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

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MACHAPUCHARE

June 26, 2016 By Howard Kramer Leave a Comment

Nepal (6,993 m) – Sacred Hindu Mountain Machapuchare is one of the great peaks of Nepal, and one of the most sacred Hindu mountains outside of India.  Sometimes called the Matterhorn of Nepal, it s famously resemblant of its European Twin.  Its name means Fish Tail. Located in the Annapurna Himalaya, Machapuchare has been considered sacred by Hindus from antiquity.  … [Read more...]

BATTLE OF PLASSEY (PLASSEY BATTLEFIELD)

December 9, 2015 By Howard Kramer Leave a Comment

Palashi, India (1757 AD) The Battle of Plassey was one of the defining engagements of the Colonial era in Asia.  An extension of the Seven Years War that was then raging in Europe and the Americas, it pitted the forces of the British East India Company against both indigenous rulers as well as their French rivals.  In some ways it marked the end of the early stages which had … [Read more...]

BATTLE OF KALINGA (KALINGA BATTLEFIELD)

December 7, 2015 By Howard Kramer 2 Comments

Bhubaneswar, India (261 BC) 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 … [Read more...]

ST. PAUL’S CATHEDRAL

August 12, 2015 By Howard Kramer Leave a Comment

Kolkata, West Bengal St. Paul’s Cathedral in Kolkata is the largest Anglican church in India and among the largest in Asia. Located in what was for over a century the capital of British India, St. Paul’s was of particular religious and political importance throughout much of the British colonial era. It is part of a cluster of the city’s major sites, including a number of … [Read more...]

BARA IMAMBARA

August 12, 2015 By Howard Kramer Leave a Comment

Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh The Bara Imambara is, depending on who you ask, the largest mosque in India. However, an Imambara is technically not a mosque but rather a Shia ceremonial building used for the commemeroation of the martyrdom of Husayn ibn Ali, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammed. This tremendous building, a public works project which ran for years in order to keep … [Read more...]

TAJ-UL-MASAJID

August 12, 2015 By Howard Kramer Leave a Comment

Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh The Taj-ul-Masajid is the largest mosque in India (not counting the Bara Imambara), the second largest outside of the Middle East and the tenth largest in the world. It was the last major construction project to be initiated by the Mughal Empire in its last days, and it was not completed until 1985 after a construction hiatus that lasted more than a … [Read more...]

JAMA MASJID – AGRA

August 12, 2015 By Howard Kramer Leave a Comment

Agra, Uttar Pradesh The last great Turkic empire to arise in Central Asia was that of the Mughals, which at its height in the late Middle Ages dominated much of Afghanistan, Persia, Pakistan and India. The Mughal Empire reached its peak during the reign of Shah Jahan in the 17th century. Shah Jahan, who was largely responsible for expanding the Mughal Empire into India, made … [Read more...]

KHAJURAHO JAIN TEMPLES

August 10, 2015 By Howard Kramer Leave a Comment

Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh The city of Khajuraho in Central India was once home to one of the most thriving Jain communities in India. The Jain legacy here includes one of the finest collections of temples in Madhya Pradesh (this is enhanced by the fact that the city is also home to over a dozen major Hindu temples as well). There are three main Jain temples here: the … [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...]

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...]

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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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