Section 2.2: Places of Pilgrimage (2) Flashcards
Why do worshippers go on pilgrimages?
Worshippers go on pilgrimages to cleanse themselves of sin, to gain a sense of spiritual awareness and to honour historical events or leading figures of the religion.
What is a pilgrimage?
A pilgrimage is a journey of religious significance, designed to mark a historical place, person or event and aimed at developing spirituality or awareness of the pilgrim. Pilgrimages are often undertaken to cleanse the body of sin and to achieve spiritual renewal.
Why are rivers important to Hindus?
Rivers are sacred places to Hindus due to the importance of water in areas that are dry and often barren; water brings life and is also a symbol of purity.
What is the significance of rivers?
Water washes away dirt and sin, so bathing in these holy rivers is seen by Hindus as a means to washing away the sins of past lives and present negative karma.
What are pilgrimage sites, according to Hindus?
All pilgrimage sites, according to Hindus, are where the heavens and the Earth meet. This is one of the reasons why many mountains and their shrines have become sites for pilgrimage. At these places, the gifts given to the gods should be able to pass easily form the material world to the spiritual realm.
Which mountains are significant in Hinduism?
Many of the Himalayas and the Transhimalayas have religious signficance to Hindus, such as Mount Kailash in the latter range. The mountain is unclimbed, with evidence of its significance in Buddhism, Jainism, Hinduism and Bon.
What do Hindus regard Mount Kailash as?
Hindus regard it as the abode of Shiva and Parvati, along with Ganesha, their child. The mountain is referred to in both the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. Some Hindus regard it as being the access point to heaven and one of the pillars of the world.
What do pilgrims do at Mount Kailash?
Pilgrims do visit the mountain annually to circumambulate around its base in a clockwise direction - this is due to the fact that the right-hand side of the body is said to be ritually purer. The journey is 32 miles long, with the difficulty being the uneven terrain and the risk of altitude sickness.
What is expected of a pilgrim?
Special clothing is worn by the pilgrim; heads are shaved and some may choose to walk barefoot. Pilgrims are to remain celibate during their pilgrimage and offer puja at the sites in the respective shrines, temples and murtis. Some elderly or ill pilgrims may intend for their lives to end on the pilgrimage, especially at Varanasi.
What is the Ganges?
The Ganges is a river which stretches from the Himalayas down to the Bay of Bengal, measuring a 1,569 miles in length. The river is considered to be a living goddess called Ganga; she headed to Earth with such power that she would destroy it but, reluctant to do so, she used Shiva’s hair to trickle down. Shiva lived here and the river is said to have flowed from Vishnu’s toe.
Why do Hindus bathe in the Ganges?
The Hindu holy text, the Brahmanda Purana, suggests the most suitable times to bath in the river. It is believed that doing so will remove sins although some argue that this is merely symbolic.
What is Kumbh Mela?
This is the world’s largest pilgrimage, with over 100 million people in attendance at which Hindus will bathe in the River Ganges.
How does the Kumbh Mela work?
The Kumbh Mela works on a twelve-year rotation. There are four different pilgrimage sites, so each is used in the rotation every three years. However, the twelve years are marked with the large 55-day festival at the town of Prayaga, which marks the location where the Ganges and the Yamuna meet the Saraswati river, which is described as being a deified river.
Where does the Kumbh Mela originate?
The festival originates from a story where gods and demons came together to ‘churn up’ the oceans of the world. Garuda, the bird who acts as a mount for Vishnu, is said to have taken the nectar of immortality away with him when the gods and demons were quarrelling by transporting it in a jar. The nectar from the jar split into four drops, at each of the four sites.
How is the timing of the Kumbh Mela worked out?
The timing of the festival is worked out using the constellation of Aquarius. When it is a new moon, the mass bathing takes place and this is said to release Hindus from the cycle of samsara.