Amma (my mother) is on a pilgrimage to some of the holiest of the Hindu shrines and cities till October 21st. She will travel from Bangalore to the slopes of the Himalayas to Badarinath, Hardwar, Kedarnath, Brindavan, and Hrishikesh.
It is a journey I'd like to take someday. Not so much for the religious aspect, but for the awe-inspiring historical and traditional reasons. It is the pilgrimages like these that have kept India as a nation together for thousands of years -- how else could a country where cultures, languages and living habits were different, could exist as one nation? Except these holy centers, what else is common between my grandma, a housewife in the town of Honavar, and a housewife in Rajasthan?
During the long pilgrimage, Amma will travel by train, bus, car, horse-carriage, and even palanquin-like bovis, and will cover a thousand miles. Wow!
See Also:
• Map showing important temples of North and Central India
• Hinduism Potpourri
