# Holy Places (Tīrthas & Dhāmas) *Sacred locations, pilgrimage sites, and transcendental abodes* Total entries: 127 ## Overview Holy places (tīrthas) are locations sanctified by the Lord's presence, the activities of great devotees, or sacred natural features. Visiting these places purifies one's consciousness and awakens devotional sentiments. The dhāmas are the Lord's transcendental abodes manifested on earth. ## Transcendental Dhāmas The eternal abodes of the Lord where He performs His pastimes. **Related entries:** 15 - [[index/A#ayodhyā as holy dhāma|Ayodhyā as holy dhāma]] - [[index/C#cintāmaṇi-dhāma|Cintāmaṇi-dhāma]] - [[index/D#devī-dhāma|Devī-dhāma]] - See: [[index/entries/material-world|Material world]] - [[index/entries/dvaraka|Dvārakā]] - [[index/D#dvārakā as holy place|Dvārakā as holy place]] - [[index/D#dvārakā as sacred place|Dvārakā as sacred place]] - [[index/entries/goloka-vrndavana|Goloka Vṛndāvana]] - [[index/H#hari-dhāma|Hari-dhāma]] - See: [[index/entries/vaikuntha-planet|Vaikuṇṭha planets]] - [[index/J#jyotirdhāma|Jyotirdhāma]] - [[index/M#mad-dhāma|Mad-dhāma]] - [[index/M#maheśa-dhāma|Maheśa-dhāma]] - [[index/N#navadvīpa-dhāma|Navadvīpa-dhāma]] - [[index/V#vrajadhāma|Vrajadhāma]] - [[index/entries/vrndavana|Vṛndāvana]] - [[index/entries/vrndavana-vraja|Vṛndāvana (Vraja)]] ## Four Principal Dhāmas (Char Dham) The four major pilgrimage destinations in India, one in each cardinal direction. **Related entries:** 8 - [[index/entries/badarikasrama|Badarikāśrama]] - Northern dhāma in the Himalayas - [[index/H#himalayas, holy place in|Himalayas, holy place in]] - [[index/entries/jagannatha-puri|Jagannātha Purī]] - Eastern dhāma on Bay of Bengal - [[index/J#jagannātha purī as holy place|Jagannātha Purī as holy place]] - [[index/entries/jagannatha-pura|Jagannātha-pura]] - [[index/entries/dvaraka|Dvārakā]] - Western dhāma on Arabian Sea coast - [[index/R#rāmeśvara as holy place|Rāmeśvara as holy place]] - Southern dhāma ## Seven Sacred Cities (Sapta-purī) The seven cities that grant liberation: Ayodhyā, Mathurā, Māyā (Haridwar), Kāśī, Kāñcī, Avantī (Ujjain), and Dvārakā. **Related entries:** 12 - [[index/entries/hardwar|Hardwar]] - [[index/H#hardwar as holy place|Hardwar as holy place]] - [[index/H#hardwar, ajāmila visits|Hardwar, Ajāmila visits]] - [[index/K#kāśī (benares)|Kāśī (Benares)]] - [[index/K#kāśī (vārāṇasī)|Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)]] - [[index/K#kāśī, king of|Kāśī, king of]] - [[index/K#kāśī, king of (kāśirāja)|Kāśī, king of (Kāśirāja)]] - [[index/entries/mathura|Mathurā]] - [[index/M#mathurā as holy place|Mathurā as holy place]] - [[index/V#vārāṇasī|Vārāṇasī]] - [[index/entries/varanasi-benares|Vārāṇasī (Benares)]] - [[index/V#vārāṇasī as sacred place|Vārāṇasī as sacred place]] ## Sacred Tīrthas and Bathing Places Places of pilgrimage especially for ritual bathing and purification. **Related entries:** 28 - [[index/A#arka-tīrtha|Arka-tīrtha]] - [[index/entries/bathing|Bathing]] - [[index/B#benares|Benares]] - See: [[index/entries/varanasi-benares|Vārāṇasī]] - [[index/B#bindu-sarovara as sacred place|Bindu-sarovara as sacred place]] - [[index/D#dhanus-tīrtha|Dhanus-tīrtha]] - [[index/G#gupta-kāśī|Gupta-kāśī]] - [[index/J#jagannātha tīrtha|Jagannātha Tīrtha]] - [[index/J#jaya tīrtha|Jaya Tīrtha]] - [[index/K#khelā-tīrtha|Khelā-tīrtha]] - [[index/K#kūrma-kṣetra|Kūrma-kṣetra]] - [[index/M#matsya-tīrtha|Matsya-tīrtha]] - [[index/P#padmanābha tīrtha|Padmanābha Tīrtha]] - [[index/P#pakṣi-tīrtha|Pakṣi-tīrtha]] - [[index/P#phalgu-tīrtha|Phalgu-tīrtha]] - [[index/P#phālgu river as sacred place|Phālgu River as sacred place]] - [[index/entries/prayaga|Prayāga]] - [[index/P#prayāga as holy place|Prayāga as holy place]] - [[index/P#prayāga, introduction|Prayāga, introduction]] - [[index/P#prayāga-ghāṭa|Prayāga-ghāṭa]] - [[index/P#puṣkara as sacred place|Puṣkara as sacred place]] - [[index/S#satya tīrtha|Satya Tīrtha]] - [[index/S#sūrpāraka-tīrtha|Sūrpāraka-tīrtha]] - [[index/T#tīrthas|Tīrthas]] - [[index/T#tīrthavatī river|Tīrthavatī River]] - [[index/entries/vijayadhvaja-tirtha|Vijayadhvaja Tīrtha]] - [[index/entries/yamuna-river|Yamunā River]] - [[index/A#ānanda tīrtha|Ānanda Tīrtha]] ## Sacred Kṣetras (Holy Regions) Regions sanctified by the Lord's pastimes or special spiritual activities. **Related entries:** 9 - [[index/C#citrakūṭa as sacred place|Citrakūṭa as sacred place]] - [[index/K#kṣetra|Kṣetra]] - [[index/K#kṣetra & kṣetra-jña|Kṣetra & kṣetra-jña]] - [[index/K#kṣetra-jña|Kṣetra-jña]] - [[index/K#kṣetra-māhātmya|Kṣetra-māhātmya]] - [[index/entries/kuruksetra-battlefield|Kurukṣetra Battlefield]] - [[index/P#pājakā-kṣetra|Pājakā-kṣetra]] - [[index/S#soro-kṣetra|Soro-kṣetra]] - [[index/S#śaiva-kṣetra|Śaiva-kṣetra]] ## Sacred Hills and Mountains Mountains and hills with special spiritual significance. **Related entries:** 4 - [[index/M#mahendra hills as sacred place|Mahendra Hills as sacred place]] - [[index/M#malaya hills as sacred place|Malaya Hills as sacred place]] - [[index/H#himalayas, holy place in|Himalayas, holy place in]] - [[index/entries/govardhana-hill|Govardhana Hill]] ## Sacred Rivers and Natural Places Rivers, lakes, and natural features blessed by spiritual activities. **Related entries:** 8 - [[index/N#nandā river as sacred place|Nandā River as sacred place]] - [[index/P#pampā as sacred place|Pampā as sacred place]] - [[index/P#prabhāsa as sacred place|Prabhāsa as sacred place]] - [[index/entries/radha-kunda|Rādhā-kuṇḍa]] - [[index/S#setubanda as sacred place|Setubanda as sacred place]] - [[index/P#phālgu river as sacred place|Phālgu River as sacred place]] - [[index/entries/yamuna-river|Yamunā River]] - [[index/T#tīrthavatī river|Tīrthavatī River]] ## Places for Ancestral Rites Special tīrthas where offerings are made for departed ancestors. **Related entries:** 4 - [[index/entries/gaya|Gayā]] - [[index/G#gayā as sacred place|Gayā as sacred place]] - [[index/G#gayā, oblations for forefathers in|Gayā, oblations for forefathers in]] - [[index/P#phalgu-tīrtha|Phalgu-tīrtha]] ## Important Naimisharanya The forest where the Purāṇas were first spoken to assembled sages. **Related entries:** 5 - [[index/entries/naimisaranya|Naimiṣāraṇya]] - [[index/N#naimiṣāraṇya as sacred place|Naimiṣāraṇya as sacred place]] - [[index/N#naimiṣāraṇya meeting|Naimiṣāraṇya meeting]] - [[index/N#naimiṣāraṇya, sages at|Naimiṣāraṇya, sages at]] - [[index/N#naimiṣāraṇya, sages of|Naimiṣāraṇya, sages of]] ## General Teachings on Holy Places **Related entries:** 12 - [[index/entries/holy-place|Holy place(s)]] - [[index/H#holy places, lords pastime places &|Holy places, Lords pastime places &]] - [[index/entries/india|India]] - [[index/P#pilgrimage|Pilgrimage]] - [[index/entries/pilgrimage-place|Pilgrimage place(s)]] - [[index/P#pilgrimage place, vṛndāvana temple as|Pilgrimage place, Vṛndāvana temple as]] - [[index/P#pilgrimage places, lords pastime places as|Pilgrimage places, Lords pastime places as]] - [[index/P#pilgrimage, advice about|Pilgrimage, advice about]] - [[index/entries/purification|Purification]] - [[index/entries/pure-devotee|Pure devotee(s)]] - [[index/S#sacred places|Sacred places]] - [[index/entries/temple|Temple(s)]] ## Associated Personalities Great devotees and sages associated with holy places. **Related entries:** 7 - [[index/entries/bengali-devotees|Bengali devotees]] - [[index/entries/jagadananda-pandita|Jagadānanda Paṇḍita]] - [[index/entries/rupa-gosvami|Rūpa Gosvāmī]] - [[index/S#sanoḍiyā brāhmaṇas|Sanoḍiyā brāhmaṇas]] - [[index/entries/sanatana-gosvami|Sanātana Gosvāmī]] - [[index/entries/tapana-misra|Tapana Miśra]] - [[index/entries/vidura|Vidura]] ## Miscellaneous Entries Other entries related to holy places. **Related entries:** 10 - [[index/A#adhama in marriage|Adhama in marriage]] - [[index/entries/charity|Charity]] - [[index/K#karandhama (son of khanīnetra)|Karandhama (son of Khanīnetra)]] - [[index/K#karandhama (son of tribhānu)|Karandhama (son of Tribhānu)]] - [[index/K#kāśīnātha|Kāśīnātha]] - [[index/entries/kali-yuga|Kali-yuga]] - [[index/entries/material-nature|Material nature]] - [[index/entries/mathematical-calculations|Mathematical calculations]] - [[index/entries/renunciation|Renunciation]] - [[index/entries/vanaprastha|Vānaprastha(s)]] - [[index/Y#yudhāmanyu|Yudhāmanyu]] *** ## Related Categories - [[index/meta/pilgrimage-sites|Pilgrimage Sites (Tīrthas)]] - Comprehensive listing of all tīrthas - [[index/meta/vrindavan-area|Vrindavan Area]] - Sacred locations in Krishna's eternal abode - [[index/meta/temples|Temples]] - Sacred temple complexes - [[index/meta/mathura-dwarka|Mathura and Dwarka]] - [[index/meta/sacred-rivers|Sacred Rivers]] - [[index/meta/bengal-region|Bengal Region]] - [[index/meta/south-india|South India]] *** *See also:* [[index/places|Places Index]] · [[index/index|Main Index]]