Sacred places & pilgrimage

Start with the journey, not a ranking

This guide offers two starting points: read an identified account of pilgrimage, or prepare questions for a place you want to visit. It does not rank sacred places or provide a current travel itinerary. A meaningful place record should explain which text, community, or family connects the place to a practice.

Begin with one place and one source. A long list of famous names gives less help than an explanation you can trace and a visit you can plan responsibly.

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Source passages to read on this page

Read the selected passages in English below. Translation, commentary and handbook guidance are labeled separately; the adjacent links let you check the source.

Mahābhārata, Vana Parva, Section XCII

Lomaśa conveys Arjuna’s request to Yudhiṣṭhira. The narrative’s religious claims are not modern travel guarantees.

Reference: Kisari Mohan Ganguli; English translation (1883–1896). Check the cited passage or chapter →

English translation

"Lomasa continued,

'Listen now, O Yudhishthira, to what Dhananjaya has said:

'Cause my brother Yudhishthira to attend to the practice of virtue which leads to prosperity. Endued with wealth of asceticism, you are conversant with the highest morality, with ascetic austerities of every kind, with the eternal duties of kings blessed with prosperity, and the high and sanctifying merit that men obtain from tirthas.

Persuade you the sons of Pandu to acquire the merit attaching to tirthas. Do you with your whole soul persuade the king to visit the tirthas and give away kine.'

This is what Arjuna said unto me. Indeed he also said,

'Let him visit all the tirthas protected by you. You will also protect him from Rakshasas, and watch over him in inaccessible regions and rugged mountain breasts. And as Dadhichi had protected Indra, and Angiras had protected the Sun, so do you, O best of regenerate ones, protect the sons of Kunti from Rakshasas.

Along the way are many Rakshasas, huge as mountain-cliffs. But protected by you these will not be able to approach the sons of Kunti. Obedient to the words of Indra and at the request of Arjuna also protecting you from dangers, I shall wander with you. Before this, O son of the Kuru race, I have twice visited the tirthas. With you I shall repair to them for the third time.

O Yudhishthira, Manu and other royal Rishis of meritorious deeds had undertaken journeys to tirthas. Indeed, a trip to them is capable of dispelling all fear, O king! They that are crooked-minded, they that have not their souls under control, they that are illiterate and perverse, do not, O Kauravya, bathe in tirthas. But you are ever of a virtuous disposition and conversant with morality and firm in your promises.

You will surely be able to free thyself from the world. For, O son of Pandu, you are even as king Bhagiratha, or Gaya, or Yayati, or any one, O son of Kunti, that is like them.'

"Yudhishthira answered,

'I am so overwhelmed with delight, O Brahmana, that I cannot find words to answer you. Who can be more fortunate than he who is remembered even by the lord of the celestials? Who can be more fortunate than he who has been favoured with your company, who has Dhananjaya for a brother, and who is thought of by Vasava himself? As to your words, O illustrious one, in respect of a trip to the tirthas, my mind had already been made up at the words of Dhaumya.

O Brahmana, I shall start, at whatever hour you mayst be pleased to appoint, on the proposed journey to tirthas. Even this is my firm resolve!'

Vaisampayana continued, "Lomasa then said unto Yudhishthira, who had made up his mind to start on the proposed journey,

'O mighty king, be you light as regards your retinue, for by this you will be able to go more easily!'

"Yudhishthira then said,

'Let those mendicants and Brahmanas and Yogis that are incapable of bearing hunger and thirst, the fatigues of travel and toil, and the severity of winter, desist. Let those Brahmanas also desist that live on sweetmeats, and they also that desire cooked viands and food that is sucked or drunk as well as meat. And let those also remain behind that are dependent on cooks.

Let those citizens that have followed me from motives of loyalty, and whom I have hitherto kept on proper stipends, repair to king Dhritarashtra. He will give them their allowances in due time. If, however, that king refuses to grant them proper allowances, the king of the Pancalas will, for our satisfaction and welfare, give them these.'"

Vaisampayana continued, "And thereupon oppressed with grief, the citizens and the principal Brahmanas and Yatis set out for Hastinapura. And out of affection for Yudhishthira the just, the royal son of Amvika received them properly, and gratified them with proper allowances. And the royal son of Kunti, with only a small number of Brahmanas, abode for three nights at Kamyaka, cheered by Lomasa."

Public-domain translation. Duplicated web display of the same paragraphs omitted.