Jammu & Kashmir (5,142 m) - Home of Lord Shiva Mount Harmukh is another of the mountains closely associated with the god Shiva, another possible location of his residence on Earth. It is also believed to be a place where a local man achieved Nirvana. Because of this, and because it is both more accessible and easier to ascend than many other mountains in this region of the … [Read more...]

Himachal Pradesh (5,653 m) – Home of Lord Shiva Manimahesh Kailash is one of the greatest mountains in India and among the most sacred mountains in the Hindu tradition. According to some legends, Manimahesh Kailash is one of the homes of Lord Shiva, one of the chief Hindu deities. This tradition is strong in particular because the mountain has yet to be successfully … [Read more...]

Delhi, NCT The Akshardham Temple in New Delhi is the religious architectural triumph of modern India. A temple of the Swaminarayan sect of Hinduism, it was constructed at the turn of the millennium and is India’s most recent major temple. It is also, by some measures, the largest Hindu temple in the world. Despite the fact that it is barely a decade old, it has skyrocketed to … [Read more...]

Delhi, NCT The Raj Ghat, the most famous ghat in Delhi, is possibly the most visited ghat in India, and arguably the most popular site of Hindu interest in the capital. Although the current ghat stands on an an ancient site, it is not for its ancient history that it has achieved great importance; but rather for its association with Mohandas Ghandi, the father of modern India. … [Read more...]

Jaipur, Rajasthan The Birla Temple of Jaipur is one of modern India’s architectural masterpieces. Constructed in the 1980s, it is one of a series of shrines known as the Birla temples. These temples, about twenty of which have been constructed all over India throughout the last century or so, were sponsored by the wealthy Birla family as a way of reinvigorating Hinduism in the … [Read more...]

Rishikesh, Uttarakhand The city of Rishikesh is one of India’s most popular spiritual centers, where people from all over the world come to seek enlightenment (religious, philosophical or otherwise) at its many ashrams and schools. Although it has been an important Hindu center for many centuries, it is only in the last few decades that Rishikesh has soared into the … [Read more...]

Ahmedabad, Gujarat The Swaminarayan Temple of Ahmedabad was the first temple to be established by Swaminarayan Sampraday, one of the most popular Hindu leaders of recent centuries. It is also serves as one of the two seats (headquarters) of that movement. Among the nine temples personally founded by Swaminarayan, it is arguably the most popular among pilgrims as he spent much … [Read more...]

Sarahan, Himachal Pradesh The Bhima-Kali Temple is arguably the finest wooden construction temple in India. Architecturally, it seems very out of place, with elements reminiscent of structures found in many places from Japan and China to Scandinavia. Dedicated to the mother goddess Bhimakali, it is one of the most prominent temples to a Hindu goddess in Northern India. It is … [Read more...]

Yamunotri, Uttarakhand The Yamunotri Temple is an old shrine, but thanks to better accent in recent years has become part of a new and popular pilgrimage route. This route, consisting of a series of four temples known as the Chota Char Dham (not to be confused with the Char Dham), includes the sources of two of India’s sacred rivers, the northernmost of the Char Dham temples … [Read more...]

Gangotri, Uttarakhand The Gangotri Temple is an old shrine, but thanks to better accent in recent years has become part of a new and popular pilgrimage route. This route, consisting of a series of four temples known as the Chota Char Dham (not to be confused with the Char Dham), includes the sources of two of India’s sacred rivers, the northernmost of the Char Dham temples and … [Read more...]