In
religion and
spirituality, a 'pilgrimage' is a long
journey or
search of great
moral significance. Sometimes, it is a journey to a sacred place or
shrine of importance to a person's
beliefs and
faith. Members of every major religion participate in pilgrimages. A person who makes such a journey is called a
pilgrim.
Buddhism offers four sites of pilgrimage: the Buddha's birthplace at
Kapilavastu, the site where he attained Enlightenment
Bodh Gaya, where he first preached at Benares, and where he achieved
Parinirvana at
Kusinagara.
In the kingdoms of
Israel and
Judah the visitation of certain ancient cult-centers was repressed in the
7th century BC, when the worship was restricted to
Jahweh at the temple in Jerusalem. In
Syria, the shrine of
Astarte at the headwater spring of the river Adonis survived until it was destroyed by order of
Emperor Constantine in the
4th century AD.
In mainland
Greece, a stream of individuals made their way to
Delphi or the oracle of
Zeus at
Dodona, and once every four years, at the period of the Olympic games, the temple of Zeus at Olympia formed the goal of swarms of pilgrims from every part of the Hellenic world. When
Alexander the Great reached Egypt, he put his whole vast enterprise on hold, while he made his way with a small band deep into the Libyan desert, to consult the oracle of Ammun. During the imperium of his Ptolemaic heirs, the shrine of
Isis at
Philae received many votive inscriptions from Greeks on behalf of their kindred far away at home.
Although a pilgrimage is normally viewed in the context of religion, the personality cults cultivated by communist leaders ironically gave birth to pilgrimages of their own. Prior to the demise of the
USSR in 1991, a visit to
Lenin's Mausoleum in
Red Square,
Moscow can be said to have had all the characteristics exhibiting a pilgrimage — for
Communists. This type of pilgrimage to a personality cult is still evident today on people who pay visits of homage to
Mao Tse Tung,
Kim Il Sung, and
Ho Chi Minh.
Effects on trade
Pilgrims contributed an important element to long-distance trade before the modern era, and brought prosperity to successful pilgrimage sites, an economic phenomenon unequalled until the tourist trade of the 20th century. Encouraging pilgrims was a motivation for assembling (and sometimes fabricating)
relics and for writing
hagiographies of local saints, filled with inspiring accounts of miracle cures.
Lourdes and other modern pilgrimage sites keep this spirit alive.
Modern pilgrimage
Pilgrimages are still made throughout the world: modern-day pilgrimages include the
Way of St. James, the
Hajj, and the pilgrimage to
Mount Kailash.
In modern usage, the terms ''pilgrim'' and ''pilgrimage'' can also have a somewhat devalued meaning as they are often applied in a
secular context. For example, fans of
Elvis Presley may choose to visit his home,
Graceland, in
Memphis, Tennessee. Similarly one may refer to a cultural center such as Venice as a "tourists' Mecca".
Pilgrimage centres in various times and cultures
Antiquity
Many ancient religions had holy sites, temples and groves, where pilgrimages were made.
★
Karnak, Egypt.
★
Thebes, Egypt.
★
Kurukshetra, India
★
Delphi, Greece. Oracle.
★
Dodona,
Epirus, Greece. Oracle.
★
Ephesus Temple of Diana.
★
Baalbek Lebanon.
Bahá'à Faith
A
Bahá'à pilgrimage currently consists of visiting the holy places in
Haifa,
Akká, and
Bahjà in Northwest
Israel.
Bahá'Ãs do not have access to other places designated as sites for pilgrimage.
Bahá'u'lláh decreed pilgrimage in His Motherbook (
Kitáb-i-Aqdas) to two places: the House of Bahá'u'lláh in
Baghdad,
Iraq, and the House of the
Báb in
Shiraz,
Iran. In two separate Tablets, known as Suriy-i-Hajj, He prescribed specific rites for each of these pilgrimages (lifting the injunction regarding the shaving of one's head for pilgrimage in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas). It is obligatory to make the pilgrimage, "if one can afford it and is able to do so, and if no obstacle stands in one's way". Bahá'Ãs are free to choose between the two Houses, as either has been deemed sufficient. And although women are not bound to perform pilgrimage, they are certainly not prohibited to do so.
Later,
`Abdu'l-Bahá designated the Shrine of Bahá'u'lláh at Bahji (the
Qiblih) as a site of visitation. No rites have been prescribed for this.
Buddhism
Main articles: Buddhist pilgrimage
Ancient excavated Buddha-image at the Mahaparinirvana Temple,
Kushinagar spoke of the four sites most worthy of pilgrimage for his followers to visit:
[1]
★
Lumbini: birth place (in
Nepal)
★
Bodh Gaya: place of
Enlightenment
★
Sarnath: (formally
Isipathana) where he delivered his first teaching
★
Kusinara: (now
Kusinagar, India) where he attained
mahaparinirvana (passed away).
Other pilgrimage places in India and Nepal connected to the life of
Gautama Buddha are:
Savatthi,
Pataliputta,
Nalanda,
Gaya,
Vesali,
Sankasia,
Kapilavastu,
Kosambi,
Rajagaha,
Varanasi.
Other famous places for buddhist pilgrimage in various countries include:
★
India:
Sanchi,
Ellora,
Ajanta.
★
Thailand:
Sukhothai,
Ayutthaya,
Wat Phra Kaew,
Wat Doi Suthep.
★
Tibet:
Lhasa (traditional home of the
Dalai Lama),
Mount Kailash,
Lake Nam-tso.
★
Cambodia:
Angkor Wat,
Silver Pagoda.
★
Sri Lanka:
Polonnaruwa,
Temple of the Tooth (
Kandy),
Anuradhapura.
★
Laos:
Luang Prabang.
★
Myanmar:
Bagan,
Sagaing Hill.
★
Nepal:
Bodhnath,
Swayambhunath.
★
Indonesia:
Borobudur.
★
China:
Yung-kang,
Lung-men caves.
★
Japan:
Kyoto,
Nara.
Communism
★
USSR:
Moscow, Mausoleum of
Lenin in
Red Square.
★
China:
Peking, Mausoleum of
Mao Tse Tung in
Tiananmen Square.
★
Germany:
Trier, Birthplace of
Karl Marx in Trier
Christianity
Pilgrimages were first made to sites connected with the birth, life, crucifixion and resurrection of
Jesus. Surviving descriptions of Christian pilgrimages to the
Holy Land date from the 4th century, when pilgrimage was encouraged by church fathers like
Saint Jerome. Pilgrimages also began to be made to Rome and other sites associated with the
Apostles,
Saints and Christian martyrs, as well as to places where there have been
apparitions of the
Virgin Mary. The
crusades to the
holy land are also considered to be mass armed pilgrimages.
The second largest single pilgrimage in the history of
Christendom was to the
Funeral of Pope John Paul II after his death on
April 2,
2005. An estimated four million people travelled to Vatican City, in addition to the almost three million people already living in Rome, to see the body of
Pope John Paul II lie in state.
World Youth Day is a major Catholic Pilgrimage, specifically for people aged 16-35. It is held internationally every 2-3 years. In 2005, young Catholics visited
Cologne,
Germany. In 1995, the largest gathering of all time was to World Youth Day in
Manila,
Philippines, where four million people from all over the world attended.
The major Christian pilgrimages are to:
★
Jerusalem. Site of the crucifixion and resurrection of
Jesus.
★
Rome on roads such as the
Via Francigena. Site of the deaths of
Saint Peter,
Saint Paul and other early martyrs. Location of sacred relics of various saints, relics of the Passion, important churches and headquarters of the
Catholic Church.
★
Constantinople (today
Istanbul, Turkey). Former capital of the
Byzantine Empire and the see of one of the
five ancient Patriarchates and
spiritual see of the
Eastern Orthodox Church.
Hagia Sophia, former cathedral and burial place of many
Ecumenical Patriarchs.
★
Lourdes, France. Apparition of the Virgin Mary. The second most visited Christian pilgrimage site after Rome.
★
Santiago de Compostela in Spain on the
Way of St James (
Spanish: ''El Camino de Santiago''). This famous medieval pilgrimage to the shrine of
Saint James is still popular today.
Other important Christian pilgrimage sites include:
★
Assisi, Italy,
St. Francis of Assisi and
St Clare, relics
★
Ãvila, Spain, St Theresa of Avila, relics
★
Bethlehem, in Israel, Birthplace of Jesus and King David.
★
Canterbury Cathedral associated with
Saint Thomas Becket.
★
Cap-de-la-Madeleine,
Quebec,
Canada in honour of Our Lady of the Cape.
★
Carey, Ohio to the
Basilica and National Shrine of Our Lady of Consolation. Catholic pilgrims from the
Middle East journey here to mark the
Feast of the Assumption.
[2]
★
Cathedral of Chartres, France.
★
Miercurea Ciuc, Transylvania, Romania.
Whit Sunday gathering of (mostly
ethnic Hungarian) Catholics.
★
Croagh Patrick, Ireland. Saint Patrick.
★
Conques, France
★
Cologne, Germany. Relics of the Three Magi.
★
Częstochowa, Poland.
Black Madonna of Częstochowa is housed pernamently in the
Jasna Góra Monastery
★
Glastonbury, England. St Joseph of Arimathea.
★
Goa,
India. St.
Francis Xavier
★
Hill of Crosses,
Lithuania
★
House of the Virgin Mary, Turkey.
Pope John-Paul II declared the Shrine of Virgin Mary as a pilgrimage place for Christians.
[3]
★
Issoudun, France.
Notre-Dame du Sacré-Coeur
★
Kapel in 't Zand,
Limburg
★
Kevelaer, Germany
★
Knock, Ireland
★
Lakefield, Ontario, Canada
★
Licheń Stary,
Sanctuary of Our Lady of Licheń
★
Lisieux, France.
Saint Therese of Lisieux, burial place.
★
Lourdes, France. Apparition of the Virgin Mary. Place of healing.
★
Mariazell, Austria. Marian Shrine to Austria and Hungary
★
Međugorje, Bosnia-Herzegovina. Apparitions of the Virgin Mary at the present.
★
Montserrat, Catalonia, Spain. The
Virgin of Montserrat is housed pernamently in the monastery of
Santa MarÃa de Montserrat.
★
Mount Athos, Greece. Orthodox monastic centre.
★
Mount Nebo, Jordan. Traditional site of the death of
Moses.
★
Mount Sinai, Egypt, holy mountain to the ancient Hebrews, traditional site has been commemorated since time of
Constantine
★
Nazareth, Israel, hometown of Jesus
★
Nidaros, Trondheim, Norway. Shrine of St. Olav. 4th most visited pilgrimage site in Middle Ages.
★
Fatima, Portugal. Apparition of the Virgin Mary.
★
Padua, Italy,
St Anthony, relics
★
Paris (
Sacred-Heart Basilica Basilica of the Sacré Cœur; and Saint
Catherine Labouré)
★
Rosslyn Chapel, Scotland
★
Sacri Monti, Italy. The Sacred Mountains of Piedmont and Lombardy.
★
San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy,
St Pio from
Pietrelcina
★
Guadalupe, Spain
★
Sea of Galilee, Israel, site of Jesus' early ministry.
★ Shrine of
Our Lady of Guadalupe,
Mexico City. Apparition of the Virgin Mary.
★
St. Andrews, Scotland, it is said that Saint Andrew was given, by God, directions to the location of St Andrews
★
St. Patrick's Purgatory, Donegal, Ireland
★
St. Thomas Mount, India. Place where St. Thomas was martyred.
★
Taizé Community, France, modern monastery that actively encourages pilgrimages to it
★
Trondheim, Norway. Nidaros Cathedral, shrine of St. Olav.
★
Turin, Italy. Holy Shroud.
★
Vailankanni, India. 16th-century Mary apparition site.
★
Vierzehnheiligen, Germany.
★
Walsingham, England. Virgin Mary apparition site.
★
Wittenberg, Germany. Church of
Martin Luther and centre of the
Protestant Reformation.
Hinduism
Hindus are required to undertake pilgrimages during their lifetime. Most Hindus who can afford to go on such journeys travel to numerous sites including those below:
★
Allahabad
★
Arunachala
★
Ayodhya
★
Benares
★
Chidambaram
★
Dakshineshwar
★
Dharmasthala
★
Dwarka
★
Gaya
★
Guruvayoor
★
Hampi
★
Haridwar
★
Kalahasti
★
Kanchipuram
★
Kanyakumari
★
Kateel
★
Kollur
★
Kumbakonam
★
Kukke Subramanya
★
Kunrakudy
★
Madurai
★
Mahabalipuram
★
Marudamalai
★
Mathura
★
Mandher Devi temple in Mandhradevi
★
Mayapur
★
Mount Kailash
★
Nashik
★
Nathdwara
★
Palani
★
Pazhamudircholai
★
Puri
★
Pushkar
★
Puttaparthi
★
Rameswaram
★
Rishikesh
★
Sabarimala
★
Shirdi
★
Sikkal
★
Sivagiri, Kerala
★
Somnath
★
Sringeri
★
Srirangam
★
Swamimalai
★
Swamithope
★
Talapady
★
Tanjavur
★
Thiruchendur
★
Thiruparamkunram
★
Thiruthani
★
Tirupati
★
Ujjain
★
Udupi
★
Malai Mandir
★
Vaishno Devi
★
Vayalur
★
Viralimalai
★
Virpur
★
Vrindavan
★
Badrinath
★
Gangotri
★
Kedarnath
★
Yamunotri
The last four sites in the list above together comprise the
Chardham, or four holy pilgrimage destinations. It is believed that travelling to these places leads to
moksha, the release from
samsara (cycle of rebirths).
Vrindavan is most important place of pilgrimage for every
Vaishnava, especially for the followers of
Gaudiya Vaishnavism who regard
Krishna as the original Personality of Godhead (
God). Here one can attain
love of God (prema).
Islam
The pilgrimage to Mecca – the ''
Hajj'' – is one of the
Five Pillars of Islam. It should be attempted at least once in the lifetime of all able-bodied
Muslims who can afford to do so. It is the most important of all Muslim Pilgrimages.
Many Muslims also undergo
ziyarat, which is a pilgrimage to sites associated with the prophet
Muhammad, his companions, or other venerated figures in
Islamic history, such as
Shi'a imams or
Sufi saints. Sites of pilgrimage include
mosques, graves, battlefields, mountains, and caves.
Local Pilgrimage traditions - those undertaken as
ziarah visits to local graves, are also found throughout Muslim countries. In some countries, the grave sites of heroes have very strong ziyarah traditions as visiting the graves at auspicious times is a display of national and community identity.
Some traditions within Islam have negative attitudes towards grave visiting.
The third religiously sanctioned pilgrimage for Muslims is to the
Al Quds mount in Jerusalem which hosts
Al-Aqsa Mosque and the
Dome of the Rock.
Judaism
''See related article
Three pilgrim festivals''.
Within
Judaism, the
Temple in Jerusalem was the center of the Jewish religion, until its destruction in
70 AD, and all who were able were under obligation to visit and offer sacrifices known as the ''
korbanot'', particularly during the
Jewish holidays in
Jerusalem.
Following the destruction of the
Second Temple and the onset of the
diaspora, the centrality of pilgrimage to
Jerusalem in Judaism was discontinued. In its place came prayers and rituals hoping for a return to
Zion and the accompanying restoration of regular pilgrimages (see ''
Jerusalem, Jews and Judaism'').
Until recent centuries, pilgrimage has been a fairly difficult and arduous adventure. But now, Jews from many countries make periodic pilgrimages to the holy sites of their religion.
The western retaining wall of the original temple, known as the
Wailing Wall, or
Western Wall remains in the Old City of Jerusalem and this has been the most sacred site for
Zionist Jews. Pilgrimage to this area was off-limits from 1948 to 1967, when East Jerusalem was controlled by
Jordan.
Some
Reform and
Conservative Jews who no longer consider themselves
exiles, still enjoy visiting Israel even if it is not an official "pilgrimage."
See also
★
Burial places of founders of world religions
★
★
Junrei
★
Monastery
★
Most Holy Place
Notes
1. The Buddha mentions these four pilgrimage sites in the Mahaparinibbana Sutta. See, for instance, Thanissaro (1998)[1] and Vajira & Story (1998)[2].
2. Basilica and National Shrine of Our Lady of Consolation official website
3. House of the Virgin Mary listing at www.Ephesus.US
Further reading
★ al-Naqar, Umar. 1972. ''The Pilgrimage Tradition in West Africa.'' Khartoum: Khartoum University Press. [includes a map 'African Pilgrimage Routes to Mecca, ca. 1300-1900']
★ Coleman, Simon and John Elsner. ''Pilgrimage: Past and Present in the World Religions.'' Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1995.
★ Jackowski, Antoni. 1998. ''Pielgrzymowanie'' [Pilgrimage]. Wroclaw: Wydawnictwo Dolnoslaskie.
★ Wolfe, Michael (ed.). 1997. ''One Thousands Roads to Mecca.'' New York: Grove Press
★ Sumption, Jonathan. 2002. ''Pilgrimage: An Image of Mediaeval Religion.'' London: Faber and Faber Ltd.
★ Zarnecki, George. 1985. The Monastic World: The Contributions of The Orders. pp. 36-66, in Evans, Joan (ed.). 1985. ''The Flowering of the Middle Ages.'' London: Thames and Hudson Ltd.
Literature
★ Kerschbaum & Gattinger, Via Francigena - DVD- Documentation, of a modern pilgrimage to Rome, ISBN 3200005009, Verlag EUROVIA, Vienna 2005
External links
★
Eurovia-Association for the Estblishment of European Pilgimage Routes
★
The official site of the Santiago de Compostela cathedral
★
Catholic pilgrimages
★
Buddhist Pilgrimage in India
★
Buddhist Pilgrimage in Sri Lanka
★
The Canadian Company of Pilgrims A non-profit group providing advice to pilgrims of the way of Saint James
★
Wiki on European pilgrimages
★
Pilgrim forum on the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela
★
Sacred Destinations Sacred sites and pilgrimages.
★
French pilgrimage routes from 1000 CE till 1500 CE
★
Spanish pilgrimage routes from 900 CE till 2000 CE
★
From Jerusalem to Sacred Mounts History of the nine
''Sacri Monti'' included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
★
Pilgrimages and Cultural Heritage programmes in Romania, Europe
★
VEDA: Holy Places
★
Walking the Camino de Santiago, A Guide The Camino de Santiago has more than 100,000 pilgrims walking the various paths each year.
★
Images of pilgrimages at fotolia.de (Royalty-Free)
★
Italian Lakes Pilgrimage. The nine Sacro Monte of the Italian lakes were developed for pilgrims in the 15th and 16th centuries as an alternative to traveling to the holy land.
★
Not for profit organisation, mapping pilgrimage routes and promoting eco-friendly travel
★
Detailed accounts of pilgrimages to Santiago and Rome on horseback
★
Account of pilgrimage to Nidaros (Trondheim) in Norway on Olav's Way. With useful page about kit.
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