Pilgrimage church
A pilgrimage church (German: Wallfahrtskirche) is a church to which pilgrimages are regularly made, or a church along a pilgrimage route, like the Way of St. James, that is visited by pilgrims.
Pilgrimage churches are often located by the graves of saints, or hold portraits to which miraculous properties are ascribed or saintly relics that are safeguarded by the church for their veneration. Such relics may include the bones, books or pieces of clothing of the saints, occasionally also fragments of the cross of Jesus, pieces of the crown of thorns, the nails with which he was fixed to the cross and other similar objects. Pilgrimage churches were also built at places where miracles took place.
Missing Religions
The first pilgrimages go back to prehistoric times, because the site of Stonehenge has physical traces. The pilgrimages of the ancient Greek religion developed in antiquity at the level of a sanctuary (Greek sanctuary of Epidaurus or sanctuary of Aesculapius, the Roman equivalent of Asclepius), a spring, a cave (cave of Amphiaraos, Trophonios) or a well. It is often practiced in the Mediterranean basin incubation, divination rite usually consisting of sleeping near these places to obtain, in the form of a dream, the prescriptions of a healing god .
Jewish pilgrimages
Jerusalem, Israel, Judea and Samaria are the great pilgrimage sites of Judaism, especially the last wall of the Temple of Jerusalem and the tomb of Abraham, Jacob and the matriarchs in Hebron.
Rabbis’ tombs remarkable for their wisdom give rise to pilgrimages to Israel and also to the diaspora. We can mention near Safed the tomb of Rabbi Meir, that of Baal Shem Tov in Ukraine, that of Rabbi Ephraim Al-Naqawa in Tlemcen in Algeria or that of Amram ben Diwan near Ouazzane in Morocco.
Many Jews also perform a pilgrimage to the Ghriba synagogue on the island of Djerba in Tunisia.
Christian pilgrimages
Pilgrimages develop in the third century on the main holy places mentioned in the Gospels and the Old Testament and which Origen has sought traces, especially on the scene of the Passion of Christ as the site of the Holy Sepulcher. They multiply especially from the fourth century which sees the legendary discovery of the Holy Cross by St. Helena, mother of the Emperor Constantine I and the development, in a disorderly manner, the tombs of the martyrs. The earliest written description of Christian pilgrims and pilgrimages to the Holy Land is the Anonyme de Bordeaux, a story that tells of a resident of Bordeaux on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem in the year 333. The Fathers of the Church are wary of these first pilgrimages, sources of dissipation and abuse such as the sin of greed, lust or trade relics (the maxim of the monk Thomas Kempis who multum peregrinantur, raro sanctificantur confirms these fears) and consider that they are not necessary because the believer can honor God everywhere.
Christian pilgrimages in the Middle Ages, contrary to popular belief developed in the nineteenth century, are rarely crowds of people traveling only by piety (penitential pilgrimage or during jubilee as evidenced by the penitentiary archives) on roads well signposted, but most often solitary trips or small groups (mainly men) mixing many traders, on mule tracks (development of paving in the 13th century). These small groups are animated by pious or less pious reasons: faith, repentance, challenge, business, “vicarious pilgrimage” sometimes to break with their family, their professional environment, sometimes in a goal mainly tourist (discovery of new monuments, kitchens, people). Far sanctuaries are the destination for those who have the means (“long-distance pilgrimage”). Thus the Middle Ages is not the golden age but the mythical age of the pilgrimage, the pilgrim crowds of this time belonging to the popular imagination. On the other hand, it was during the Carolingian period that the pilgrims’ legal protection was developed and a pilgrims’ order (ordo peregrinorum) and pilgrims’ law (lex peregrinorum) were gradually established, constituting a pilgrim’s status. It is still in the Middle Ages that the great sanctuaries of pilgrimage of Christendom are organized, which play a religious and cultural role but also answer to an economic necessity (production and sale of souvenirs, offerings, reception structures which assure significant revenue to the sanctuary). It is also the time when the pilgrims are gradually supervised (lodging and cover) because of the dangers which watch for the travelers but also to avoid that some do not use it like alibi to break with their environment of origin.
The first jubilee formally organized by the papacy was the one decreed in 1300 by Pope Boniface VIII, inviting Christians to go to Rome to benefit from the plenary indulgence previously granted to the Crusaders, the loss of the Kingdom of Jerusalem making difficult the pilgrimage to Jerusalem and strongly developing that of Rome. The primary purpose of the medieval pilgrimage is the possibility of “touching” the relics which assures it, besides the financial or temporal sacrifice that it supposes, a greater efficiency than the prayer at a distance from the saint .
From the fourteenth century, the pilgrimage declined because of the movement of devotio moderna which privileges the spiritual pilgrimage, interior, the insecurity of the roads during the Hundred Years War and the wars of religion. From the sixteenth century (when Protestantism condemns pilgrimages, pretext for vagrancy, leisure or idolatry and where centralized states want to control the movement of people), the regional or local pilgrimage, controlled by the clergy, is privileged (“pilgrimage of recourse” favored by the stories of miracles linked to local sanctuaries, expiatory and judicial pilgrimage).
In the eighteenth century, the philosophy of the Enlightenment that criticizes the trade in relics and the indulgences of which the pilgrim can benefit (including prayers or mortifications in his diocese rather than make a long pilgrimage) is partly to the origin of the decline of “long-distance pilgrimage”, that of proximity is now.
In the nineteenth century the pilgrimage was redeveloped thanks to faster modes of transport such as the char-à-bancs for the local pilgrimage whose renewal is attested by the process of ” sacral recharge ” of their sanctuaries (restoration of already existing saints invention of new saints or relics), and the railways for the “long-distance pilgrimage”. The reopening of the Jerusalem pilgrimage promotes this phenomenon. The Marian cult develops particularly in the middle of this century, with pilgrimages for Our Lady of Lourdes, Our Lady of La Salette or Our Lady of Pontmain.
Many pilgrimages today are no longer the work of devout practitioners who practice a rigorous religious approach, but are used to obtain a divine favor (pilgrimage propitiatory, including the practice of “depositing an ex-voto “, pilgrimage of healing), thank ‘a grace obtained (gratulatory pilgrimage), or religious tourism during thematic holidays, spiritual retreat or visits to cultural destinations. Nevertheless, there is a renewal of the long-distance pilgrimage since the 1980s, in connection with the fashion of free or accompanied hikes.
The main Christian pilgrimages are:
Jerusalem and the Holy Land (Israel and the West Bank)
Rome (Vatican City and other places in Italy)
Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes (France)
Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela (Spain)
Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fatima (Portugal)
Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe (Mexico)
And for Canada, the following places, which are not necessarily destinations for pilgrims around the world.
Saint-Antoine Hermitage, Lac-Bouchette, Quebec, Canada
Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré Basilica, Quebec, Quebec, Canada
Notre-Dame-du-Cap Basilica, Trois-Rivières, Quebec, Canada
Saint Joseph’s Oratory of Mount Royal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
The Martyrs’ Shrine, Midland, Ontario, Canada
Among the Catholic pilgrimages, there are a number of pilgrimages dedicated to the Virgin Mary, called Marian pilgrimages. There are also many Orthodox pilgrimages, such as to St. Sergius of Radonezh in Trinity St. Sergius, near Moscow. Among the other important European pilgrimage sites, see the list of Christian pilgrimages.
Muslim pilgrimages
It is recommended to make the pilgrimage to two mosques: the al-Haram mosque of Mecca or the mosque of the Prophet in Medina.
The pilgrimage to the Al-Haram Mosque is the largest pilgrimage in the Muslim world with two million pilgrims a year. It is subdivided into two categories:
The hajj (great pilgrimage). It takes place between the 8th and 13th of the lunar month of Dhuhijja. It is one of the five pillars of Islam. All able Muslims should, if possible, do so at least once in their life.
the ‘ umrah ‘ or ‘little pilgrimage’ which can take place at any time of the year, unlike the ‘great pilgrimage’ which unfolds invariably on the same dates.
Hindu pilgrimages
Hinduism is a religion that gives a lot of importance to pilgrimages. The oldest pilgrimage in the world still practiced is the Hindu pilgrimage of Kurukshetra in the Indian state of Haryana. There are several holy places of great importance for Hindus. Some of these (in India) include:
Char Dham / चार धाम, is the most important of all Hindu pilgrimages in India. It is a circuit in 4 stages, which have the particularity to correspond to the 4 cardinal points across the subcontinent. This pilgrimage was created according to the teachings and the journey of the holy Adi Shankaracharya.
Badrinath -बद्रीनाथ, is the most northern stage, the sanctuary of Lord Badrinarayan (Vishnu). Located on the valley of Alaknanda in the Himalayas (Uttarakhand).
Dwarka-द्वारका, is the most western stage, sanctuary of Lord Dwarkadhish (Krishna). Located in the almost-island of Dwarka, north of the shores of the Kathiâwar Peninsula (Gujarat).
Rameshwaram -रामेश्वरम्, is the southernmost stage, sanctuary of Lord Ramesham (Shiva). Located on the island of Rameshwaram (Tamil Nadu).
Puri -पुरी, is the most eastern stage, sanctuary of Lord Jagannath (Krishna). Located opposite the Bay of Bengal and behind the plain of Mahânadi (Odisha).
The Chota Char Dham Yatra / छोटा चार धाम, the pilgrimage of the sources of the Ganges and its tributaries, to do in the order of importance of the places:
Gangotrî -गंगोत्री, the source of the Ganges
Yamunotri -यमुनोत्री, the source of the Yamunâ
Kedarnath -केदारनाथ, the source of the Mandakini
Badrinath -बद्रीनाथ, the source of Alaknanda
The cities of Kumbhamelâ / कुम्भ मेला, which take turns hosting the gathering every three years (a cycle of twelve years) because they received a drop of amrita during the churning of the sea of milk:
Nasik -नाशिक (Maharashtra)
Ujjain -उज्जैन (Madhya Pradesh)
Allâhâbâd -इलाहाबाद, also called Prayāga (Uttar Pradesh)
Haridwâr -हरिद्वार (Uttarakhand)
The Jyotirlinga / ज्योतिर्लिङ्ग, the pilgrimage of the twelve linga of Shiva:
Varanasi -वाराणसी (Uttar Pradesh)
Kedarnath -केदारनाथ (Uttarakhand)
Somnath -सोमनाथ (Gujarat)
Omkareshwar -ओंकारेश्वर (Madhya Pradesh)
Rameshwaram -रामेश्वरम् (Tamil Nadu)
Mahakaleshwar -महाकालेश्वर (Madhya Pradesh)
Nageshwar -नागेश्वर (Gujarat), two other sites located in the states of Uttarakhand (Jageshwar) and Maharashtra (Aundh) claim to be the real temples of the jyotirlinga of Nageshwar.
Grishneshwar- घृष्णेश्वर (Maharashtra)
Bhimashankar- भीमाशंकर (Maharashtra)
Triambkeshwar- त्र्यम्बकेश्वर (Maharashtra)
Mallikarjuna- मल्लिकार्जुन (Andhra Pradesh)
Vaidyanath -वैद्यनाथ (Jharkhand), two other sites located in the states of Himachal Pradesh (Baijnath) and Maharashtra (Vaijnath) claim to be the real temples housing the jyotirlinga of Vaidyanath.
The Kailash Mansarovar Yatra / कैलाश मानसरोवर यात्रा, the pilgrimage of Shiva’s home in Tibet.
Mount Kailash
Lake Manasarovar
Rakshastal Lake
The Sapta Sindhu / सप्त सिंधू, are the seven sacred rivers of India. They are the object of a pilgrimage aimed at purification and salvation.
The Indus – सिन्धु, the most northerly river in the country, has long been a very symbolic and spiritual watercourse in Indian culture. This river is now mainly revered by the Sindhi.
The Ganges – गङ्गा, the holiest river in India whose pilgrimage is the most important in the eyes of the faithful.
The Yamuna – यमुना, tributary of the Ganges, which is of particular importance to the Krishnaïtes, the Vishnouites Gaudiya and the devotees of Krishna, because of the childhood passed by this avatar on the banks of this river.
Narmada – नर्मदा, the river of central India, is traditionally considered purer than the Ganges when it is polluted by human indifference.
The Godavari – गोदावरी, river of Deccan taking its source not far from Nashik, becomes an important center of pilgrimage in time of Pushkaram.
The Kaveri – कावेरी, sacred river of South India, is mainly worshiped by its residents, by the Vishnouites and devotees of Ranganath (Vishnu).
The Sarasvati – सरस्वती, is the seventh sacred river of India, but its cult is only very little or not developed because this river disappeared between -3000 and -2000. Its geographical location extends from the Himalayas (Himachal Pradesh) to Kutch (Gujarat) through Punjab and Rajasthan. This river, mentioned in the Vedas disappears following a disaster of seismic origin resulting in the drying up of its river basin and the creation of the desert of Thar. However, many of these ancient (non-Himalayan) tributaries are the object of the continuity of worship.
Hindus believe that coming to these places leads to moksha, the liberation of the cycle of rebirth, the saṃsāra.
The Bromo, a sacred volcano of Indonesian Hinduists on the island of Java dedicated to Brahma
Mount Kailash (the home of Shiva) and Lake Manasarovar, both in western Tibet, are two very important Hindu pilgrimage sites.
Buddhist pilgrimages
India
Buddhists from all over the world, if they can, visit the four holy places (concerning the historical facts) related to the life of Gautama Buddha:
Lumbini, the place of his birth;
Bodh-Gaya, the place where he attained enlightenment;
Sârnâth (formerly Isipathana), the place where he made his first sermon;
Kusinara (now Kusinagar, India), the place where he died.
the four secondary pilgrimages recall “miraculous” facts; from north-west to south-east: Samksya (Descent from Heaven Tusita), Srâvasti (Great Magic Prodigy), Vaisali (offering of the monkey) and Rajagriha (subjugation of the furious elephant).
Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar, both in western Tibet, Hindu pilgrimage sites, are also visited by Tibetan and Bon Buddhist pilgrims.
Japan
In Japan, the most famous Buddhist pilgrimage is the Shikoku pilgrimage, whose pilgrims are named henro.
Jain Pilgrimages
The Jains love to make pilgrimages (yâtrâ) to their many sacred places, both to revive their faith and to meet often relatives and friends, at certain festivals or fairs; Pilgrims walk barefoot and often have to climb many steps to reach the top of the hills leading to the shrines. 30 Some of the most popular sacred places include:
Ayodhyâ (Uttar Pradesh), which saw the birth of several Tirthankara, according to the Jain tradition, Rishabha, Ajita, Abhinandana, Sumati, Ananta, and who received the visit of Mahâvîra.
Sammed Shikar (Bihar), where Tirthankara have achieved the liberation of the cycle of reincarnations.
Girnar (Gujarat).
Pavapuri (Bihar), where Mahâvira came to liberation.
Taranga (Gujarat).
Shravanabelagola (Karnataka), with the famous colossal statue of Bahubali.
Mount Abu (Rajasthan).
Shatrunjaya – Palitana (Gujarat), with 863 temples divided into 11 enclosures (basti) containing several buildings.
Ranakpur (Rajasthan), with the largest Jain temple.
Ellora (Maharashtra), with its carved caves for ascetics.
Chittor (Rajasthan), with its Fame Tower.
Jaisalmer (Rajasthan).
Jaipur (Rajasthan).
Khajuraho (Madhya Pradesh), with his group of Jain temples.
Most are sites with dharmashālâ on site or nearby to accommodate pilgrims and visitors. Every Jain must make at least one pilgrimage, in his life, to one of these holy places. Nevertheless, Jain temples can be found outside India, in the United States, in Africa and in Europe (especially in Great Britain); the largest Jainism pilgrimage site in Europe at present is the Jain temple of Antwerp, which is also the largest Jain temple in Belgium. out of India.
Baha’i pilgrimages
Bahá’u’lláh, in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, prescribed the pilgrimage (ḥajj) to two places: the house of Bahá’u’lláh in Baghdad, Iraq, and the house of the Bab in Shiraz, Iran. In two separate tablets, known as Suriy-i-Hajj, Bahá’u’lláh has prescribed specific rites for each of these pilgrimages. Pilgrimage is recommended for men and women who are able to, but believers are free to choose between the two destinations, each considered sufficient. Currently, these two places of pilgrimage are inaccessible to Baha’is. This pilgrimage is not considered a pillar of faith.
Later, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá designated Bahá’u’lláh’s tomb in Bahji (the qiblah) as an additional shrine (ziyarat). No specific ritual has been prescribed for this place. Again, this pilgrimage is not a pillar or an obligation, but a recommendation to pay homage to the central people: Bahá’u’lláh and the Bab. Many Baha’is do so.
Shinto pilgrimages
Mount Fuji, place of pedestrian pilgrimage and contemplation in shintos sanctuaries.
Ise-jingū, the highest place of Shintoism.
The Kii Mountains, whose pilgrimage routes are classified World Heritage of Humanity.
the Yasukuni shrine, a highly controversial pilgrimage of Japanese nationalists
Other
The pilgrimage to Grand Pré, Canada, is held to commemorate the deportation of the Acadians, which took place there in 1755. This pilgrimage is not religious, although it is connected to the catholic religion because ending in the church – memory.
The concept of pilgrimage was also found in pre-Columbian Central America. The important places of pilgrimage were:
Teotihuacan (still visited centuries after its buildings were ruined), said to be the place where the gods came together to project the creation of humanity;
Chichen Itza, especially the sacred Cenote, a natural well dedicated to the god Chac of rain, place of sacrifice;
Izamal, dedicated to the creator god Itzamna;
Cozumel, dedicated to Ix Chel, goddess of the moon and childbirth.
Source from Wikipedia