How the Land Becomes Sacred

Class 07 Social Science

Sacredness is finding something of deep religious or spiritual significance, worthy of respect and reverence, holy or divine. It can be a special location or shrine that evokes such deep feelings, high thoughts or emotions.

People visit or congregate in these places for prayer and worship. People go on pilgrimages to these shrines on special occasions.

In the case of Buddhism, those are often places that were visited by the Buddha or where his relics are kept. Among them is the Great Stūpa at Sanchi (Madhya Pradesh), which is a relic stūpa, and the Mahabodhi Stūpa in Bodh Gaya (Bihar), where, according to Buddhist tradition, the Buddha attained enlightenment.

In Sikhism, takhts are seats or centres of spiritual authority - for example, the Takht Sri Patna Sahib (in Patna), the Akal Takht (part of the Golden Temple at Amritsar, and Takht Sri Keshgarh Sahib (at Anandpur).

In the Jain tradition, the tīrthas are associated with places where the Tīrthankaras attained liberation or where significant events of their lives occurred. Trees, ponds, hills and mountains that the Tīrthankaras visited or meditated at are also considered sacred. Examples of such places include Mount Abu, Girnar and the Śhatruñjaya hill in Saurashtra (Gujarat).

Another example is the pilgrimage to Sabarimala temple (Kerala), dedicated to the deity Ayyappa.

Some Hindus aspire to do the chār dhām yātrā, and these four sites appear to have been deliberately located in the southern, northern, eastern and western corners of India. A similar aspiration exists with respect to the 12 jyotirlingas, which are considered highly auspicious. The 51 Shakti pīṭhas, too, cover the entire map of India (even parts of a major deity of present-day Bangladesh and Pakistan). These networks crisscross India’s length and breadth, creating a sacred geography.

Sacred Ecology

Tīrthas are usually located on the banks of a river or a lake, in a forest or on a mountain. The natural landscape itself is seen or perceived as sacred space, or puṇyakṣhetra. This perception has helped to protect and preserve Nature.

Rivers and Sangams (confluence of rivers)

Rivers have been worshipped in India since Vedic times. The rivers have been lifelines for the Indian civilisation. Their sources, tributaries and the places they flow through are often regarded as sacred too, and are visited by many pilgrims.

Mountains and Forests

All over the world, mountains are often associated with legends, deities or heroes. Also mountains are seen as a symbolic gateway from earth to heaven because of their height. That is why many tīrthas and temples in India are located on hilltops, as the physical journey to these peaks is seen as a symbolic journey to reach the divine.

People would undertake arduous walks through mountain trails to those sites and shrines, which tested not only their physical abilities but also their mental strength. Today, such places are often accessible through roads and other modes of transport.

Trees, Forests and Sacred Groves

In many parts of India, trees are adorned with offerings like turmeric and kumkum. One species of fig tree commonly called ‘peepul’ (or ‘pipal’), ‘bo tree’ or ‘bodhi tree’ is sacred to Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism and Jainism.

From Pilgrimage to Trade

Pilgrims encounter traders and merchants along their journey. This interaction benefits both groups. Pilgrims need various items, which traders can provide. As a result, the pilgrimage routes and the trade routes often overlap. Some traders might also double as pilgrims, taking their wares to distant towns and cities while visiting sacred sites and shrines.