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IDOL Institute of Distance and Online Learning

ENHANCE YOUR QUALIFICATION, ADVANCE YOUR CAREER. 2 BSc.TTM

Tourism Resources of

Course Code: BTT103

Semester: First

SLM Units : 6

E-LESSON : 3

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The course aims to provide basic knowledge of In this unit we are going to learn about different tourism products of India. Religious Tourism.

To Equip the student with the understanding of Hindu, Buddhist and Jain. domestic destinations.

Muslim, Christian and Sikh. To enrich student with knowledge of diversified tourism resources and products

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4

> Introduction of Religious Tourism

> Hindu and Muslim Sites

> Jain and Buddhist Sites

> Christian and Sikh Sites

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5  Religious tourism is a type of tourism exclusively or strongly motivated by religious reasons. This is one of the oldest forms of tourism. It can also be referred to as faith tourism or spiritual tourism. People go on religious holidays to confirm, deepen or reflect upon their faith

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7

(North)

(West)

(East)

 Rameshwaram (South)

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 Nageshwar  Kashi Vishwanath  Bhimashankar  Mahakaleshwar  Trimbakeshwar  Omkareshwar   Grihineshwar  Rameshwaram  Somnath  Vaidyanath

www.cuidol.in Unit-6 (BTT 103 ) All right are reserved with CU-IDOL VINDHYACHAL DEVI MANDIR (UP) 9 • Maa Vindhyavasini Devi is located in

Vindhyachal, 8km far from Mirzapur, and around

80km far from (Prayag) on the banks of

the holy River in the Indian state of Uttar

Pradesh.

• It’s one of the most revered Shaktipeeths of the

presiding , Maa Vindhyavasini Devi.

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 The Kamakhya Temple is a Peeth temple situated on the Hill in western part of Guwahati city in Assam, India. It is the main temple in a complex of individual dedicated to different forms of the mother goddess as the Dasa Mahavidya, including Bhuvaneshvari, Bagalamukhi, Chinnamasta, Tripura and .  It is an important pilgrimage destination for general Hindu and Tantric worshipers

www.cuidol.in Unit-6 (BTT 103 ) All right are reserved with CU-IDOL VAISHNO DEVI (J&K) 11  The temple is near the town of

Katra, in the Reasi district in the

state of Jammu and Kashmir. It is

one of the most revered places of

worship in India.

 The shrine is at an altitude of 5300

feet and a distance of approximately

12 kilometres (7.5 mi) from Katra.

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12 • is one of the most

famous Hindu temples dedicated to Lord

Shiva and is located in , the Holiest

existing Place of , where at least once

in life a Hindu is expected to do pilgrimage,

and if possible, also pour the remains (ashes)

of cremated ancestors here on the River

Ganges.

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(Devaprayāg) (is a town and a nagar

panchayat (municipality) in in

the state of , India, and is one of the

Panch Prayag (five confluences) of Alaknanda

River where Alaknanda and Bhagirathi rivers meet

and take the name Ganga or Ganges River.

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 Ayodhya, also known as Saket is an ancient city of India

adjacent to city in Faizabad district of .

 Ayodhya is the birthplace of the Hindu deity . It used to

be the capital of the ancient Kingdom.

 This Hindu holy city is described as early as in the Hindu Epics.

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 Brajbhoomi - the land where was born

and spent his youth, has today little towns and

hamlets that are still alive with the Krishna legend

and still redolent with the music of his flute.

 Mathura, a little town on the River was

transformed into a place of faith after Lord Krishna

was born here.

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 Vrindavan, a village - once noted for its fragrant

groves, is where he spent an eventful youth.

 There are numerous other little spots in the area

that still reverberate with the enchantment of Shri

Krishna.

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 Simhastha is the great bathing festival of

Ujjain. It is celebrated in a cycle of twelve

years when Jupiter enters the Leo sign of the

zodiac, known as Simha Rashi.

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 Simhastha is the great bathing festival of Ujjain.

 It is celebrated in a cycle of twelve years when

Jupiter enters the Leo sign of the zodiac, known as

Simha Rashi.

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 The holy city of Haridwar translates to "Gateway

to God," and the breathtaking city, replete with

temples, is a magnet for religious from

all over the globe.

 Religious festivals hold even further draw, and

tourists can’t helped but be compelled by the

city’s aura of intense spirituality.

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• Shri Trimbakeshwar Temple is located at a distance

of about 30-km from Nasik in Maharashtra near the

mountain named Brahmagiri from which the river

Godavari flows.

• Trimbakeshwar Temple is revered as one of the 12

Jyotirlinga shrines of and as the source of the

river Godavari

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21  Gangasagar or Sagardwip is one of the most sacred and holiest Hindu in India. A visit once to Gangasagar is worth a life-time.

 The Gangasagar pilgrimage was founded by the kings of Ikshwaku dynasty of Ayodhya

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 Lumbini : Lord was born at Lumbini while his mother was on her way to parental home from Kapilvastu.

 Lumbini should be visited and seen by a person of devotion, Lumbini is the Mecca of every Buddhist, being one of the four holy places of .

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is the place where attained

unsurpassed, supreme Enlightenment.

 It is a place which should be visited or seen by a person of

devotion and which would cause awareness and apprehension

of the nature of ".

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 At a distance of only 10-km from the famous Hindu

pilgrimage Varanasi, after attaining Enlightenment

the Buddha went to Sarnath.

 Lord Buddha had visited Sarnath looking for his five

companions who abandoned him in while they

deviated from the viewpoint of Lord Buddha on self-

mortification.

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26  Kushinagar, district of the eastern Uttar Pradesh, is known for

its cultural heritage all over the world. It is one of the four holiest

places for the Buddhists.

 At Kushinagar, Great Lord Buddha, founder of Buddhism,

delivered his last sermon. Outside India, it is an International

Buddhist Pilgrimage Centre.

 The followers of the Buddhism, especially from Asian Countries,

wish to visit this place at least once in their lifetime.

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 Sravasti, capital of the ancient is sacred to

Buddhists because it is here that Lord Buddha performed the

greatest of his miracles to confound the heretics.

 These miracles include that of the Buddha creating multiple

images of himself, hence forth has been among the favorite

themes of .

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28  Sankisa, located at a distance of around 40 km from Kannauj in

the Farrukabad district of Uttar Pradesh, is a place of

tremendous importance for the Buddhists. Mythical legends

relate the place to the Buddha.

 It is believed that after delivering sermons to His mother and

other devas in the Heaven, the Buddha returned to earth here at

this place, Sankisa, which was considered the town of human

abode. Because of this, Sankisa is counted amongst the

destinations for the Buddhist.

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 The first republic of the world, Vaishali holds special significance for the Buddhist devotees.

 The ancient city of Vaishali was the place, where Lord Buddha had delivered his last sermons and announced His prospective mahaparinirvana that was to take place in Kushinagar.

 Known as a host to the second Buddhist council in 383 BCE, Vaishali is also a sacred place for the Jains as Lord was born in Vaishali.

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30

 Rajgir is a city and a notified area in district in the Indian

state of Bihar.

 The city of Rajgir was the first capital of the kingdom of , a

state that would eventually evolve into the Mauryan Empire. Its date

of origin is unknown, although ceramics dating to about 1000 BC

have been found in the city.

 This area also notable in Buddhism, as one of the favorite places for

Gautama Buddha and the well known "Atanatiya" conference was

held at Vulture's Peak mountain.

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31  Kapilvastu, also known as modern in the Lumbini

Zone of Nepal, is one of the most holy Buddhist centres

globally. The capital city of the clan, and one of the

earliest Republics in the world, Kapilvastu witnessed the

childhood and early family life of the Buddha in the royal

palace.

 It was at Kapilvastu, the prince saw sorrow, pain, disease and

death, the which disturbed Him and He abandoned

His life in search of the reality of life, and became the Buddha.

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 Nālandā was an ancient center of higher learning in Bihar,

India.

 The site of Nalanda is located in the Indian state of Bihar,

about 88 kilometers south east of , and was a religious

center of learning from the fifth or sixth century CE to 1197 CE.

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 Sanchi, variously known as Kakanaya, Kakanava,

Kakanadabota and Bota-Sriparvata in ancient times, has a

singular distinction of having remarkable specimen of

Buddhist art and architecture right from the early Mauryan

period (c. third century BC to twelfth century AD).

 Sanchi is famous in the world for , monolithic Asoka

pillar, temples, and sculptural wealth.

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 Sanchi, variously known as Kakanaya, Kakanava,

Kakanadabota and Bota-Sriparvata in ancient times, has a

singular distinction of having remarkable specimen of

Buddhist art and architecture right from the early Mauryan

period (c. third century BC to twelfth century AD).

 Sanchi is famous in the world for stupas, monolithic Asoka

pillar, temples, monasteries and sculptural wealth.

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www.cuidol.in Unit-6 (BTT 103 ) All right are reserved with CU-IDOL PAVAPURI (BIHAR) 36  or Pavapuri is also called Apapuri is situated 8 kms

from Bihar Sarif and 31 km Rajgir.By road it is 87 km from

Patna.

 It is located on Bahktiapur - Rajgir railway line. Buses and

taxies also run from Rajgir to Pawapri. Pawapuri also known as

Apapuri is a scared Jain pilgrimage.

 Lord Mahavira, the final of , breathed his last

at this place, and was cremated here around 500 B.C.

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 An open air museum of Jain temples atop the

Shatrunjay hill, near in the western

state of is a pilgrim’s pride and a

tourist’s gateway to understanding the religion,

are and architecture of the peaceful liberators.

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38  Girnar is a collection of mountains in the Junagadh

District of Gujarat, India, situated near Junagadh at a

distance of 327 km from Ahmedabad.

 It is a holy place and an important pilgrimage site for

both Hindus and Jains, who gather here during the

Girnar festival.

 There are a number of temples located here. Amidst the

lush green Gir Forest, the mountain range serves as the

hub of religious activity.

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Dilwara Jain Temples are situated in Dilwara village 3 km from , the famous and beautiful hill station of Rajasthan.

 Dilwara is adorned with beautiful Jain shrines and considered to be one of the wonders of the world.

The temples are constructed in 11th and 12th century A.D.

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40 • is located 51 km south east of

Hassan in Karnataka at an Altitude of about 3350 feet

above sea level.

• There are excellent roads from Bangalore and Mysore.

The nearest airport is Bangalore which at a distance of

157 km. and the nearest railway station is Hassan.

Shravanabelagola is wedged between two rocky hills -

the Vindyagiri and the Chandragiri.

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 The of Jainism on Mount Satrunjaya, Palitana,

Gujarat are considered the holiest of all pilgrimage places by the

Svetambara Jain community.

 There are 863 temples exquisitely carved in marble located on the

hills. This temple-city has been built as an abode for the divine;

hence, no one is allowed to stay overnight, including the priests.

The main temple, on top of the hill, is dedicated to the first

Tirthankara, Rishabha

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 Ajmer is a popular pilgrimage centre for the Hindus as well as

Muslims.

 Especially famous is the Dargah Sharif-tomb of the Sufi saint

Khawaja Moinuddin Chisti, which is equally revered by the

Hindus and Muslims.

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44  About 16 days after Id-ul-fitr, many Muslims and some non- Muslims in and around Delhi take part in another festive occasion they call the Satrahvin Sharif - literally Holy Seventeenth. This is the Urs or death anniversary of Hazrat Amir Khusrau, the favorite companion of 12th century Saint Nizamuddin Aulia.

 Thousands of people throng the twin Dargah (tomb) and offer their nazrana (of flowers, chadurs and sweets), say the fatehas (oblation), tie threads of mannat (vow) on the tomb's jali, or just sit there listening to ecstatic qawwalis.

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45  This white marble structure contains the tomb of Shaykh Salim

Chishti, the Sufi holy man who was Akbar's adviser and teacher.

Akbar came to him originally because he had been unable to

produce a male heir, and Shaykh Chishti promised that Akbar

would have a son if Akbar entrusted the education and

upbringing of the boy to Shaykh Chisti. The prediction came

true, and Akbar's son was indeed raised by the Sufi

holy man. In addition, Akbar had the entire city of Fatehpur Sikri

built around Shaykh Chisti's abode, which was about 24 miles

west of .

www.cuidol.in Unit-6 (BTT 103 ) All right are reserved with CU-IDOL HAJI ALI (MUMBAI) 46  Haji Ali Dargah is one of India’s most famous and

prestigious landmarks situated about 500 yards

from the Mumbai.

 Haji Ali Dargah is the complex housing the tomb of

the Muslim Saint Pir Haji Ali Shah Bukhari (R.A.).

Along with the tomb, there is also a Masjid at Haji

Ali. This monument has been sentinel to the shores

of Mumbai since a long time

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 Patna, ancient Patliputra, now capital of Bihar State is

reverently called Patna Sahib by the Sikhs because of

its consecration by Guru Nanak Dev, Guru Tegh

Bahadur and Guru Gobind Singh.

 The latter was born here during Guru Tegh Bahadur’s

tour of eastern Bihar, Bengal and Assam from 1666 to

1670. Patna Sahib is situated on the right bank of the

River Ganges.

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49  Nanded is a well-known Sikh Pilgrimage center. One can

visit a famous Sikh Gurdwara, Takhat Hazoor Sahib here.

This is the city where in 1708, the tenth Sikh Guru, Guru

Gobind Singh left for his heavenly abode.

 Hazoor Sahib is on of the five most important Takhats

(thrones) of the Sikhs. Yearly many thousands of Sikhs

visit the city to pay their respects to the sacred Gurdwara

by the river Godavari.

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 Guru-Ka-Tal is one of the most august and honored

places of Sikh, situated in Agra, an extra ordinary spot

known for its forts, monuments and architectural

grandeurs.

 It is the most divine place of Sikh’s, visited by four of the

ten upturned prophets of . A wide number

devotees makes their holy trip to the place and pay

homage to the great Sikh Guru in every year. www.cuidol.in Unit-6 (BTT 103 ) All right are reserved with CU-IDOL AMRITSAR (PUNJAB)

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 Darbar Sahib (The Royal Court of the Divine) also known as the Golden Temple is situated in the city of Amritsar in Punjab. Guru Amar Das the Third Sikh Guru asked Ram Das (who would go on to become the Fourth Sikh Guru) to build a central place of congregation for the Sikhs.

 Guru Ram Das started excavation work in 1577 during his lifetime. Guru Arjun the Fifth Sikh Guru completed excavation of the Tank known as Amritsar (The Pool of Nectar) in 1588. Guru Arjun then started construction of the Temple building itself which was finally completed in 1601

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53  Churches and convents of Old Goa is the name given by UNESCO to

a set of religious monuments located in (or Old Goa), in

the state of Goa, India, which were declared a World Heritage Site.

 Goa was the capital of and Asia and an

evangelization center from the sixteenth century. The justifications[

 The city of Old Goa was founded in the fifteenth century by the

Sultanate of Muslim rulers of Bijapur as a port on the banks of the

Mandovi river.

www.cuidol.in Unit-6 (BTT 103 ) All right are reserved with CU-IDOL MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS 54 Q1. Which one of the following is Hindu Pilgrimage site in India? a) Sanchi b) Ajmer Sharif c) Vishali d)

Q2. Which one of the following is Muslim Pilgrimage site in India? a) Ajmer Sharif b) Vaishno Devi c) Bom Jesus Bassilca d) Patna Sahib

Q3. Which one of the following is Sikh Pilgrimage site in India? a) Chashme Shahi b) Golden Temple c) d)

Q4. Which one of the following is Jain Pilgrimage site in India? a) Nanded Sahib b) Lumbini c) Vaishali d) Shravanbelagola

Q5. Which one of the following is Buddhist Pilgrimage site in India? a) Khajuraho Temples b) Bodh Gaya c) Haji ALi d) St. Cathedral, Goa

Answers: Q1.(d), Q2.(a), Q3.(b),Q4.(d), Q5.(b)

www.cuidol.in Unit-6 (BTT 103 ) All right are reserved with CU-IDOL SUMMARY  Spirituality is entrenched into the very core of Indian culture. The country is the destination of choice for many who 55 embark on a journey of spiritual growth and enlightenment. The Beatles put India on the world map when they ventured to to learn Transcendental at Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's ashram back in 1968. Today, spiritual tourism is a growing industry, with travel companies and hotel chains beginning to recognize its immense potential and opportunities.

 Religious is focus of 's national tourism policy. Uttarakhand has been popular as a religious and adventure tourism hub.

 Some of the most famous religious places in India include the Char Dham, the Golden Temple, Vaishno Devi, Tirupati Balaji. Puri, Badrinath, Kedarnath, Yamunotri, Gangotri, Dwarka and - the Char Dham pilgrimage sites. Haridwar and Varanasi are famous religious places in India since the ancient times. Shirdi, Vrindavan, Ajmer are popularly known for religious tourism in India. Bodh Gaya and Mcleodganj are other spiritual sites with Buddhist connection that one must visit.

www.cuidol.in Unit-6 (BTT 103 ) All right are reserved with CU-IDOL FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Q1. What do you mean by Religious Tourism? 56 Ans: The activity of tourism in which people use to visit from one place to another to pay obeisance to the religious places is known as religious tourism.

Q2. Total how many jyotirlingas are there in India and is associated with which Hindu diety? Ans: There are total 12 Jyotirlingas in India and all are associated with Lord Shiva in .

Q3. What are the Char Dhams? Ans. Char Dhams are 4 religious places associated with Hindu religion. These 4 places are situated in all 4 directions each. 1. Badrinath (North) 2. Dwarka (West) 3. Rameshwaram (South) 4. Jagannath Puri (East)

Q4. Name some religious places associated with Sikhs, Jains and Buddhists in India? Ans: Golden Temple, Nanded Sahib, Patna Sahib associated with Sikhs. Lumbini, Bodh Gaya, Vaishali are associated with Buddhists, and Shravanbelagola, Pavpuri, Girnar and Mt Abu is associated with .

www.cuidol.in Unit-6 (BTT 103 ) All right are reserved with CU-IDOL REFRENCES

57  Gupta, S.P. (2002), Cultural Tourism in India. New Delhi: Indraprastha Museum of Art and Archaeology.

 Manoj Dixit and Charusheela. (2012). Tourism Products. , Uttar Pradesh : New Royal Book Company.

 Robinet, J., Sindhu, J. (2008), Indian Tourists, New Delhi,: Abhijeet Publications.

 Chinmaya Yuva Kendra. (2008). Awakening Indians to India. Chinmaya Prakashan Publication.

 Al Basham (2004). The Wonder That was India. United Kingdom: Picador Publication

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THANK YOU

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