India is a huge country which is known for its spirituality. There are many religious places in the country which are visited not only by countrymen but also by foreigners. Religious pilgrimage has great importance in India but many religious pilgrimages are so difficult that it becomes difficult for devotees to go here and in some special circumstances people are not even allowed to go there. But even these difficult journeys become easy in front of the faith of the devotees. Here we are going to tell you about some of the most difficult religious journeys in India, which despite being difficult, lakhs of pilgrims come here every year. So let us know about the most difficult religious journeys in India...
Amarnath
Amarnath is also one of the most inaccessible pilgrimage sites and it is situated at an altitude of 13600 feet above sea level, 135 kilometers north-east of Srinagar city. The temperature here often drops below zero and rains and landslides can occur at any time. For any journey that is considered very sensitive and doubtful from a security point of view, first registration has to be done. Sick and weak travelers are often turned away on this journey.
Panch Kedar
Panch Kedar is a group of five temples located at a distance of about 170 kilometers in the Garhwal Himalayan region of Uttarakhand. For this, you have to pass through dense forests and climb steep mountains with heights up to 12000 feet. It's also very easy to get lost if you don't have a guide, which can make it very challenging.
Kailash Mansarover
The journey to Kailash Mansarovar takes 28 days and there is no direct road or rail route to reach it. This journey mostly has to be completed on foot. Apart from this, asthma, heart disease, and blood pressure patients are not allowed to undertake this Kailash Mansarovar Yatra. For this journey, the person's age should be more than 18 years and less than 70 years.
Shikhar ji
Shikhar Ji, the world's most important Jain pilgrimage site, is located on the Chhota Nagpur plateau in the Giridih district of Jharkhand state. It is said about this place that 20 out of 24 Tirthankaras of Jainism had attained salvation at this place. At 1,350 meters (4,430 ft) high, this mountain is also the highest point in Jharkhand. Being the place where 20 Tirthankaras attained salvation, this place is also known as the 'King of Pilgrimages'. Every year lakhs of Jain devotees and other tourists come here to worship.
Vaishno Devi
Vaishno Devi is a major pilgrimage site for Hindus located in the Katra district of Jammu and Kashmir. This temple is situated at an altitude of 5,200 feet and a distance of about 12 kilometers (7.45 mi) from Katra. The journey to Mata's temple is very difficult. The cave of Maa Vaishnodavi is situated on a steep slope of 14 km from Katra. However, now you can reach here by helicopter also.
Shrikhand Mahadev
It is considered to be one of the toughest treks in India. Shrikhand Mahadev is an adventure for those who love to push their limits. From wandering through dense forests full of wild animals to climbing steep mountains to a height of about 14000 feet, walking through huge glaciers covered with 6 feet of snow, is a bit difficult. Keeping your spirits up in the resource-poor Himalayan wasteland can be a bit challenging.
Badrinath
Badrinath Dham located in Uttarakhand is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. This is one of the four Dhams of India. This is an ancient temple, there is evidence of its construction in the 7th and 9th centuries. This temple has been mentioned in many ancient texts like Vishnu Purana, Mahabharata, and Skanda Purana. The height of Badrinath temple above sea level is 3,133 meters, due to which the journey here is considered inaccessible. Yet every year lakhs of devotees come here to have darshan of the Lord. There is a belief about this temple that in the ninth century, Adi Shankaracharya lived in Badrinath for six months and then in Kedarnath for the rest of the year.
Hemkund Sahib
Hemkund Sahib is a Gurudwara located in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand. It is situated at an altitude of about 16000 feet covered by 7 famous Himalayan peaks of Garhwal region, Nanda Devi is one of them. Many pilgrims make their way through the glacier but it is quite difficult. Most people have to face a lack of oxygen. Getting here can be challenging.
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