Travel
Top 10 Sacred Places In The World
Humans are the most developed species among all living organisms. We’ve been practicing various religious activities for a long time. Humans believe in God and have some beautiful places to worship them. The Gods may differ from region to region but one thing remains constant, and that is the love for those Gods. So here’s the list of those beautiful Top 10 sacred places all around the globe.
This temple in Chiang Rai is one of the more recent constructions on our list, having been built by Thai artist Chalermchai Kosipipat just two decades ago in 1997. The gleaming white structure is an ode to Buddha’s purity, as well as samsara—the cycle of birth, existence, and death. There’s a sculpture of hands rising from the earth, seemingly from the underworld, beside the bridge leading into the temple, with warrior sculptures flanking each side.
The true purpose and origin of Stonehenge remain a contested mystery: Theories range from the legendary Welsh wizard Merlin having transported the rocks from Ireland to the stone circle being a model for female fertility, to a calendar used for seasonal rituals, and an astronomical prediction tool for phenomena like solar eclipses. Regardless, the spiritual landmark remains one of the U.K.’s most popular attractions, drawing some 800,000 visitors annually.
Much like Indonesia’s Borobudur, the Boudhanath Stupa in Kathmandu, Nepal, is designed with levels that symbolize enlightenment. The bottom plinth represents earth, the dome represents water, the tower represents fire, and the top spire represents air. All-seeing eyes mark the tower on each side, representing Buddha’s all-knowing gaze. Between the glimmering gold and white colors and the imposing spire, which draws your eyes up to the sky, the structure is truly spectacular to witness. Boudhanath is a popular pilgrimage site for Tibetan Buddhists and a huge tourist attraction in Kathmandu.
This famous twelfth-century temple in Cambodia is modeled after the mythological Mount Meru, where Hindus believe the ancient gods live. At its highest point, Angkor Wat reaches more than 700 feet tall. The temple complex, which has ties to both Hinduism and Buddhism, has walls covered with carvings, including over 3,000 asparagus (nymphs) and many other mythological events and figures. It’s a vastly popular tourist attraction: in 2018, short of 3 million tourists paid a visit, which was a third of all who stepped foot in Cambodia. Tourists begin lining up as early as 4:30 a.m. for tickets, so make sure you get there early—or be prepared to wait.
Uluru (aka Ayers Rock, or Big Red Rock) is an iconic Australian landmark. Considered sacred by native Anangu Aboriginals—the custodians of the land—they believe that Uluru and its surrounding area were created by their ancestors and that their spirits continue to inhabit the land today. In light of this cultural significance, the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park Board of Management voted in 2017 to ban visitors from climbing onto the rock—which was a popular tourist activity during sunrise and sunset, often accompanied by a champagne toast. Ever since October 2019, tourists have had to go around Uluru’s base instead, out of respect for the Anangu and the rock’s protection.
Israel is acknowledged as the Holy Land in Judaism, Islam, and Christianity, and Jerusalem’s Western Wall is its holiest site. The limestone structure has been a place of worship since the 11th century, as the closest place to Temple Mount (where it’s said God created man) from which worshippers can pray. It’s common practice for visitors to write their prayers, hopes and wishes on slips of paper, then slide them into the cracks of the walls. The memos are collected throughout the year, before being buried in a Jewish cemetery on the nearby Mount of Olives.
The story of Jesus’s birth is oft-retold throughout the world, and crucial to the telling is the cave where the birth took place. That very grotto in Bethlehem, submerged beneath the oldest basilica in the Holy Land on the West Bank, is open to visitors today. A silver star lies on the ground, supposedly marking the exact point where Jesus was born. While this site is Bethlehem’s most popular tourist attraction year-round, there are even larger festivities come to Christmastime, including crowds of carolers and midnight services. It’s a World Heritage site, too—the first one UNESCO listed under Palestine.
India‘s Ganges River, although notoriously polluted, is believed to have healing, purifying properties—a belief bolstered by tests conducted on the water. In Varanasi, one of the country’s seven sacred cities, locals interact with the river via ghats—stepped platforms leading down into the water—and use them as sites for multiple ceremonies. There are bathing rituals for “purification of sins,” pilgrimages to collect sacred water and even designated ghats for cremations, where pyres burn 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can see the phenomenon for yourself if you take a boat tour along the Ganges.
This Buddhist monastery and temple, also known as “The Tiger’s Nest,” sits perilously on a cliff, 900 meters (2,952 feet) above the Paro Valley in Bhutan, making it worth a trip for the views alone. Taktsang was built in 1692, at the site of a cave where Guru Rinpoche—or second Buddha—meditated for “three years, three months, and three hours” to ward off evil. The site has been sacred ever since, and you can reach it via a steep, two-hour climb from the valley. Once you get to the temple, you can explore the grounds after removing your shoes.
So these were the top 10 scared places all around the world. If you liked this list then also read more amazing lists by clicking here.
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