Pilgrimage in Uttarakhand

The pious Uttarakhand is dubbed the Land of the Gods, and indeed it is. This holy ground of the mighty Himalayas and the glistening Ganga and Yamuna is replete with pilgrimage sites that can offer both the blessings of the divine and the much-needed peace of mind. Uttarakhand is where the popular Chhota Chardham Yatra is performed at high altitude Hindu shrines of Badrinath, Kedarnath, Yamunotri, and Gangotri. It is also the land to witness the divinity at several river confluences or Prayag, which in number are five, and thus, called Panch Prayags. Then there are Panch Kedars and Panch Badris that add to the spiritual ambience of the state. Needless to mention that Uttarakhand is also home to one of the four Kumbh Mela spots in India, Haridwar. Also called the gateway to the Garhwal Himalayas, Haridwar attracts millions of Hindu devotees to its temples as well as its Ganges Ghats.

The region of Kumaon is also replete with a number of Hindu temples like Baijnath, Patal Bhubaneshwar and Jageshwar each being an important religious destination to visit in Uttarakhand. The state of Uttarakhand though may seem to have more temples than a sacred shrine of any other religion but there are a few significant holy sites for people of other faith as well. The state houses the highest Gurudwara in the world, Hemkund Sahib along with other important Gurudwaras like Nanakmatta and Ritha Sahib for the Sikh devotees to obtain blessings at. For the Budhhist pilgrims, the Mind Rolling Monastery in Dehradun is the major pilgrimage site whereas, the Muslim devotees can offer prayers at various mosques in the state as well as the famed Piran Kaliyar Shareef near Roorkee. Uttarakhand also boasts a plethora of British era churches that are both beautiful and sacred places to pay homage in the state.

Uttarakhand Travel Information at a Glance