Top 10 Religious & Spiritual Cities to Visit in India

Rishikesh is one of the spiritual cities that is located in North India. History suggests that Raibhya Rishi, he was carried out prolonged atonement along the banks of the Ganga, with all this dedication, Lord Vishnu appeared as Lord Hrishkesh, which gave the holy town its name. This holy place is famous for its yoga-centric popularity to Adi Shankaracharya, who built many temples and ashrams in the area.

You can start your journey from, Shatrughna temple, which is located just 4 km away from the railway station. This holy place is dedicated to Lord Ram’s younger brother, this place gives you worship and relaxation with some yoga at the same time. The Royal Palace, Laxman Jhula, and Ram Jhula give you the amazing architecture of the king of the Tehri Garhwal, and both of these Jhulas give you religious significance. Gita Bhavan gives you the best example of preserving the ancient Hindu Scriptures like- Vedas, Puranas and Epics. Rishikesh has been blessed with natural beauty with the valley of flowers, Rishi Kund, Patna Waterfall, Kaudiyala and Sivakasi; within a short distance of Rishikesh and if you are an adventure enthusiast, you’ll find many activities like- Rock Climbing, Bungee Jumping, Cliff Jumping, Camping nights and trekking.

Where to Stay?

Rishikesh provides the stay option from modest to luxury hotels and campaigning nights for the visitors.

Rishikesh Cuisine

Geeta Bhavan in Swargashram is one of the most famous places to visit for sweets. You can also try the besan ladoo and barfi with fresh ghee. If you’re visiting in the summer this place is very famous for the unusual varieties of ice cream that this town offers you.

The Best Time to Visit

Rishikesh is open every time, but February to mid-May is the best time to visit. If you are going to visit Rishikesh in the monsoon and winter season, you can be a witness to the beauty in Rishikesh.

Varanasi, also known as Banaras, is a place where to start their journey after death. This oldest city gives you various types of temples that give you a memorable journey for the visitors. This city contains the 88 Ghats, which represent the Hindu Holy River.

Varanasi is famous for the Ganga Aarti that happens every evening and the local people or visitors attend the Aarti in Ghat and offer flowers and diyas, it’s known as Dashashwamedh Ghat. You can visit the most holy ghat which represents the cremation, it’s known as Manikarnika Ghat, in this place many bodies are burned and start the journey after death. Ahilyabai Ghat, Darbhanga Ghat, and Scindia Ghat are famous for their boating and rituals. Assi Ghat that famous for the Shiva Lingam Temple. This city is also known as the place where the five rivers meet with each other, it’s known as Panchganga Ghat.

Apart from the Ghats, Varanasi have lots of temples that represent the how oldest city it is. Kashi Vishwanath temple is the oldest temple in Banaras and thousands of devotees visit to temple every day. The Guardian temple of the city, Kal Bhaiarav temple, is a form of Lord Shiva, devotees offer the mansa and madya to the temple and this is part of the Puja. Tulsi Manas Temple and Sankat Mochan Temple, both of the temples are linked to the Epic Ramayan. This city also shows the power of three main dignities- Lord Shiv, Lord Vishnu, and Lord Brahma known as the Tridev Temple.

Where to Stay?

Accommodation options in Varanasi range from luxurious to budget-friendly hotels and homestays.

Varanasi Cuisine

Varanasi cuisine provides you with some influence of dishes that provide a mixture of traditions and spirituality, if you want to find what to eat for breakfast you can eat kachori sabzi and want some flavor of Bihar this city provides you with the Litti-Chokha, you can also eat in the lunch. For dessert, you can eat the Mallayio, a saffron-flavored milk cloud, Banarasi paan and one glass of Thandai after your meal.

The Best Time to Visit

The best time to visit Varanasi is during the winter, months from October to March, when the weather is pleasant, and the city is vibrant with festivals and cultural events.

Tirupathi is known for Tirupati Balaji Temple, which is situated in the Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh, one of the most visited spiritual centres in India. This temple is believed that Lord Venkateshwar took the form of an idol and is a home to the Lord Govinda. Akasaganga Teertham, a mesmerizing Waterfall that is situated in the nearby Tirupati Temple is famous for its quick dips to wash away their sins.

Sri Varahaswami temple is another spiritual temple in north Tirupati; it is believed that Sri Varahaswami was the original owner of the seven hills in Tirupathi, which he agreed to hand over to Sri Venkateswara Swami only if he was also worshipped there. Therefore, Sri Venkateswara Swami asked his followers to first pay a visit to Sri Varahaswami and then to him. Sri Padmavathi Ammavari Temple which is situated in the main city, it is believed that Goddess Padmavathi is descended from the Golden Lotus. Sri Venugopala Swamy Temple, dedicated to Lord Krishna, is another holy visit that is located a couple of kilometers from the main city. This temple gives you the golden tone of architecture. Apart from the temples, Tirupati also has some other attractions for tourists, like- Silathornam and TTD Gardens, that give you relaxation amidst beauty for the visitors.

Where to Stay?

Accommodation options in Tirupathi, range from luxury hotels to budget-friendly with modern amenities.

Tirupathi Cuisine

Tirupati is one of the Hindu Pilgrimage Sites, so it offers only vegetarian food, you can eat SriVari Laddu and Pulihora both offered to the Sri Venkateswara Temple and given to the Devotees, after the Pooja as prasad. For the meal, you can eat the Andhra thali, Bisi Bele Bhath.

The Best Time to Visit

The best time to visit Tirupati is from September to February when the climate is pleasant.

Dwarka is the home of Lord Krishna, which is located on the western tip of the Saurashtra Peninsula in Gujarat. It is also believed that Dwarka is the capital of Lord Krishna’s kingdom, known as Devbhooomi which is part of the Char Dham.

The Jagat Temple, which is also known as Dwarkadheesh Temple, is the prime Holy Temple. This temple was constructed in the 16th century with an area of 1800 square feet and a 70.5-meter-high steeple. It is dedicated to Lord Krishna who was the incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Nageshwar Jyotirlinga is one of the 12 Jyotirlinga that represent the spiritual sites of Hindus. This lingam represents Lord Mahadev who is supposed to guard one form of all types of poison. Thousands of devotees are attending the Shivratri festival which is celebrated magnificently. The Somnath Temple which is also one of the Jyotirlinga, this temple is referred to as the protector of the Moon. Bhalka Tirth, where Lord Krishna, wearing a deer skin, mistakenly slept with this skin and was struck by an arrow. Another Holy site to visit in Dwarka is Harsiddhi Mandir; history suggests that this temple was constructed by the Lord Vishnu himself for Ambe Mata because he had defeated the demons with the blessings of Mata, this mandir is devoted to the Jagdamba Mata.

Where to Stay?

Accommodation options in Dwarka range from hotels to budget-friendly with modern amenities.

Dwarka Cuisine

Dwarka Cuisine gives you a mixture of spicy and sweet taste, that will give you mouth-watering. First, you can eat the khaman dhokla and fafda jalebi with spicy green chillies, then you’ll try the Thepla and Undhiyo (it is a mixed vegetable dish) in your meal.

The Best Time to Visit

October and June are the ideal months to visit Dwarka; you can also visit anytime, but in the summer, the heat can give you more sweat and tire out the travellers.

Amritsar, India’s second-largest city, gives you a steeped history and spirituality. It is also known as Ambarsar. This city is famous for the Golden Temple, which was built by Maharaja Ranjit Singh who decided to add gold to its dome. This Golden temple is dedicated to the holiest shrine in Sikhism, if you’re coming from anywhere this temple welcomes you always. The buses start from the railway station, which is under the Golden Temple Authority, and these buses are free and no one can take any money from you. You can start your day with the spiritual Prayers from Gurudwara (Golden Temple). Then, you can see the Durgiana Temple, which is referred to as the Silver Temple and the peaceful Ram Tirth.

Amritsar has seen many ups and downs from Operation Blue Star in the Golden Temple to the Tragedy of the Jallianwala Bagh. Amritsar has faced many problems but this city always shines like a star. The beauty of Amritsar can be seen in the Baisakhi festival when all people celebrate with its finest food, clothes and merry-making. You can visit the Wagha Border when our soldiers show their power to our neighbouring country, Pakistan.

Where to Stay?

Accommodation options are in the range of budget to luxury homestays for all types of travellers. Golden Temple Authority also provides the rooms for the devotees.

Amritsar Cuisine

If you’re going to visit the Golden Temple, you don’t need to look for a restaurant, you can eat in the Guru ka Langar a very famous Langar that never stops making meals in bulk. But if you want to eat something else there are various types of Dhaba, you can visit. But don’t forget to drink Lassi, a digestion and most important drink in the Punjab.

The Best Time to Visit

The best time to visit Amritsar is during the winter months, from October to March, weather allows you to explore the city Comfortably. If you want to see Wagah Border proximity you can on 15th August and 26 January the best time to visit.

Shirdi is the home of Sai Baba and a holy site, which is located at a distance of 122 km from Nasik in the Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra. This temple sees 60,000 devotees every day. Another holy place in Shirdi you can visit is Shani Shingnapur, which is located 65 km from Shirdi. In this place, there are no doors in their homes or shops at all. They believed Lord Shani Dev protected us from thieves and evils.

Apart from this holy place, you can visit the markets and give you spiritual experiences that you will take back home. Do not forget to return with some souvenirs and trinkets. Outside the Sai temple, you can see the miniature and laminated photo frames that you can choose your own; you see mostly shops in Kopargaon usually open from 7 am to 10 pm.

Where to Stay?

Stay options in Shirdi are budget friendly from 3-star hotels to luxury resorts. You can also find the Ashrams for the accommodation with the single and shared rooms.

Shirdi Cuisine

Being a temple city and significant as a religious center you can see only vegetarian food.

The Best Time to Visit

You can visit any time in Shirdi, but if you want a natural cooler, the months of June to August are the most suitable time. The winter season gives you pleasant cold winds and temperatures ranging from 8 degrees Celsius to 37 degrees Celsius.

Ujjain, an ancient city situated on the eastern bank of the Shipra River in the Malwa Region of Madhya Pradesh, is one of the places where the Kumbh Mela festival is celebrated. The largest festival which attracts 100 million people.

Ujjain is the home to the Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga, one of the 12 Jyotirlinga to the God Shiva and also one of the 18 Maha Shakti Peethas in India. Another fact is that the Mahakaleshwar idol is Dakshni Mukhi, facing south, unlike all the other Jyotirlingas. There is another form of Lord Shiva, Kal Bhairav is a symptom of fierceness, which is important amongst the 8 Bhairavas. It is believed this temple is related to the Tantra Cult and a secret Black Magic which is a religious sect. Ram Mandir Ghat, which is connected to the Kumbh Mela, it is believed that if you dip here, you can wash off all your sins during the Kumbh Mela.

Where to Stay?

Accommodation options in Ujjain range from luxury hotels to budget-friendly with modern amenities.

Ujjain Cuisine

If you’re visiting in the summer this place is very famous for the unusual varieties of kulfis, a 75-year-old shop at Gopal Mandir which is famous for selling freshly made kulfis. You also try the Rabri Bhandar, a 150-year-old shop at Paribagh. You can also try the Rajasthani thali or Aloo Sabji puri in Bhola Guru for Lunch.

The Best Time to Visit

The best time to visit Ujjain, is during Kumbh Mela, which takes place every 3 years in these 4 cities Allahabad, Nasik, Haridwar and Ujjain. This is happened in Ujjain in 2016, now it will happen in 2028. And if you want only see temples tour so you can go from October to March.

Mathura is the birthplace of Lord Krishna, which is located in Uttar Pradesh, one of Hinduism's seven sacred cities. Mathura is famous for its Yamuna River, lined with 25 Ghats. After the sun sets, hundreds of Diyas are floated during the daily Aarti. Mathura experiences an influx of religious tourists during the two main festivals Janmashtami and Holi.

The main attraction of this place is the Shri Krishna Janambhoomi; it is believed that this is the exact place where Lord Krishna was born and the prison is now a tourist place. Mathura has lots of Temples to visit in every corner, and it’s dedicated to the Lord Krishna, but there are two most important temples, Dwarkadheesh and Gita Mandi, both of the temples you can see the Lord Krishna’s life from beginning to epic Bhagavad Gita by the carvings and paintings. You can visit Govardhan Hills; history suggests that this Hill was lifted by Lord Krishna in Childhood from the Heavy rain. Radha Kund is also nearby from Govardhan Hill; it is considered to be the Supreme of the holy places. The other holy place is Vaishno Devi, which is believed to grant boons to her devotees.

Where to Stay?

Accommodation options in Mathura, range from luxury hotels to budget-friendly with modern amenities. The Vaishno Devi Dham provides the two Dharamshalas for the visiting Devotees.

Mathura Cuisine

Mathura is famous for its street food that provides you the sweets and fresh milk products like- Ghewar, Rabri, Jalebi, Gujia, Kalakand, and the most famous Peda sweet that offers you a delightful taste.

The Best Time to Visit

October to March is the best time to visit for sightseeing. If you want to see memorable things, you can visit Barsana during the Holi festival, for Lathmar Holi, a very famous celebration amongst tourists.