Even when we feel guilty, we must always move forward to stay ahead of the competition. However, there are times when reaching out to our spiritual side is necessary for the wellbeing of body, mind, and soul. We present to you a selection of sacred journeys, or Tirtha Yatra, in India that will only demand a little break from your daily schedule but will revitalize your spirit.

1. Yatra Kailash Mansarovar

This annual pilgrimage walk to Mansarovar, the highest freshwater lake in the world, and Mount Kailash, the home of Lord Shiva, is organized by the Ministry of External Affairs and take place between June and September. Even Buddhists and Jains revere this location. All participants in this yatra must be older than 18 and must pass physical exams to ensure they are physically capable of making the trek. This Lord Shiva temple in the Himalayas, located atop the tallest and holiest mountain peak in India, will cleanse your heart and spirit. This is very challenging yatra all over India.

2. Yatra of Amarnath

The Amarnath Yatra is one of the most difficult pilgrimage treks. Every year between the months of June and August, the Government of J&K organizes a walk to Baba Amarnath (Lord Shiva) cave, where an ice-lingam only emerges at this particular time of year. It takes fortitude to make the trip to this temple.

3. Wari Pandharpur

Every year in the months of June and July, Varkaris, or pilgrims of the god Vithoba, set out on an 18 to 20-day trip to the deity’s temple at Pandharpur. They come from all across Maharashtra. Two famous Maharashtrian saints, Saint Tukaram and Saint Dnyaneshwar, have footprints that the Varkaris transport to their temples in Pandharpur on palanquins.

4. The Puri Ratha Yatra

Every year in June or July, Puri celebrates Jagannath’s Chariot Festival to remember his stop at the Gundicha Temple. The Rath Yatra is very famous, during which millions of visitors travel to see the deities of Jagannath, Balabhadra, and Subhadra.

5. Yatra Kanwar

For Lord Shiva worshippers, this annual journey is a need. At Haridwar, Gangotri, and Gaumukh, thousands pilgrims, transport holy water to their homes, and anoint the Shivalingas. Visiting These Pilgrimage Places can be a unforgotable experience.

6. Char Dham Yatra

Every Hindu Must visit Char Dham In his lifetime. The pilgrimage sites in Dwarka and Puri are located at the same latitude as those at Badrinath and Rameshwaram, respectively. The four holy places are consider to symbolize the four corners of India.

7. Travel to Chota Char Dham

Chota Char Dham is a tiny Char Dham pilgrimage circuit in Uttarakhand, includes the holy places of Badrinath, Kedarnath, Yamunotri, and Gangotri.

8. Kashi Tirtha Yatra

A journey known as the Kashi Yatra is made with the intention of conducting Vedic ceremonies for our forefathers. This pilgrimage is designed to be completed on foot, beginning with a Saikatha Pooja at Rameshwaram and concluding with a stop at Allahabad’s Triveni Sangamam, the meeting place of the Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati. The pilgrims finally arrive in Kashi for a Kashi Vishwanath Darshan before collecting water from the Ganga and returning to Rameshwaram to anoint Lord Shiva.

9. Yatra Hemkund Sahib

The Gurudwara In Hemkund Sahib is dedicated to Guru Govind Singh, The 10th Guru of Sikhs. This yatra can be complete only between May and october because after this place is inaccessible.

10.  Jain Tirtha Yatra

The four basic categories of sacred sites for pilgrimage in Jainism are referred to as Jain Tirtha Kshetras. These include Gyana Kshetra, a location linked with learning by these saints, Purana Kshetras, locations associated with the lives of great men, and Nirvan Kshetra or Siddha Kshetra, a destination for redemption for any ascetic saint.

11. Travel to Vaishno Devi

Jai Mata Di is most pilgrimage sites in India. The 13 km journey is so easy with help of horse and donkey. Each year, around 10 million pilgrims come to this shrine. To experience the magic of soul cleansing, visit one of these Yatras in India if you’re seeking salvation.

Tirtha yatra objective

Some of the shastra granthas, such as the Vishnu Dharma Sutra, have mentioned the tirtha yatra as one of the religious Selamanya Dharmas, or common obligations of every Hindu Bharatiya in his lifetime. Such concepts are abundant throughout the puranas.

Meditation is very useful in these area. Along with meeting spiritually developed sadhakas who may have visited these locations in the past and learning from their experiences, as well as a variety of related concepts, these pilgrimage sites have gained a great deal of holiness.

Tirtha Yatra classification

The Brahmapurana divides the tirtha as, or pilgrimage sites, into four categories.

• Daiva, those produced by the gods
• One who is connected to asuras and demons like Gaya
• Those formed by rishis like Vasistha, Prabhasa, and Naranarayana are referred to as arsha.
• Manusha those made by monarchs, including siddhas, yogis, Ambarisha, and Manu Kuru

These four belong to the four yugas: Kali, Krita, Treta, and Dvaapara. Depending on the devotee’s bhavana, these categories may or may not be applicable.

The Skanda Purana is rich in information; Reva Khanda mentions the Narmada Tirtha and covers the full 3000 km of the Narmada River.

Despite the challenging circumstances and difficulties of travel, Bhakti saints and our Acharyas have traveled far. Some of them have left behind intriguing religious poetry that documents their travels.