Idea of Pilgrimage Contributes to the Formation of a Hindu Identity
In Vedic times, the gods would be invoked, and they would travel to the site of the yagya-shala. They would arrive in their chariots to receive the praise and offerings given by the Vedic priests. This was the norm around 1000 BCE, i.e., 3,000 years ago. There was no concept of pilgrimage then.
However, from around 2,000 years ago, we observe a shift in belief systems. More and more people began to travel to places associated with the presence of the gods. Some of these places were natural wonders—such as the confluence of rivers—while others were sites where temples were built, indicating the presence of a deity on Earth. The earliest mention of pilgrimages in India is found in the Mahabharata. Almost every chapter speaks of the tirtha yatra undertaken by the Pandavas during their exile, when they bathe in various sacred locations to rid themselves of demerit and gain spiritual merit.
The Dharma Shastra literature, written between 300 BCE and 300 CE, does not appreciate pilgrimage sites or mention pilgrimages favourably. It even looks down upon temple priests. This suggests a historical tension between the temple and pilgrimage culture on one hand, and the orthodox Vedic Brahmins on the other, who did not approve of image worship.
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Idea of Pilgrimage Contributes to the Formation of a Hindu Identity
Nowadays, the government has realised that pilgrimage is a great way to boost the local economy. It gets selfie tourists to promote the pilgrim site on social media, generating FOMO (fear of missing out) which attracts more tourists. This new form of pilgrimage is a 21st-century phenomena, transforming the way Hinduism is experienced. Temples are becoming tourist spots. Festivals are becoming experience centres. Local priests are eager to provide customer delight. Politicians are figuring out ways to make profit by ensuring their people get lucrative contracts for hotels and restaurants. No one, not even the government, is bothered about garbage and waste management, which is in a way typical of Hinduism that has traditionally seen sanitation work as 'impure' even when it is highly profitable. In Vedic times, the gods would be invoked, and they would travel to the site of the yagya-shala. They would arrive in their chariots to receive the praise and offerings given by the Vedic priests. This was the norm around 1000 BCE, i.e., 3,000 years ago. There was no concept of pilgrimage then. However, from around 2,000 years ago, we observe a shift in belief systems. More and more people began to travel to places associated with the presence of the gods. Some of these places were natural wonders—such as the confluence of rivers—while others were sites where temples were built, indicating the presence of a deity on Earth. The earliest mention of pilgrimages in India is found in the Mahabharata. Almost every chapter speaks of the tirtha yatra undertaken by the Pandavas during their exile, when they bathe in various sacred locations to rid themselves of demerit and gain spiritual merit. The Dharma Shastra literature, written between 300 BCE and 300 CE, does not appreciate pilgrimage sites or mention pilgrimages favourably. It even looks down upon temple priests. This suggests a historical tension between the temple and pilgrimage culture on one hand, and the orthodox Vedic Brahmins on the other, who did not approve of image worship.
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