Pilgrimage

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

For other uses of the word pilgrimage, see Pilgrimage (disambiguation).

Pilgrim at Mecca

A pilgrimage is a term primarily used in religion and spirituality of a long journey or search of great moral significance. Sometimes, it is a journey to a sacred place or shrine of importance to a person's beliefs and faith. Members of every religion participate in pilgrimages. A person who makes such a journey is called a pilgrim.

Secular and civic pilgrimages are also practiced, without regard for religion but rather of importance to a particular society. For example, many people throughout the world travel to the City of Washington in the United States for a pilgrimage to see the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States. British people often make pilgrimages to London for public appearances of the monarch of the United Kingdom.

Pop culture has also sought to redefine pilgrimages, defining a demoscene party as a pilgrimage.

1 Antiquity
2 Bahá'í Faith
3 Buddhism
4 Christianity
5 Hinduism
6 Islam
- 6.1 Hajj
- 6.2 Ziarah
7 Jainism
8 Judaism
9 Mesoamerica
10 See also
11 Further reading
12 External links

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Antiquity

Many ancient religions had holy sites, temples and groves, where pilgrimages were made.

Karnak, Egypt.
Thebes, Egypt.
Delphi, Greece. Oracle.
Ephesus Temple of Diana.
Baalbek Lebanon.

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Bahá'í Faith

Bahá'u'lláh decreed pilgrimage in His Motherbook (Kitáb-i-Aqdas) to two places: the House of Bahá'u'lláh in Baghdad, Iraq, and the House of the Báb in Shiraz, Iran. In two separate Tablets, known as Suriy-i-Hajj, He prescribed specific rites for each of these pilgrimages (lifting the injunction regarding the shaving of one's head for pilgrimage in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas). It is obligatory to make the pilgrimage, "if one can afford it and is able to do so, and if no obstacle stands in one's way". Bahá'ís are free to choose between the two Houses, as either has been deemed sufficient. And although women are not bound to perform pilgrimage, they are certainly not prohibited to do so.

Later, `Abdu'l-Bahá designated the Shrine of Bahá'u'lláh at Bahji (the Qiblih) as a site of visitation. No rites have been prescribed for this.

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Buddhism

Gautama Buddha spoke of four holy sites that followers may seek.

Lumbini birth place
Sarnath (formally Isipathana) where he delivered his first teaching
Bodh Gaya place of Enlightenment
Kusinara (now Kusinagar, India) where he passed away

Tibetan Buddhist pilgrimages include:

Lhasa, capital of Tibet and traditional home of the Dalai Lama
Mount Kailash
Lake Nam-tso

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Christianity

Pilgrimages were first made to sites connected with the life, birth and crucifixion of Jesus. Surviving descriptions of Christian pilgrimages to the Holy Land date from the 4th century, when pilgrimage was encouraged by church fathers like Saint Jerome. Pilgrimages also began to be made to Rome and other sites associated with the Apostles, Saints and Christian martyrs, as well as to places where there have been alleged apparitions of the Virgin Mary.

The second largest single pilgrimage in the history of Christendom was to the Funeral of Pope John Paul II after his death on April 2, 2005. An estimated four million people travelled to Vatican City, in addition to the almost three million people already living in Rome, to see the body of Pope John Paul II lie in state.

World Youth Day is a major Catholic Pilgrimage, specifically for people aged 16-35. It is held internationally every 2-3 years. In 2005, young Roman Catholics visited Cologne, Germany. In 1995, the largest gathering of all time was to World Youth Day in Manilla, The Phillipines, where four million people from all over the world attended.

The major Christian pilgrimage sites are:

Jerusalem, Israel and West Bank. Site of the crufixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Rome Site of the deaths of Saint Peter, Saint Paul and other early martyrs. Headquarters of the Catholic Church.
Santiago de Compostela, Spain. Famous medieval pilgrimage, the Way of St James, to the shrine of Saint James.

Other important Christian pilgrimage sites include:

Avila, Spain, St Theresa of Avila, relics
Bethlehem, Israeli occupied, under the Palestinian National Authority. Birthplace of Jesus and King David.
Canterbury associated with Saint Thomas à Becket.
Cathedral of Chartres, France.
Croagh Patrick, Ireland. Saint Patrick.
Conques, France
Cologne, Germany. Relics of the Three Kings.
Czestochowa, Poland. Virgin Mary image.
Fatima, Portugal. Apparition of the Virgin Mary.
Glastonbury, England. St Joseph of Arimathea.
Guadalupe, Spain.
Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mexico City. Apparition of the Virgin Mary.
Kapel in 't Zand, Limburg
Kevelaer, Germany
Knock, Ireland
Lisieux, France. Saint Therese of Lisieux, burial place.
Lourdes, France. Apparition of the Virgin Mary. Place of healing.
Mariazell, Austria. Marian Shrine to Austria and Hungary
Mount Athos, Greece. Orthodox monastic centre.
Mount Nebo, Jordan. Traditional site of the death of Moses.
Mount Sinai, Egypt, holy mountain to the ancient Hebrews, traditional site has been commemorated since time of Constantine
Nazareth, Israel, hometown of Jesus
Santiago de Compostela, Spain, supposedly the final resting place of the Apostle Saint James the Great
St. Patrick's Purgatory, Donegal, Ireland
Taizé Community, France, modern monastery that actively encourages pilgrimages to it
Nidaros, Norway
Turin, Italy. Holy Shroud.
Sea of Galilee, Israel, site of Jesus' early ministry.
Vierzehnheiligen, Germany.
Walsingham, England. Virgin Mary apparition site.
Wittenberg, Germany. Church of Martin Luther and epicenter of the Protestant Reformation.

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Hinduism

The first four sites in the list above together comprise the Chardham, or four holy pilgrimage destinations. It is believed that travelling to these places leads to moksha, the release from samsara (cycle of rebirths). Vrindavan is most important place of pilgrimage for every Vaishnava, especially for the followers of Gaudiya Vaishnavism who regard Krishna as the original Personality of Godhead (God). Here one can attain love of God (prema).

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Islam

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Hajj

Pilgrimage to Mecca – the hajj – is one of the Five Pillars of Islam. It should be attempted at least once in the lifetime of all able-bodied Muslims.

In addition to that most of the Shiite Muslims undertake a pilgrimage to the holy city of Mashhad in northeastern part of Iran.

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Ziarah

Local Pilgrimage traditions - those undertaken as ziarah visits to local graves, are found throughout Muslim countries. In some countries, the graves of saints and heroes have very strong ziarah traditions as visiting the graves at auspicious times is a display of national and community identity.

Some traditions within Islam have negative attitudes towards grave visiting.

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Jainism

Adishwar Temple, Delwada Abu

In Jainism, a tirtha may be

Siddha kshtra: site of liberation of a Kevali (including Tirthankaras) like Ashtapad hill, Sammet Shikhar, Champa, Girnar, Pava and Shatrunjaya.
Atishaya kshetra: where divine events have occurred like Mahavirji, Kesariaji, Kundalpur etc.
Purana kshetra: associated with lives of shalaka-purushas, like Ayodhya, Vidisha, Hastinapur etc.
Gyana kshetra: associated with famous Acharyas or centers of learning, like Mohankheda, Shravanbelgola, Ladnun etc.

Geographically the Jain Tirthas can be divided into Six Quarters:

North India: Hastinapur, Takshashila, Ashtapada etc,.
South India: Shravanabelagola, Mudabidri, Hummacha etc.
Eastern India: Sammet Sikhar, Pavapuri, Champa, etc.
Western India: Shatrunajaya, Girnar, Abu, Mahavirji etc.
Central India: Vidisha, Kundalpur, Sonagir, etc.
Overseas: Siddhachalam, Nava-ashtapad etc.

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Judaism

See related article Three pilgrim festivals.

Within Judaism, the Temple in Jerusalem was the center of the Jewish religion, until its destruction in 70 AD, and all who were able were under obligation to visit and offer sacrifices known as the korbanot, particularly during the Jewish holidays in Jerusalem.

Following the destruction of the Second Temple and the onset of the diaspora, the centrality of pilgrimage to Jerusalem in Judaism was discontinued. In its place came prayers and rituals hoping for a reurn to Zion, see Jerusalem, Jews and Judaism.

It wasn't until fairly recently that pilgramage has now become a possibility for the World's Jewish population. Besides the residents of the modern State of Israel, Jews from many countries make periodic pilgrimages to the holy sites of their religion.

The Western retaining wall of the original temple, known as the Wailing Wall, or Western Wall remains in the Old City of Jerusalem and this has been the most sacred sight for Zionist Jews. This has only recently been open for Jews, when in 1967 Israel claimed ownership of Jerusalem.

Some Reform and Conservative Jews who no longer consider themselves exiles, still enjoy visiting Israel even if it is not an official "pilgramage."

Other Holy Sites for Jews in Israel:

Gamla mountain in the Golan Heights Masada in the Judean Desert

Other Holy Sites for Jews in Other Countries:

Rabbi Nachman of Breslov's Burial Site in Uman, Ukraine

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Mesoamerica

The concept of pilgrimage was also found in Pre-Columbian Mesoamerica. Important pilgrimage sites included:

Teotihuacan (still visited centuries after its buildings fell to ruin), said to be where the gods gathered to plan the creation of mankind
Chichen Itza, especially the sacred cenote, a natural well sacred to the rain god Chac, into which sacrifices were thrown.
Izamal, sacred to the creator god Itzamna
Cozumel, sacred to Ix Chel, goddess of the moon and childbirth