Greeks and Romans visited Delphi and other sacred places before the Christian tradition of going to the Holy Lands or to churches containing holy relics began. Christian pilgrims hoped to secure merit towards salvation, be cured of physical ailments or to atone for their sins. Jews traveled to the temple at Jerusalem, and in the New World, Our Lady of Guadalupe was a focus of devotion for its indigenous inhabitants.
Muslims try to travel to Mecca at least once in their lives. Many Hindus want to travel to Varanasi but there are many other sacred sites that they can visit, while Jains favor the place where a prophet was born or died. Initially Buddhist pilgrims went to India, but they eventually travelled to many areas throughout Asia. Shinto pilgrimages are popular activities in Japan. Pilgrimage can be a secular activity as well as a religious one. Many pilgrims travel the Camino de Santiago route or to Canterbury Cathedral because of their cultural significance or to escape the confines of modern life. Others, inspired by music, travel to Pere Lachaise Cemetery in Paris to visit Jim Morrison's grave or to the haunts of classical composers such as Bach or Mozart. Information about pilgrimages can be found at britannica.com.
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AuthorI am a Northwest artist making collages from mulberry papers stamped by hand from original images that I have carved. Archives
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