Religious tourism is deeply rooted in the history and culture of many countries, and continues to play a crucial role in the economy and identity of the destinations that promote it. India, the land of thousands of years of spirituality, is the scene of rich and varied religious tourism. Emblematic sites such as Amritsar with its Golden Temple, Varanasi along the Ganges, Ayodhya with the Ram Mandir, Puri and its Jagannath temple, as well as Sarnath and Bodh Gaya for Buddhists, attract millions of pilgrims and tourists every year. This analysis explores how spiritual tourism is shaping modern India, while preserving the profound links between tradition and economic development.
You can find the first two parts of this analysis of religious tourism in Saudi Arabia and Europe here.
A Diverse Religious Landscape
The landscape of religious tourism in India is diverse, encompassing significant sites for various religions (Times of India). Each of these sites attracts a large number of pilgrims and tourists, contributing to the richness of the country’s spiritual tourism.
According to the 2011 Census in India, Hinduism is the dominant religion, representing about 79.8% of the population. Islam is the second largest religion, followed by Christianity, Sikhism, Buddhism, and Jainism.
Pilgrimages in India attract a wide variety of believers, covering multiple religions and spiritual traditions. Among the most important, the Golden Temple in Amritsar is a major sacred site for Sikhs, while Jains visit the Shatrunjaya temples in Palitana and the Dilwara temples in Rajasthan. Catholics flock to Velankanni in Tamil Nadu, while Buddhists favor Sarnath and Bodh Gaya. Muslims, although preferring to go to Mecca, also visit holy sites in India, such as Ajmer Sharif.
For Hindus, pilgrimages are varied and numerous, including sites such as the seven sacred cities (Varanasi, Haridwar, Ayodhya, Mathura, Dwarka, Kanchipuram) as well as the four Char Dham (Badrinath, Dwarka, Puri, and Rameswaram), which constitute a set of four sacred pilgrimage sites located at the four corners of India.
Religious Tourism: An Economic Boom for India?
Main Destinations
Key destinations for spiritual tourism in India include cities such as Amritsar, Varanasi, Ayodhya, Dwarka, Puri, Shirdi, and Tirupati. Each of these locations has seen significant development to accommodate the growing number of visitors. For example, Amritsar, home to the Golden Temple, has recorded high visitor traffic of 30 million annually and has seen the opening of several hotels like the Le Meridien by Marriott and voco by IHG. Similarly, Varanasi, following its...
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