Religious Places in India

India is a nation that believes in the ideology of unity in diversity. It is an abode to different religions, cultures, traditions, ethnic values and customs. Over 80% of India's population practices Hinduism. Other major religions in India are Sikhism, Jainism, Christianity, Buddhism and Islam.

The holy Ganges flow abundantly in North India which makes it a popular destination for devotees. North India is dotted with popular pilgrim places like Rishikesh, Kedarnath, Haridwar, Gangotri, Badrinath, Mathura, Ayodhya and Ujjain. Gangotri, Yamunotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath are the four major shrines that constitute the Char Dham. The Char Dham tour is considered to be the most scared of all Hindu religious tours.

North India also has various Buddhist Pilgrim sites like Kapilavastu (Piprahwa), Kaushambi, Kushinagar, Sanchi, Sankisa and Sravasti.

Harmandir Sahib, popularly known as the Golden Temple, is located in Amritsar. It is considered the holiest shrine for Sikhs.

Western India includes states of Goa, Gujarat and Maharashtra. Goa is a state of diverse religious cultures and attracts tourist from all over the world. Goa has beautiful churches, elaborate temples and mosques.

The state of Gujarat has important Jain temples, besides several Hindu shrines. The most prominent Jain shrine is the rectangular Neminath temple. Akshardham Temple, Dwarkadhish Temple, Sun Temple and Somnath Temple are other popular religious places in Gujarat.

In Maharashtra, there are many popular pilgrimage sites like Shirdi, Hazi Ali tomb, Mount Marry Church, Nashik and Shri Hazur Abchalnagar Sahib of Nanded (Gurudwara) to name a few.

Eastern India includes pilgrimage sites of West Bengal, Orissa, Bihar and Jharkhand.

West Bengal has holy places like Katra mosque, Adinath Temple, Hare Krishna Mandir and Kali Mandir. Sacred places in Darjeeling are St. Andrew�s Church and Bhutia Busty Monastery.

In Odisha, one can visit famous religious places like Jagannath Temple in Puri and Temple at Konark.

Religious places in South India are: Amaravati, Guruvayoor Temple, Kalpathi Temple,�Meenakshi Temple, Udupi, The Thousand Pillars Temple and Sabarimala Temple.