Some of the most beautiful places in the world are also sacred religious sites. TravePod bloggers have visited some of that are simply incredible. Here are 10 of them.
1. Jagannatha
Puri, India
Jagannath was Rbair's favourite Hindu god
The cool part of Puri is that they worship Lord Jagannath, Lord of Chaos, Destruction, and Loose Change. Unlike all the other hindu gods, he doesn’t really have a shape or body. He is literally just a smiley face. So they draw smiley faces on things and are like “OMG! it is Lord Jagannath!” As we neared his main temple Jagannath Mandir, we saw the beginnings of their construction of the juggernaut chariot thingy. It is amazing. The size of this is beyond comprehension. For a little estimation stuff here, this cart is pulled by 4,000 people to make it move. Big. – Rbair
2. Cathedral of St. Mary of Zion
Aksum, Ethiopia
Donna321 visited the Ethiopian Orthodox cathedral
Though we couldn’t access the old church (men only) which is located adjacent to the small building which is said to contain the Ark of the Covenant (only one monk has access to its specific location and is charged with the duty of guarding it until his death), we were lucky to witness a beautiful Lenten procession taking place around the new church. After a tour of the new one-room museum located at the church, which houses a number of crowns, robes and other Ethiopian royal paraphernalia, we were treated to a viewing of an ancient bible, which we were told we were extremely lucky to see since it will supposedly soon never be seen again by the public, as priests are currently in the process of creating a copy for viewing. – Donna321
3. Sri Harmandir Sahib
Amritsar, India
P.rajesh attended a 4 a.m. ritual at The Golden Temple
The famed transportation of the Palki (the palanquin) is indeed special. The Guru Granth Sahib, the holy book of the Sikhs is carried from the Akal Takht, its resting place for the night, to the Harmandir Sahib at 4 in the morning – the process gets reversed at day-end with similar fervour and fanfare. The surreal serenity of the Gurudwara’s premises, with the dull gold reflecting in the still waters of the lake, combined with the soothing chants of the Prabhat Pheri (morning prayers) – all this makes for an experience you would never want to miss, and something that will find a place in your heart, irrespective of your communal leanings, or even the lack of any. – P.rajesh
4. Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe
Mexico City, Mexico
Mebiner attended the feast for the Solemnity of the Virgin Mary
One of the best parts of our visit to the shrine was watching the traditional dancers outside the church in the grand plaza. There was a sort of religious dance of men in cowboy hats holding crosses and wearing sequinned capes depicting the Virgin Mary. A few steps away was a traditional Aztec group dancing to thunderous drumming. – Mebiner
5. Shatrunjaya Hill
Palitana, India
Killucan2 inside one of the many shrines
Reaching the top we were stunned by what we saw. the buildings were like wedding cakes and nothing seemed real, the carvings and craftsmanship was amazing. Apparantly the temples were built in the 11th century but were torn down by the muslims in the 14th and 15th centuries before being rebuilt in the 16th century. – Killucan2
6. Sri Pada
Sri Lanka
Salcat watches pilgrims ring the bell at the top of the mountain
Adam’s Peak (Sri Pada) is Sri Lanka’s 5th highest peak in the at 2243m, but it is one of the most celebrated places of pilgrimage. Every religion seems to have their own reasons to worship this mountain: – Buddhist: – there is a depression at the top which is claimed to be the sacred footprint – of Buddha himself. Muslim: – they claim the footprint is that of Adam, who first set foot on earth and had to stand on one leg in pentinence until his sins were forgiven. Hindu: – they claim the footprint was created by Shiva. Christian: – the colonial Portuguese claimed that the footprint belonged to St Thomas, the founder of the religion in India. – Salcat
7. Mecca
Mecca, Saudi Arabia
Pura_vida's makeshift outfit to wear at Mecca
Amazing to be here! This is the first and original mosque to have ever been built. We believe it to have been ordered of Abraham to be built at this location by God. This is the culmination of a lot of anticipation in every Muslim´s life! - Pura_vida
8. Western Wall
Jerusalem
Jimmyrh at the Western Wall
Today, we walked through the tunnel under the Western Wall. A friend had given me a prayer on a small piece of paper and asked me to place it in the wall as we visited, and I did so. I watched the deep devotion of many faithful jewish men and women and learned the history of this holy hill, the Temple Mount. - Jimmyrh
9. Mount Athos
Greece
Stellios knows everything about going to Mount Athos
Mount Athos, known in Greece as the Holy Mountain, is a peninsula in Halkidiki, north Greece containing 20 monasteries. Although the peninsula of Mount Athos is part of Greece, it enjoys certain autonomy. The region is governed by the “Holy community” under the ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople. Only men are permitted to enter Mount Athos. The rule, known as the “ABATON”, forbids access to Mount Athos by any female and is enforced by law. In accordance with the procedures established by the Holy Community foreigners must obtain a written permit to visit Mount Athos from the “Mount Athos Office”. - Stellios
10. Bodh Gaya
Bodh Gaya, India
Travelingamanda found Bodh Gaya to be like "Buddha Disneyland"
My (possibly scamming) tour guy with the motorcycle took me to the Mahabodi Temple. This is THE temple of Buddhism as it commemorates the spot where the Buddha attained enlightenment under the Bodhi tree in 663 BC. The temple was built in the 6th Century AD atop the site of a temple that was erected by Emperor Ashoka 800 years earlier (200 BC). However, amazingly, there are still railings that surround the site that date from 184-72 BC. Clearly, this is cool (and old) Buddha shit. – Travelingamanda
