Pilgrimage Destinations in Jammu & Kashmir

Kashmir Hub offers a clear picture of the several pilgrimage destinations in the state of Jammu and Kashmir, India. The state has a rich cultural heritage that is reflected in the lifestyles of the native people who live in the villages in the different districts of the state. Tours and travel to Kashmir includes visits to a number of ancient Hindu, Muslim and Sufi and Buddhist temples, shrines and monasteries. The Ladakh region has a number of important Gompas or monasteries. The village of Krimchi situated in the Udhampur district has the three most ancient Hindu temples in the state of Kashmir. Jammu is known as the city of temples. There are a number of places of worship in the Srinagar area.
Tours and travel to pilgrimage destinations includes a visit to the most frequented, popular and perhaps the most important Hindu place of worship, that is, Mata Vaishno Devi, which is located at a height of 5, 300 feet above the sea level. The Vaishno Devi shrine is located inside a cave in the Trikuta Mountains in the state of Jammu and Kashmir.

Tours and travel to pilgrimage destinations in Kashmir involves visits to other important places of worship. These are Amarnath, Charar-e-sharif, Hazratbal mosque, Khanqah-e-moulah, Kheer Bhawani, the Shankaracharya temple and the Gompas in Ladakh.
The Amarnath shrine is located inside a cave in the Himalayas. The mythological and historical importance of this sacred place according to mythology is the fact that lord Shiva recounted the secret of creation to the Goddess Parvati in this cave.
The Charar-e-sharif was a 600 year-old wooden shrine, which was destroyed as a consequence of an armed battle between the Indian Army and the Pakistani Army.
The Shankaracharya temple is situated at a great height atop a hill in the southeast of Srinagar. The Kheer Bhawani pilgrimage is located in the village of Tulla Mulla near Srinagar. The Gompas in Ladakh and Zanskar are of special importance as these give the tourist an insight into the Buddhist culture, beliefs and tradition.
Hazratbal



Kashmir Hub offers you an opportunity to explore the sacred Muslim pilgrimage destination of the Hazratbal shrine that is situated on the banks of the Dal Lake in Srinagar opposite Nishat Bagh. Tours and travel to this shrine can be a special experience as the Prophet Mohammad's hair, that is the Moi-e-Muqqadus, is preserved in this shrine. The history of this shrine dates back to the seventeenth century. The Hazratbal shrine is a marble structure that was specifically constructed by Muslim Auqaf Trust with the objective of preserving the Prophet's hair, this piece of hair arrived in Kashmir in the year 1699.
The Hazratbal shrine lies at a distance of 25 kilometers from the Badgam district in Srinagar, Kashmir. This pilgrimage destination is known by a number of names viz. the Assar-e-Sharif, Madinat-us-Sani and the Dargah Sharif. Mughal emperor Shahjahan's brother constructed the Ishrat Mahal at the site of the shrine sometime in the year 1623, later when the emperor himself visited the site he ordered the place to be converted into a prayer house. The shrine as such was built by the Muslim Auqaf trust. Before the Hazratbal shrine was constructed the sacred hair was placed in the shrine of Naqshband Sahib. The architecture of the shrine is a combination of Mughal and traditional Kashmiri.
The Moi-e-Muqqadus is usually on public display inside a glass casket on certain sacred and holy days. Tours and travel to the Hazratbal shrine gives you an opportunity to participate in the colorful and vibrant fairs that are held at Hazratbal every year, the most important among these is the Shab-e-Meraj. The Watul mela is also very popular among the tourists and the pilgrims.
Khanqah Mosque



Kashmir Hub offers you a unique opportunity to visit the ancient pilgrimage destination of Khanqah-e-moulah mosque. The Khanqah-e-moulah is popularly known as the Khanqah mosque or the Shah Hamdan Masjid. This mosque is located on the banks of the river Jhelum. Tours and travel to this pilgrimage destination gives you the thrill of watching this ancient monument on the banks of the river Jhelum in its complete rustic glory. This mosque was constructed by Sultan Shah Sikander in the year 1395 to honor Mir Sayyid Ali Hamdani, popularly known as Shah Hamdan who used to visit Kashmir for meditation. The word Khanqah basically means a lodge or resting place for Sufi saints.
Tours and travel to this pilgrimage gives you a chance to appreciate the most attractive feature of this mosque, and that is its intricate and characteristic woodwork and carvings. Cedar wood was used for the construction of this Khanqah. The medieval wooden style of Kashmir's Muslim architecture is best reflected in the Khanqah-e-moulah in Srinagar. There is a lot of papier machie work on the walls and ceilings of the mosque. The original structure of the mosque does not exist, in fact it has been rebuilt a number of times. The present structure is shaped like a cube with a pyramidal roof and was built by Sultan Hassan Shah. An inscription on the doorway of the shrine states 786 Hijrah as the year of death of the Sufi saint Shah Hamdan.
Kashmir Hub attempts to offer tourists comprehensive details on tour packages and travel options to the Khanqah mosque in Srinagar, Kashmir, India.
Kheer Bhawani



Kashmir Hub offers tourists an opportunity to visit the holy temple of the Goddess Ragnya Devi. This pilgrimage destination is located in the village of Tulla Mulla, that is at a distance of 27 kilometers from Srinagar.
This temple is popularly known as the Kheer Bhawani temple. Devotees fast and gather here on the eighth day of the full moon in the month of May when, according to common belief, the goddess changes the color of the spring's waters. The temple complex is known as Kheer Bhawani because of the thousands of devotees who offer milk and kheer, a form of Indian desert, to the sacred spring, which magically turns black to warn of impending disaster. Pilgrims who have faith in the divine powers of the goddess usually undertake tours and travel to this pilgrimage.
Travel and tours to the Kheer Bhawani pilgrimage during the annual festival can be the most thrilling experience. The festival of the Kheer Bhawani temple is extremely famous and devotees gather from far and wide to participate in the worship of the goddess Ragnya Devi. The festival ends with a maha yagnya. It has been a tradition among the Kashmiri pundits to visit the temple of Kheer Bhawani on all the nine days of the navratras. The tenth day of the festival is celebrated as Vijaya Dashami.
Kashmir Hub attempts to offer tourists relevant information on tours and travels to the Kheer Bhawani temple in Srinagar, Kashmir, India.
Vaishno Devi


The shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi is one of the most important pilgrimages of the Hindus. This sacred shrine is located at a height of 5, 300 feet above the sea level. The site is located inside a cave in the Trikuta Mountains in the state of Jammu and Kashmir, 62 kilometers from Jammu and 14 kilometers from Katra.
Mata Vaishno Devi is a form of the Hindu goddess Durga. According to legend a young girl Vaishno was created by the Gods to fight the demons in the Treta yug. According to common Hindu religious belief Mata Vaishno grants the four important boons of righteousness, material pursuits, contentment and enlightenment to all those who visit this sacred place of worship. Usually devotees offer coconuts, dry fruits and red net scarves as a token of worship to the deity.
The shrine as mentioned above is located in the Trikuta Mountains. Once at the entrance to the cave; the path turns into a narrow tunnel with a cold stream running through it. This stream is called the Charan Ganga. There are rock cut idols of three deities inside the cave, viz. Mahakali, Mahalakshmi and Mahasaraswati. These idols have crowns made of gold and silver.
Kashmir Hub offers you all the relevant details regarding tour packages to Vaishno Devi, Kashmir, India.