India is the land of religion, colour, tradition and pilgrimages, most of them are concentrated in the Himalayan regions. All these pilgrimages hold a special place in the hearts of the Indian population. People believe that going on these pilgrimages will grant them moksha or nirvana. Pilgrimages are also an ancient tradition that has managed to keep the feeling of oneness ignited among the people of India. But not all pilgrimages are simple to do most of them require the pilgrims to go through some of the most gruelling landscape that may even prove to be a life changing experience.

Here are some of the most off beat pilgrimages for a total refreshing spiritual experience:

Kailash Mansarovar  

Deemed for being a spiritually life changing pilgrimage journey, a trekking expedition to the home of lord Shiva in the pyramidical Kailash Parvat is simply stunning and very fulfilling. Famous not only among the Hindu communities its is also an important pilgrimage destination for Buddhists as well as jains among others. The mansarovar river which is located close to the Parvat is also a religious spot where people take a holy dip. The vast icy and perpetually snowy landscape although looks intimidatingbut is one of the most worth it experiences you can ever garner. Taking circles of the mountain peak is considered to evoke a deep feeling of positivity and enlightenment for the pilgrims.

Amarnath Yatra

This holy Hindu cave where lord Shiva is said to have told the secrets of immortality to goddess Parvati is a holy and one of the most offbeat pilgrimage destinations in India. It is said that during the winter season lord Shiva visits this place in the form of an ice stalagmite formation and pilgrims are given a very small window to offer their prayer to the divine presence. However reaching this sacred shrine is not easy and requires the travellers to be in the best physical health. This is also one of the 18 maha shakti peeths which form the most highly revered places of Hindu worship in the world.

Panch Kedar  

This is probably one of the most underrated temple yatra circuit in India and takes you across 5 of the most highly revered shiva temples in Uttarakhand. This Yatra of 5 shiva temples include visiting places like – Kedarnath, Tungnath, Rudranath, Madhyamaheshwar and Kalpeshwarmahadev. This sacred journey is said to have been established by the pandava brothers on their visit to the Himalayas after the Kurukshetra war. You can now walk on the path of the pandava brothers and attain an enlightenment of your own.

Muktinath Tour  

Little is known about this remarkable ancient place of worship of an incarnation of lord vishnuin the form of muktinath or the provider of justice. It is said that your char dham yatra remains incomplete if you miss out on visiting muktinath dham. Located in the surreal dream – like landscape of the mustang valley this tour will take you through some of the most remarkable holy destinations in the world that can be experienced if you avail one of the several Muktinath tour from Kathmandu.