra tank, it is a pilgrimage place. A dip in the tank during eclipses of the sun is of importance for the belief is that waters from all sacred tanks come together at this tank during eclipses. According to the Mahabharata, the war between the Pandavas and the Kauravas was fought here.

Kusihagar (UP). Earlier Kushinara, it is a place of Buddhist worship and pilgrimage. Buddha died, and was cremated here. Asoka built a temple, a pillar and a stupa at the spot where Buddha achieved maha-partniruana. A stone statue of the dying Buddha has been found. It has a school for the study of Dhammapada and a Chinese temple with Buddha’s image.

Lumbini (now, Rummindei), Near Kapilavastu in Nepal , it is the birthplace of the Buddha who was born in 566 BC.

Madurai A temple city in Tamil Nady on the banks of River Vaigai. A legend indicates that nectar drops from Shiva’s locks fell here and so it was called `Madhuram Madurai (nectar city). It was the literary and cultural centre during the last three Sangam periods and the capital of the Pandya Kings. Many of its beautiful temples display the Vijaynaga architectural style, prominent being the Minaksh Temple. It is the centre of Chungadi craft – a traditional tie-and-dye craft.

Marble Rocks South-west, of Jabalpur (MP) is the gorge on the River Narmada, which surges down to the marble rocks below creating cloud of spray – the Dhuandar. Nearby are the Madanpur Temple with 64 statues of female ascetics, and Madan Mahal, the Gond kings fort.

Mathura A sacred city of the Hindus situated on the Yamuna River, north-west of Agra (UP) associated with the Krishna legend – Krishna was born and lived, here and made it his capital. It has been mentioned by ancient writers such as Ptolemy and the travellers, Fa Hien and Hiuen Tsang. The city witnessed destructive activities by Mahmud of Ghazni and others. It was also a Buddhist centre especially during the rule of the Kushana kings.

Nagarjunakonda Located in Guntur district (AP) on the Krishna River, it was earlier Vijayapura. It was an important Buddhist centre during the ancient times. It receives its present name from Nagarjuna, a famous Buddhist monk who lived around second century A.D. and founded the reputed Madhyamika school. It became the `hill of Nagarjuna’ in the 3rd century A.D.Discovered in 1926, excavations at the site have revealed pottery, viharas, stupas, chaityas, Buddhist sculptures as well as an amphitheatre of the Ikshvaku times. The valley was excavated in order to construct the Nagarjunasagar dam at the site.

Nalanda South of Patna, it was once one of the most renowned centres of Buddhism. This site, presented to the Buddha, was here he preached the Law. Here are the ruins of the world’s oldest university, founded in the 5th century AD. The university flourished till the 12th century when Muslim invaders destroyed the monastries. When Hiuen Tsang visited the university in the 7th century, it had about 10,000 students and monks and attracted scholars from China, Japan, Korea, Sumatra and other places. Excavations begun around 1916 have revealed the Great Stupa, some eleven monasteries and a number of chaityas.

Nathdwara A magnificent marble temple near Udaipur and close to River Banas which is dedicated to Shri Nathji.

Ootacamund At 2,286 m above sea level in the Nilgiri Hills is the mountain resort famous for its rolling hills. It was founded by the British in the 19th century as a summer retreat. It has palaces, a fine lake offering boating and fishing, a botanical garden and a golf course, it native inhabitants are the tribal Todas.

Periyar Game Sanctuary (Thekkadi, Kerala). The wild life and bird sanctuary near the Tamil Nadu border in a beautiful setting by, the lakeside was created in 1934 by building a dam over Periyar River. A part of Project Tiger, it is famous mainly for its wild elephants. Bisons, sarnbars, wild oxen, wild bear and spotted deer are to be found.

Pinjore Gardens – 20 KM from Chandigarh and set against the lower range of Himalayas, they are one of the oldest Mughal gardens in north India. A replica of the Shalimar gardens (Srinagar), the beautiful gardens were designed by the same man – Fidai Khan, foster brother of Aurangzeb.

Puri A popular destination for the devout, it is famous for “the Jagannath Temple dedicated to Lord Jagannath (`Lord of the Universe). All Hindus are allowed to visit the temple, without any caste distinctions being made. Every June or July, the famous Rath Yatra (Car Festival) – one of India’s greatest annual festivals – takes place when massive raths (chariots) set forth from the temple to commemorate Krishna’s journey from Gokul to Mathura.

Pusgkar A centre of Pilgrimage 11 km from Ajmer which has one of the country’s most sacred lakes. It is believed that a dip in the sacred water is a must for deriving the full benefit of visiting other pilgrimage sites. The only temple dedicated to Brahma in India is here. The town is world famous for its huge camel and cattle fair held every October/November.

Rajgir South-east of Patna in this Buddhist and Jain Pilgrim centre. Buddha spent 12 years of his life here. It is also the site of the First Buddhist Council. It has the Saptaparni and other caves, the Maniyar Math, the Gridhrakuta (`Hill of Vultures’) – believed to be one of Buddha’s favourite places where he converted King Bimblsara to Buddhism, hot mineral springs, Jain temples and a Japanese stupa. The place features in Hindu epics as well.

Ramesvaram An island in the Gulf of Mannar at the southern tip of the mainland and called Varanasi of the south, It is a major pilgrimage centre. It has the Ramanathaswamy temple, one of the most important temples, which was founded by the Cholas but mostly built in the Nayaka period (16th and 17th centuries). Rama is said to have made the place sacred by worshipping Lord shiva here before defeating Ravana. Another important temple is Kohtandaraswamy Temple.

Ranakpur Set in the Aravallis near Udaipur, it has some of the best Jain temples in India. The Prasvanatha Temple and the Surya Narayana Temple are also noteworthy.

Santiniketan (District Birbhum, West Bengal). Founded by Debendranath Tagore, it was here that in 1901 Rabindranath Tagore set up a classroom in the open with only 5 pupils. The school went on to become the Vishva Bharati University (1921) which became a central university in 1951. The university campus has a large collection of sculptures, paintings and murals and bhavans such as the Kala bhavana for promoting study and research in painting and sculpture.

Sarnath Near Varanasi, it is a holy Hindu city and a major Buddhist centre as well. Buddha preached his first sermon after attaining nirvana at the Deer Park here. The first Buddhist Sangha was founded here. Ashoka built the Dhamekh Stupa, and the Dharmarajika `stupa to contain relics of the Buddha. The `Main Shrine’ is where Ashoka is said to have meditated and where Buddha settled when in Sarnath. Near this is the Asokan Pillar – the main portion of which has been moved to the Sarnath Museum. Sarnath was a centre of Hinayana Buddhism during the Kushana rule (1st century AD). There is a temple commemorating the 11th Jain Tirthankara, Shreyam-shanatha who died at the Deer Park.

Sravanabelagola (District Hassan, Karnataka), One of the most ancient and important Jain pilgrimage centres famous for its 17 m high monolithic nude Jain statue representing Bahubali, son of the first Trithankara, after he attained enligtenment. The statue, said to be the world’s tallest monolithic statue stands on the Indragiri hill and is sculptured from a single, solid, vertical rock. Once every 12 years, Jain pilgrims from all over the country flock to the site to witness the Maha-mastakabhisheka – the sacred head-annointing, ceremony.

St. Thomas Mount (Madras). An important Christian shrine housing the remains of St. Thomas the Apostle (Doubting Thomas) who was martyred at the Great Mount in AD 52. Built in 1504 but rebuilt in 1893, it is one of the few churches constructed over the tomb of an apostle.

Salar Jung Museum (Hyderabad). One of the three national museums of India, it stores the art collection of Yusuf Ali Salarjung III, the wazir to The Nizam between 1899 and 1940.  The act collection is said to be the largest in the world The museum has 35,000 exhibits from all over the world arranged countrywise in its rooms. It has a library with a vast collection of Oriental manuscripts.  

Sidi Saiyad Mosque (Ahrnadabad). Constructed by Ahmed Shah’s slave, Sidi Saiyad, the sructure is famous for its beautifully carved central windows) a work of Gujarati draftsmen) that are highly artistic. These also exhibit fine stone tracery with tree and floral designs skillfully executed.

Sisganj (Delhi). Sikh shrine in Chandni Chowk dedicated to the ninth Sikh Guru Tegh Bahadur who was beheaded under the orders of Emperior Aurangzeb in 1675.

Somnath (Saurashtra, Gujarat). Famous for the Somnath Temple, a major place of pilgrimage, it is dedicated to Shiva and houses one of the 12 sacred Jyotirlingas, which are believed to derive shakti from within themselves. Said to have been earlier built of gold by the Moon God, Somraj, if was later rebuilt in silver, wood and stone. Because of its richness it was plundered by Mahmud of Ghazni (AD 1024) and others but rebuilt each time. The final reconstruction began in the 1950s.

Sravasti Between the Gonda and the Bahraich districts, this ancient site in modem UP was the second capital of the Kosala Kingdom. It is sacred to Buddhists and Jaine. Buddha preached at the Jetavaa monastery. It is said that he performed the miracle of multiplying himself a million times over while seated on a lotus at Sravasti.

Srirangapatnam 16 km from Mysore and situated on a rocky island in the Cauvery River it was the capital of the Hindu Wodeyars of Mysors and later of Haider Ali and his son Tipu – from whom it was captured by the British (1799). Its main attractions are the town fort built by the Vijayanagar kings in 1454; the Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple, with a black stone figure of Vishnu at rest, which is a Hindu pilgrimage centre: Daira Daulat Bagh (Tipu’s summer palace and garden); and the Gumbaz, Tipu’s family mausoleum.

St. Paul’s Cathedral (Calcutta), Built gothic architectural style between 1839 and 1847, it is one of the important churches in India, it was the first Anglican cathedral to be set up in India. Hence its importance for the Christian Annglicans in the land.

Talwandi Sahib (also, Damdama Sahib), Bhatinda (Punjab). The holy book of the Sikhs, the Granth Sahib was dictated from memory by Guru Gobind Singh to Mani Singh at this place.

Tanjore (also, Thanjavur) City of temples in Tamil Nadu which was the ancient capital of the Chola kings. Of its 93 temples, of main attraction is the 63-m-high Brihadeshwara Temple built by Raja Raja (AD 985-1014) from a single piece of granite. The Gangaikonda Cholapuram temple, Kampaharesvara Temple, the city palace and the Saraswati Mahal Library are famous. Tanjore is well-known for a special style of painting in which glass is painted with bright colours.

Thyagaraja Temple (Thiruvarur). The temple, dedicated to Thyagaraja (Shiva), is one of the largest in South India. It was founded by the Cholas but took over three centuries (beginning 13th century) to get completed owing to periodic additions. It has magnificent Gopuram and inscriptions dating from the Chola time to the period of Maratha rule. Its status is unique in the history of Shivaism in South India.

Tirukkalukundram A few km from Mahabalipuram is this pilgrimage centre with the famous hilltop temple dedicated to Bhatavatslesvara (Shiva) which has a beacon-shaped gopuram. A strange sight is the daily visit of two Neophran vultures to the temple for feeing. A legend holds the birds are the spirits of two saints and they have been visiting the hill from times immemorial. A dip in the temple tank is of special significance.

Tirumalai (AP). The holy hill 20 km from Tirupathi has the Sri Venkatesvara Temple, a pilgrim centre of extreme importance, dating from the 10th century. Of all Indian temples, the one draws the largest number of pilgrims and is the riches – in terms of the income it earns. To Lord Venkatesvara (Vishnu) is ascribed the power of granting any wish made by the visiting pilgrims.

Udaipur Called the `Venice of the East’. It is set in the Girwa Valley in Aravalli Hills (S. Rajasthan) by the side of the beautiful Pichola Lake. It was founded by Maharana Udai Singh in 1586 who named it `the city of sunrise’. It has shining marble and granite palaces, with the huge City Palace being the largest palace in the state. The Choti Chitrasala is famous for its peacock mosaic and the Moti Mahal for its mirror decorations. The two island palaces, Jog Niwas and Jog Mandir, stand in Lake Pichola. The city is well-known for wooden toys and textiles.

Ujjain (MP) One of the seven holy cities of the Hindus, it is one of the four centres of the triennial Kumbh Mela. It is on the banks of River Shipra, legend reveals that Shiva, after defeating the demon of Tripuri, changed the name of his capital from Avantika to Ujjalyini (one conquering with pride) and thus the city derived its name. At one time, even Jainism and Buddhism flourished in this place.

Varanasi (UP) The pilgrim centre on River Ganga’s banks is one of the seven sacred cities of Hinduism. It is also called Kashl (the city of light) after Kasya or Kasa – an ancient king. A legend holds that the name is owing to the shining (Kasi) lingam in this place. The Dasasvamedha Ghat is where Brahma is believed to have performed the 10-horse sacrifice and where shiva performed many austerities. It is important for Jains and Buddhists also as the 23rd Jain Tirthankara, Parsvanath was born-and lived-here and nearby Sarnath is well-linked to Buddha’s life. Varanasi derives its name from the Varuna and the Assi rivers which flow on its northern and southern borders respectively.

Vasco Da Gama’s Church Also St. Francis Church, it was the first in India to be built in the European tradition. The original wooden building of 1510 was later replaced by another of stone. Vasco da Gama was buried here in 1524 though his remains were removed to Lisbon in 1538.

Vikramasila (Bihar). An ancient Buddhist centre of learning with many Vajrayana monasteries. From here, Vajrayana Buddhism spread to Tibet in the 11th century AD by missionaries.

Vivekananda Memorial (Kanyakumari). At the southern end of India, the memorial was built in 1970 on a rock projection where Swami Vivekananda meditated before leaving for the Parliament of Religions meeting in Chicago. The granite memorial which was built combining varied Indian architectural styles has a large statue of Vivekananda.