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Howard Kramer's, The Complete Pilgrim, Religious Travel Site

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SRI PADA

June 26, 2016 By Howard Kramer Leave a Comment

Sri Lanka (2,243 m) – Sacred Mountain of Sri Lanka Sri Pada is one of the most universally sacred mountains in the Far East.  A towering, almost perfectly conical peak, it is considered to be an important religious site by Buddhists and Hindus as well as by Muslims and Christians.  Its name means “butterfly mountain”, and though primarily a Buddhist site, is also known as … [Read more...]

MOUNT KAILASH

June 26, 2016 By Howard Kramer Leave a Comment

China (6,638 m) – Home to Shiva in Hinduism and Demchok in Tantric Buddhism Mount Kailash in southwestern China is one of the great peaks of the Tibetan plateau, and one of the holiest mountains in all of Asia.  Located near the borders of India and Nepal, the region of the mountain is the source of the Indus River as well as a major tributary of the Ganges River.  The exact … [Read more...]

MOUNT WUTAI

June 26, 2016 By Howard Kramer Leave a Comment

China (3,058 m) – One of the Four Sacred Buddhist Mountains of China Mount Wutai is another of China’s Four Sacred Buddhist Mountains, and considered by some to be the most prominent and important of these.  According to tradition, Wutai is the home of Manjusri, the Bodhisattva of Wisdom.  The mountain’s name means the “Five Mountain Plateau”, and the north peak of Wutai is … [Read more...]

MOUNT EMEI

June 26, 2016 By Howard Kramer Leave a Comment

China (3,099 m) – One of the Four Sacred Buddhist Mountains of China Mount Emei is one of the most beautiful and popular mountains in central China.  Although not one of the Five Sacred Mountains, it is one of the most important Buddhist pilgrimage destinations north of the Himalayas, being counted among the Four Sacred Buddhist Mountains.  Its name rougly translates to … [Read more...]

TAWANG MONASTERY

August 10, 2015 By Howard Kramer Leave a Comment

Tawang, Aranachel Pradesh The Tawang Monastery is by some measures India’s biggest monastery, one of the largest monasteries in Asia, and one of the largest Buddhist monasteries anywhere outside of Lhasa. Nearly five hundred monks call it home. It is famous among Buddhists for its enormous golden Buddha statue and its old and incredibly valuable collection of sacred texts. The … [Read more...]

HEMIS MONASTERY

August 10, 2015 By Howard Kramer Leave a Comment

Ladakh, Jammu Kashmir The Hemis Monastery in Ladakh is one of the largest and best known Buddhist monasteries in India. Perched on a hilltop with the Himalyan Mountains for a backdrop, it recalls the grandeur of the great monasteries of Tibet. It is closely associated with the Guru Rimpoche who is honored here every year with one of India’s largest Buddhist festivals. The … [Read more...]

NAMGYAL MONASTERY

August 10, 2015 By Howard Kramer Leave a Comment

Dharamsala, Himachal Pradesh The Namgyal Monastery is among the world’s most important Buddhist monastaries. Since the mid-20th century, it has served as the home-in-exile of the Dalai Lama, one of the most important Buddhist leaders (and religious leaders for that matter) in the world. A relatively humble complex compared to the massive palace in Lhasa, Tibet, the Namgyal … [Read more...]

AJANTA & ELLORA CAVES

August 10, 2015 By Howard Kramer Leave a Comment

Ajanya & Ellora, Maharashtra The Indian state of Maharastra is home to some of the oldest sacred sites in India, especially in the Buddhist tradition. Among the best known and most visited of these are the cave temples that can be found at Ajanta and Ellora. Between these two locations, approximately sixty miles from each other, are over sixty of the worlds most … [Read more...]

GREAT STUPA

August 10, 2015 By Howard Kramer Leave a Comment

Sanchi, Madhya Pradesh The Great Stupa of Sanchi is the oldest intact religious shrine in India, and the last of the original stupas constructed by the Emperor Ashoka to remain standing. It is thus both of great religious importance to Buddhists as well as great architectural and archaeological importance to scholars. Because of numerous additions to the site over the … [Read more...]

SHANTI STUPA

August 10, 2015 By Howard Kramer Leave a Comment

Dhauli, Odisha The Kalinga War was the last major effort of expansion of the Maurya Empire in India, and the final military campaign of Ashoka the Great. The battle, which was actually a series of engagements in the Dhauli Hills, is believed to have been the bloodiest campaign in history until World War I nearly twenty-two centuries later. Hundreds of thousands of soldiers … [Read more...]

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THE COMPLETE AMERICAN PILGRIM – NOW AVAILABLE ON AMAZON

THE COMPLETE PILGRIM

Welcome to The Complete Pilgrim(TM)! This site, created by Howard Kramer, is a combination travel blog and online guide to the world's greatest sites of religious interest (with some historic and recreational places thrown in for good measure). All written content has been originally researched and produced and is provided free for public research and enjoyment. Thank you for visiting!

Site of the Week

WITTENBERG CASTLE CHURCH

WITTENBERG CASTLE CHURCH

Wittenberg, Germany The … [Read More...]

Friends of TCP Spotlight

5 PLACES TO VISIT IN HISTORIC PHILADELPHIA – MUSLIM TRAVEL ROCKS

5 PLACES TO VISIT IN HISTORIC PHILADELPHIA – MUSLIM TRAVEL ROCKS

by Glory Ali The City of Brotherly Love offers tons to see and do and get this, it’s FREE. That’s right you heard it right it’s FREE. Click here for complete article  

MOVING THE U.S. EMBASSY TO JERUSALEM – FAITH IN FAITHS

MOVING THE U.S. EMBASSY TO JERUSALEM – FAITH IN FAITHS

by Mary Neuhauser President Trump recently announced his intentions to move the United States Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, thereby recognizing Jerusalem as the official capital of Israel. The purpose of this article is to give you a brief overview of what this decision means and why it matters. Click here for […]

Photo of the Week

BASILICA OF ST. DENIS

Last month, I visited one of the most fascinating churches I have ever been to, the almost completely ignored Basilica of St. Denis in the northern suburbs of Paris.  Almost every French monarch is buried here, and almost nobody goes here.  Here are some pics I took:

Basilica of St. Denis

Tomb of Clovis

Tomb of Clovis

Tombs of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette

Tombs of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette

Tomb of Louis XIV The Sun King

Tomb of Louis XIV The Sun King

Royal Tombs

Royal Tombs

The Crypt

The Crypt

 

 

 

 

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Contact Us

Have a comment, a great photo or a religious site you'd like to nominate for the weekly spotlight? We would love to hear from you. Email us at hkramer@thecompletepilgrim.com.

About the Author

Howard Kramer is the creator and author of The Complete Pilgrim. He first took an interest in religious sites in his early twenties when traveling through Italy after college. In the two decades since he has traveled to more than two dozen countries and almost every state, visiting and photographing hundreds of the world’s greatest churches, synagogues and other places of religious interest. Howard has been writing about religious sites for the better part of the last decade, and The Complete Pilgrim is the culmination of years of his work and passion.

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