India is mostly defined as the confluence of the physical world with the spiritual one and that may be the sole reason why millions come to this country every year. The country doesn’t support anyone religion specifically but it rather celebrates many religions like Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, Christianity, Muslim. So, this may be one of the strong suits of India to why it is a very popular spiritual hub for the rest of the world.
There are many famous pilgrimage sites in India from Jyotirlingas to the birthplace of a God where one can find the spiritual peace in themselves. But apart from these very famous religious sites, there are some uncommon religious pilgrimages in India where one can go for an offbeat spiritual experience. Below, is the list of those uncommon religious pilgrimage sites in India where you can go for an offbeat spiritual journey.
Chausath Yogini Temple, Madhya Pradesh
Chausath Yogini Temple which is located in the city of Morena near Gwalior is considered to be the rarest ever pilgrimage site of India. The temple sports a large complex of 64 chambers which is believed to signify the 64 yoginis of Goddess Durga. In the center of it, a large sanctum stands to portray the many carvings of Hindu deities. IT is also believed that the parliament of India is also designed after this temple that’s why the beauty of that is hard to resist. Many also believe that the foundation of this temple also connects with voodoo practices.
Sarkhej Roza, Gujarat
Sarkhej Roza is another offbeat pilgrimage site which may not be flocked by the hundreds of pilgrims every day but many curious wanderers come to its doorstep every day. It is located in the suburbs of Ahmedabad and earnestly worships the tomb of Shaikh Ahmed Khattu Ganj Bakhsh who was a Sufi saint and the advisor of Ahmed Shah I. Together, they both famously laid the foundation of Ahmedabad as per history. The temple complex also has a library, a mosque, old ruins of palaces, and a spiritual center. The central architecture of the temple shows the resemblance from the Hindu and Jain influence.
Daitya Sudan Temple, Maharashtra
Daitya Sudan Temple in Maharashtra was built by the Chalukyas between the late 6th century and the early 12th century. The temple actually celebrates the defeat of demon Lavanasura by the Lord Vishnu as per the spiritual myths. Several legends surround this temple construction as long ago, there was a demon Lavanasura who engaged the villagers in a lot of troubles. Later when Lord Vishnu learnt this torcher, he transformed into the form of Daitya Sudan and took his life. The battle also left a huge crater on the ground which could be visible now also.
Holy Cross Church, Tamil Nadu
A four-hour drive from Madurai will take you to the fishing hamlet of Tamil Nadu, Manapad. And after walking on some untraveled roads, there stands the Church of Holy cross painted in white and the bluest of the blue sky playing in the backdrop. It is believed that somewhere around 1540, a sailor traveling east was caught in a deadly storm and was forced to make a stopover at Manapad. So, as a token of repaying for his life, he installed a holy cross at this place which later caught the sight of St. Francis Xavier. He later built this place his home and declared it as the patron of the village.
Anandpur Sahib, Punjab
Anandpur Sahib is yet another jewel hidden on those lonely streets which are not visited very often but always caught the eyes of the curious traveler. It is celebrated as the birthplace of Khalsa and was established by Guru Tegh Bahadur during 1665. The complex has many Gurudwaras and most important of them all is Kesgarh Sahib. The Gurudwara also display many religious artifacts of Guru Gobind Sahib like his golden dagger and many other relics. Inside the Kesgarh Sahib, you can also get yourself lost in the tunes of Punjabi hymns.
Above are some of the famous uncommon religious places of India. So, if you are planning a trip to somewhere then, do care to go through this list. You can also do Dham Yatra Package from Ahmedabad if you are planning the Char Dham Yatra.