🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia
The hajj to Mecca is a duty once in a lifetime for those who are able, with the pilgrims in white ihram circling the Kaaba, standing at Arafat and throwing stones. About two million people take part each year.
Hajj, being writtenPilgrimage
Millions of people travel every year to a place they hold sacred.
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Millions of people travel every year to a place they hold sacred. The hajj to Mecca, the walk to Santiago, the bath at the Kumbh Mela, the circling of Mount Kailash, the climb of Mount Fuji, the visit to Lourdes or the Western Wall: each is a journey with a purpose beyond travel. Pilgrims describe it as a way to give thanks, to seek forgiveness, to pray for a cure or simply to be near the holy. The road may be long and hard, and much of its meaning lies in the effort and in the company of others. Here is how different peoples go on pilgrimage and what they do when they arrive.
What it is for
A pilgrimage takes a person out of daily life into a time and place set apart. For believers it is a duty, a vow or a gift to the spiritual life, and many say it changes them. It may atone for a fault, fulfil a promise or seek a blessing for the family. Pilgrims often say it taught them humility and gratitude, and made them part of a long line of travellers. Shared hardship creates friendships that last for life, and the sites themselves are often places of great beauty and history.
Common elements across cultures
A pilgrimage has a destination, often a shrine, mountain, river or tomb, and a route, often with traditional stages. Pilgrims carry a staff, a shell or a badge, wear white or simple clothing, and give up comforts. They circle the holy site, bathe in sacred water, touch or kiss a sacred object, light a lamp and leave an offering. Hospitality along the road, from free meals to places to sleep, is a big part of the tradition. The return, with a souvenir or a blessing for those at home, completes the journey.
Food, dress and music
Pilgrim food is plain and shared: dates and water in Mecca, free community meals, langar, at the Golden Temple, simple rice and dal at Hindu centres, bread and wine on the Camino. Dress is modest: white ihram for the hajj, saffron robes in Hindu pilgrimages, black in Orthodox sites. Singing and chanting carry the walkers, from hymns to devotional songs, and bells, drums and conches announce arrival. Many pilgrims bring home a small token, such as a scallop shell, water from the sacred river, prasad sweets or a blessed cloth.
How it is changing
Air travel, buses and organised tours have made pilgrimage faster, and numbers have grown. Crowd control, health and the environment are now major concerns, and sites use apps, timed tickets and digital maps. Meanwhile, many people walk the old routes for a mix of spiritual and personal reasons, including many who say they are not religious. Heritage and tourism agencies work with local communities to protect the sites and the pilgrim's experience. The tradition shows no sign of declining and in some places is growing fast.
Pilgrimage around the world
🇮🇶 Iraq
Arbaeen is a mass walking pilgrimage to Karbala, forty days after Ashura, in which millions of Shia Muslims walk for days, fed by volunteers along the road. It is among the largest gatherings in the world.
Arba'in, being written🇮🇳 India
The Kumbh Mela, held in rotation at four cities, gathers tens of millions for a holy bath, and the Char Dham and Varanasi are year-round destinations. Sikh pilgrims visit the Golden Temple at Amritsar.
Read: Kumbh Mela🇳🇵 Nepal
Lumbini, the birthplace of the Buddha, draws Buddhists from every country, and Pashupatinath in Kathmandu hosts the great Maha Shivaratri gathering of Hindu sadhus. Pilgrims also visit the Muktinath shrine, which is sacred to both Hindus and Buddhists.
Lumbini, being written🇨🇳 Tibet and China
Tibetan pilgrims walk the kora, a circuit, around Mount Kailash, some prostrating along the full length of the route. The Five Sacred Mountains and Mount Tai are traditional Chinese destinations.
Mount Kailash, being written🇯🇵 Japan
The Shikoku pilgrimage, the henro, follows 88 temples associated with the monk Kukai, taking weeks on foot, and the Kumano Kodo trails are a UNESCO World Heritage route. Pilgrims wear white and a conical hat.
Read: Shikoku PilgrimageTraditions to start with
Kumbh MelaThe great Hindu bathing festival.
Camino de SantiagoThe way of St James.
Shikoku PilgrimageJapan's 88 temples.
Qoyllur Rit'iThe Andean snow-star pilgrimage.Also part of it, and being written: Hajj (The pilgrimage to Mecca.), Arba'in (The walk to Karbala.), Kora (The Tibetan circumambulation.), Lourdes (The French Marian shrine.).
Questions people ask
What is the difference between a pilgrimage and a holiday?
A pilgrimage is a journey with a religious or spiritual purpose, which often involves some hardship. Many people now combine the two, and the distinction is up to the traveller.
Do you need to be religious to walk a pilgrim route?
No. Many routes, such as the Camino, are walked by people of all beliefs and none, though they are asked to respect the sacred sites and the customs of the places.
What do pilgrims wear?
Often plain or traditional dress: white for the hajj and in Japan, saffron in Hindu sites, and practical walking clothes on European routes. A badge, shell or staff is common.
Is pilgrimage a duty?
In Islam the hajj is one of the five pillars, for those who can. In other faiths it is highly valued but optional.
How do I behave at a sacred site?
Dress modestly, remove shoes where asked, keep quiet, ask before photographing, and follow the instructions of local guides and worshippers.
About this page
Written by the EveryParampara desk with AI assistance. Customs differ from place to place and family to family. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.
Pilgrimage on EveryParampara
The traditions written up so far, best known first.
RegionSouth AsiaSoutheast AsiaEast AsiaCentral Asia and the CaucasusMiddle EastNorth AfricaSub-Saharan AfricaEuropeNorth AmericaLatin America and the CaribbeanOceania
🇮🇳 India and 3 moreBhajanभजनम् (bhajanam)
Devotional songs of South Asia, sung alone or together with drums and cymbalsPerformance
🇮🇳 Palani, India and 5 moreKavadi Aattamகாவடி ஆட்டம்
Tamil devotees of Murugan carry burdens as a vow during ThaipusamSpiritual
🇬🇷 Olympia, GreeceAncient Olympic Gamesτὰ Ὀλύμπια
A quadrennial athletic festival held in ancient Greece to honor the god ZeusGame
🇸🇦 Mecca, Saudi Arabia and 1 moreDay of Arafahيوم عرفة
A holy day of prayer, repentance, and vigil on the second day of the Hajj pilgrimageSpiritual
🇩🇪 Germany and 3 moreVisitation
A Christian feast commemorating Mary's journey to visit her cousin ElizabethSpiritual
🇲🇱 MaliTayammumتيمم
A dry ritual purification using clean earth or stone when water is unavailable or harmful.Spiritual
🇮🇹 Italy and 2 morePresentation of Mary
A Christian feast on November 21 marking a child's dedication to God in Jerusalem.Spiritual
🇬🇧 St Andrews, United Kingdom and 7 moreSaint Andrew's DayLà Naomh Anndrais
The feast of Andrew the Apostle, kept on 30 November and Scotland's national daySpiritual
🇨🇳 ChinaKowtow叩頭
A traditional Chinese prostration of deep respect by kneeling and bowing to the groundEtiquette
🇮🇹 Italy and 5 moreTranslation of relicsTranslatio
The ceremonial transfer of holy remains or relics to a new church or shrineSpiritual
🇮🇶 Karbala, Iraq and 5 moreMourning of Muharramعَزَاءُ ٱلْمُحَرَّمِ
Annual rites of grief and remembrance for Imam Husayn and his companionsSpiritual
🇮🇳 Varanasi, IndiaHead shaving in Hinduism
Ritual tonsure for spiritual renewal, life transitions, and devotion in HinduismSpiritual
🇦🇱 Albania and 5 moreDodolaДодoла / Dodola
A Balkan rainmaking ritual where children dressed in greenery lead processions to call for summer showers.Festival
🇮🇶 Karbala, Iraq and 3 moreTasu'aتاسوعاء
A Shia day of remembrance before Ashura, honouring Abbas and the fallen at KarbalaSpiritual
🇸🇦 Mecca, Saudi ArabiaSa'eeالسعي
The ritual walk between the twin hills of Safa and Marwa during Islamic pilgrimageSpiritual
🇮🇳 IndiaMonlam Prayer Festival
A Tibetan Buddhist festival of mass prayers, sacred dances and ritual offeringsSpiritual
🇬🇷 Greece and 1 moreIncubationἐγκοίμησις
The sacred practice of sleeping in holy shrines to seek divine healing and dreamsSpiritual
🇮🇱 Israel and 1 moreIsru Chagאסרו חג
A minor Jewish observance extending the joy and sanctity of major pilgrimage holidaysSpiritual
🇮🇱 Jerusalem, Israel and 1 moreSimchat Beit HaShoeivahשמחת בית השואבה
Nightly music and dancing during the intermediate days of the festival of SukkotFestival · Tea-time and snacking customs
🇮🇳 Imphal, India and 2 moreLai Haraobaꯂꯥꯏ ꯍꯔꯥꯎꯕ
A ritual dance and music festival kept by the Meitei people to please their deities.Festival
🇸🇦 Saudi ArabiaManasikمناسك
The complete set of Islamic pilgrimage rites performed in and around Mecca.Spiritual
🇬🇷 Athens, GreeceDionysiaΔιονύσια
Ancient Athenian festivals of theatre, processions and sacrifices in honour of the god Dionysus.Festival · Feasts and festival meals
🇦🇱 Gjirokastër, Albania and 5 moreDodola and Perperuna
A rainmaking ritual kept across Southeast Europe, where children dressed in greenery lead processions to call for summerSpiritual
🇬🇹 Antigua Guatemala, GuatemalaHoly Week in GuatemalaSemana Santa
Street processions of floats, purple-robed penitents and sawdust carpets in GuatemalaSpiritual
🇮🇳 IndiaPushpanjaliपुष्पाञ्जलि
A Hindu ritual of offering flowers with cupped hands, used in worship and as an opening dance.Spiritual
🇲🇽 MexicoMesoamerican bloodletting
A ritual practice of self-cutting used by ancient Maya and other Mesoamerican elites to communicate with the divine.Spiritual
🇳🇵 NepalJatjatin Dance
A Mithila folk dance performed by couples to seek rain and express the sorrow of parting.Performance
🇮🇳 India and 2 moreAbhiṣekaabhiṣeka (Sanskrit); wang (Tibetan)
A Vajrayana Buddhist ritual of consecration where a guru transmits spiritual authority to a student.Spiritual
🇮🇳 IndiaKathaकथा (Hindi/Sanskrit), கதை (Tamil)
A traditional Indian practice of religious storytelling and scriptural commentary, kept across Hindu and Sikh communitieSpiritual
🇨🇱 ChileFiesta de La Tirana
A week-long pilgrimage and dance festival in northern Chile honoring the Virgin of Mount Carmel.Festival
🇮🇹 Avezzano, ItalyFeast of the Madonna di PietraquariaMadonna di Pietraquaria
A three-day spring festival in Avezzano marked by neighborhood bonfires, a street fair, and a mountain-to-city processioFestival
🇮🇱 Jerusalem, IsraelAliya la'regelעלייה לרגל
A Jewish commandment to appear at the Temple in Jerusalem during three annual festivals.Spiritual
🇮🇳 Goa, IndiaVeerabhadra
A ritual dance of a fierce figure performed in Goa during the Shigmo festival and on Chaitra Poornima.Performance
🇷🇸 Serbia and 5 moreĐurđevdanЂурђевдан
A spring festival and feast of Saint George kept across the Balkans and Eastern EuropeFestival · Feasts and festival meals
🇮🇹 Turin, Italy and 5 moreMary Help of ChristiansSancta Maria Auxilium Christianorum
A Christian feast and devotion honouring Mary as a protector, observed on 24 MaySpiritual
🇮🇱 Israel and 2 moreDay of Salvation and Liberationיום השחרור וההצלה
A Jewish holiday on the 26th of Iyar to thank God for saving Jews from Nazi annihilation.Festival
🇩🇿 Tlemcen, AlgeriaAshura in Algeriaيوم عاشوراء
A day of fasting, almsgiving, evening feasting and regional folk masquerades.Festival · Fasting and breaking the fast
🇱🇺 Luxembourg City, Luxembourg and 3 moreOktavMuttergottesoktav
A two-week annual Marian pilgrimage and festival in Luxembourg CitySpiritual · Tea-time and snacking customs
🇨🇻 Cape Verde and 1 moreKola San Jon
A Cabo Verdean street festival of dance, drumming, and devotion to Saint JohnFestival
🇮🇳 IndiaParashurama Jayantiपरशुरामजयंती (Paraśurāmajayantī)
A Hindu day of fasting and worship marking Parashurama's birth on Akshaya TritiyaSpiritual
🇨🇱 Tarapacá, ChileFestival of San Lorenzo
An annual festival of religious dance and pilgrimage honoring Saint Lawrence in TarapacáSpiritual
🇮🇳 IndiaDivja
A Goan ritual where women carry oil lamps in a temple procession to fulfill vows.Spiritual
🇭🇷 Hvar, CroatiaZa križen
A night procession on Hvar island where six villages walk simultaneously to honor the cross.Spiritual
🇮🇳 Thiruvananthapuram, IndiaAttukal Pongala
A ten-day Hindu festival in Kerala where millions of women cook rice offerings in earthen pots for the goddess.Festival
🇮🇳 Chennai, IndiaIndian Christian DayYeshu Bhakti Divas
An annual Indian day of remembrance for the arrival of Christianity in 52 AD and the life of Jesus Christ.Festival
🇮🇹 Italy and 2 moreFeast of Saint Thomas Aquinas
An annual Christian feast day honouring the medieval theologian Saint Thomas AquinasSpiritual
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia and 3 moreGhadir Khummغَدِير خُمّ
A historic sermon and annual festival marking Ali's role in early Islam.Festival
🇪🇸 Madrid, Spain and 4 moreFeast of Saint Isidore the LaborerFiestas de San Isidro Labrador
A May festival honoring the patron saint of farmers, marked by processions and harvest gratitude in Spain and former colFestival · Feasts and festival meals
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Pushpanjali: Yosarian, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Mary Help of Christians: Didier Descouens, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Shikoku Pilgrimage: Dokudami, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Đurđevdan: Anonymous Russian icon painter (before 1917) Public domain image (acco, Public domain, source
- Qoyllur Rit'i: AgainErick, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Kumbh Mela: Yosarian, CC BY 3.0, source
- Feast of the Madonna di Pietraquaria: Marica Massaro, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Camino de Santiago: stephenD, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Katha: Tirlochan Singh, Public domain, source
- Eid al-Ghadir: khamenei.ir, CC BY 4.0, source
- Kavadi Aattam: Raja Ravi Varma, Public domain, source
- Bhajan: Bootervijay at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Saint Andrew's Day: Henryk Siemiradzki, Public domain, source
- Lai Haraoba: Kullachandra Singh, Ngariyambam, CC0, source
- Holy Week in Guatemala: derivative work: Sir James ( talk ) VolcanAguaPascuas.jpg :Infrogmatio, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Parashurama Jayanti: Rajasekhar1961, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Abhiṣeka: Wonderlane, CC BY 2.0, source
- Festival of San Lorenzo: Freddy Alexander Bugueño Tolmo, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Ancient Olympic Games: Bgabel, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Kola San Jon: Dvfernandes, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Oktav: Daderot, CC0, source
- Ashura in Algeria: Jan Janssonius, Public domain, source
- Day of Arafah: Al Jazeera English, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Visitation: Giotto, Public domain, source
- Tayammum: عامر شاہین, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Presentation of Mary: Zograf Gregorij, Public domain, source
- Kowtow: Gary Todd, CC0, source
- Head shaving in Hinduism: Napoleon is back, CC0, source
- Tasu'a: Alirajabzadeh49, CC BY 4.0, source
- Translation of relics: User:Vmenkov, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Mourning of Muharram: Naser Jafari, CC BY 4.0, source
- Dodola: Andrey Shishkin, CC BY 3.0, source
- Sa'ee: Aiman titi, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Monlam Prayer Festival: Evan-Lovely, CC BY 2.0, source
- Isru Chag: Jim Padgett, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Simchat Beit HaShoeivah: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Manasik: Dan ik, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Dionysia: Unknown artist, Public domain, source
- Divja: Govenkarpriyanka, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Mesoamerican bloodletting: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Jatjatin Dance: Ramesh Lalwani, CC BY 2.0, source
- Za križen: E.mil.mil, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Attukal Pongala: Maheshsudhakar, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Indian Christian Day: Aadhanvendhan, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Feast of Saint Thomas Aquinas: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Feast of Saint Isidore the Laborer: Ángel Lizcano Monedero, Public domain, source