Pilgrimage Traditions

Pilgrimage (hajj or ziarat in Arabic, yatra or tirtha in Sanskrit) is among the most significant religious observances in both Islamic and Hindu traditions. The Islamic Hajj — one of the five pillars of Islam — is the obligatory once-in-a-lifetime pilgrimage to Mecca for every adult Muslim who is financially and physically able. The Hajj is performed during the first thirteen days of the Hijri month of Dhul Hijjah, with the central rites of the Wuquf at Arafah on the ninth, the Muzdalifah night, the Mina stoning of the jamarat from the tenth through twelfth, the Tawaf circumambulation of the Kaaba, and the Sa'i between Safa and Marwa. The smaller Umrah pilgrimage may be performed at any time of the year. The annual Hajj draws over two million pilgrims to Mecca. The Shia Arba'in pilgrimage to Karbala forty days after Ashura draws over twenty million pilgrims. Hindu pilgrimage is organized around the Char Dham (the four most sacred sites) including Badrinath, Dwarka, Puri, and Rameshwaram, the twelve Jyotirlingas of Shiva, the four Kumbh Mela sites at Prayagraj, Haridwar, Nashik, and Ujjain, the seven Mokshadayini Puris (cities granting moksha) including Varanasi and Kanchi, and the fifty-one Shakti Pithas across the subcontinent. The Maha Kumbh Mela at Prayagraj — held every twelve years — is the largest religious gathering in human history.