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Uttar Pradesh Pilgrimage can be
referred to as the melting pot, speaking of religion. Regardless of the
horrendous communal riots, Uttar Pradesh is a heterogeneous society.
This society is referred to as
heterogeneous as almost all the major religions of this nation has some
pilgrimage in UP.
These pilgrimages in Uttar Pradesh
attract copious numbers of pilgrims every year and there is a constant
increase in the visitors visiting every year.
There is no doubt that this is owing
to the facilities and amenities provided by various Uttar Pradesh
hotels and lodges who nurture their business and soak the visitors in
the stream of hospitality.
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The increase in the numbers of pilgrims
adds to the chest of the state government. As Hindus constitute the
maximum inhabitants, the important Uttar Pradesh pilgrimage sites of
Hindus exist here only.
Mathura is one of the most popular
pilgrimages for the Hindus as it is the birthplace of Lord Krishna, the
Hindu deity. Vrindavan and Nandgaon are also popular places. There is
no dearth of pilgrimages in Uttar Pradesh and this is apparent from the
various temples and significant places of worship.
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Ayodhya is the native of Lord Rama
and is a popular pilgrimage destination. Though, Ayodhya has been
tarnished by communal and political activism, it yet attracts numerous
voices of sanity.
Uttar Pradesh is important for
Buddhists as well. The Sarnath-Kushinagar-Shravasti has some Buddhist
pilgrimages worth visiting and Sarnath is the place where Lord Buddha
delivered his first sermon after he received the enlightened.
There are numerous monasteries and
Stupas attracting scores of tourists. A pilgrimage in Uttar Pradesh has
no restrictions and this is apparent from the various pilgrimages of
all the religions.
Uttar Pradesh is a home to many
shrines of the Barelvi Sufi hermit and has Dewa Sharif, a shrine of
Sufi saint in Lucknow and Mazaar of Sufi Saint Hazrat Salim at Fatehpur
Sikri, Agra.
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These places attract hoards of Muslim
pilgrims on the birthday of these Sufi saints. Uttar Pradesh pilgrimage
cannot forget mentioning Varanasi sited on the banks of the holy
Ganges. Equally popular is Allahabad. A fair called as Kumbh Mela,
occurs every 12 years at Allahabad and an incessant crowd keep flowing
during this period.
Uttar Pradesh pilgrimage is also a never
ending list as it covers all the religions and has pilgrims invariably
for all the people. Pilgrimage in Uttar Pradesh is the main reason for
tourists to venture. To name some of the important places are the
Vrindavan, Lord Krishna’s home and even today this city has its
holiness maintained.
The other place of pilgrim importance is
the temple of Pagal Baba, a gleaming white temple. The Bankey Bihari
temple also houses sacred feelings. The Govind Dev temple, the Rangaji
Temple and the ISKON temple are few more temples attracting the
pilgrims.
In fact more than 4000 temples cannot be
visited as they have been inhabited as private homes since generations.
The most wonderful thing in Uttar Pradesh is the combination of the
sacred and the profane is obvious, but has brought no remarkable
changes and hence is the main pilgrimage center even today.
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