In every religion, various worship places got significance for roles they play in different believe systems. Some are the birthplaces of their founders, some are gifts from gods and others a tourist attractive. These places are considers to be the center of thought, leadership and spirituality for their devotees and tourists. People often love to be there and reconnect with what matters. Spirituality and traveling are the two faces of same coin. When a place became prominent, it attracts pilgrims from all corners of world.
Here are most visited 25 religious places around the globe.
1- Meiji Shrine
Location: Shibuya, Tokyo Japan
Religion: Shinto
Annual Visitors: 40 Million
Significance: The shrine is dedicated to deified spirits of Emperor meiji and his wife. Shrine is located in a forest that consists of 120,000 trees of 365 different types. Meiji the great, was 122nd Emperor of japan and he is the founder of modern japan. The shrine is situated at the center of Tokyo and visited by many as relaxation and recreation area.
2- Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe
Location: Mexico City, Mexico
Religion: Christian
Annual Visitors: 25 Million
Significance: Most important pilgrimage cites of Catholicism and visited by several millions people every year, especially on eve of 12 December, Our Lady of Guadalupe’s Feast day. The place church is where Virgin Mary is believed to have appeared to Saint Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin.
3- Mosque Al Haram
Location: Mecca, Saudi Arabia
Religion: Islam
Annual Visitors: 17.5 Million
Significance: Being a birthplace of Prophet Muhammad, Mecca is central (Qiblah) to Muslims from all over the world. Every year, millions of Muslims visit Mosque Al Haram to perform their religious prayers. Non-Muslims are not allowed to visit this place.
4- Kashi Vishwanath Temple
Location: Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India
Religion: Hindu
Annual Visitors: 14 Million
Significance: One of the most sacred and visited Hindu temple which is dedicated to Lord Shiva, situated at the bank of Ganges river nearby holy Dashashwamedh Ghat, a ghat created by Lord Brahma to welcome Lord Shiva. Virnasi itself is one of the most holiest cities in Hinduism. Varnasi is also known as Benares.
5- Imam Husayn Shrine
Location: Karbala, Iraq
Religion: Islam
Annual Visitors: 14 Million
Significance: The burial site of Husayn ibn Ali, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad. He was martyred during Battle of Karbala. The Shrine is one of the holiest places for Shia Muslims after Mecca and Medina. Every year millions of Muslims visit Shrine from all over the world to mark Anniversary of Imam Husayn death.
6- Golden temple
Location: Amritsar, India
Religion: Sikhism
Annual Visitors: 12 Million
Significance: Golden temple also known as ‘Darbar Sahib’ is one of the oldest worship places for Sikhs. The entire top of the temple is made of pure gold and surround by a manmade lake. Before building a temple, the first Guru of the Sikhs, Guru Nanak used to meditate at the site. The temple itself is an example of Indian and Mughal architecture.
7- Mosque Nabawai
Location: Media, Saudi Arabia
Religion: Islam
Annual Visitors: 12 Million
Significance: Being a burial place of Prophet Muhammad and his companions, Mosque is second sacred place after Mosque Al Haram for Muslims around the world. To take part in prayers of Hajj and Umrah (two prayer names), millions of devotees from all over the world visit Mosque annually. The Mosque was originally built by Prophet of Islam Muhammad.
8- Jagannath Temple
Location: Puri, Odisha India
Religion: Hindu
Annual Visitors: 12 Million
Significance: A temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu is one of the most sacred and visited place in india. The temple is famous for its annual Rath yatra which is celeberated annual to tribute Lord Vishnu. On eve, temple like colorful chariots are made and pulled through strings. The event is celebrated annually june and july and millions of admirers from all over the world take part.
9- Akal Takht Sahib
Location: Amritsar, Punjab
Religion: Sikhism
Annual visitors: 11 M
Significance: Akal takht was founded by sikh guru Hargobind ji in concern to improve spiritual education among Sikh community and for the place of Jathedar, the highest spokesman of Sikhs.
10- Mount Qiyun
Location: Xiuning, Huangshan, China
Religion: Taoism
Annual Visitors: 8 Million
Significance: It is one of the four sacred Taoist mountains in china. It is a Mecca for Taoist believers. Many Taoist temples, caves, tablets, steles and inscriptions can be found there. It has high calligraphic, religious value. Mount Qiyun is actually a calligraphic museum; It has 305 handwriting carvings on cliff and 232 engravings on steles.
11- Somnath Temple
Location: Veraval, Gujrat, India
Religion: Hindu
Annual Visitors: 7 Million
Significance: Somnath means ‘Lord of Moon’. It is important pilgrimage and tourist spot. This place is among of 12 jyotirlingas (refer to as devotional representation of GOD) and one of the oldest pilgrimage of Hinduism. It is built on the shore of Arabian sea and in between the temple and South pole, in a straight line there is no land area. Somnath temple was looted, destroyed and re-built many times.
12- Saint Peter’s Basilica
Location: Vatican City
Religion: Christian
Annual Visitors: 7 Million
Significance: It is one of the largest and holiest Catholic Church in the world. It is where pope preside many liturgies all around the year. Saint Peter, one of twelve Jesus disciples, buries here. The church is designed and built during Italian Renaissance. After putting down the first Basilica, it took 100 years to re-build and some of the famous architects of time took part.
13- Mount Longhu
Location: Jiangxi, China
Religion: Taoism
Annual Visitors: 6 Million
Significance: it is one of the four sacred mountains of Taoism and famous for being birthplace of Taoism. Many temples are built upon the mountain side. The most notable temples are temples of immortal city and Zheng Yi, all founded by Zhang Daoling , the Han Dynasty founder of the religion. In 2010, UNESO listed the mountain among World Heritage List as part of the complex of six sites that make up the China Danxia.
14- Salt Lake City Temple
Location: Salt lake city, United States
Religion: Christian
Annual Visitors: 6 Million
Significance: A publicly closed temple, having area 10 acre is one of the holiest temples for latter day saints Christians Community. You need temple recommend to enter. It is the largest LDS temple by area. The temple is considered to be house of GOD and is reserved to special ceremonies for latter day saints. However temple grounds are open to public and visited by thousands of visitors daily.
15- Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes
Location: Lourdes, France
Religion: Christian
Annual Visitors: 6 Million
Significance: A sanctuary in middle of the Lourdes, surrounding the catholic shrine to our lady to Lourdes. This area have fame to heal sick people, sick pilgrimage are reputed to autonomously heal by Lourdes water. Millions of sick pilgrimages visit this site every year. Proper accommodation is available for visitors.
16- Badrinath Temple
Location: Badrinath, Uttarakhand India
Religion: Hindu
Annual Visitors: 5.5 Million
Significance: Another visitor’s giant and dedicated to Lord Vishnu is one the most sacred temple in among Hinduism devotees. It is opened for six month every year from April to November due to extreme weather conditions in winter. Temple hosts two festivals each year, one is ‘Mata Murti ka mela’ on eve of September and second is ‘Badri Kedar festival’ takes place June and millions of devotees take part.
17- Mahabodhi temple
Place: Bodh Gaya, Bihar India
Religion: Buddhist
Annual Visitors: 4 Million
Significance: A place where Buddha attained enlightenment. On the eastern side of temple, there is holy Bodhi tree under which Lord Buddha meditated and realized spiritual knowledge and Buddhahood. The building is declared as UNESCO World heritage.
18- Mosque Al Aqsa
Location: Jerusalem, Israel
Religion: Islam
Annual Visitors: 3.5 Million
Significance: Located in old Jerusalem, Mosque is third holiest site in Islam. Prophet Muhammad led prayers by facing this site in earliest days to Islam then Lord directed him to turn towards Mosque Al Haram Mecca.
19- Parinirvana stupa temple
Place: Kushinagar, Uttar Pradesh India
Religion: Buddhist
Annual Visitors: 2 Million
Significance: Death place of Lord Buddha. After 45 years of missionary activities Buddha, severely stricken with illness finally reached to this area and here he attained Parinirvana. Inside this temple, there is reclinging 1.6 inch Buddha statue lying on its right side with head in north direction.
20- Temple Mount
Location: Jerusalem, Israel
Religion: Judaism, Christianity, Islam
Annual Visitors: 2 Million
Significance: For Muslims it is known as Haram esh-Sharif, is a hill located in the old city of Jerusalem that has been venerated as holy site for thousands of year in Judaism, Christianity and Islam alike. According to Judaism, temple mount is regarded as the place where God’s divine presence is manifested more than any other place, and is the place where Jews turn towards during prayers.
21- Western Wall
Location: Jerusalem, Israel
Religion: Judaism
Annual Visitors: 2 Million
Significance: The Western wall is considered holy due to its connection to Temple Mount. Due to entry restrictions to temple mount, the wall is the next holiest place where Jews are permitted to pray. The wall was rebuilt during the reign of Ottoman Empire in 1537. It took 4 years for completion.
22- Shrine of Bahá’u’lláh
Location: Acre, Israel
Religion: Baháism
Annual Visitors: 2 Million
Significance: The most sacred place near Bahá’Ãs followers, represents their Qiblih or direction of prayer. It contains remains of Bahá’u’lláh, founder of religion and is neat the spot where he died. Shrine consists of light-filled, central room. A garden stands in the middle of room, which is surrounded by number of small rooms and in one corner of central room is the chamber where Bahá’u’lláh remains are laid to rest.
23- Mayadevi temple
Place: Lumbini, Nepal
Religion: Buddhist
Annual Visitors: 1.6 Million
Significance: Birth place of Lord Buddha which is named after his mother Maya Devi. The temple stands adjacent to sacred pool Puskarni (a pool where Lord Buddha took his first bath after birth). In 1997, UNESCO included this site in World Heritage.
24- Mount Sinai
Location: Sinai, Egypt
Religion: Judaism
Annual Visitors: 1 Million
Significance: also called Gabal Musa or Mount Horeb. According to Book of Exodus (Holy book of Judaism), Quran (Holy Book for Muslims) , Bible (Holy Book for Christians), it was the place where ten commandments Prophet of Judaism Moses received from GOD.
25- Jokhang Temple
Location: Lhasa, Tibet China
Religion: Buddhist
Annual Visitors: 1 Millon
Significance: One of the most important and sacred temple in Tibet. Initially it was built for housekeeping of Lord Buddha statues which were brought from all over the world for wives of king Gampo in sixth century, after passing through many verdicts of time it gain sight of Buddhist saints from all over the world. Hundreds of people visit this place daily.
