| Pilgrimage |
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| Panch
Badri |
| Uttaranchal
India all
as the apt tribute to Lord Vishnu reveres
the five Badris. Badrinath is devoted to the
worship of Vishnu who, according to an amusing
tale, Usurped this place from Shiva. For Vishnu
had come here as the gods once did, to offer
penance. He loved the |
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place so much that he plotted to unseat Shiva
from his meditation here. He took on the form
of a beautiful child and began to wail. Shiva's
wife, Parvati picked him up but could not
calm the child. Since his wailing continued
to disturb Shiva, he shifted to Kedarmath in
exasperation, leaving the spot free for Vishnu
to occupy. But remainders of Shiva's stay
continue to linger, most visibly in the name,
badri, a kind of berry that Shiva was S most
fond of, and the gigantic tree, invisible
to the mortal eye, that served Shiva. Considered
one of the Chair Dham or four principal places
of Hindu worship, Badrinath's four subsidiary
badris include Bhavishya Badri, Yogdhyan Badri,Vridht
Badri, and Adi Badri. |
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| Panch
Kedar |
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The
five Kedar lies in the valleys between the
rivers Bhagirathi and Alaknanda. The term
Kedar itself means a natural rock formation
or a glacial moraine. According to legend,
Kedarnath, the chief seat of the Panch Kedar,
come into being during the period when the |
| five
Pandava brothers were asked to seek Shiva's
blessings, purging them off sin of fratricide,
or killing their cousin brothers in the terrifying
bettle of Kurukshetra. Shiva disguised himself
as a bull and started to plunge underground
when he was spotted by Pandavas. No wonder
the natural rock formation that is worshipped
here resembles the rump of bull. The other
four places where Shiva is worshipped take
their appearance from different part of his
body - the navel at Madmaheshwar, the arm
at Tungnath, the face at Rudranath, and the
matted hair at Kalpeshwar. |
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| Panch
Prayag |
| Panch
Prayag, confluence of most sacred rivers,
is considered the epitome of immortal piety.
River confluences in India are considered
very sacred, especially since rivers themselves
are extolled ad goddesses. And outside of
Prayag, the great |
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confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna and the mythical
Saraswati at Allahabad, the most revered confluences
are in the Garhwal Himalayas. Since the two
mighty rivers and
tributaries trace their source to these mountains,
the points at which they meet are sanctified
as major pilgrimage centers. It is here that
propitiatory and cleansing ceremonies are
performed as part of the tenets of Hindu religion.
Five Prayags are Vishnu Prayag, Nand Prayag,
Karna Prayag, Rudra Prayag and Deo Prayag. |
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| Gangotri |
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Panch
Prayag, confluence of most sacred rivers,
is considered the epitome of immortal piety.
River confluences in India are considered
very sacred, especially since rivers themselves
are extolled ad goddesses. And outside of
Prayag, the great |
|
confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna and the mythical
Saraswati at Allahabad, the most revered confluences
are in the Garhwal Himalayas. Since the two
mighty rivers and tributaries trace their
source to these mountains, the points at which
they meet are sanctified as major pilgrimage
centers. It is here that propitiatory and
cleansing ceremonies are performed as part
of the tenets of Hindu religion. Five Prayags
are Vishnu Prayag, Nand Prayag, Karna Prayag,
Rudra Prayag and Deo Prayag. |
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| Yamanotri |
| The
shrine of Yamunotri,situated at an elevation
of about 3,235 mt is a point of paramount
religious importance for Hindus and an essential
pilgrimage. Situated in the direction opposite
to Gangotri,the road bifurcates froma place
called Dharasu,somewhere between Rishikesh-
Uttarkashi and goes on to Yamunotri.The shrine
can also be visited via mussorie and Barkot. |
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