India is a land of holy cities. Most of the important places of pilgrimage in India are located along the banks of the great rivers like the Ganga, Brahmputra, Godavari and Kaveri. Bathing in these rivers is considered a meritorious act. With the expansion of public transportation in the 20th century, it has become now easier for the people to visit these spots to partake of the divine. In fact, in India pilgrimage is the preferred form of tourism, which may be called religious tourism.

The most significant religious place is Varanasi, which is also known as Kashi in south eastern Uttar Pradesh on the north bank of the Ganga, it is sacred to Hindus, Buddhist and Jains. They flock to the ghats or steps, leading from temples down to the banks of the sacred Ganga in their search for an auspicious site for death, cremation or immersion of ashes.

Then comes Hardwar at the foot of the Garhwal Himalayas, the Ganga flows quietly into this holy city it is a favourite spot for ritual bathing. 24 km. north of Hardwar is Rishikesh. It is here that the sacred river transforms itself from a rushing torrent, ideal for rivers rafting, into a meandering waterway. There are numerous destinations in the Himalayas including Badrinath and Kedarnath.

In Southern India, there are rivers like Kaveri, Krishna and Godavari. They all are holy rivers and attract pilgrims to a large number of bathing sites and the coastline features major temples such as the Ramalingesvara Temple in Ramesvaram, Tamil Nadu, where Ram and his army crossed over to Lanka to rescue Sita. Apart from these, there are many small sites for pilgrimage in India near almost all rivers or scenic hilltop.

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The pilgrims generally keep fasting and travel on foot in group in the process of getting to their destination. They sing devotional songs throughout the way. On arrival at pilgrimage sites, they often make contacts with priests who instruct them to do their rituals. At the major pilgrimage sites, the families of priests have served as hereditary guides for the pilgrims over many generations.

The devotees wait in line to have a elimpse of the deity’s image. This is done to maintain peace around the temples. There are numerous pilgrims who visit different religious fairs e.g. Kumbh mela, Puskar mela etc. Kumbh mela which is held at Allahabad at the interval of every ten years attracts thousands of devotees.

The devotees take holy dip into the sacred waters of the rivers which is the confluence of three rivers-Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati. Outside these religious sites one can see several hawkers and shopkeepers, selling various articles of need. There are amusement parks too in the surrounding area of such religious sites. They make the atmosphere lively and attractive and amuse the pilgrims in diferent ways.