The "Sapta Puri" Or The Seven Holy Cities Of India

The Sapta Puri refers to India’s seven holy pilgrimage sites. These cities are thousands of years old and are thus witness to ages of rich Indian history. They are regarded as the birthplace of spiritual and religious masters, and are believed to be endowed with spiritual powers that anyone who visits these cities can experience. Here is a list of the Sapta Puri:

Haridwar

The "gateway to god”, Haridwar is one of the Sapta Puris of India. Haridwar is not just the holiest city in Uttarakhand but also one of India’s most sacred cities. The city is located on the Ganges River’s western banks as the river flows through the mountains to enter into the plains of North India. Thus, Gangadwara or the door to the Ganges is another appropriate name of Haridwar. Every year thousands of Hindu pilgrims flock to this city to take a dip in the holy Ganges at the Har-Ki-Pauri ghat. A beautiful sight in the evening is the river lighting up with small earthen lamps set afloat on leaf floaters by the pilgrims. The chanting of hymns and the temple bells played during this time create a spiritually embalming atmosphere in the city.

Haridwar is an ancient city that is associated with Hindu mythology. It is said that it is one of the four places where drops of the elixir of immortality or Amrita fell accidentally as it was carried by the bird Garuda after the Samudra manthan or the churning of the ocean. Many legends are linked to this place. Several temples dedicated to Lord Shiva, Durga, and other Hindu deities are present here. 

Dwarka

Although Lord Krishna was born in Mathura, he is said to have migrated to another city in the later years which is known as Dwarka. Krishna’s Dwarka is believed to have been much larger than the city we see today. It possibly got submerged in the Arabian Sea. Today, only a small city of Dwarka lies in along the Arabian Sea coast in Gujarat’s Saurashtra peninsula. In the modern day city of Dwarka, a temple dedicated to Lord Krishna in Dwarka is one of the most important pilgrimage sites here. Known as the Dwarakhadheesh temple, it appears magnificent with a 7-storied structure with an elegantly carved tower or shikara. While the present day temple dates back to the 13th century AD, the original temple is believed to be much older and submerged somewhere under the Arabian Sea.

Kanchipuram

Kanchipuram, a South Indian city, and one of India’s oldest cities, is extremely rich in history. The city was ruled over a period of thousands of years by some of the most powerful dynasties of India like the Pallava Dynasty, Chola Dynasty, the Vijayanagar empire, and others. It is also believed that Lord Buddha visited the city to preach Buddhism.

Adi Shankara, a great Hindu saint is also said to have lived and taught the Advaita philosophy from this city in the 8th century. Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain temples, monasteries and stupas dot the city. There are 18 Vaishnava and 108 Shaiva temples in the city. The Kamakshi Amman temple is the most famous temple of this city. Kanchipuram is located only 75 km away from Chennai.

Ujjain

Ujjain is another one of the Sapta Puris of India. The ancient city is at least as old as the 3rd century BC. Its original name Avantika was changed to Ujjainyini and according to legends this was done to celebrate the victory of Lord Shiva over the demon Tripurasura since Ujjainyini means 'conquers with pride’. During its peak, the city was the center from where the Hindu religious beliefs spread to Central Asia. Ujjain also came to greater prominence for its close association with Emperor Ashoka.

The city also served as the hub of ancient India’s astronomical research and the Hindu ruler Jai Singh II thus built one of the Jantar Mantars in this city. The modern city of Ujjain is today part of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh and is about 183 km to the west of Bhopal, the capital of the state.

Varanasi

Little needs to be said about this Sapta Puri member city. Varanasi is considered by many to be the holiest city of India and even believed to be the world’s oldest city. The city is located on the banks of the Holy Ganges and is one of the major Hindu pilgrimage sites in the world. Varanasi is associated with thousands of years of India’s history and was ruled by many famous Indian dynasties over the years. For several centuries, Varanasi has served as the home of sages and saints, writers, philosophers, and musicians who gained immense popularity in India and abroad.

The city also faced downfalls a few times and the worst was the invasion by Mohammad Ghauri who plundered and destroyed the city in the 12th century. However, Varanasi never lost its glory and quickly sprung back to prosperity. Today, the city houses around 23,000 temples and 81 bathing ghats along the Ganges. The Dashashwamedh Ghat, Manikarnika Ghat, Panchganga Ghat are some of the famous ghats of Varanasi. The city also houses the famous temple of Vishvanatha or Lord Shiva. Varanasi is thus often regarded as Hinduism’s religious capital. The city even finds mention in the Rigveda, an ancient Hindu text. Words are little to describe this charming, ancient Indian city and its unique appearance, culture, and people but people visiting the city will definitely understand why it is called the holiest of the seven holy cities of Hinduism.

Ayodhya

Lord Rama is one of the most important mythological characters of Hinduism and is worshipped as God by the Hindus. It is believed that Ayodhya is the birthplace of this legendary Hindu figure. Thus, the city is often referred to as the Ram Janmabhoomi or the birthplace of Lord Rama. The city is located on the Sarayu River’s banks. Over 100 temples are located here including the Temple of Rama as the most important temple in the city. Several legends related to the life of the warrior and rule Lord Rama are associated with Ayodhya.

The city is believed to be at least as old as the 6th century BC. In recent times, Ayodhya is known for the Babri Masjid demolition case. According to a section of the Hindus, in 1528, the Mughal Emperor Babur had built a mosque, the Babri Masjid at the position of an ancient Hindu temple. Centuries later, the mosque was demolished in 1992 by Hindu nationalists which led to widespread communal riots in India and the death of many people in the country.

Mathura

Just like Ayodhya is the birthplace of Lord Rama, Mathura is the birthplace of another legendary figure of Hinduism, Lord Krishna. He is a much loved God of Hinduism and is revered and worshipped by millions of Hindus in the country and abroad. Mathura is associated with a great deal of history which can be traced back to about 1200 BC.

According to ancient Hindu texts, Mathura was founded by Lord Rama’s youngest brother, Shatrughna. Although the city was invaded and ransacked several times by Muslim invaders, it managed to hold on to its importance and glory for many years. In recent times, Mathura is a pilgrimage city for Hindus in India and many religious festivals related to Lord Krishna are celebrated here.