Hindu pilgrimage sites in India

In Hinduism, the yatra (pilgrimage) to the tirthas (sacred places) has special significance for earning the punya (spiritual merit) needed to attain the moksha (salvation) by performing the darśana (viewing of deity), the parikrama (circumambulation), the yajna (sacrificial fire offering), the Dhyana (spiritual contemplation), the puja (worship), the prarthana (prayer, which could be in the form of mantra - sacred chants, bhajan - prayer singing, or kirtan - collective musical prayer performance), the dakshina (alms and donation for worthy cause), the seva (selfless service towards community, devotees or temple), the bhandara (running volunteer community kitchen for pilgrims), etc. These sacred places are usually located on the banks of sacred waters, such as sacred rivers or their tributaries (among the rigvedic rivers of sapta sindhu the trio ganges-yamuna-saraswati are considered most sacred), the kundas (pond or lake, among these the Lake Manasarovar is considered most scared), the ghats (water bodies with stairs such as Ghats in Varanasi), or the stepwells (among these the rani ki vav in the form of inverted temple is considered most spectacular), or the temple tanks.

Kedarnath Temple in Himalayan Mountains, Uttarakhand
Evening prayers at Ganga river (Har-Ki-Pauri) in Haridwar

In India there are 7 Sapta Puri holy cities, 4 Dhams (Char Dham) and 12 Jyotirlings devoted to the Lord Shiva, 51 Shakti Pithas devoted to the feminine manifestation of the god, the eight swayambhu Vishnu temples (Badrinath, Naimisharanya, Saligram Muktinath, Srimushnam, Tiruchirappalli, Tirupati, Nanguneri, Pushkar) and the important Lord Rama circuit (Ayodhya, Chitrakoot, Hampi and Rameswaram)[1] and Lord Krishna circuit (Braj, Kurukshetra and Dwarka).[2]

Most visited Pilgrimage Places

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Ayodhya Ram Janmabhoomi

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Ram Janmbhoomi Mandir, Ayodhya Dham

Ayodhya is an ancient holy city in Uttar Pradesh, which is one of the seven holy Hindu Saptapuri cites, and considered the home to Ram Janmabhoomi, the birth place of Rama. The Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, India is a Hindu temple, that was inaugurated[4] on 22 January 2024 after a prana pratishtha (consecration) ceremony.[5][4] In Hindu tradition, this temple is believed to be located at an ancient pilgrimage site of Ram Janmabhoomi, the birthplace of Rama, a principal deity of Hinduism.[6][7][8] Ayodhya's Ram temple is projected to have 50 million visitors per year, which will make it the top pilgrimage site in the world.[9][10]

Kashi Vishwanath (Varanasi)

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Kashi Vishwanath Temple, Varanasi (Ganga Dwar)

Kashi Vishwanath Temple is Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva located in the ancient holy city of Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India. The temple is a prominent Hindu pilgrimage site, and is one of the twelve Jyotirlinga shrines. The presiding deity is known by the names Vishwanath and Vishweshwara (IAST: Viśvanātha and Viśveśvara), literally meaning Lord of the Universe. The temple has been managed by a board of trustees set up by the government of Uttar Pradesh since 1983.[11] On 1 January 2023, a record 3.35 lakh pilgrims visited the temple. In the month of January 2023, the temple saw an average footfall of above 45,000 per day.[12]

Tirupati Balaji (Venkateswara Temple, Tirumala)

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Tirumala Venkateswara temple entrance

Venkateswara Temple, Tirumala, also known as Tirupati Balaji Temple is a Hindu temple situated in the hills of Tirumala at Tirupati in Tirupati district of Andhra Pradesh, India. The temple is dedicated to Venkateswara, a form of Vishnu, who is believed to have appeared on the earth to save mankind from the trials and troubles of Kali Yuga. Venkateswara is known by many other names: Balaji, Govinda, and Srinivasa.[13] The temple is run by Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), which is under the Andhra Pradesh Government. The head of TTD is appointed by Andhra Pradesh Government. The temple is one of the Pancha Kshethram where Maha Lakshmi was born as Bhargavi - the daughter of Maharishi Bhrigu. The other four temples of the Pancha Kshethram are Sarangapani temple, Kumbakonam, Oppiliappan temple, Nachiyar Koil and Sundararaja Perumal Temple, Salem. Tirumala hills are part of Seshachalam Hills range. The hills are 853 metres (2,799 ft) above sea level and comprise seven peaks, representing the seven heads of Adisesha. The temple lies on the seventh peak—Venkatadri, on the southern banks of Sri Swami Pushkarini, a holy water tank. Hence the temple is also referred to as "Temple of Seven Hills", and it is one of the top Hindu pilgrimage destinations in India.[14] The temple is visited by 50,000 to 100,000 devotees per day and reaching 30 to 40 million visitors annually who come to pray to Lord Venkateshwara.[15]

Sri Sai Baba Temple (Shirdi)

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Sri Sai Baba Temple, Shirdi

[Sri Sai Baba Temple,Shirdi], also known as Sri Sai Baba Samadhi Mandir and Sai Baba of Shirdi temple, is a temple which is located in holy city town of Shirdi, Maharashtra[16] is among the top pilgrimage sites of the world.Sai Baba of Shirdi,also known as Shirdi Sai Baba, was an Indian spiritual master and fakir, considered to be a saint, revered by devotees during and after his lifetime.[17]Hindu devotees believed to be an incarnation of the Hindu deity Dattatreya.The temple is a beautiful shrine which was constructed in the year 1922. Shirdi Sai Baba temple is approx. 200 KM from Mumbai city. Also, this temple is known to be the Second richest temple in India[18] where millions of pilgrims visits daily. Shirdi is flocked by devotees and tourists who come to this holy land of Sri Sai Baba.This temple has been managed by Sri Saibaba Sansthan Trust,Shirdi also known as SSST,SHIRDI.The Temple is visited by more than 60,000 per day and the number goes up by 2 to 3 lakh per day on the special occasion.[19] Temple has also recorded the highest number, more than 30 million devotees annually ,which make it the top pilgrimage site in the world.

Vaishno Devi Temple (Jammu)

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Mata Vaishno Devi Temple, Jammu

Vaishno Devi Temple, also known as the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Temple and Vaishno Devi Bhavan, is a Hindu mandir (temple) located in Katra, Jammu and Kashmir, dedicated to Vaishno Devi, a manifestation of Durga.[20][21][22][23] It is located on the Trikuta mountain at 5,000 feet elevation.[24] The Shakti tradition considers it to be a Shakti Pitha.[25] The temple is governed by the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB) and has been chaired by the Governor of Jammu and Kashmir since August 1986.[26] It is one of the most popular Hindu pilgrimage sites in north-west India, with millions of devotees visiting the hill temple annually.[27] In 2018, the Vaishno Devi shrine reported that it had received 8.5 million pilgrims that year.[28]

List of Important Pilgrimage Places

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Place State Importance
Ayodhya Uttar Pradesh Saptapuri
Dwarka Gujarat Saptapuri
Haridwar Uttarakhand Saptapuri
Kanchipuram Tamil Nadu Saptapuri
Mathura Uttar Pradesh Saptapuri
Ujjain Madhya Pradesh Saptapuri
Varanasi Uttar Pradesh Saptapuri
Haridwar Uttarakhand Kumbh Mela
Nashik Maharashtra Kumbh Mela
Prayagraj Uttar Pradesh Kumbh Mela
Ujjain Madhya Pradesh Kumbh Mela
Badrinath Temple Uttarakhand Char Dham
Dwarkadhish Temple Gujarat Char Dham
Jagannath Temple Odisha Char Dham
Ramanathaswamy Temple Tamil Nadu Char Dham, 12 Jyotirlinga
Bhimashankar Temple Maharashtra/ Odisha 12 Jyotirlinga
Vaidyanath Temple Maharashtra/ Jharkhand/ Himachal Pradesh 12 Jyotirlinga
Trimbakeshwar Temple Maharashtra 12 Jyotirlinga
Grishneshwar Temple Maharashtra 12 Jyotirlinga
Omkareshwar Temple Madhya Pradesh 12 Jyotirlinga
Somnath Temple Gujarat 12 Jyotirlinga
Nageshvara Temple Gujarat 12 Jyotirlinga
Kedarnath Temple Uttarakhand 12 Jyotirlinga
Vishwanath Temple Uttar Pradesh 12 Jyotirlinga
Mahakaleshwar Temple Madhya Pradesh 12 Jyotirlinga, Astadasha Maha Shaktipeeth
Mallikarjuna Temple Andhra Pradesh 12 Jyotirlinga, Astadasha Maha Shaktipeeth
Shrinkhala Temple, Pandua West Bengal Astadasha Maha Shaktipeeth
Mangla Gauri Temple, Gaya Bihar Astadasha Maha Shaktipeeth
Ekvira Temple, Mahur Maharashtra Astadasha Maha Shaktipeeth
Biraja Temple, Jajpur Odisha Astadasha Maha Shaktipeeth
Alopi Devi Temple, Prayagraj Uttar Pradesh Astadasha Maha Shaktipeeth
Kukkuteswara Temple, Pithapuram Andhra Pradesh Astadasha Maha Shaktipeeth
Sri Sai Baba Temple, Shirdi Maharashtra Sai Baba of Shirdi
Bhimeswara Temple, Draksharamam Andhra Pradesh Astadasha Maha Shaktipeeth
Jawalamukhi, Kangra Himachal Pradesh Astadasha Maha Shaktipeeth
Mahalakshmi Temple, Kolhapur Maharashtra Astadasha Maha Shaktipeeth
Jogulamba Temple, Alampur Telangana Astadasha Maha Shaktipeeth
Kamakshi Amman Temple, Kanchipuram Tamil Nadu Astadasha Maha Shaktipeeth
Vishalakshi Temple, Varanasi Uttar Pradesh Astadasha Maha Shaktipeeth
Chamundeshwari Temple, Mysuru Karnataka Astadasha Maha Shaktipeeth
Sharada Peeth, Neelam POK Astadasha Maha Shaktipeeth
Vimala Temple, Puri Odisha Adi Shaktipeeth
Tara Tarini Temple, Ganjam Odisha Adi Shaktipeeth
Kamakhya Temple, Guwahati Assam Adi Shaktipeeth
Kalighat Kali Temple, Kolkata West Bengal Adi Shaktipeeth
Janai Malai Satara Swayambhu
Pushkar Swayambhu Vishnu
Naimisharanya Swayambhu Vishnu
Tirupati Swayambhu Vishnu
Srimushnam Swayambhu Vishnu
Tiruchirappalli Swayambhu Vishnu
Nanguneri Swayambhu Vishnu
Muktinath, Nepal Swayambhu Vishnu
Pashupati, Nepal Shiva
Shikhar Shingnapur Shiva
Narsobawadi Narsimha Saraswati
Ganagapura Narsimha Saraswati
Kudalasangama Lingayat
Manikanagara Manik Prabhu
Akkalkot Swami Samartha
Kurvapur, Raichur Sripad Vallabha
Hampi Rama circuit
Nashik Rama Circuit
Nabadwip West Bengal Chaitanya Mahaprabhu Gaudiya Vaishnavism circuit
Mayapur West Bengal Gaudiya Vaishnavism Circuit
Tarapith West Bengal Shaktipith, Tarapith Temple. Also tantric seat of power along with Kamakya Temple
Attahas West Bengal Shaktipeeth
Kankalitala West Bengal Shaktipeeth
Dakshineswar Kali Temple West Bengal Siddhapith, famous Kali Temple
Ekachakra West Bengal Gaudiya Vaishnavism Circuit
Juranpur Satipith West Bengal Shaktipeeth
Kiriteswari Temple West Bengal Shaktipeeth
Taraknath Temple West Bengal one of the 64 Jyotirlingas
Bargabhima Temple West Bengal Shaktipeeth
Nandikeshwari Temple West Bengal Shaktipeeth
Bahula Shaktipeet West Bengal Shaktipeeth
Bahula Temple West Bengal Shaktipeeth
Bakreshwar West Bengal Shaktipeeth
Ujani Temple Burdwan West Bengal Shaktipeeth
Bhramari Temple Jalpaiguri West Bengal Shaktipeeth
Tripura Sundari Temple Tripura Shaktipeeth
Ratnavali Temple West Bengal Shaktipeeth
Kshirgram Jogadya Temple West Bengal Shaktipeeth
Sarvamangala Temple, Purba Bardhaman district West Bengal Shaktipeeth
Fullora Temple Labhpur West Bengal Shaktipeeth
Kachua West Bengal Lokenath Baba Janmasthan
Baneswar Shiva temple West Bengal Shiva Temple
Jalpesh Temple West Bengal Shiva Temple
Shibnibas Nadia West Bengal Shiva Temple

Haridwar-Rishikesh (Maya Puri) region

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Ganga Aarti at Parmarath Niketan, Rishikesh
 
Shri Bharat Mandir (Hrishikesh Narayan Temple)
 
Shakumbhari devi, right side Bhima and Bhramari left side Goddess Shatakshi

The importance of Maya Puri (Haridwar)-Rishikesh) tirth region is clearly mentioned in puranas. This tirth is located in Uttarakhand, India. Haridwar tirth region is mainly dedicated to shiva and Parvati, whereas Vishnu is primarily worshipped in Rishikesh tirth region.

Temples in Haridwar Tirth region:-

1.Daksheshwar Mahadev Temple

2.Shitla mata Temple (Sati mata janmsthan)

3.Narayani shila Temple

4.Mansa Devi Temple

5.Maya Devi Temple

6.Chandi Devi Temple

7.Bilkeshwar Mahadev Temple

8.Paradeshwar Mahadev Temple

9.Nileshwar Mahadev Temple

10.Har ki Paudi Ganga Ghat(Ganesh ji Temple)

11.Dakshin Kali Temple

12.Aanand Bhairav Temple

Temples in Rishikesh Tirth Region:-

1.Shri Hrishikesh Narayan Temple (Bharat Mandir)

2.Veerabhadra Temple

3.Neelkanth Mahadev Temple

4.Laxman temple

5.Shatrughna Temple

6.Chandreshwar Mahadev temple

Naimisharanya

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Sabha Mandap of Shri Naimishnath Temple
 
Vishnu Idol Inside the Sanctum Sanctorum of Naimishnath Temple

Naimisa-Forest or Naimisharanya(Misrikh-Neemasar) is a Vaishnav tirth region located in Uttar Pradesh, India. Vishnu is mainly worshipped in this tirth.

Temples in Misrikh tirth region:-

1.Rishi Dhadichi Temple

2.Dhadichi Kund

Temples in Neemsar(Naimisharanya) tirth region:-

1.Naimishnath Vishnu Temple

2.Chakra Tirth Temple

3.Bhooteshwar Mahadev Temple

4.Vyas Gaddi

5.Sut Gaddi

6.Chakranarayan Temple

7.Hanuman Garhi Temple

8.Lalita Devi Temple

9.Devdeveshwar Mahadev Temple

10.Gomti river (Dashasumedh ghat)

11.Hatya-Haran Tirth (Hatya-Haraneshwar Mahadev Temple)

Tirths of Uttarakhand

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Gopinath Temple

kedar Tirth Region:-

In kedar Tirth mainly Shiva and Parvati is worshipped.

1.Kedarnath Temple

2.Gaurikund Temple

3.Triyuginarayan Temple

4.Guptkashi Temple

5.Ukhimath Omkareshwar Temple

6.Kalimath Temple

7.Tungnath Temple

8.Rudranath Temple

9.Madhyamaheshwar Temple

10.Bhairav Temple, kedarnath

11.Gopinath Temple, Gopeshwar

12.Munkatia Ganesh Temple

13.Anasuya Devi Temple, Gopeshwar

 
Badrinath Temple

Badri tirth Region:-

In Badri Tirth mainly Vishnu and Lakshmi is worshipped.

1.Badrinath Temple

2.Kalpeshwar Temple

3.Bhavishya Badri Temple

 
Bagnath Temple

4.Vishnuprayag Temple

5.Kuber Temple, Pandukeshwar

6.Yog dhyan Badri Temple, Pandukeshwar

7.Dhyan Badri Temple

8.Vyas Gufa, Mana

9.Vriddha Badri Temple

10.Joshimath Narsingh Mandir

Panch Prayag Tirth Region:-

1.Uma devi Temple, Karnaprayag

2.Umra Narayan Temple

3.Rudranath Temple, Rudraprayag

4.Nandprayag Temple

5.Adi Badri Temple, Karnaprayag

6.Augustmuni Temple

7.Neelmegha Vishnu Temple, Devaprayag

8.Dhari Devi Temple

9.Koteshwar Mahadev Temple

10.Chamunda devi Temple, Rudraprayag

11.Tungeshwar Mahadev Temple

12.Kartik Swami Temple

13.Indrasani Devi Temple, Kandali, Rudraprayag

14.Karmajeet Temple, Pillu, Rudraprayag

 
Neelmegha Vishnu Temple

kumaon tirth Region:-

1.Bagnath Temple, Bageshwar

2.Baijnath Temple, Garur

3.Jageshwar Dham

4.Kot Bhramari Temple, Kajyuli

5.Devidhura Varahi Temple

6.Poornagiri Temple

7.Danda Nagraja Temple

Garhwal tirth Region:-

1.Tapkeshwar Mahadev Temple

2.Daat Kali Temple, Dehradun

3.Santala Devi Temple, Dehradun

4.Sem Mukhem Nag Temple

5.Budha Kedar Temple

6.Surkanda Devi Temple

7.Uttarkashi Shiva-Shakti Temple

8.Lakhamandal Temple

9.Yamunotri Temple

10.Gangotri Temple

 
Gangotri Temple

11.Gaumukh

12.Shani Dev Temple, Kharsoli

13.Kyunkaleshwar Temple

14.Mahasu Devta Temple, Hanol

15.Prachin Bhairav Temple, Gangotri

Shookar kshetra

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In Narsingh Puran, It is mentioned that Shookar kshetra in one of the abodes of Vishnu which is Located in Uttar Pradesh, India. It is dedicated to Varah form of Vishnu. Today shookar kshetra consist of parts of Kasganj and Bulandsahar District. Whole Shookar kshetra is located on the banks of the river Ganga.

Temples in Shookar Kshetra(Soron) tirth:-

1.Shookar Temple(Varah Temple), Soron[Kasganj district]

2.Har ki paudi Teerth (Holy Tank), Soron[kasganj district]

3.Belon Devi Temple, Belon [Bulandsahar district]

4.kalyani Devi Temple, Karanwas [Bulandsahar District]

5.Ram ghat (ganga ghat) near Narora[Bulandsahar District]

6.Raj ghat(ganga ghat) near Narora[Bulandsahar District]

7.Suryakund, Soron [Kasganj District]

8.Navdurga Temple, Soron [Kasganj District]

9.Batuk Bhairav Nath ji Temple, Soron [Kasganj District]

10.Sheetla Mata Temple, Soron [Kasganj District]

11.Laddu Waale Balaji Mandir, Soron [Kasganj District]

Kanyakubj

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kanyakubj or Kannauj is a very ancient tirth present in Uttar Pradesh, India.It is also has a great importance in Indian history. It was the capital of the Harshvardhan dynasty. Its importance is given in Devi Bhagwat puran and Brahma puran.Brahmins from kanyakubj are world wide famous and are regularly appointed as the head priest of many hindu temples located in kannauj and north india.

Major Temples located in Kannauj Tirth are:-

1.Gauri shankar temple

2.Phoolmati Devi temple

3.Annapoorna Temple, Tirwaganj

4.Dauleshwar Mahadev Temple, tirwaganj

5.Govardhani Devi Temple

6.Gangeshwarnath Temple, chhibramau

7.Mansheshwarnath Temple, chhibramau

8.Kalika Devi Mandir, chhibramau

9.Bagiya Waale Hanumanji Temple, Chhibramau

10.Maa Aanandi Devi Temple, Prempur

Braj

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Braj, also called as Mathura Puri is a 84 kos tirth kshetra present in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. It is dedicated to Vishnu as krishna. Today this Braj region consist of mathura district of uttar pradesh and some parts of the state of Haryana and Rajasthan.Temples present here are established by the Grandson of Krishna, "Vajranabh". Therefore this tirth is known by the name of Vajranabh as Braj.This tirth is mentioned in skand puran, bhagvat puran, Brahma vaivarta puran, etc.

Braj Region is divided into many villages, these villages and their respective temples are mentioned below:-

Mathura tirth region:-

1.Shri Keshav Deo Temple

2.Shri Bhooteshwar Mahadev Temple

3.Shri Rangeshwar Mahadev temple

4.Shri Gokarneshwar Mahadev Temple

5.Shri Galteshwar Mahadev Temple

6.Shri Pipleshwar Mahadev Temple

7.Vishram ghat(Yamuna mandir)

8.Chamunda Mata Temple

9. Shri mathura Devi Temple

10.Kankali devi Temple

11.Mahavidya devi Temple

12 Shantanu Bihari Temple

13.Dirgh vishnu Temple

Gokul-Mahavan-Baldeo Tirth Region

1.Gokulnathji Temple(Nand Bhavan 84 Khamba )

2.Nand Bhavan, Gokul

3.Chandravali Mata Temple

4.Chintaharan Mahadev Temple

5.Brahmaand ghat

6.Raman Reti Temple

7.Baldeo Temple

8.Bandi Anandi Manomanccha maa Temple

9.Rawal Radha Rani Temple

Vrindavan tirth Region:-

1.Bankey Bihari Temple

2.Radha Raman Temple

3.radha Damodar Temple

4 Radha Govind dev ji temple

5.Radha Shyam sundar Temple

6.Radha Madan Mohan Temple

7.Radha Gokulnand Temple

8.Radha Gopinath Temple

9.Radha Vallabh Temple

10.Shri Garud Govind ji Temple

11.Nidhivan

12.Mota ganesh ji Temple

13.Sewa kunj

14.Gopeshwar Mahadev Temple

15.chamunda Mata Temple

16.Katayani Mata Temple

Govardhan Tirth kshetra:-

1.Giriraj ji Temple, Daanghati

2.Giriraj ji Temple, Jatipura

3.Giriraj ji Temple, Mansi Ganga

4.Luk luk Dauji Temple

5.Chandra Sarovar

6.Kusum sarovar

7.Radha Kund

8.Haridev ji Temple

9.Punchhari ka Lauthra Temple

10.Chakleshwar Mahadev Temple

11.Indra Maan Daman Temple

12.Mansa Devi Temple

13.Vankhandi Mahadev Temple

14. Kundeshwar Mahadev Temple

15.Radha Kund Mukharvind temple

16.Narayan Sarovar

17.lalit Kund

7.Ra

List of Hindu pilgrimage sites in India

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Varanasi is one of the main pilgrimage sites.
 
Dwaraka temple
 
Tirupati temple
 
Jagannath temple
 
Badrinath temple
 
Amarnath temple
 
Prem Mandir, Vrindavan
 
Guruvayoor Temple

See also

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References

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  2. ^ "Hindu Temple Pilgrimage – India". Retrieved 2021-04-18.
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  6. ^ "BBC". 16 October 2019. Archived from the original on 7 September 2023. Retrieved 8 September 2023.
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  10. ^ "Ayodhya's Ram Temple may draw 50 million visitors annually, to surpass Tirupati, Mecca, and Vatican". CNBC. 24 January 2024. Retrieved 31 March 2024. Ayodhya's Ram Temple may draw 50 million visitors annually, to surpass Tirupati, Mecca, and Vatican
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  17. ^ Sri Sai Baba, Sri Sai Baba. "Sri Sai Baba".
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  24. ^ Chaudhary, Poonam (2002), Religious terrorism -the latest threat (Juxtaposition of Jammu's Heritage - Living and vibrant versus dead and decaying) (PDF), Madrid: Comité Nacional Español del ICOMOS, pp. 311–314, retrieved 2024-02-19
  25. ^ "Famous Durga temples in India for religiously inclined souls". Times of India. 5 April 2019.
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  28. ^ "Vaishno Devi likely to receive 8.5 mn pilgrims by Dec 31; highest in 5 yrs". Business Standard. 29 December 2018.
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Further reading

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