The calmness and pristine feel that the pilgrims offer to cast a spell on the visitors. Visiting and offering prayers at a pilgrim detoxes your body and soul in ways that one cannot express in words. One sees the pilgrim place to embark on their spiritual journey or get connected with their routes; each person has at some point of time visited the pilgrims. In the present day world, pilgrims also serve the purpose of a tourist spot, and people from all age groups visit the pilgrim sites.
# River GangesRiver Ganges needs no introduction; every place it touches becomes a pilgrim or a holy place. Whether it is the place of its origin in Uttarakhand or where it flows in its full might that is Varanasi, it is considered pious in all stages.
Over 20 millions Hindu pilgrims annually visit River Ganges, and it is believed that one needs to take a holy dip in the water of the Ganges to get over all their sins.
As per Hindu customs, it is mandatory that after death, a person’s ashes need to be submerged in the Ganges. It is the most visited pilgrim of the world. The Ganges is a river and is considered a deity and is worshiped in all its stages.
# KaabahThe second most frequented pilgrim site globally is Kaabah, situated in the Holy city of Mecca. Nearly 13 million Muslims visit the pilgrims in the Islamic month of Zil-Haji. It is believed that Prophet Muhammad was born here, and he received the first revelation of the Quran here.
The ritual includes praying around the black stone in Kaabah. All the Muslims must visit the holy city on a Hajj journey (pilgrimage) once in their lifetime, wearing simple white clothes called Ihram.
# Golden TempleApproximately 50,000 Sikh pilgrims and followers of other religions visit the Golden Temple every year. The Golden Temple in Amritsar, India, built from marble with a dome covered in gold leaf, is famous for its ‘langer’ services.
It has the most significant and the biggest community kitchen, which offers free food to people. Despite being a pilgrim place for Sikhs, the Gurudwara is open for people from all cases and creeds, thus making it the third most visited pilgrim.
# Our Lady of Guadalupe BasilicaOur Lady of Guadalupe Basilica, Mexico City, has more than 10 million visitors every year. It has the most popular Marian Shrine and is the most visited Catholic Church after Saint Peter’s Basilica.
# Vaishno Devi TempleThe second most famous religious site for the Hindus is the Vaishno Devi Temple in the northern state of Kashmir. It is located at an altitude of 5200 feet; the Vaishno Devi Temple has more than eight million devotees from all parts of the world.