The eastern part of India promises for the best treat to soul, even for everyone no matter what religion you belong. This zone is well known for its shrines, pilgrimage places and ancient temples. In fact the pilgrimage places of Eastern zone represents the culture and tradition of natives. These pious building belong to different times in history, shows the faith in God of the peoples of eastern India and also the unbelievable art and architectural style.
The people of all the religion come here with different faiths and beliefs in search of peace of body mind and soul and take part in the spiritual journey. East India is a paradise to get salvation. Every corner or part of this country is full of religious sites and these sites are very popular in India and all over the world.
There are a number of Pilgrimage Destinations as like Bhubaneshwar, Puri and Konark the three towns of Orissa, are known as the Golden Triangle of East India. Bhubaneshwar is also refered as the ‘City of Thousand Temples’ as it is blessed with around 500 temples. West Bengal is famous for Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhist pilgrimage. Bihar and Jharkhand are known for its Bodh shrines and and religious heritage of India.
The pilgrimage sites of Eastern India are the masterpiece of architecture and some of them marked as the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. These pilgrimage sites play an important role in the lives of the religious peoples. Some magnificent pilgrimage destinations are:
Konark Temple – this temple is located in the holy city Puri, Orissa.
This medieval time temple is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Devoted to lord Surya (name of God Sun), the temple is a magnificent piece of architecture.
Dakshineswar Temple – Dakshineswar Temple is situated alongside the Vivekananda Bridge, at the bank of River Hooghly in Kolkata. The temple Dedicated to Goddess Kali, Lord Shiva and Lord Krishna the God of Hindus also worships here.. This is the salvation place of Ramkrishna Paramhansa. Lord Shiva and Lord Krishna the God of Hindus also worships here.
Mahabodhi Temple – Mahabodhi temple is also known as Bodhimanda-vihara or Pali.
This temple is situated at Bodhgaya near Patna, Bihar and noted in the catalog of UNESCO World Heritage Site. Mahabodhi tree of this place is the most attractive and notable attraction for pilgrims as Gautama Buddha achieved enlightenment under this tree.
A number of foreigner tourist visit this temple to see the places related to Lord Buddha’s life. Lord Buddha considerd as the ‘Light of Asia’.
Khandagiri Caves – Khandagiri Caves are situated at Bhubaneshwar, the capital city of Orissa. Inside these carved caves there are a number of stone sculptures. These caves represent a devotion to Buddhist and Jain religion.
Mukteswara Temple – The Mukteswara temple is situated in Orissa and devoted to Hindu God, Lord Shiva.
A unique feature about the temple is the images of ascetics in teaching and meditation poses.
– situated in Patna Bihar, this Gurudwara is the most famous pilgrimage place for Sikh community. It is the native Guru Govind Singh and visited by Guru Nanak and Guru Teg Bahadur. Patna Sahib is one of the five holy Sikh takhts of the country.
There are a number of other Major religious sites to visit which make East India a significant pilgrimage place.
