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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 writtenArbaeen 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 writtenThe 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 MelaLumbini, 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 writtenTibetan 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 writtenThe 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 Pilgrimage
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.).
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.
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.
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.
In Islam the hajj is one of the five pillars, for those who can. In other faiths it is highly valued but optional.
Dress modestly, remove shoes where asked, keep quiet, ask before photographing, and follow the instructions of local guides and worshippers.
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.
The traditions written up so far, best known first.
๐ฎ๐ฑ Jerusalem, IsraelPassoverืคืกื
A Jewish spring festival celebrating freedom from slavery with ritual mealsSpiritual ยท Dinner
๐ฎ๐ฑ Jerusalem, IsraelSukkotืกืืืืช
A seven-day autumn Jewish festival of temporary booths, harvest prayers and hospitalitySpiritual
๐ฎ๐ฑ Jerusalem, Israel and 5 moreHoly Fireแผฮณฮนฮฟฮฝ ฮฆแฟถฯ
A fire ceremony in Jerusalem each year, kept by Orthodox Christians before EasterSpiritual
๐ต๐ธ Jerusalem, Palestine and 2 moreStations of the CrossVia Crucis
A Christian prayer journey following fourteen moments of the Passion of JesusSpiritual
๐ธ๐ฆ Mecca, Saudi ArabiaIhramุฅูุญูุฑูุงู
A sacred state and simple dress that Muslims enter for Hajj and UmrahSpiritual
๐ฎ๐ฑ Jerusalem, IsraelShavuotืฉืืืขืืช
A late-spring Jewish festival of the wheat harvest and the giving of the TorahSpiritual ยท Feasts and festival meals
๐ฎ๐ฑ Jerusalem, IsraelPassover Sederืกืืจ ืคืกื
A ritual meal opening Passover, told over wine, matzah and symbolic foodsSpiritual ยท Feasts and festival meals
๐น๐ท Turkey and 1 moreSamaSema (Turkish); ุณูู
ุงุน (Persian)
A Sufi rite of listening, music and turning, kept by Mevlevi and other Sufi ordersSpiritual
๐ฎ๐ฑ Jerusalem, Israel and 1 moreShemini Atzeretืฉึฐืืึดืื ึดื ืขึฒืฆึถืจึถืช
The eighth day of assembly, kept right after Sukkot with a prayer for rainSpiritual
๐ฎ๐ฑ Jerusalem, Israel and 1 moreFour speciesืืจืืขืช ืืืื ืื (Arba'at HaMinim)
A ritual waving of four plants during the Jewish holiday of Sukkot.Spiritual
๐ฎ๐ฑ Jerusalem, IsraelVia Dolorosaุทุฑูู ุงูุขูุงู
(Arabic) / ืืื ืืืืืจืืื (Hebrew)
A pilgrim walk through Jerusalem's Old City, marking the last journey of JesusSpiritual
๐ต๐ธ Jericho, PalestineNabi Musaูฑููููุจูู ู
ูููุณูู
An annual Palestinian Muslim pilgrimage and festival honoring the prophet MosesSpiritual ยท Feasts and festival meals
๐ธ๐ฆ Mecca, Saudi ArabiaUmrahุนูู
ูุฑูุฉ
A pilgrimage to Mecca that Muslims may make at most times of year, unlike the HajjSpiritual
๐ธ๐ฆ Mecca, Saudi Arabia and 1 moreDay of Arafahููู
ุนุฑูุฉ
A holy day of prayer, repentance, and vigil on the second day of the Hajj pilgrimageSpiritual
๐ฎ๐ถ Karbala, Iraq and 5 moreMourning of Muharramุนูุฒูุงุกู ูฑููู
ูุญูุฑููู
ู
Annual rites of grief and remembrance for Imam Husayn and his companionsSpiritual
๐ธ๐ฆ Mecca, Saudi ArabiaSa'eeุงูุณุนู
The ritual walk between the twin hills of Safa and Marwa during Islamic pilgrimageSpiritual
๐ฎ๐ถ Karbala, Iraq and 3 moreTasu'aุชุงุณูุนุงุก
A Shia day of remembrance before Ashura, honouring Abbas and the fallen at KarbalaSpiritual
๐ฎ๐ฑ Israel and 1 moreIsru Chagืืกืจื ืื
A minor Jewish observance extending the joy and sanctity of major pilgrimage holidaysSpiritual
๐ฎ๐ฑ Jerusalem, Israel and 1 moreSimchat Beit HaShoeivahืฉืืืช ืืืช ืืฉืืืื
Nightly music and dancing during the intermediate days of the festival of SukkotFestival ยท Tea-time and snacking customs
๐ธ๐ฆ Saudi ArabiaManasikู
ูุงุณู
The complete set of Islamic pilgrimage rites performed in and around Mecca.Spiritual
๐ธ๐ฆ Saudi Arabia and 3 moreGhadir Khummุบูุฏููุฑ ุฎูู
ู
A historic sermon and annual festival marking Ali's role in early Islam.Festival
๐ฎ๐ฑ Jerusalem, IsraelAliya la'regelืขืืืื ืืจืื
A Jewish commandment to appear at the Temple in Jerusalem during three annual festivals.Spiritual
๐ต๐ธ al-Khader, PalestineFeast of Saint George
An annual gathering of Palestinian Christians and Muslims honouring Saint GeorgeSpiritual ยท Feasts and festival meals
๐ฎ๐ฑ Israel and 2 moreDay of Salvation and Liberationืืื ืืฉืืจืืจ ืืืืฆืื
A Jewish holiday on the 26th of Iyar to thank God for saving Jews from Nazi annihilation.Festival
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
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