The word Hindu is derived from the river Sindhu, or Indus. Hindu was primarily a geographical term that referred to India or to a region of India (near the Sindhu) as long ago as the 6th century BC.
It is one of the oldest religion in the world, which is still practiced by people all over the globe. Hinduism is rated as the third largest religion in the world after Christianity and Islam. There are various sacred places of Hindus and thus people travel from far away to visit such places. The journey undertaken by such people is termed as Hindu pilgrimage. Hindus travel from far off places in order to visit the various Hindu Pilgrimages places.
The pilgrimages undertaken by the Hindus are not easy as they require a lot of devotion and determination. All the Hindu pilgrimage spots have their own importance, which make them famous all over. India being the country, where Hinduism was founded has various Hindu pilgrimage spots.
The Hindu community
today is found primarily in India and neighboring Nepal, and in Bali in the Indonesian archipelago. Substantial Hindu communities are present in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, Mauritius, Fiji, the West Indies, East Africa, and South Africa. Scattered Hindu communities are found in most parts of the Western world. Hindus today number nearly 900 million, including about 20 million who live outside India, making them the third largest religious community in the world, after Christians and Muslims.
Teachings of Hinduism :
Because defining Hinduism is so difficult and because we have called it the sum of the belief and practices of Hindus, it is best to approach Hinduism through its teachings.
Within Hinduism there are various schools of thought, which Hindu scholars have systematized in different ways. All of these schools have enriched Hinduism with their individual emphases: Nyāya on rigorous logic, Vaiseshika on atoms and the structure of matter, Sānkhya on numbers and categories, Yoga on meditation techniques, Mīmāmsā on the analysis of sacred texts, and Vedānta on the nature and experience of spirituality. Their teachings are usually summarized in texts called sūtras or aphorisms. These sūtras can be memorized easily and recited as a means of gaining spiritual focus.
According to the ancient mythology, an individual by going on a pilgrimage can wash away all his sins and be free of them. Pilgrimages are mostly undertaken in groups in a certain part of the year. According to the customs of Hinduism, Char Dham is the chief pilgrimage circuit of the Hindus.
Char Dham :
The Char Dham i.e. the four abodes are the most important pilgrimage spots in the whole world. All the Char Dhams lie in the shelter of the Indian Himalayan ranges. They come under the Garhwal section of the state of Uttarakhand. People from all over the world visit the Char Dham in order to wash away all the sins committed by them during their life. The Char Dham includes 4 sites that are listed below.
Badrinath :
It is the abode of the god Vishnu and is one of the most important Hindu pilgrimage places.
In addition, there are various other important Hindu Pilgrimage places, which are highly visited by Hindu devotees each and every year.
Dwarka :
got its importance in Dwapar Yug when Lord Krishna another incarnation of Lord Vishnu, made Dwarka his residence instead of Mathura, his birthplace
Jagannath Puri :
dedicated to Jagannath , another incarnation of Lord Vishnu/Krishna
Rameswaram :
got its importance in the Treta-Yug when Lord Rama built a Shiv-ling here and worshiped it to get the blessings of Lord Shiva. The name Rameshwram means "the God of Lord Rama". Rama himself is considered an incarnation of Lord Vishnu
Other Important pilgrimage places are also there in which the famous are :
Chhota Char Dham - Badrinath - Yamunotri :
It is the starting point or source of the River Yamuna and is also known as the abode of goddess Yamuna. The Yamunotri temple is situated in the district of Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand.
Kedarnath :
It is a small town situated in Uttarakhand and is the home of the famous Hindu temple. Each and every year various people travel to Kedarnath.
Gangotri :
It is the source of River Ganges and is also reckoned as the abode of goddess Ganga.
Other Hinduism pilgrimage places in Northern region of India are :