Religion, Heritage and Travel: Case References from the Indian Himalayas

Abstract

Pilgrimage in India is almost as old as Indian civilisation. From detailed study of proto-historic archaeological sites, it is clear that the Hindu practice of mass bathing in rivers/tanks/reservoirs on auspicious occasions dates back to, and derives from, similar practice in the Indus Valley/Harappan Civilisation, i.e. sometime between the third millennium and the first millennium before the Christian era (BC) (Kaur, 1985; Misra, 1992; Sharma, 1983, 1987). There is little evidence of travel at that time, but the seeds of Indian pilgrimage were sown about then. Hindu pilgrimage has retained many common features through time and space, including the practice of travelling to bathe and pray at sacred places, and it has some features that link it to folk traditions other than those that can be attributed to the Indus Valley/Harappan Civilisation or of the so-called 'Aryans', who are supposed to have landed in India later. Therefore, a study of tribal and Hindu pilgrimages would clarify how religion, heritage and travel are linked, and put pilgrimage and tourism in India in the correct perspective.