5 Reasons To Travel To India To Find Enlightenment

Today, I present a very rare treat. This is a guest post from Sandra Mills, a talented freelance writer whose work appears in some of my favorite travel blogs. While I normally like to write 99% of the content here, I was intrigued by the title and further impressed by what I learned in this article. I hope you guys enjoy it as much as I did.

A spiritual pilgrimage to India is in the hearts of many travelers who want to experience the vast number of holy places, rituals and traditions offered. Hindu, Buddhist and Sikh temples are scattered throughout India. Natives and tourists visit these places in droves each year for the spiritual experience. Countless holy days are observed throughout the year. Pilgrims will discover festivals and celebrations that take place during certain seasons. Anyone seeking additional understanding and knowledge about the religions practiced in India will want to discover these five places.

 woman meditating at sunset on hilltop in hampi, india - enlightenment

1) The Gateway to God – Haridwar is considered one of the seven holy places in India. As one of the oldest living cities, Haridwar is located in the Himalayan foothills in Uttarakhand. Hindu pilgrims come in search of holy waters in the fast flowing Ganges River. Their quest is to wash away their sins. The fresh, clean waters of Haridwar are famous in comparison to other locations, such as Varanasi. Read more

UNESCO Monday #14: Elephanta Caves and Shiva’s Legacy

Elephanta Caves in India

This week’s edition of ‘UNESCO Monday’ is a guest post from Brad Nguyen, a long time friend of mine, fellow UNESCO World Heritage enthusiast, and excellent photographer.

The Elephanta Caves are located on Elephanta Island, locally known as Ghapuri. The Portuguese named the site Elephanta after a large statue of an elephant found at the entrance of the island. The caves were carved by Hindus between the 5th and 8th centuries. In order to reach the island, one must take a ferry from Mumbai. The ferry entrance is located beside the Gateway of India, where British colonists left India after independence, and the Taj Mahal Palace, a site of the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks.

[Want to participate and be featured on this blog? Have you visited a UNESCO World Heritage Site? Find out how to submit your pictures here.]

Brad Nguyen is a photographer, writer, and educator based out of India. You can find examples of his excellent photography work here.