The Himalayas serves different purpose for different
people. For some it is a holiday destinations with exotic and
picturesque locations, for an adventure sports buff it is the ultimate
adventure destination and for a 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.
Different places in the Himalayas showcases different styles of temple
architecture. The isolate valleys and high ranges have temples and
shrines of different styles. 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 Dham, which is considered,
as one of the most important holy destinations of the Hindus comprises
of Kedarnath, Badrinath, Yamunotri, and Gangotri. Not only for the
Hindus the Himalayas is also a holy destination for the Buddhists and
Muslims. 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 to name a few. 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.
Other
India
pilgrimage tour destinations are in Dharamsala, Lahaul and Spiti,
Leh-Ladak, Zanskar, Gangtok, Rishikesh, Sarahan, Bhutan, Tibet and
Kathmandu.
