Religious tourism is one of the fastest-growing industries in the world. Travellers worldwide come to see the pilgrimage sites as per their beliefs and engage in travel activities. In this, we can include Yoga tourism, faith tourism, and spiritual tourism they all are the same. It has been spreading at a crazy pace in countries like India. As of today, this market is niche and not widely spread but the way people accept other religions religious tourism will be a big market.
What is Religious Tourism?
As the name suggests, any kind of travel to religious or spiritual places is considered Religious Tourism. Based on their belief system a traveller visits holy sites. A Hindu goes to Mandir, a Muslim goes to Dargah, a Christian goes to Church and a Sikh goes to Gurudwara. Religious tourism in India has been famous as people strongly believe in gods. According to some reports, almost 40% of travel in India is for religious purposes.
In recent times we have seen many people from the USA and Europe also come to Indian places such as Vrindavan and Varanasi for Religious purposes.
Places for Religious Tourism in India
| No. | Place | Famous Temples | Best Time to Visit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Varanasi | Kashi Vishwanath Temple, Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple | October to March |
| 2 | Amritsar | Golden Temple (Harmandir Sahib) | Throughout the year, but avoid summer |
| 3 | Rishikesh | Triveni Ghat, Parmarth Niketan | September to November and March to June |
| 4 | Haridwar | Har Ki Pauri, Mansa Devi Temple | October to March |
| 5 | Mathura | Krishna Janmabhoomi, Dwarkadhish Temple | October to March |
| 6 | Ayodhya | Shri Ram Temple, Hanuman Garhi | October to March |
| 7 | Puri | Jagannath Temple | October to March |
| 8 | Dwarka | Dwarkadhish Temple | October to March |
| 9 | Kedarnath | Kedarnath Temple | May to June and September to October |
| 10 | Badrinath | Badrinath Temple | May to June and September to October |
| 11 | Vrindavan | Banke Bihari Temple, ISKCON Temple, Prem Mandir, Radha Vallabh Mandir, Rangji Mandir and more | October to March |
| 12 | Tirupati | Venkateswara Temple | Throughout the year |
| 13 | Madurai | Meenakshi Amman Temple | October to March |
| 14 | Shirdi | Shirdi Sai Baba Temple | Throughout the year |
| 15 | Kanyakumari | Kumari Amman Temple | October to March |
| 16 | Hampi | Virupaksha Temple | October to March |
| 17 | Somnath | Somnath Temple | October to March |
| 18 | Ajmer | Ajmer Sharif Dargah | Throughout the year |
| 19 | Bodh Gaya | Mahabodhi Temple | October to March |
| 20 | Khajuraho | Kandariya Mahadev Temple | October to March |
| 21 | Jaipur | Govind Dev Ji, Mori Dungri, Galta Ji, Khole ke Hanuman Ji, Garh Ganesh Ji, Birla Mandir, ISCKON, Akshardham | November to February |
| 22 | Ujjain | Mahakal Temple, Managalnath, Kal Bhairav Temple, Harsiddhi Temple | October to March and Sawan Month |
| 23 | Dwarka | Bet Dwarka, Dwarkadeesh Temple | November to January |
| 24 | Sikar | Khatu Shyam Ji Temple, Salasar Balaji | February or March |
| 25 | Kerala | Padmanabhaswamy Temple, Thirumandhamkunnu Temple, Padiyanoor Devi Temple | July to December |
Read about- Dark Tourism in India | Best Temples of Ujjain
Famous Destinations for Religious Tourism in the Worldwide
| No. | Country | Specialty |
| 1 | India | Varanasi – Hinduism’s holiest city; Golden Temple in Amritsar |
| 2 | Saudi Arabia | Mecca and Medina – Islam’s two holiest cities |
| 3 | Israel | Jerusalem – Holy city for Judaism, Christianity, and Islam |
| 4 | Vatican City | St. Peter’s Basilica and the Vatican Museums – Center of Catholicism |
| 5 | Italy | Assisi – Birthplace of St. Francis; Rome – Center of Catholicism |
| 6 | Japan | Kyoto – Home to numerous Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines |
| 7 | Nepal | Lumbini – Birthplace of Buddha |
| 8 | Tibet | Lhasa – Center of Tibetan Buddhism; Mount Kailash – Sacred in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism |
| 9 | Turkey | Istanbul – Hagia Sophia and Blue Mosque; Ephesus – Early Christian site |
| 10 | Egypt | Cairo – Al-Azhar Mosque and Coptic Christian sites |
| 11 | Greece | Mount Athos – Autonomous monastic state; Ancient religious sites |
| 12 | Mexico | Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe – Important Catholic pilgrimage site |
| 13 | Jordan | Petra – Ancient city with religious significance |
| 14 | Thailand | Wat Pho and Wat Arun – Important Buddhist temples |
| 15 | Iran | Mashhad – Imam Reza Shrine; Qom – Important center of Shia Islam |
Also Read – 25 Honeymoon Places in India | Best Places for Navratri Celebrations in India
Benefits of Religious Tourism
- Religious tourism offers a sense of spiritual connection and stable the mental condition of a person. Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg found peace at a small religious place in India known as Neem Karoli Baba Dham.
- Religious tourism can bring people together from different backgrounds, fostering a sense of community and shared purpose.
- Almost 63% of travellers in India are religious tourists which creates a lot of job and business opportunities.
- Recently we have seen the development of Char Dham Yatra, the corridor in Kashi Vishwanath, the Mahakal Corridor, the upcoming corridor at Banke Bihari, Amarnath Yatra road, So we can say religious tourism also helps in infrastructure development
- Religious sites often represent important cultural heritage and can be preserved through tourism revenue. Tirupati Balaji, Vaishno Devi Temple, Amarnath Temple and all the pilgrim sites are examples of it.
