Find a Religious Connection with These Spiritual Destinations in India

31 October 2016

India is an ideal retreat for spirituality seekers and Indians wonderfully admire the ancient scriptures. There are many ancient holy books in our country that delve into the territories of divinity and spirituality. If you want to lose yourself in the peaceful and glorious world of mythology, then these places are surely going to lure you.

Manikaran

Mani literally means ‘earring’. As per the legend, Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvathi visited this valley once and being enthralled with the beauty of this valley, they lived here for 3,000 years. Goddess Parvathi lost her earring while bathing and when her assistants couldn’t discover the earring, Lord Shiva got angry and things started destructing. Finally, lord of serpents - Sheshnag requested him to stop this destruction. To pacify Lord Shiva, he raised a gigantic surge of hot water that stretched through the valley. This flow of water pushed up expensive stones resembling to the earrings, which delighted the divine couple. Manikaran is really worth visiting for its scenic beauty that rejuvenates body and soul. With fast flow of River Beas, your trip to this place becomes more amazing.

Kheerganga

The name Kheerganga itself suggests that the holy River Ganges flowing at this place is as white as Kheer. Kheer Ganga name is motivated by the milky waters of the river flowing from the diverse sides of the mountain with its complete immensity. There are lots of tales that talk about the origin of Kheerganga. As per one of these, Lord Kartikeya wanted to meditate here but the forest was lively due to the sounds of the rivers and wildlife. It used to distract Kartikeya, so, Lord Shiva thumped the ground with his Trishul to bring peace in the surrounding forests. From that point, a spring emerged. Another legend says that Goddess Parvathi feed Kheer to her son Kartikeya here, which gave the place this name. Trek to Kheerganga is very thrilling and adventurous and on reaching at the top of this place, you will have an amazing feeling.

Ayodhya

As per Ramayana, Ayodhya is the native land and the place of birth of Lord Rama. At that time, it served as the capital of Kosala kingdom. As per the scriptures, Ayodhya used to be an ideal kingdom of that era and free from all the misery during the Ram-Rajya. It also served as the capital city of Suryavansha. You should definitely go to this holy city once in a lifetime. Visiting this place gives peace to your mind and soul. Despite smaller than Allahabad and Varanasi, Ayodhya gives immense pleasure to its visitors.

Ram Setu

Ram Setu is a sacred bridge that is said to be built by Lord Rama during the kidnapping of Sita by demon king Ravana. He took her across the ocean to Lanka and to relieve Sita from Ravana, Lord Rama built this bridge to reach there that is recognized as Ram Setu or Adam’s bridge. As per the legends, Lord Rama organized a huge ritual ceremony to appease the god of Ocean and asked for their support. God suggested him to make a bridge with rocks written the name of Lord Rama over it. Two from the entire monkey army came forward to build the bridge and finally succeeded. Through this bridge, the movement of monkey army and others to Sri Lanka became possible. Only few remnants of this bridge are there as most of them have been destroyed in the cyclone of 1408 AD.

Kurukshetra

Kurukshetra has a legendary past and it is also connected to the Vedas. Vedic culture enjoys a prominent place in the history of this religious and historic place. Kurukshetra is a famous holy destination and holds a special mention in the Hindu religion and scriptures. Famous in all over the country for its rich cultural heritage, history of the city dates back to 2800 BC. According to the ancient records, Kurukshetra served as the leading hub of the Vedic Civilization and learning. King Kuru from the Bharata Dynasty was the predecessor of Kauravas and Pandavas. The name of the city was kept after him. With a visit to Kurukshetra, you can revive the whole image of the great Mahabharata war. The red soil of this place is said to be colored with bloodshed happened here.

Pachmarhi

Situated in the heart of India, Pachmarhi is home to the well-known Pandava caves. The name Pachmarhi is derived from two Hindi words Panch means five and Marhi means caves. As per the legends, these caves were built by Pandavas during the era of their 14 years of exile. These caves are located on a hilltop and enjoy panoramic view of the surroundings. The view you get from the top is simply exquisite. These small yet beautifully carved caves on the hill are really attractive and give an insight into the ancient life of the region.

There are many other places in India where the line separating reality from mythology blurs and creates a vision about the religious grandeur of the country.