10 places to travel for a higher cause

Mar 21, 2012 10:27:25 PM

Andrew Bain
Lonely Planet Author

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Seeking some deeper meaning on your travels? Make your own pilgrimage to some of the world’s great spiritual sites.

1. Source of the Ganges (India)

The River Ganges is Hinduism’s holiest river, beginning in the Himalayan peaks of Uttar Pradesh and spilling out into the Bay of Bengal more than 2000km later. For Hindus, the source of the Ganges is a holy of holies, and many thousands make the pilgrimage to its source near Gangotri. To join them requires a trek of 24km from Gangotri, threading through Himalayan valleys to Gaumukh, where you’ll find the trickle of water that will flow on to become one of Asia’s major rivers. Pilgrims perform darshans (offerings) as near as possible to the point where water flows from the ice wall beneath the terminal moraine.

2. Mt Kailash (Tibet)

As the source of several of Asia’s mightiest rivers, including the Ganges, Karnali and Indus, it’s little surprise that peak of Mt Kailash in Tibet is revered in a number of religions. To circuit holy Kailash is a pilgrimage for Buddhists, Hindus, Bonpos, Jains and, more recently, trekkers. The most ardent pilgrims walk the 52km circuit in a day, while the truly pious prostrate themselves around the mountain, lying down with arms outstretched, then standing and lying down again at the point that their hands reached. The journey to Kailash is itself an epic worthy of being called a pilgrimage, so allow time for this remarkable trek.

3. Camino de Santiago (Spain)

One of the great Christian pilgrimages is to the tomb of the apostle St James in the Spanish city of Santiago de Compostela. It’s a journey of such spiritual note that it has been named Europe’s Premier Cultural Itinerary and is also listed on the Unesco World Heritage register. The Camino begins in Roncesvalles, on the French border, and covers 783km to the Atlantic coast. Cycling and horseback are considered appropriate forms of pilgrim transport, but most people walk the route, wandering between an extensive system of albergues, spending around one month as a modern pilgrim.

4. Međugorje (Bosnia and Hercegovina)

On 28 June 1981 six youths in the Bosnian mountain village of Međugorje claimed to have seen an apparition of the Virgin Mary. Instantly, a place of pilgrimage was born, complete with bus tours and an unholy number of souvenir stands. The Virgin is said to still appear at Međugorje, bringing messages to the world, delivering them through the original six ‘visionaries’ – three of them see the apparition daily. For a Međugorje vision of your own, begin in the famed bridge town of Mostar; Međugorje is about 30 mountainous kilometres away.

5. Golden Temple (India)

Image by Arian Zwegers

Resting against the India–Pakistan border, the city of Amritsar has a golden heart, with the Golden Temple, the holiest site in Sikhism, dominating the city. Glowing in the hot Punjabi sun, the temple is as golden as its name suggests, and sits in the middle of the holy Amrit Sarovar pool, which lends its name to the city. Pilgrims bathe in the pool, and amble clockwise around its marble edges, while the temple kitchen by the eastern entrance spoons out free meals to pilgrims and tourists alike. Visitors are welcome to join the faithful in and around the temple.

6. Shashemene (Ethiopia)

With Rastafarianism founded on the belief that Ethiopian emperor Haile Selassie is an African Messiah, it’s unsurprising that a Rasta community has taken root in Ethiopia. Around 240km from Addis Ababa, Selassie himself granted land in the town of Shashemene to Jamaican Rastafarians in the 1960s. It was first settled by 12 Jamaicans but the community has now grown to number hundreds. In the late 1970s the most famous Rasta of all, Bob Marley, visited Shashemene, and in recent years his widow has talked of relocating his remains here, which would indeed turn this southern town into a site of rock and Rasta pilgrimage.

7. Mt Athos (Greece)

Known as the Holy Mountain, Mt Athos is a self-governing community of 20 Eastern Orthodox monasteries sprinkled around the slopes of 2033m-high Mt Athos on Greece’s Chalkidiki Peninsula. A strict entry-permit system applies: 100 Orthodox pilgrims and 10 non-Orthodox visitors are allowed in at a time; only men over 18 years of age can visit; permit applications from non-Orthodox visitors must be made at least six months ahead; and diamonitiria (permits) usually allow stays of just four days. The Holy Mountain is reached by boat, and you then walk between monasteries, each of which contains a guesthouse.

8. Mashhad (Iran)

With a name that translates as The Place of Martyrdom, Mashhad is sacred to Shiites as the place where the 8th imam and direct descendant of the Prophet Mohammed, Imam Reza, died in 817. Each year, more than 15 million Shiite pilgrims visit the city in eastern Iran, which literally radiates out from Astan-e Qods-e Razavi, the site of the Holy Shrine. The busiest pilgrimage times are around the Iranian New Year (March 21) and a dedicated pilgrim season from mid-June to late July. Non-Muslims are not permitted into the Holy Shrine itself, though there are three attached museums that can be visited.

9. 88 Temple Circuit (Japan)

On the Japanese island of Shikoku there are 88 temples, a number equal to the evil human passions as defined by the Buddhist doctrine. If you want to free yourself from every one of these passions in a single hit, you can do so by completing the 88 Temple Circuit. Traditionally the 1500km route was walked, even though there’s a space of more than 100km between a couple of the temples. In modern times, however, it’s become just as acceptable to complete the 88 Temple Circuit by tour bus – who said the gods weren’t modernists? The circuit begins in Tokushima and most pilgrims go clockwise.

10. Adam’s Peak (Sri Lanka)

In the highlands of Sri Lanka there is a mountain that’s all things to all religions. Depending on your spiritual persuasion, the indent on the summit of Adam’s Peak is either the place at which Adam first set foot on earth, or a footprint left by Buddha, Shiva or St Thomas. Small wonder the track to the summit is like an ant trail in the pilgrimage season (December to May). Secular pilgrims will find the view alone worthy of the journey. On a clear day it stretches to the Sri Lankan capital, Colombo, 65km away.

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Comments

11 May 2011 11:34AM rohitroy Report this comment
I would add Varansi in Uttar Pradesh(India). http://www.lonelyplanet.com/india/uttar-pradesh/varanasi www.varanasicity.com
31 May 2011 1:54PM sanur52 Report this comment
Ahem, Borobudur, Indonesia. Very significant for Buddhists.
31 May 2011 1:55PM gankatron Report this comment
Interesting choices, all very cool. I wonder if we have become so jaded as travelers that McLeod Ganj (the Dalai Lama in exile's monastery nestled within the cloud shrouded Himalayian peaks) and the temples of Angkor (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) didn't make it on the list...
31 May 2011 2:08PM brucee Report this comment
What? No Buddhist sites? What about Bodhgaya? This is probably the most important Buddhist site. I don't think Angkor Wat is a pilgrimage site in any religious sense (perhaps in a tourist sense).
31 May 2011 2:10PM gerardandmichelle Report this comment
How the fence post at Coogee Beach, Sydney Australia missed out on this list baffles me...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ianlloyd/29786628/in/photostream/
31 May 2011 2:37PM bencooke86 Report this comment
dome of the rock, mecca, potola palace, the vatican even...? could even throw macchu picchu and the pyramids in there, if you want to talk purely about spirituality rather than pilgrimage...
31 May 2011 3:07PM indounik Report this comment
Bali - the Island of 1000 Temples - still does it for me. Dressed in sarong, kebaya and sash, I've sat on the ground alongside Balinese friends in some of those temples many times and come away feeling uplifted.
It happens somewhere in the following of the rituals. Cleansing hands in the smoke wafting up from a lit incense stick in front of you. Beginning to pray first with empty hands, then with a white flower or petal, usually a frangipani. Then again and again with a different coloured petal representing each of the different Hindu gods. And then with empty hands again, ready to receive the tirta (holy water)which is first sprinkled over you by the mangku (priest), and then poured into your cupped hand. You sip once. The mangku pours again. You sip again. The mangku pours. You sip. And again, a third time. And then into your hands comes the rice, a few grains of that you eat, a few more that you press to your forehead and to the base of your throat.
Beautiful.
31 May 2011 3:13PM erik69 Report this comment
Youd have to include Israel aswell. Id also throw in Armenia - the first nation to accept Christianity - in particular Khor Virap monastery.
31 May 2011 4:03PM robschneideraus Report this comment
Thank you for an interesting article: it brought back memories of places I've been lucky enough to have been to. In particular was a magnificent mosque in Isfahan (sp?)I went to in 1970. I innocently wandered into the inner shrine and had just enough time to have my breath taken away before a man kindly whisked me outside before I got into serious trouble.
While I have to agree that tourism has taken much of the gloss off Angkor Wat, it's still worth a visit. As for atmosphere, the places that have inspired me the most have been little out of the way churches and temples, usually, but not always old. Here in Cambodia, it was in a limestone cave in Kampot (very old) and a new wat about an hour's drive from Sihanoukville. In Bali, it was the stupa at the Vipassana center. The palpable atmosphere of peace in there was just amazing.
31 May 2011 4:08PM tomcruiser Report this comment
Where is Bali?
31 May 2011 9:09PM paddyleblanc Report this comment
Hampi in India. Over 2,000 temples!
31 May 2011 10:44PM ykustiner Report this comment
I'd add Varanasi India & Jrusalem Israel
1 June 2011 12:36AM sraj17jan Report this comment
Rishikesh,Haridwar,Kasi,Allahabad....much more in North India...
Tirupati, Srirangam, Tanjur Madurai & Rameshwaram..cannot be missed... Buddha Gaya?????????
India is land of spiritual ...at any given point or view..from Hinduism, Buddhism,Jainism,Sikhism,
Even we have St Thomas lived and died in Chennai...It's called St Thomas mount...
1 June 2011 7:26AM gaja_curiosa Report this comment
The volcano on Fogo, one of the islands of Cape Verde. Very haunting place. There is a village nearby.
1 June 2011 8:27AM amalfipurple Report this comment
What about Lalibella in Ethiopia? This was created as a representation of Jerusalem so that people didn't have to die travelling on pilgrimage to the real Jerusalem. The rock churches today are still real churches with priests and it is an importnat place for pilgimage.
1 June 2011 10:42AM aspiringadventures Report this comment
Regarding spiritual sites, I've got to add Machu Picchu to this list.
Of course, a list like this will always be contentious... What some people view as a place of deep personal connection with spirituality, others will view with simple interest (or worse if the person holds opposing strong religious views).
Hence Machu Picchu - its magic is not formed in a modern-day sense of religious-ness, but from its eerie history, its beauty, and even the weather on the day you visit. If you've been there and not discovered something new about yourself or world, I recommend you go back!
Steve www.AspiringAdventures.com
1 June 2011 10:43AM marymartha Report this comment
So many exotic, far-away places, but I would add the Island of Iona off the coast of Scotland as one of the most spiritual and peaceful places that's a bit more in reach of the average traveler.
1 June 2011 12:06PM andres08 Report this comment
I am surprised Iceland is not on list as spiritual place. Here is not only earth chakra in glacier Snaefellsjokul. Many other areas pointing to strong energies and in spiritual tour across Iceland people can start new or different life similar as in Spanish Camino way.
1 June 2011 2:45PM nikhilchandra Report this comment
How about Angkor Wat in Cambodia or Mecca in Saudi Arabia? They are major pilgrimage site as well as tourist attraction and attract millions of pilgrim's every year. And how about Jerusalem itself. But then I guess there was place for only 10 and it's really very hard to pick and choose from so many sites of religious and spiritual significance. Good article overall. Informative yet concise.
1 June 2011 11:34PM adriannqld Report this comment
Međugorje (Bosnia and Hercegovina) ?? Come on, have your Authors even been there. Myself and a lot of locals believe its fake. The only miracle there was the influx of tourist with money.
No Buddhism, no Jerusalem, no SAmerica,
Mashhad (Iran), I was just there, try 'QOM'.
Ps. love the Coogee comment,
4 June 2011 10:02AM jml008 Report this comment
No Shinto? Kyoto is just so peaceful and beautiful,a joy, everyone would find some spiritual connection there.
1 July 2011 8:03AM twoweekstotravel Report this comment
Hmm, I've always had Tibet on my list but have never heard of Mt Kailash, I will have to add it to the must sees while I am there.
http://twoweekstottravel.com
18 October 2011 2:38PM elyons Report this comment
Some unbelievable place but really, how is Jerusalem not on this list?
12 December 2011 10:11AM Bunbazaaa Report this comment
temple of tooth relic Sri Lanka ?
17 April 2012 11:25AM blueoz Report this comment
Jerusalem, Israel.
Place of great importance for three of the world's major religions - what could be more spiritual than that!??
17 April 2012 12:11PM mmj86 Report this comment
HOW CAN MECCA NOT BE ON THIS LIST???? WHAT A FAIL. you guys really need to get your reserachers sorted
17 April 2012 12:12PM revhead Report this comment
Someone once said that, every time we breathe, we inhale a small part of the air which Jesus inhaled and exhaled during his lifetime. So what? Exactly! But even that is more 'spiritual' for me than to visit a site where idolatry, superstitions and commercialism are enshrined - whatever religious 'flag' they fly.
17 April 2012 12:22PM clothesline Report this comment
So many places! How about mingling with the gray whales in Baja, CA-- I agree about Hampi, India-----
17 April 2012 12:41PM alison59 Report this comment
Ancient city of Bagan .... must see before it is ruined by greed .... thirty years ago was the best time to see on horse and cart ... no hot air balloons then or spa's ...
17 April 2012 1:32PM jwbp1169511 Report this comment
Monte Sant'Angelo in Apulia in southern Italy has the Sanctuary of St Michael the Archangel. The services are held deep underground in a magnificent grotto and as you walk down the steep steps to the grotto the sounds of the singing soars upwards. If you can ignore the touristy paraphernalia topside, the place has a wonderful spirituality.
17 April 2012 4:12PM hventure Report this comment
i would like to suggest Birth place to 'Lord Buddha' Lumbini. kingdom of himalaya 'Nepal'. The land 'Soul to nature'.
17 April 2012 5:11PM kixguy Report this comment
Jerusalem is significantly missing from this list.
17 April 2012 6:14PM mysticmez Report this comment
Are you guys getting spiritual places and religious sites confused? I mean everyone has their own version of what is uplifting or has meaning for them... Not to say that religious sites can't have that effect - certainly Mother Mary's House on outskirts of Ephesus in Turkey was for me, personally, but then so is being under a waterfall in my local national park.
If your intention was religious significance... massive fail on non-inclusion of Mecca and Jerusalem...
17 April 2012 7:10PM balifornian Report this comment
Hello A good list and certainly a very difficult one to make. I do think a relevant omission is the largest Buddhist temple in the world at Borobudur. Please see this link for more information http://www.balifornian.com/blog/2011/3/7/borobudur-temple-your-definitive-guide-photos.html Bali as a whole is certainly worth a mention as well and here is some great information on The Island of The Gods- http://www.balifornian.com Thank you, Michael
17 April 2012 7:55PM revhead Report this comment
Why include Mecca when only Muslims are welcomed there? Likewise Pashupatinath in Kathmandu when it's only open to Hindus.
17 April 2012 8:55PM evrimvural Report this comment
How can you talk about spiritual sights without Mekkah ,which is the holiest city for Muslims; and Jerusalem, which is the holiest city for both Christians and Jewish people? Have you ever heard about these three religions and cities, dear Lonely Planet writers??
17 April 2012 9:00PM llion Report this comment
Certainly not an easy task to produce a top 10 on this subject. Here's another one to add to the mix as well... Bardsey Island off the Llyn Peninsula in North Wales. Three trips to Bardesy Island is considered equal to a pilgrimage to Rome and it really is a peacful place.
17 April 2012 9:01PM javierballester Report this comment
The source of the Ganges begins in the state Uttarakhand( I was there last year) and not in Uttar Pradesh as mentioned in the article above. Amazed to see these mistakes coming from such a "prestigious" guide like LP.
17 April 2012 9:14PM miles_ss Report this comment
Some of the mentioned religous sites have nothing to do with spirituality. Esp. when you think how many millions of people have been killed in the name of these religions.
18 April 2012 12:13AM nowornever Report this comment
One thing is for shure, Medjugore is a total bullshit, whoever believes this is mentally retarded, sorry, but i think its a scam to get people to this otherwise never visited place, that was a genius PR action. India is the country of spiritism,needs to be so anyway, otherwise they could not exist in such conditons sometimes. what about Stonehenge in GB??? certainly more suiting than Medjugore....
18 April 2012 12:17AM hubertsarnandt Report this comment
Interesting!! Of this 10 choices i´ve done India and this summer im planning Camino de Santiago and might add Međugorje too :-)
18 April 2012 1:02AM brianbigda Report this comment
Anyone know how many of these sites are Bicycle Riding friendly?
18 April 2012 1:41AM econguy48 Report this comment
for a really spiritual experience without all the religious baggage, walk in to see the few giant Kauri trees that still watch over the forests in New Zealand.
18 April 2012 1:52AM maurobr Report this comment
Foz do Iguaçu no Paraná Brasil tem que estar nesta lista
18 April 2012 2:01AM RJMorris Report this comment
I would add for Christians that the Hill of Crosses in Siaulai, Lithuania is one of the most spiritual sights I have experienced. Not necessarily for the way it looks today but the faith it represents during the Soviet occupation of Lithuania. People used to sneak out and place crosses on this hill (site of a pagan temple) despite Soviet attempts to bulldoze them, burn them or otherwise disrupt them. No matter what the Soviets did, the crosses seemed to return as if by magic. After touring the KGB prison in Vilnius, I began to realize what a true testament to faith it was to take that risk!
18 April 2012 3:57AM mcclellc Report this comment
The Lagiewniki Sanctuary of Divine Mercy near Krakow was inspiring to me even though I'm not Catholic. The modern altarpiece is quite striking. There is an ongoing prayer vigil there all the time (since most of the visitors are praying.) This results in a pervasive sense of peace that you may be able to perceive when you walk in. Tram #8 goes there.
18 April 2012 4:48AM chickochecko Report this comment
Maybe some of your lists should be the "Top 25." There is nothing magical about having just ten. There are so many more...Angkor Wat, St. Peter's in Rome, Borodobur (sp) in Indonesia. Come on there are more than 10. By the way, if you want spirituality, you probably should go to some remote, high mt range (Da Xue Shan in China) or some lonely island, or a trading outpost in the Sahara and watch the clear, night sky reveal itself and its myriad of far-away objects.
18 April 2012 7:28AM monikamueller Report this comment
Having been 3 months ago in Amritsar I wonder whether this is really a place for a higher cause.
18 April 2012 8:59AM jdubyu Report this comment
The most spiritual place is in your own heart. The journey there is the trip of a lifetime.
18 April 2012 11:44AM anais_b Report this comment
I'd add Fushimi Inari Taisha in Kyoto. You start walking up the mountain like a regular tourist and half way into it you start feeling small and begin thinking about life. By the time you reach the bottom your whole spirit feels lighter somehow :)
18 April 2012 1:04PM joanoncarroll1 Report this comment
I would add Mount Sinai: viewing the ethereal sunrise from the summit (with scores of other pilgrims) is unforgettable!
18 April 2012 2:56PM omarunachala Report this comment
So many places in india but. I would add Arunachala because it is the Spiritual Axis of the World. Millions of people are visiting this holy place from all over the world. The Arunachala Hill is a Brahmanda Lingam. It is the biggest Siva lingam in the world. if you want to know more about this place place. I would recommend this website http://www.tirulive.com/
18 April 2012 7:55PM diegoturgalicia Report this comment
I invite everyone to live the experience and the inner journey of the Camino de Santiago with its 7 routes. Recommended 100%: http://bit.ly/bopbY7.
18 April 2012 9:44PM corot2 Report this comment
Totally Shocked that Jerusalem is not number one in the world - hands down number one!!
Amazing with all the issues throughout history involving the Spiritual center of the world
19 April 2012 2:43AM thepeoplesquare Report this comment
Lumbini, in the South-Western Terai of Nepal, evokes a kind of holy sentiment to the millions of Buddhists all over the world, like Jerusalem to Christians.
19 April 2012 10:35AM fieldgate Report this comment
Machu Picchu, Angkor Wat, Vatican, what else? Why do people have to think of places where there're lots of tourists and you stand in line to get a ticket? Open and untouched nature, powerful and majestic, is the greatest spiritual experience for me. Untamed nature with all its power is the god and the spirit in many beliefs, like Pachamama for the Inkas. Bolivian Alti Plano, Himalaya, untouched through the history of human kind, are the places where I get the spiritual kick.
20 April 2012 7:06PM travelingenthusiast Report this comment
Seems more religious than spiritual to me! Spirituality does not just relate to religion!
21 April 2012 1:15AM murillo_d Report this comment
I would like to say also: Montserrat. It's amazing cathedral in the middle of the mountains close to Barcelona.
Here i leave me blog about travelling and photography if you want to check it:
http://bagpacktraveller.com/
22 April 2012 4:23PM mister_d Report this comment
The south rim of the Grand Canyon or a performance of Tristan und Isolde at Bayreuth do it for me.
23 April 2012 4:38AM bhansen Report this comment
Machu Picchu should be on the list. When you are there, you feel literally that you are much closer to the sun -- easy to see how the Incas would have been sun worshipers.