|
|
|
Himalayan Pilgrimage
|
|
Himalayas is the main
region for spiritual and holy person it is the abode of god. It is
the home for Hindu's most important spiritual centers. For most of
the people it is the mountain range with the highest peaks of the
world but for a holy person it is much more than that. It is the
place for his or her faith and religion. According to Hindu religion
the Himalayas is the abode of Lord Shiva. Lots of legends are
associated with Himalayas in the Hindu mythology.
|
| For centuries Himalayas
is the home for some sacred pilgrimage site. Some of the important
Pilgrimage centers are : Kailash Mansarovar and
the Holy Mountain in Tibet, Char Dhams, which is considered, as one
of the most important holy destinations of the Hindus comprises of
Kedarnath, Badrinath, Yamunotri, and Gangotri. In the
Trans-Himalayan regions there are monasteries, the most famous is
the Thiksay monastery, which resonates with an ambience of
peacefulness and serenity. Then there is Buddhist Gompas, Jamia
mosque, Moravian church, etc . |
 |
|
| There is the famous Amarnath
Yatra.
It is a form of trekking to the Amarnath Caves, which is considered
as one of the holiest place of the Hindus. Another important
pilgrimage destination is Vaishno Devi, an abode of Indian goddess,
centered at Trikutta hills in the Jammu Kashmir. The best time to
visit these destinations is between March and July. Other important
temples are the Ban Ganga temple, Bhumika temple, Charan paduka and
Ardh Kumari. |
 |
|
|
| Much of India's religious
beliefs originate in Himalayas. Each mountain, lake and river is
steeped in mythology. This "abode of Gods" includes many
shrines and places of pilgrimage. Char-Dhams, the four most sacred
and revered Hindu temples: Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and
Yamunotri; Sikh's Hemkund Sahib, nestled in the mighty mountains,
are some of the important pilgrimages. Kailash Mansarovar yatra is
the most famous trekking pilgrimage for Hindu. |
 |
|
|
(Click
here For More Detail)
|
|
|
|
| Being a State full of
isolated valleys and high ranges, several different styles of temple
architecture developed and there are temples with carved stone
shikharas, pagoda style shrines, temples that look like Buddhist
Gompas or Sikh Gurudwaras etc. Several of them are important places
of pilgrimage and each year attract thousands of devotees from all
over the country. |
 |
|
|
(Click
here For More Detail)
|
|
|
|
| The state is a popular
pilgrimage destination with major pilgrimage centers at Amarnath,
Charar-e-sharif, Hazratbal mosque, Khanqah-e-moulah, Kheer Bhawani,
the Shankaracharya temple and the Gompas in Ladakh.There are a
number of places of worship in the Srinagar area, the most
frequented and popular Hindu place of worship, is Mata Vaishno Devi,
which is located at a height of 5, 300 feet above the sea level. |
 |
|
|
(Click
here For More Detail)
|
|
|
|
| Sikkim's
near about 200 monasteries or Gompas belonging to the Nyingma and
Kagyu order have not only been influencing the cultural heritage and
lifestyle of the people, but also demonstrates the ancient rituals
in practice. |
| Devoted
Lamas robed in red, chant ancient mantras to the rhythm of drums and
trumpets while soft lights flicker from decorative lamps placed
before statues of the great Guru Padmasambhava. Feel the peace and
quiet of being one with nature and close to the almighty as sacred
words mingle with the whirring prayer wheels. |
 |
|
| The
Gompas are adorned with life-like frescoes of hoary Buddhist
legends, rare silk and brocade Thangkas. Also preserved here, are
ancient Tibetan manuscripts, exquisitely carved wood work and icons
of silver and gold. |
|
(Click
here For More Detail)
|
|
|
|
| There are three kinds of
Hindu Pilgrimages in Nepal for 1. Lord
Shiva 2.
Lord Vishnu, and 3. Ma
Shakti. According to Purans Himalaya is home of Lord
Shiva and Parbati. Hence there are many Pilgrimage sites related to
Lord Shiva in Nepal. Pashupati Nath Temple is the Holiest pilgrimage
of Lord Shiva. Mt. Kailash is the mountain of Lord Shiva and it is
considered holiest of all holy mountains. |
| Mt. Kailash is in Tibet
near Nepal Tibet border. A mountain with a Temple on its top is also
considered Holy Mountain. There are several Shakti-peeths related to
Durga Ma through out Nepal. Dakhinkali and Guheswori are most famous
Shakti-peeths of Kathmandu valley. Other important Shakti-peeths are
Pathibhara, Shaileswori, Vindyavashini, Mankamana,
Jogeshwori, etc. |
 |
|
|
Such Shakti-peeths are usually situated on the top of a mountain.
The confluence of rivers, particularly when they are major
tributaries of the Ganges, is always regarded as religiously
significant by Hindus, as it is believed a third spiritual river
also joins. Such confluence is called Triveni. |
|
(Click
here For More Detail)
|
|
|
|
| Apart
from the majesty and grandeur of the natural surroundings, Bhutan
has a special environment where communion with the divine is
possible through contemplation and meditation. Since time
immemorial, ascetics, scholars, philosophers and pilgrim have been
drawn irresistibly to these remote and rugged mountains in their
personal search for wisdom, inspiration, solitude and happiness. |
 |
|
|
Over the centuries the place has been blessed by these people with
an invaluable spiritual legacy that makes the place conducive for
the meditations. |
|
(Click
here For More Detail)
|
|
Tibbet
|
|
Places of worship of the
Tibetan Buddhism as well as of the indigenous Bon religion
abound in the Tibet Autonomous Reglon. They are
distinctive in srchitecturalstyle, and have had a great
influence on the region since ancient times．
|
| However，
most of the old
buildings remained till present in Tibet are
monasteries of Tibetan Buddhism that were
constructed with regard to their geographical
surroundings，usually
at the feet of mountains．Generally
speaking, a monastery complex is composed of the
Sutra Hall，Zhacang
（Buddhist
school），the
living quarters of lamas，the
palace of the Living Buddha，
and the living
quarters for the monks，grouped
aroun the Hall of Enlightenment. The various
buildings are connected with each other by
corridors and courtyards，and
form a harmonious whole．The
monasteries of Tibetan Buddhism feature aspects of
the architectural styles of inland China，India
and Nepal． |
 |
|
|
(Click
here For More Detail)
|
|
|
|
