View source for Pilgrimage

{{short description|Journey or search of moral or spiritual significance}}
{{other uses|Pilgrimage (disambiguation)|Pilgrim (disambiguation)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2022}}
[[File:Gheorghe Tattarescu - Pelerin.jpg|thumb|upright|''Pilgrim'' by [[Gheorghe Tattarescu]]]]
A '''pilgrimage''' is a [[travel|journey]] to a holy place, which can lead to a personal transformation, after which the pilgrim returns to their daily life.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Pilgrimage in popular culture.|date=2014|publisher=Palgrave Macmillan|isbn=978-1349126392|editor-last=Reader|editor-first=Ian|location=[Place of publication not identified]|oclc=935188979|editor-last2=Walter|editor-first2=Tony}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|title=Reframing pilgrimage : cultures in motion|date=2004|publisher=Routledge|last1=Coleman|first1=Simon|last2=Eade|first2=John|others=European Association of Social Anthropologists|isbn=9780203643693|location=London|oclc=56559960}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last=Plate|first=S. Brent|date=September 2009|title=The Varieties of Contemporary Pilgrimage|journal=CrossCurrents|volume=59|issue=3|pages=260–267|doi=10.1111/j.1939-3881.2009.00078.x|s2cid=170484577 }}</ref> A '''pilgrim''' (from the [[Latin]] ''peregrinus'') is a traveler (literally, one who has come from afar) who is on a journey to a holy place. Typically, this is a physical journey (often on foot) to some place of special significance to the adherent of a particular religious belief system.

== Background ==
{{further|Religious tourism}}
[[File:Jan van Scorel - Five Members of the Utrecht Brotherhood of Jerusalem Pilgrims - Google Art Project.jpg|thumb|Five Members of the Utrecht Brotherhood of Jerusalem Pilgrims]]

Pilgrimages frequently involve a journey or search of [[morality|moral]] or [[spirituality|spiritual]] significance. Typically, it is a journey to a [[shrine]] or other location of importance to a person's [[belief]]s and [[faith]], although sometimes it can be a metaphorical journey into someone's own beliefs.

Many religions attach spiritual importance to particular places: the place of birth or death of founders or saints, or to the place of their "calling" or spiritual awakening, or of their connection (visual or verbal) with the divine, to locations where miracles were performed or witnessed, or locations where a deity is said to live or be "housed", or any site that is seen to have special spiritual powers. Such sites may be commemorated with shrines or temples that devotees are encouraged to visit for their own spiritual benefit: to be healed or have questions answered or to achieve some other spiritual benefit.

A person who makes such a journey is called a pilgrim. As a common human experience, pilgrimage has been proposed as a [[Jungian archetype]] by [[Wallace Clift]] and [[Jean Dalby Clift]].<ref>{{cite book|last1= Cleft |first1=Jean Darby|last2=Cleft|first2=Wallace|year=1996|title=The Archetype of Pilgrimage: Outer Action With Inner Meaning|publisher=The Paulist Press|isbn=0-8091-3599-X}}</ref> Some research has shown that people who engage in pilgrimage walks enjoy biological, psychological, social, and spiritual therapeutic benefits.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Warfield |first1=Heather A. |last2=Baker |first2=Stanley B. |last3=Foxx |first3=Sejal B. Parikh |date=2014-09-14 |title=The therapeutic value of pilgrimage: a grounded theory study |url=http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13674676.2014.936845 |journal=Mental Health, Religion & Culture |language=en |volume=17 |issue=8 |pages=860–875 |doi=10.1080/13674676.2014.936845 |s2cid=143623445 |issn=1367-4676|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

The [[Holy Land]] acts as a focal point for the pilgrimages of the [[Abrahamic religion]]s of [[Judaism]], [[Christianity]], and [[Islam]]. According to a [[Stockholm University]] study in 2011, these [[pilgrim]]s visit the Holy Land to touch and see physical manifestations of their [[faith]], confirm their beliefs in the holy context with collective excitation, and connect personally to the Holy Land.<ref>{{cite news |first=Michael Sebastian |last=Metti |title=Jerusalem – the most powerful brand in history |url=http://www.metti-bronner.com/Jerusalem.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200126124828/http://www.metti-bronner.com/Jerusalem.pdf |url-status=usurped |archive-date=26 January 2020 |work=[[Stockholm University School of Business]] |date=1 June 2011 |access-date=1 July 2011 }}</ref>

==History==
[[File:Man wearing pilgrim clothing, 450-425 BC, Prague NM-HM10 771, 151792.jpg|thumb|upright|Ancient Greek ''lekythos'' showing a pilgrim from 450-425 BC]]
Pilgrims and the making of [[pilgrimages]] are common in many [[religion]]s, including the faiths of [[ancient Egypt]], [[Persia]] in the [[Mithraism|Mithraic period]], [[India]], [[China]], and [[Japan]]. The [[ancient Greece|Greek]] and [[Ancient Rome|Roman]] customs of consulting the [[Deity|gods]] at local [[oracle]]s, such as those at [[Dodona]] or [[Delphi]], both in [[Greece]], are widely known. In [[Greece]], pilgrimages could either be personal or state-sponsored.<ref>{{cite journal |title= Pilgrims and Pilgrimage in Ancient Greece by Matthew Dillon |first= James Constantine |last= Hanges |journal= The Journal of Religion |volume= 80 |issue= 3 |date=July 2000 |pages= 543–545 |doi= 10.1086/490704 |jstor=1206041}}</ref> The [[Eleusinian Mysteries|Eleusinian mysteries]] included a pilgrimage. The procession to [[Eleusis]] began at the [[Athens|Athenian]] cemetery [[Kerameikos]] and from there the participants walked to Eleusis, along the [[Sacred Way]] (Ἱερὰ Ὁδός, ''Hierá Hodós'').<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Nielsen|first=Inge|date=2017|title=Collective mysteries and Greek pilgrimage: The cases of Eleusis, Thebes and Andania, in: Excavating Pilgrimage|journal=Excavating Pilgrimage|page=28|doi=10.4324/9781315228488-3|url=https://www.academia.edu/36776460|language=en}}</ref>

In the early period of [[History of ancient Israel and Judah|Hebrew history]], pilgrims traveled to [[Shiloh (Biblical city)|Shiloh]], [[Dan (biblical city)|Dan]], [[Bethel]], and eventually [[Jerusalem]] (see also [[Three Pilgrimage Festivals]], a practice followed by other [[Abrahamic religion]]s). These festivals, including Passover, Tabernacles, and [[Shavuot]], often involved journeys that reflected a physical and spiritual movement, similar to the concept of "[[Tirtha (Hinduism)|tirtha]] yātrā" in Hinduism, where "tirtha" means "ford" or "crossing," and "yatra" signifies a journey or procession.<ref>{{Citation |last1=Singh |first1=Rana P. B. |title=Hindu Pilgrimages: The Contemporary Scene |date=2015 |work=The Changing World Religion Map: Sacred Places, Identities, Practices and Politics |pages=783–801 |editor-last=Brunn |editor-first=Stanley D. |url=https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-94-017-9376-6_39 |access-date=2024-09-13 |place=Dordrecht |publisher=Springer Netherlands |language=en |doi=10.1007/978-94-017-9376-6_39 |isbn=978-94-017-9376-6 |last2=Haigh |first2=Martin J.|url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Fallon |first1=J. M. |last2=Jaiswal |first2=N. K. |date=2012 |title=Sacred Space, Sacred Water: Exploring the Role of Water in India's Sacred Places |url=https://journal.lib.uoguelph.ca/index.php/rasaala/article/view/2191 |journal=Recreation and Society in Africa, Asia and Latin America |language=en |volume=3 |issue=1 |issn=1916-7873}}</ref> While many pilgrims travel toward a specific location, a physical destination is not always a necessity. One group of pilgrims in early [[Celtic Christianity]] were the ''Peregrinari Pro Christ'', (Pilgrims for Christ), or "white martyrs", who left their homes to wander in the world.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.heartoglory.com/celtic/celtic-saints.php |title= The Celtic Saints |website= Heart O' Glory |year= 2007 |access-date= 2007-10-23 |url-status=dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20071014034803/http://www.heartoglory.com/celtic/celtic-saints.php |archive-date= 2007-10-14 }}</ref> This form of pilgrimage, akin to the concept of "[[hajj]]" in Islam, which means "procession," was an [[asceticism|ascetic]] religious practice, as the pilgrim left the security of home and the [[clan]] for an unknown destination, trusting completely in [[Divine Providence]].<ref>{{Citation |title=Illustrations |date=2021-02-09 |work=The Hajj |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv19fvzqz.14 |access-date=2024-09-13 |publisher=Princeton University Press|doi=10.2307/j.ctv19fvzqz.14 |url-access=subscription }}</ref> These travels often resulted in the founding of new [[abbey]]s and the spread of Christianity among the pagan population in [[Sub-Roman Britain|Britain]] and in continental Europe.

In the Middle Ages, Christian pilgrimage became a relevant economic sector, initially through facilities at popular pilgrimage destinations, but later also through organised group trips for pilgrims throughout the Mediterranean region.<ref>{{cite book |last=Ritter|first=Max |date=2019 |lang=de |title=Zwischen Glaube und Geld. Zur Ökonomie des byzantinischen Pilgerwesens (4.–12. Jh.) |trans-title=Between faith and money. On the economy of Byzantine pilgrimage (4th-12th century) |publisher=Verlag des RGZM | location=Mainz |doi=10.11588/propylaeum.654 |isbn=978-3-88467-316-4 |url=https://doi.org/10.11588/propylaeum.654}}</ref>

The ceremonial center [[Chavín de Huántar]] served as a gathering place for people of the pre-[[Inca]] culture [[Chavín culture|Chavín]] to come together, to attend and participate in rituals, consult an oracle, worship or enter a cult, and collect ideas.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Chavin (Archaeological Site) |url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/330/ |access-date=2024-09-19 |website=whc.unesco.org}}</ref>

Pilgrimage experienced a new change with the improvement of infrastructure from the 19th century onwards.<ref>Civelli, Ignaz (2021). ''Der Pilger im Coupé. Pilgerreisen mit der Eisenbahn 1850 bis 1939 – Eine Alltagsgeschichte'' [The pilgrim in the coupé. Pilgrimages by train from 1850 to 1939 - an [[Alltagsgeschichte]]<nowiki />]. Hamburg, {{ISBN|978-3-347-24906-6}}.</ref>

==Bahá'í Faith==
{{Main|Bahá'í pilgrimage}}
[[Bahá'u'lláh]] decreed pilgrimage to two places in the [[Kitáb-i-Aqdas]]: the [[House of Bahá'u'lláh, Baghdad|House of Bahá'u'lláh]] in [[Baghdad, Iraq]], and the House of the [[Báb]] in [[Shiraz, Iran]]. Later, [[ʻAbdu'l-Bahá]] designated the [[Shrine of Bahá'u'lláh]] at Bahji, Israel as a site of pilgrimage.<ref name="oneworld">{{cite encyclopedia |last= Smith |first= Peter |encyclopedia= A concise encyclopedia of the Bahá'í Faith |title= Pilgrimage |year= 2000 |publisher= eworld Publications |location= Oxford |isbn= 1-85168-184-1 |pages= [https://archive.org/details/conciseencyclope0000smit/page/269 269] |url= https://archive.org/details/conciseencyclope0000smit/page/269 }}</ref> The designated sites for pilgrimage are currently not accessible to the majority of Bahá'ís, as they are in Iraq and Iran respectively, and thus when Bahá'ís currently refer to pilgrimage, it refers to a nine-day pilgrimage which consists of visiting the holy places at the [[Bahá'í World Centre]] in northwest Israel in [[Haifa]], [[Acre, Israel|Acre]], and [[Mansion of Bahjí|Bahjí]].<ref name="oneworld"/>

==Buddhism==
{{Main|Buddhist pilgrimage}}
[[File:Tibetan pilgrim, Rewalsar, India.jpg|thumb|upright|Tibetan pilgrim, [[Rewalsar Lake]], [[Himachal Pradesh]], India]]
Places of pilgrimage in the [[Buddhism|Buddhist]] world include those associated with the life of the historical [[Buddha]]: his supposed birthplace and childhood home ([[Lumbini]] and [[Kapilavastu (ancient city)|Kapilavastu]] in [[Nepal]]) and place of enlightenment ([[Bodh Gaya]] in northern [[India]]), other places he is believed to have visited and the place of his death (or Parinirvana), [[Kushinagar]], India. Others include the many temples and monasteries with relics of the Buddha or Buddhist saints such as the [[Temple of the Tooth]] in [[Sri Lanka]] and the numerous sites associated with teachers and patriarchs of the various traditions.

In [[India]] and [[Nepal]], there are four places of pilgrimage which are tied to the life of [[Gautama Buddha]]:
* [[Lumbini]]: Buddha's birthplace (in Nepal)
* [[Bodh Gaya]]: place of [[Enlightenment (Buddhism)|Enlightenment]] (in the current [[Mahabodhi Temple]], Bihar, India)
* [[Sarnath]]: (formally Isipathana, Uttar pradesh, [[India]]) where he delivered his first sermon ([[Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta]]), and the Buddha taught about the [[Middle Way]], the [[Four Noble Truths]] and [[Noble Eightfold Path]]
* [[Kusinara]]: (now [[Kusinagar]], [[India]]) where he attained ''[[mahaparinirvana]]'' (died)

Other pilgrimage places in India and Nepal connected Gautama Buddha's life are: [[Savatthi]], [[Patna|Pataliputta]], [[Nalanda]], [[Gaya, India|Gaya]], [[Vesali]], [[Sankasia]], [[Kapilavastu (ancient city)|Kapilavastu]], [[Kosambi, India|Kosambi]], [[Rajagaha]].

[[File:Pilgrimage to Lhasa.jpg|thumb|[[Tibet]]ans on a pilgrimage to [[Lhasa]], doing full-body [[Prostration (Buddhism)|prostrations]], often for the entire length of the journey]]
Other famous places for Buddhist pilgrimage include:
* [[India]]: [[Sanchi]], [[Ellora Caves]], [[Ajanta Caves]], also see [[Buddhist pilgrimage sites in India]]
* [[Thailand]]: [[Wat Phra Kaew]], [[Wat Pho]], [[Wat Doi Suthep]], [[Phra Pathom Chedi]], [[Sukhothai historical park|Sukhothai]], [[Ayutthaya historical park|Ayutthaya]]
* [[Tibet]]: [[Lhasa (prefecture-level city)|Lhasa]] (traditional home of the [[Dalai Lama]]), [[Mount Kailash]], [[Lake Nam-tso]]
* [[Cambodia]]: [[Wat Botum]], [[Wat Ounalom]], [[Wat Botum]], [[Silver Pagoda]], [[Angkor Wat]]
* [[Sri Lanka]]: [[Temple of the Tooth]], [[Polonnaruwa]] ([[Kandy]]), [[Anuradhapura]]
* [[Laos]]: [[Pha That Luang]], [[Luang Prabang]]
* [[Malaysia]]: [[Kek Lok Si]], [[Buddhist Maha Vihara, Brickfields|KL Buddhist Maha Vihara]]
* [[Myanmar]]: [[Shwedagon Pagoda]], [[Mahamuni Buddha Temple]], [[Kyaiktiyo Pagoda]], [[Bagan]], [[Sagaing|Sagaing Hill]], [[Mandalay Hill]],
* [[Nepal]]: [[Maya Devi Temple, Lumbini|Maya Devi Temple]], [[Boudhanath]], [[Swayambhunath]]
* [[Indonesia]]: [[Borobudur]], [[Mendut]], [[Sewu]]
* [[Taiwan]]: [[Fo Guang Shan]], [[Dharma Drum Mountain]], [[Chung Tai Shan]], [[Tzu Chi]]
* [[Hong Kong]]:  [[Po Lin Monastery]] 
* [[China]]: Yung-kang, Lung-men caves. The [[Five Sacred Mountains|Four Sacred Mountains]]
* [[Japan]]:
** [[Shikoku Pilgrimage]], 88 temple pilgrimage on the island of [[Shikoku]]
** [[Japan 100 Kannon Pilgrimage]], pilgrimage composed of the Saigoku, Bandō and Chichibu pilgrimages
*** [[Saigoku Kannon Pilgrimage]], pilgrimage in the [[Kansai]] region
*** [[Bandō Sanjūsankasho]], pilgrimage in the [[Kantō region]]
*** [[Chichibu 34 Kannon Sanctuary]], pilgrimage in [[Saitama Prefecture]]
** [[Chūgoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage]], pilgrimage in the [[Chūgoku region]]
** [[Kumano Kodō]]
** [[Mount Kōya]]
*[[Bhutan]]: [[Paro Taktsang|Paro Taktsang Monastery]], [[Jambay Lhakhang|Jampa Lhakhang]], [[Kyichu Lhakhang]], [[Singye Dzong]], etc

==Christianity==
{{Main|Christian pilgrimage}}
[[File:Jerusalem Holy Sepulchre BW 19.JPG|thumb|[[Church of the Holy Sepulchre]] in [[Jerusalem]] according to tradition is the site where [[Jesus]] was [[Crucifixion of Jesus|crucified]] and [[Resurrection of Jesus|resurrected]]]]
[[File:Santuário de Fátima (36) - Jul 2008 (cropped).jpg|thumb|The [[Sanctuary of Fátima|Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fátima]] is one of the largest pilgrimage sites ([[Shrines to the Virgin Mary|Marian shrine]]) in the world.]]
[[File:Orthodox pilgrim.jpg|thumb|upright|Modern Orthodox pilgrim in [[Kyiv Pechersk Lavra]], Ukraine]]
In the spiritual literature of [[Christianity]], the concept of pilgrim and pilgrimage may refer to the experience of life in [[World (theology)|the world]] (considered as a period of exile) or to the inner path of the spiritual aspirant from a state of wretchedness to a state of beatitude.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=beatitude&oldid=70978999|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20190425151535/https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/beatitude|url-status=dead|title=beatitude|date=January 17, 2023|archivedate=April 25, 2019|via=Wiktionary}}{{User-generated source|date=May 2022}}</ref>

Christian pilgrimage was first made to sites connected with the birth, life, crucifixion and resurrection of [[Jesus]]. Aside from the early example of [[Origen]] in the third century, surviving descriptions of Christian pilgrimages to the [[Holy Land]] date from the 4th century, when pilgrimage was encouraged by church fathers including [[Jerome|Saint Jerome]], and established by [[Helena (empress)|Saint Helena]], the mother of [[Constantine I and Christianity|Constantine the Great]].<ref>{{cite journal| url=https://doi.org/10.1353/earl.0.0310| doi=10.1353/earl.0.0310| title=Jerome's ''Epitaphium Paulae'': Hagiography, Pilgrimage, and the Cult of Saint Paula| year=2010| last1=Cain| first1=Andrew| journal=Journal of Early Christian Studies| volume=18| pages=105–139| s2cid=170884065| url-access=subscription}}</ref>

Beginning in 1894, Christian ministers under the direction of [[Charles Taze Russell]] were appointed to travel to and work with local [[Bible Students movement#International Bible Students Association|Bible Students]] congregations for a few days at a time; within a few years appointments were extended internationally, formally designated as "pilgrims", and scheduled for twice-yearly, week-long visits at each local congregation.<ref>"Noteworthy Events in the Modern-day History of Jehovah's Witnesses", ''Jehovah's Witnesses – Proclaimers of God's Kingdom'', page 719, "1894 Traveling overseers that in time came to be known as pilgrims (today, circuit and district overseers) are sent out in connection with the Society's program for visiting congregations"</ref><ref>"Sweden", ''1991 Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses'', page 126</ref> [[Bible Students movement#International Bible Students Association|International Bible Students Association]] (IBSA) pilgrims were excellent speakers, and their local talks were typically well-publicized and well-attended.<ref>"Switzerland and Liechtenstein", ''1987 Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses'', page 123, "'Pilgrims' were traveling representatives of the [Watch Tower] Society, as circuit overseers are today. Their efforts contributed to the unity of the brothers and brought them into closer contact with God's organization. The Society would announce in Zion's Watch Tower the proposed itinerary of the pilgrim brothers, and congregations and smaller groups along these routes would then write and express their desire to be visited. The pilgrims were excellent speakers, and their public lectures were usually well attended. In 1913, for example, their audiences in Switzerland totaled some 8,000 persons."</ref> Prominent Bible Students [[A. H. Macmillan]] and [[J. F. Rutherford]] were both appointed pilgrims before they joined the board of directors of the [[Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania]]; the IBSA later adopted the name [[Jehovah's Witnesses]] and renamed pilgrims as ''[[traveling overseer]]s''.<ref>"Development of the Organization Structure", ''Jehovah's Witnesses – Proclaimers of God's Kingdom'', page 222, "[Beginning] in 1894, arrangements were made for the [Watch Tower] Society to have well-qualified speakers travel more regularly to help the Bible Students to grow in knowledge and appreciation for the truth and to draw them closer together. ...An effort was made to have each group in the United States and Canada visited twice a year, though not usually by the same brother. In selecting these traveling speakers, emphasis was placed on meekness, humility, and clear understanding of the truth as well as loyal adherence to it and ability to teach it with clarity. Theirs was by no means a paid ministry. They were simply provided with food and lodging by the local brothers, and to the extent necessary, the Society helped them with travel expenses. They came to be known as pilgrims. Many of these traveling representatives of the Society were dearly loved by those whom they served. A. H. Macmillan, a Canadian, is remembered as a brother to whom God's Word proved to be "like a burning fire."</ref><ref>"Part 1—United States of America", CMP'1975 Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses'', page 83</ref>

The purpose of Christian pilgrimage was summarized by [[Pope Benedict XVI]] in this way:{{Blockquote|To go on pilgrimage is not simply to visit a place to admire its treasures of nature, art or history. To go on pilgrimage really means to step out of ourselves in order to encounter God where he has revealed himself, where his grace has shone with particular splendour and produced rich fruits of conversion and holiness among those who believe. Above all, Christians go on pilgrimage to the Holy Land, to the places associated with the Lord's passion, death and resurrection. They go to Rome, the city of the martyrdom of Peter and Paul, and also to Compostela, which, associated with the memory of Saint James, has welcomed pilgrims from throughout the world who desire to strengthen their spirit with the Apostle's witness of faith and love.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://w2.vatican.va/content/benedict-xvi/en/speeches/2010/november/documents/hf_ben-xvi_spe_20101106_cattedrale-compostela.html | title=Apostolic Journey to Santiago de Compostela and Barcelona: Visit to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela (November 6, 2010) {{pipe}} BENEDICT XVI}}</ref>}}

Pilgrimages were, and are, also made to [[Rome]] and other sites associated with the [[Twelve apostles|apostles]], [[saint]]s and [[Christian martyrs]], as well as to places where there have been [[Marian apparitions|apparitions]] of the [[Blessed Virgin Mary|Virgin Mary]]. A popular pilgrimage journey is along the [[Way of St. James]] to the [[Santiago de Compostela Cathedral]], in [[Galicia (Spain)|Galicia]], Spain, where the [[shrine]] of the apostle [[James, son of Zebedee|James]] is located. A combined pilgrimage was held every seven years in the three nearby towns of [[Maastricht]], [[Aachen]] and [[Kornelimünster Abbey|Kornelimünster]] where many important relics could be seen (see: [[Pilgrimage of the Relics, Maastricht]]). Marian pilgrimages remain very popular in [[Christian pilgrimage#Latin America|Latin America]].

The Catholic priest Frank Fahey writes that a pilgrim is "always in danger of becoming a tourist" and vice versa, and describes pilgrimages as journeys containing "faith expectancy", a search for wholeness, that are often solitary and employing silence to create an [[Meditation|internal sacred space]].<ref name="Fahey 2002">{{cite journal |last1=Fahey |first1=Frank |title=Pilgrims or Tourists? |journal=The Furrow |date=April 2002 |volume=53 |issue=4 |pages=213–218 |jstor=27664505 }}</ref>

==Hinduism==<!-- This section is linked from [[Trail]] -->
{{See also|Tirtha (Hinduism)|Hindu pilgrimage sites|Hinduism#Pilgrimage|Yatra}}
[[File:BAPS Robbinsville Mandir - carving 4.jpg|thumb|The [[Akshardham, New Jersey|Akshardham]] temple in [[Robbinsville, New Jersey|Robbinsville]], [[New Jersey]], U.S., is evolving as the global mecca for Hindu pilgrimage.]]
[[File:Kumbh_Mela_2013_Sangam,_Allahabd.jpg|thumb|right|Pilgrims along the [[Ganges]] during [[Prayag Kumbh Mela]]]]
According to Karel Werner's ''Popular [[Dictionary]] of Hinduism'', "most [[Hinduism|Hindu]] places of pilgrimage are associated with legendary events from the lives of various gods.... Almost any place can become a focus for pilgrimage, but in most cases they are sacred cities, rivers, lakes, and mountains."<ref>{{cite book|last1=Werner|first1=Karel|title=A popular dictionary of Hinduism|date=1994|publisher=Curzon|location=Richmond, Surrey|isbn=0700702792|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ohUZAQAAIAAJ|access-date=30 October 2016}}</ref> Hindus are encouraged to undertake pilgrimages during their lifetime, though this practice is not considered absolutely mandatory. Most Hindus visit sites within their region or locale. 
* '''BAPS [[Robbinsville, New Jersey|Robbinsville]], [[New Jersey]]:''' The [[Akshardham, New Jersey|Akshardham]] temple in [[Robbinsville, New Jersey]], U.S., is evolving as the global mecca for Hindu pilgrimage.
* '''Kumbh Mela:''' [[Kumbh Mela]] is one of the largest gatherings of humans in the world where pilgrims gather to bathe in a sacred or holy river.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/84149 |title=Photo from Space of the Largest Human Gathering in India |first=Chris V. |last=Thangham |work=Digital Journal |date=3 January 2007 |access-date=22 March 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/15/AR2007011500041.html |title=Millions of Hindus Wash Away Their Sins |first=Biswajeet |last=Banerjee |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=15 January 2007 |access-date=22 March 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6226895.stm |title=Millions bathe at Hindu festival |work=BBC News |date=3 January 2007 |access-date=22 March 2014}}</ref> The location is rotated among [[Prayagraj]], [[Haridwar]], [[Nashik]], and [[Ujjain]].
* '''[[Char Dham]] (Four Holy pilgrimage sites):''' The famous four holy sites [[Puri]], [[Rameswaram]], [[Dwarka]], and [[Badrinath]] (or alternatively the [[Himalaya]]n towns of [[Badrinath]], [[Kedarnath]], [[Gangotri]], and [[Yamunotri]]) compose the ''[[Char Dham]]'' (''four abodes'') pilgrimage circuit.
* '''[[Kanwar Yatra|Kanwar Pilgrimage]]:''' The Kanwar is India's largest annual religious pilgrimage. As part of this phenomenon, millions of participants gather [[Sacred waters|sacred water]] from the [[Ganga]] (usually in [[Haridwar]], [[Gangotri]], [[Gaumukh]], or [[Sultanganj]]) and carry it across hundreds of miles to dispense as offerings in [[Śiva|Shiva]] shrines.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Uprising of the Fools: Pilgrimage as Moral Protest in Contemporary India|last=Singh|first=Vikas|publisher=Stanford University Press|year=2017}}</ref>
* '''Old Holy cities per Puranic Texts:''' [[Varanasi]] also known as Kashi (Shiva), [[Prayagraj]], [[Haridwar]]-[[Rishikesh]] (Vishnu), [[Mathura]]-[[Vrindavan]] (Krishna), [[Pandharpur]] ([[Vithoba]]), [[Paithan]], [[Kanchipuram]] (Parvati), [[Dwarka]] (Krishna) and [[Ayodhya]] (Rama).
* '''Major Temple cities:''' [[Puri]], which hosts a major [[Vaishnavism|Vaishnava]] [[Jagannath]] temple and [[Ratha Yatra]] celebration; [[Katra, Jammu and Kashmir|Katra]], home to the [[Vaishno Devi Temple]]; three comparatively recent temples of fame and huge pilgrimage are [[Shirdi]], home to [[Sai Baba of Shirdi]], [[Tirumala - Tirupati]], home to the [[Tirumala Venkateswara Temple]]; and [[Sabarimala]], where [[Ayyappan]] is worshipped.
* '''Shakti Pithas:''' Another important set of pilgrimages includes the ''[[Shakti Peethas|Shakti Pithas]]'', where [[Shakti|the Mother Goddess]] is worshipped, the two principal ones being ''[[Kalighat]]'' and ''[[Kamakhya]]''.
* '''[[Pancha Ishwarams]]''' - the five ancient Shiva temples of Sri Lanka from classical antiquity.
* The '''[[Murugan]] pilgrimage route of Sri Lanka''', an ancient [[Arunagirinathar]]-traversed Pada Yatra route of Tiruppadai temples includes the [[Maviddapuram Kandaswamy Temple]] in [[Kankesanturai]], the [[Nallur Kandaswamy temple]] in [[Jaffna]], the Pancha Ishwaram [[Koneswaram temple]] in [[Trincomalee]], the [[Verugal]] Murugan Kovil on the banks of the river [[Verugal Aru]], in [[Verugal]], Trincomalee District, the Mandur Kandaswamy temple of [[Mandur (Sri Lanka)]], [[Thirukkovil Sithira Velayutha Swami Kovil]], in [[Thirukkovil]], [[Batticaloa]], the [[Arugam Bay]] and [[Panama (Sri Lanka)|Panamai]] in Amparai district, the [[Ukanthamalai Murugan Kovil]], in [[Okanda]], [[Kumana National Park]] and then through the park and [[Tissamaharama]] to the deity's holiest site, [[Kataragama temple]], [[Katirkamam]], in southern Sri Lanka.
[[Hindu]] pilgrimage destinations may be holy cities ([[Varanasi]], [[Badrinath]]); [[River|rivers]] (the [[Ganges]], the [[Yamuna]]); mountains (several [[Himalaya]]n peaks are sacred to both Hindus and Buddhists); caves (such as the [[Batu Caves]] near [[Kuala Lumpur]], [[Malaysia]]); temples; festivals, such as the peripatetic [[Kumbh Mela]], in 2001 the biggest public gathering in history;<ref>{{cite web |title=Heart of Hinduism: Four Main Paths |url=http://hinduism.iskcon.org/practice/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151115213205/http://hinduism.iskcon.org/practice/ |archive-date=2015-11-15 |access-date=2014-10-26 |work=iskcon.org}}</ref> or the tombs and dwelling places of saints ([[Alandi]], [[Shirdi]]).

==Islam==
{{Main|Hajj|Umrah}}
{{See also |Holiest sites in Islam|Mecca|Medina|Jerusalem}}
[[File:Kaaba,_Makkah6.jpg|thumb|[[Muslim]] pilgrims [[Tawaf|circumambulate]] the black cube of the ''[[Kaaba]]'' in the [[Al-Haram Mosque]]]]
The ''[[Hajj|Ḥajj]]'' ({{langx|ar|حَـجّ}}, main pilgrimage to Mecca) is one of the [[five pillars of Islam]] and a [[Fard|mandatory religious duty]] for [[Muslims]] that must be carried out at least once in their lifetime by all adult Muslims who are physically and financially capable of undertaking the journey, and can support their family during their absence.<ref name=Marshall86>{{cite book |last=Long |first=Matthew |title=Islamic Beliefs, Practices, and Cultures |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=H_m14NlQQMYC&pg=PA86 |access-date=2 September 2014 |year=2011 |publisher=Marshall Cavendish Corporation |isbn=978-0-7614-7926-0 |page=86}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Nigosian |first=S. A. |title= Islam: Its History, Teaching, and Practices |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=my7hnALd_NkC&pg=PA110 |year=2004 |publisher=[[Indiana University Press]] |location=[[Indiana]] |isbn=0-253-21627-3 |page=110}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://berkleycenter.georgetown.edu/essays/islamic-practices |title=Islamic Practices |website=Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs |access-date=7 April 2017}}</ref> The Hajj is one of the largest annual gatherings of people in the world.<ref>{{cite book |last=Mosher |first=Lucinda |title=Praying: The Rituals of Faith |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2b7fmfvpYZYC&pg=PA155 |access-date=18 September 2014 |year=2005 |publisher=Church Publishing, Inc. |isbn=9781596270169 |page=155}}</ref><ref name="time 2013">{{cite magazine | url=https://science.time.com/2013/10/16/as-the-hajj-unfolds-in-saudi-arabia-a-deep-look-inside-the-battle-against-mers/ | title=As the Hajj Unfolds in Saudi Arabia, A Deep Look Inside the Battle Against MERS | magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] | date=16 October 2013 | access-date=17 October 2013 | last=Katz |first=Andrew}}</ref> Since 2014, two or three million people have participated in the ''Hajj'' annually.<ref name="largest">{{cite web |title=The world's largest Muslim pilgrimage site? Not Mecca, but the Shiite shrine in Karbala |url=https://religionnews.com/2020/09/09/the-worlds-largest-muslim-pilgrimage-site-not-mecca-but-the-shiite-shrine-in-karbala/ |website=Religion News Service |access-date=14 September 2020 |date=9 September 2020}}</ref> The mosques in Mecca and Medina were closed in February 2020 because of the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia|COVID-19 pandemic]] and the ''hajj'' was permitted for only a very limited number of Saudi nationals and foreigners living in Saudi Arabia starting on 29 July.<ref>{{cite web |title=Hajj Begins in Saudi Arabia Under Historic COVID Imposed Restrictions |url=https://www.voanews.com/a/covid-19-pandemic_hajj-begins-saudi-arabia-under-historic-covid-imposed-restrictions/6193606.html |website=Voice of America |date=29 July 2020 |publisher=VOA |access-date=14 September 2020 |language=en}}</ref>

Another important place for Muslims is the city of Medina, the second holiest site in Islam, in Saudi Arabia, the final resting place of Muhammad in [[Al-Masjid an-Nabawi]] (The Mosque of the Prophet).<ref name=Syed>{{cite book|last1=Ariffin|first1=Syed Ahmad Iskandar Syed|title=Architectural conservation in Islam: case study of the Prophet's Mosque|date=2005|publisher=Penerbit Universiti Teknologi Malaysia|location=Skudai, Johor Darul Ta'zim, Malaysia|isbn=9835203733|edition=1st|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jP850CjN_voC|access-date=30 October 2016}}</ref>

The ''[[Ihram]]'' (white robe of pilgrimage) is meant to show equality of all Muslim pilgrims in the eyes of Allah. 'A white has no superiority over a black, nor a black over a white. Nor does an Arab have superiority over a non-Arab, nor a non-Arab over an Arab - except through piety' - statement of the Prophet Muhammad.

===Ziyarat===
{{Main|Ziyarat}}

A different form of pilgrimage is [[ziyarat]] ({{langx|ar|زِيَارَة}} ''ziyārah'', "visit"; {{langx|fa|{{Nastaliq|زیارت}}}}, ''ziyārat''). Ziyarat generally refers to the act of visiting holy places such as tombs or shrines, often associated with the Prophet Muhammad, his family, companions, and other revered figures like legal scholars and Sufi saints. Ziyarat is a voluntary act of pilgrimage practiced by both Sunni and Shia Muslims.<ref name="ALSYED">{{cite web | title=The Importance of Ziyarat: Visiting Holy Sites Beyond Hajj and Umrah | url=https://alsyedtours.com/the-importance-of-ziyarat-visiting-holy-sites-beyond-hajj-and-umrah/ | access-date=12 October 2024 | website=AL SYED}}</ref><ref name="EncyIslam">{{cite encyclopedia | title=Ziyara | encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of Islam and the Muslim World | editor=Richard C. Martin | publisher=Macmillan Reference USA | year=2004 | volume=2 | pages=727–728}}. Available online at [Encyclopedia.com](https://www.encyclopedia.com/religion/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/pilgrimage-ziyara).</ref> Unlike Hajj, which is obligatory for Muslims who are physically and financially able,<ref name="Britannica">{{cite web | title=Hajj | url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/hajj | access-date=12 October 2024 | website=Britannica}}</ref> or Umrah, which is highly recommended but not mandatory,<ref name="IslamicStudies">{{cite web | title=Fiqh Us-Sunnah | url=https://islamicstudies.info/subjects/fiqh/fiqh_us_sunnah/fus5_79.html | access-date=12 October 2024 | website=Islamic Studies}}</ref> Ziyarat involves visits to a variety of sacred and historically significant locations beyond Mecca. These include mosques, tombs, battlefields, mountains, caves, and other places where important spiritual or historical events in Islamic history took place.<ref name="CambridgeCore">{{cite journal | last=Kashani-Sabet | first=Firoozeh | title=Tohfeye Ziyarat (Souvenir of Pilgrimage): Religious Mobility and Public Health in Late Qajar Iran, c. 1890–1904 | journal=Iranian Studies | volume=56 | issue=4 | pages=507–534 | date=2023 | doi=10.1017/S0021086223000762 | doi-broken-date=1 July 2025 | url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/715A4608F3CE767A8FC0D3D187C29475/S0021086223000762a.pdf | access-date=12 October 2024}}</ref> It holds deep spiritual significance for millions of Muslims around the world.<ref name="Springer">{{cite journal | last=Molaei | first=A. | title=Strategies of Religious Tourism in Iranian and Islamic Cities Approaching Shiite Pilgrimage Culture | journal=Journal of Religion and Health | volume=17 | pages=67–94 | year=2023 | issue=1 | doi=10.1007/s10943-023-01943-z | pmid=37978098 | url=https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10943-023-01943-z | access-date=12 October 2024| url-access=subscription }}</ref>

One notable example is the [[Grand Magal of Touba]], {{convert|200|km|mi}} east of [[Dakar]], Senegal. About four million pilgrims participate annually to celebrate the life and teachings of [[Cheikh Amadou Bamba]], the founder of the [[Mouride]] brotherhood, who established the order in 1883. The pilgrimage begins on the 18th of [[Safar]], the second month of the Islamic calendar.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Holloway |first1=Beetle |title=Senegal's Grand Magal of Touba: A Pilgrimage of Celebration |url=https://theculturetrip.com/africa/senegal/articles/senegals-grand-magal-of-touba/ |website=Culture Trip |date=21 November 2018 |access-date=14 September 2020}}</ref>

While ziyarat is viewed as permissible and spiritually enriching by most Sunni and Shia traditions, some fundamentalist movements, such as Salafism and Wahhabism, discourage or oppose it. These movements are characterized by a strict, literalist interpretation of Islam and opposition to practices they consider innovations, such as shrine visitation.<ref name="EncyBritannica">{{cite web | title=Ziyarah | url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/ziyarah | access-date=12 October 2024 | website=Britannica}}</ref><ref name="EncyIslam" />

Ziyarat also includes the Ziyarat al-Imam, which refers specifically to the pilgrimage to the shrines of the Shia Imams, especially revered figures like Imam Ali and [[Husayn ibn Ali|Imam Hussein]]. The [[Arba'in pilgrimage]] is the world's largest pilgrimage and largest annual public gathering in the world, where millions of Shia Muslims travel to Karbala to commemorate the martyrdom of Imam Hussein during the 40-day mourning period after Ashura.<ref>{{cite web | title=Arbaeen: The Largest Pilgrimage You've Never Heard Of | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-30009324 | website=BBC News | date=24 November 2014 | access-date=12 October 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | title=Arbaeen Pilgrimage 2019: One of World's Largest Religious Gatherings Kicks Off | url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/10/16/arbaeen-pilgrimage-2019-one-of-worlds-largest-religious-gatherings-kicks-off | publisher=Al Jazeera | date=16 October 2019 | access-date=12 October 2024}}</ref>

===Shia===
{{Main|Arba'in pilgrimage|Arba'in|Ashura|Imam Reza}}
[[File:Arba'een_Pilgrimage_In_mehran_City,_Iran,_Shia_Muslim_24.jpg|thumb|[[Arba'een Pilgrimage|Arba'een pilgrims]] in [[Mehran, Ilam|Mehran]]]]

[[Arba'in|''Al-Arba‘īn'']] ({{langx|ar|ٱلْأَرْبَـعِـيْـن}}, "The Forty"), ''Chehelom'' ({{langx|fa|{{Nastaliq|چهلم}}}}, {{langx|ur|{{Nastaliq|چہلم}}}}, "the fortieth [day]") or ''Qirkhī'', ''Imāmīn Qirkhī'' ({{langx|az|İmamın qırxı}} ({{langx|ar|إمامین قیرخی}}), "the fortieth of Imam") is a [[Shia]] Muslim religious observance that occurs [[40 (number)|forty]] days after the [[Day of Ashura]]. It commemorates the [[martyrdom]] of [[Husayn ibn Ali]], the grandson of [[Muhammad]], which falls on the 20th or 21st day of the month of [[Safar]]. [[Imam]] Husayn ibn Ali and 72 companions were killed by [[Yazid I]]'s army in the [[Battle of Karbala]] in 61&nbsp;AH (680 [[Common Era|CE]]). Arba'een or forty days is also the usual length of mourning after the death of a family member or loved one in many Muslim traditions. Arba'een is one of the largest pilgrimage gatherings on Earth, in which up to 31 million people go to the city of [[Karbala]] in [[Iraq]].<ref>{{cite web|author=uberVU – social comments |url=http://original.antiwar.com/updates/2010/02/05/friday-46-iraqis-1-syrian-killed-168-iraqis-wounded/ |title=Friday: 46 Iraqis, 1 Syrian Killed; 169 Iraqis Wounded - Antiwar.com |publisher=Original.antiwar.com |date=5 February 2010 |access-date=30 June 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=Aljazeera |url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/articles/34/41-Martyrs-as-More-than-Million-People-Mark-Arbae.html |title=alJazeera Magazine – 41 Martyrs as More than Million People Mark 'Arbaeen' in Holy Karbala |publisher=Aljazeera.com |access-date=30 June 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.voanews.com/a/blast-kills-27-in-iraqi-shiite-city-of-karbala-83628687/111949.html |title=Powerful Explosions Kill More Than 40 Shi'ite Pilgrims in Karbala |publisher=Voice of America |date=5 February 2010 |access-date=30 June 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-world/blast-in-crowd-kills-41-shiite-pilgrims-in-iraq-20100205-nivg.html |title=Blast in crowd kills 41 Shiite pilgrims in Iraq |publisher=News.smh.com.au |date=5 February 2010 |access-date=30 June 2010 | first=Abdelamir | last=Hanun}}</ref>

The second largest holy city in the world, [[Mashhad]], Iran, attracts more than 20 million tourists and pilgrims every year, many of whom come to pay homage to [[Imam Reza]] (the eighth [[Shi'ite]] Imam). It has been a magnet for travelers since medieval times.<ref name="Imam Reza">{{cite web |url=http://www.sacredsites.com/middle_east/iran/mashad.htm |title=Sacred Sites: Mashhad, Iran |access-date=13 March 2006 |publisher=sacredsites.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101127181619/http://sacredsites.com/middle_east/iran/mashad.htm |archive-date=27 November 2010 }}</ref><ref name="largest" />

==Judaism==
{{See also|Temple in Jerusalem|Jerusalem in Judaism|Three Pilgrimage Festivals}}
[[File:Gerome Western Wall.png|thumb|upright=0.9|[[Jew]]s at the [[Western Wall]] in [[Jerusalem]] during the [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] period, 1867]]
While [[Solomon's Temple]] stood, Jerusalem was the centre of the Jewish religious life and the site of the [[Three Pilgrimage Festivals]] of [[Passover]], [[Shavuot]] and [[Sukkot]], and all adult men who were able were required to visit and offer sacrifices (''[[korbanot]]'') at the Temple. After the destruction of the Temple, the obligation to visit Jerusalem and to make sacrifices no longer applied. The obligation was restored with the [[Second Temple|rebuilding of the Temple]], but following its destruction in 70 CE, the obligation to make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem and offer sacrifices again went into abeyance.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Williams|first=Margaret|title=Jews in a Graeco-Roman environment|year=2013|isbn=978-3-16-151901-7|location=Tübingen, Germany|pages=42|oclc=855531272}}</ref>

The western retaining wall of the [[Temple Mount]], known as the [[Western Wall]] or "Wailing" Wall, is the remaining part of [[Second Jewish Temple]] in the [[Old City (Jerusalem)|Old City of Jerusalem]] is the most sacred and visited site for Jews. Pilgrimage to this area was off-limits to Jews from 1948 to 1967, when East Jerusalem was under [[Jordan]]ian control.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Western Wall|url=http://mosaic.lk.net/g-wall.html|website=mosaic.lk.net|access-date=6 June 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=The Western Wall: History & Overview|url=http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/history-and-overivew-of-the-western-wall|website=www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org|access-date=27 March 2018}}</ref>

There are numerous lesser Jewish pilgrimage destinations, mainly tombs of ''[[tzadik]]im'', throughout [[Israel]] and [[Palestine (region)|Palestine]] and all over the world, including: [[Hebron]]; [[Bethlehem]]; [[Mount Meron]]; [[Netivot]]; [[Uman]], [[Ukraine]]; [[Silistra]], [[Bulgaria]]; [[Damanhur]], [[Egypt]]; and many others.<ref>See David M. Gitlitz and Linda Kay Davidson, ''Pilgrimage and the Jews'' (Westport, CT: Praeger, 2006) for history and data on several pilgrimages to both Ashkenazi and Sephardic holy sites.</ref>

Many rabbis claim that even today, after the destruction of the Temple, there is a mitzvah to make a pilgrimage on holidays.<ref>Rabbi [[Eliezer Melamed]], [https://ph.yhb.org.il/en/12-01-16/ Making the Pilgrimage Nowadays] in [[Peninei Halakha]]</ref>

==Sikhism==
[[File:Sikh pilgrim at the Golden Temple (Harmandir Sahib) in Amritsar, India.jpg|thumb|Sikh pilgrim at the [[Harmandir Sahib|Harmandir Sahib (the Golden Temple)]] in [[Amritsar]], India.]]

Sikhism does not consider pilgrimage as an act of spiritual merit. Guru Nanak went to places of pilgrimage to reclaim the fallen people, who had turned ritualists. He told them of the need to visit that temple of God, deep in the inner being of themselves. According to him: "He performs a pilgrimage who controls the [[Five Thieves|five vices]]."<ref>{{cite book | url=https://archive.org/details/IntroductionToSikhism/page/n57 | title=Introduction to Sikhism: 100 Basic Questions and Answers on Sikh Religion and History | publisher=India Book House | last=Mansukhani | first=Gobind Singh | year=1968 | pages=60}}</ref><ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fU8BAQAAQBAJ&pg=PT178 | title=Sikhs Across Borders: Transnational Practices of European Sikhs | publisher=A&C Black | last=Myrvold | first=Kristina | year=2012 | pages=178 | isbn=9781441103581}}</ref>

Eventually, however, [[Amritsar]] and [[Harmandir Sahib|Harmandir Sahib (the Golden Temple)]] became the spiritual and cultural centre of the Sikh faith, and if a Sikh goes on pilgrimage it is usually to this place.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://re-xs.ucsm.ac.uk/re/pilgrimage/sikhism.htm|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20011123234933/http://re-xs.ucsm.ac.uk/re/pilgrimage/sikhism.htm|archive-date=23 November 2001|title=Sikhism}}</ref>

The [[Panj Takht]] (Punjabi: ਪੰਜ ਤਖ਼ਤ) are the five revered [[gurdwaras]] in India that are considered the thrones or seats of authority of Sikhism and are traditionally considered a pilgrimage.<ref>{{cite news|access-date=5 February 2014|title=Special train to connect all five Takhats, first run on February 16|website=[[The Times of India]]|date=5 February 2014 |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/Special-train-to-connect-all-five-Takhats-first-run-on-February-16/articleshow/29908402.cms}}</ref>

==Taoism==
{{Cleanup rewrite|section=yes|date=April 2025}}
[[File:白沙屯媽祖遶境｜王功福海宮.jpg|thumb|Baishatun Pilgrimage: Mazu and her palanquin]]
[[Mazu]], also spelled as Matsu, is the most famous sea goddess in the Chinese southeastern sea area, [[Hong Kong]], [[Macau]] and [[Taiwan]].

Mazu Pilgrimage is more likely as an event (or temple fair), pilgrims are called as "Xiang Deng Jiao" (''[[pinyin]]: xiāng dēng jiǎo,'' it means "lantern feet" in Chinese), they would follow the Goddess's (Mazu) palanquin from her own temple to another Mazu temple. By tradition, when the village Mazu palanquin passes, the residents would offer free water and food to those pilgrims along the way.

There are 2 main Mazu pilgrimages in Taiwan, usually held between lunar January and April, depending on Mazu's will.
* [[Baishatun Mazu Pilgrimage]]: this pilgrimage can be traced to 1863, from Baishantun ([[Miaoli County]]) to Beigang ([[Yunlin County]]) and return, not over a definite route.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.storm.mg/lifestyle/426292|title=沒固定路線、全憑神轎指引徒步400里...白沙屯媽祖進香有何秘密？他爆出這些「神蹟」超驚奇|date=21 May 2018|website=[[The Storm Media]]|language=zh-tw|others=Central News Agency|publication-date=19 April 2018|access-date=6 June 2018}}</ref>
* [[Dajia Mazu Pilgrimage]]: from Dajia ([[Taichung|Taichung City]]) to Xingang ([[Chiayi County]]) and return, it runs over a definite route.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://blog.xuite.net/kuo707727632/twblog/156918633-~+%E5%A4%A7%E7%94%B2%E5%AA%BD%E7%A5%96%E9%81%B6%E5%A2%83%E9%80%B2%E9%A6%99%E6%AD%B7%E5%8F%B2%E6%B2%BF%E9%9D%A9%E3%80%81%E9%99%A3%E9%A0%AD%E3%80%81%E5%85%B8%E7%A6%AE%E3%80%81%E7%A6%81%E5%BF%8C%E7%9A%84%E4%BB%8B%E7%B4%B9~|title=~ 大甲媽祖遶境進香歷史沿革、陣頭、典禮、禁忌的介紹~|date=21 May 2018|website=淨 空 禪 林|language=zh-tw}}</ref>

==Zoroastrianism==
[[File:Zarathustra fire temple in Yazd.jpg|thumb|The [[Yazd Atash Behram]] in Iran is an [[Atash Bahram]], the highest grade of [[fire temple]] in Zoroastrianism]]
[[Zoroastrianism|Zoroastrians]] have as their main pilgrimage destinations the city of [[Yazd]] and the temples of [[Chak Chak, Yazd|Pir-e Sabz]] and [[Pir-e Naraki]] in [[Iran]], as well as the cities of [[Navsari]] and [[Udvada]] in India.

In [[Iran]], there are pilgrimage destinations called ''[[Pir (Zoroastrianism)|pirs]]'' in several provinces, although the most familiar ones are in the province of [[Yazd]].<ref>Aspandyar Sohrab Gotla (2000). "Guide to Zarthoshtrian historical places in Iran." University of Michigan Press. LCCN 2005388611 pg. 164</ref> In addition to the traditional Yazdi shrines, new sites may be in the process of becoming pilgrimage destinations. The ruins are the ruins of ancient [[fire temples]]. One such site is the ruin of the [[Sassanian]] era [[Azargoshnasp fire temple]] in Iran's Azarbaijan Province. Other sites are the ruins of [[Bahram fire temple|fire temples at Rey]], south of the capital [[Tehran]], and the Firouzabad ruins sixty kilometres south of [[Shiraz]] in the province of [[Fārs Province|Pars]].

[[Atash Behram]] ("Fire of victory") is the highest grade of [[fire temple]] in [[Zoroastrianism]]. It has 16 different "kinds of fire", that is, fires gathered from 16 different sources.<ref>{{cite book |last=Hartman |first=Sven S. |date=1980 |title=Parsism: The Religions of Zoroaster |publisher=BRILL |page=20 |isbn=9004062084}}</ref> Currently there are 9 Atash Behram, one in Yazd, Iran and the rest in Western [[India]]. They have become a pilgrimage destination.<ref name=AtashBehram/>

In India the cathedral fire temple that houses the [[Udvada Atash Behram|Iranshah Atash Behram]], located in the small town of [[Udvada]] in the west coast province of [[Gujarat]], is a pilgrimage destination.<ref name=AtashBehram>{{cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/pilgrimage-or-mela-parsis-split-on-udvada-festival/article21236193.ece |title= Pilgrimage or mela? Parsis split on Udvada festival |first=Jyoti |last=Shelar |work=[[The Hindu]] |date=1 December 2017 |access-date=21 December 2017}}</ref>

==Cultural pilgrimage==
[[File:Koizumi in Graceland 2006.jpg|thumb|Japanese Prime Minister [[Junichiro Koizumi]], like many fans of [[Elvis Presley]], visited [[Graceland]].]]
A modern phenomenon is the cultural pilgrimage which, while involving a personal journey, is secular in nature. Destinations for such pilgrims can include historic sites of national or cultural importance, and can be defined as places "of cultural significance: an artist's home, the location of a pivotal event or an iconic destination".<ref name=star>{{cite news |url= http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/travel/11279306.html |first= Chris |last= Welsch |work= [[Star Tribune]] |title= Travelers define such a pilgrimage in many different ways |date= January 3, 2007 |access-date= 2008-03-11 |url-status=dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080608212513/http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/travel/11279306.html |archive-date= June 8, 2008 }}</ref> An example might be a devotee of [[the Beatles]] visiting [[Liverpool]] in England or [[Otaku|anime fans]] visiting [[Akihabara]] in Tokyo.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Turner |first1=Adam |title=Akihabara: a beginner's guide to the ultimate geek pilgrimage |url=https://www.smh.com.au/technology/akihabara-a-beginners-guide-to-the-ultimate-geek-pilgrimage-20130923-2ua1r.html |access-date=10 October 2025 |work=Sydney Morning Herald |date=September 24, 2013}}</ref> Destinations for cultural pilgrims include [[Auschwitz concentration camp]], [[Gettysburg Battlefield]] or the [[Ernest Hemingway House]].<ref name=star/> Cultural pilgrims may also travel on religious pilgrimage routes, such as the [[Way of St. James]], with the perspective of making it a historic or architectural tour rather than – or as well as – a religious experience.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.circaterras.com/Tours-Heritage-Culture-Spain/Santiago-Compostela.htm |title= Cultural Pilgrimage to Compostela |website= Circa Tours |date= February 17, 2008 |access-date= 2008-03-11}}</ref>

Under communist regimes, devout secular pilgrims visited locations such as the [[Mausoleum of Lenin]], the [[Mausoleum of Mao Zedong]] and the [[Karl Marx House|Birthplace of Karl Marx]]. Such visits were sometimes state-sponsored. Sites such as these continue to attract visitors. The distinction between religious, cultural or political pilgrimage and tourism is not necessarily always clear or rigid. Pilgrimage could also refer symbolically to journeys, largely on foot, to places where the concerned person(s) expect(s) to find spiritual and/or personal salvation.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Suárez |first1=María |last2=Iria |first2=Franco |last3=Sousa |first3=Antón Álvarez |date=2024-12-01 |title=A pilgrim but a tourist too: re-examining the contemporary links |url=https://doi.org/10.1080/13683500.2024.2314696 |journal=Current Issues in Tourism |volume=27 |issue=23 |pages=4293–4310 |doi=10.1080/13683500.2024.2314696 |issn=1368-3500 |via=|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

==Other==
===Meher Baba===
The main pilgrimage sites associated with the spiritual teacher [[Meher Baba]] are [[Meherabad]], India, where Baba completed the "major portion"<ref>Deshmukh, Indumati (1961). "Address in Marathi." ''The Awakener'' '''7''' (3): 29.</ref> of his work and where his tomb is now located, and [[Meherazad]], India, where Baba resided later in his life.

===Yazidism religion===
[[File:Pilgrims and festival at Lalish on the day of the Yezidi New Year in 2017 06 (cropped).jpg|thumb|Pilgrims celebrating the Yazidi new year festival at Lalish]]
The [[Yazidism]] has numerous pilgrimage sites and holy sites, with the most important being located in [[Sinjar]] such as [[Lalish]].<ref>{{cite book|url=https://www.ceeol.com/search/chapter-detail?id=842059|title= The Yazidis: Religion, Society and Resentments|pages= 165–174}}</ref>

==In culture==
Some prominent literary characters who were pilgrims include:
* [[Geoffrey Chaucer|Chaucer's]] ''[[The Canterbury Tales]]'' recounts tales told by Christian pilgrims on their way to [[Canterbury Cathedral]] and the shrine of [[Thomas Becket]].
*In the epic poem [[Divine Comedy]], [[Dante Alighieri]] portrays himself as a pilgrim traveling through the afterlife realms of Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise.
*[[John Bunyan]] depicted multiple pilgrims (e.g., Christian – the protagonist, Faithful, Talkative, Christiana, Mercy, Old Honest, Mr. Fearing, Mr. Feeble-Mind, Mr. Ready-to-Halt, and Mr. Valiant) as well as false pilgrims (e.g., Formalist, Hypocrisy, and Mr. By-Ends) in his Christian allegory, ''[[The Pilgrim's Progress]]'' (1678)
* Wilfred of Ivanhoe, a [[Palmer (Pilgrim)|palmer]] (medieval Christian from Europe who makes a pilgrimage to Jerusalem) and the titular character of [[Sir Walter Scott]]'s book ''[[Ivanhoe]]''
*A palmer plays a significant role representing Reason in Book II of [[Edmund Spenser]]'s epic poem ''[[The Faerie Queene]]''

== See also ==
* [[Burial places of founders of world religions]]
* [[HCPT – The Pilgrimage Trust]]
* [[Hiking]]
* [[Journey of self-discovery]]
* [[Junrei]]
* [[List of shrines]]
* [[List of significant religious sites]]
* [[Monastery]]
* [[New Age travellers]]
* [[Pardon (ceremony)]]
* {{section link|Religion in pre-Islamic Arabia#Pilgrimages}}
* [[Romeria]]
* [[Sacred travel]]
* [[World Youth Day]]
* [[Yatra]]
* [[Eastbridge Hospital of St Thomas the Martyr, Canterbury]]
* [[Russian wandering]]

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==Further reading==
* Coleman, Simon. Powers of Pilgrimage: Religion in a World of Movement. United States, NYU Press, 2022.
* al-Naqar, Umar. 1972. ''The Pilgrimage Tradition in West Africa.'' Khartoum: Khartoum University Press. [includes a map 'African Pilgrimage Routes to Mecca, ca. 1300–1900']
* Coleman, Simon and John Elsner (1995), ''Pilgrimage: Past and Present in the World Religions.'' Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
* Coleman, Simon & John Eade (eds) (2005), ''Reframing Pilgrimage. Cultures in Motion.'' London: Routledge.
* Davidson, Linda Kay and David M. Gitlitz (2002), ''Pilgrimage: From the Ganges to Graceland: An Encyclopedia.'' Santa Barbara, Ca.: ABC-CLIO.
* Gitlitz, David M. and Linda Kay Davidson (2006). ''Pilgrimage and the Jews.'' Westport, CT: Praeger.
* Jackowski, Antoni. 1998. ''Pielgrzymowanie'' [Pilgrimage]. Wroclaw: Wydawnictwo Dolnoslaskie.
* Kerschbaum & Gattinger, Via Francigena – DVD – Documentation, of a modern pilgrimage to Rome, {{ISBN|3-200-00500-9}}, Verlag EUROVIA, Vienna 2005
* Margry, Peter Jan (ed.) (2008), ''Shrines and Pilgrimage in the Modern World. New Itineraries into the Sacred.'' Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press.
* {{cite book | author= Okamoto, Ryosuke | title= Pilgrimages in the Secular Age: From El Camino to Anime | location=Tokyo | publisher=Japan Publishing Industry Foundation for Culture | year=2019 | url=https://www.jpicinternational.com/books/socialsciences/73457a6f57a82d5fa0c5e0c1d471ff7bd95b3973.html}}
* Sumption, Jonathan. 2002. ''Pilgrimage: An Image of Mediaeval Religion.'' London: Faber and Faber Ltd.
* Wolfe, Michael (ed.). 1997. ''One Thousands Roads to Mecca.'' New York: Grove Press.
* [[George Zarnecki|Zarnecki, George]] (1985), The Monastic World: The Contributions of The Orders. pp.&nbsp;36–66, in Evans, Joan (ed.). 1985. ''The Flowering of the Middle Ages.'' London: Thames and Hudson Ltd.
* {{cite journal | last=Zwissler | first=Laurel | title=Pagan Pilgrimage: New Religious Movements Research on Sacred Travel within Pagan and New Age Communities | journal=Religion Compass | publisher=Wiley | volume=5 | issue=7 | year=2011 | issn=1749-8171 | doi=10.1111/j.1749-8171.2011.00282.x | pages=326–342 |url=https://www.academia.edu/34541493}}

==External links==
{{Library resources box|by=no|onlinebooks=no|about=yes|wikititle=pilgrimage}}
* {{Commons-inline}}
*[http://www.larsdatter.com/pilgrims.htm Medieval Pilgrims' Clothing] Illustrations of 13th–16th century pilgrims, and links to photos of 16th century clothing made for pilgrimage
* {{cite EB1911 |wstitle=Pilgrimage |volume=21 |pages=604–610 |short=1}}

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[[Category:Pilgrimage| ]]
[[Category:Religious tourism]]