HINDUISM
DAY 1.2.3: Today I am in Varanasi, India I will stay here for three days. Varanasi is in the northern part of India very close to the Nepal border and it is a major place of worship for the religion of Hinduism. I saw the Kashi Vishwanath or "Golden Temple" which is dedicated to the Lord Shiva. The temple is decorated with many different points and temples and it is very big and tall. This temple in India is very sacred and important because the city of Varanasi is regarded among the holiest of the Hindu cities. The temple is widely recognized as one of the most important places of worship in Hindu religion. Inside the Kashi Vishvanath Temple is the Jyotirlinga of Shiva which is one of the twelve most sacred Hindi worship destinations.
BUDDHISM
DAY 4.5.6: I have just arrived in Nepal at the Lumbini temple. Buddhism originated in Nepal and this is the main pilgrimage site for most Buddhists. This temple of worship is very large and is similar to Mecca for the Muslim faith. This is a very crucial destination for people who want to learn more about the Buddhists. The Buddhist faith actually originated off of the Hinduism faith because a Hindu did not like the complex ideology of Hindus. The Buddhist faith started because followers wanted a much simpler set of faith values. I saw the temple on the inside and out. The temple is very peaceful with a small pond around it. The structure itself is relatively small, but the compound around it has many landscape elements. It is also surrounded with many different prayer flags. The significance of this temple is that it was one of the first and it is literally in the hearth of the Buddhist faith where it originated in Nepal. I am looking forward to the next few days in Nepal!
CHRISTIANITY
DAYS 7.8.9: I have now just arrived in Vatican City which is the hearth of Catholicism and Christianity. Specifically I am visiting St. Peters Basilica. The center of Christianity, St. Peter’s Basilica and its glorious dome dominate over the rooftops of the Eternal City. It is one of the most-visited sites in all of Rome, both for its artistic beauty and for its importance to Catholic worshippers. From Christmas, the Holy Week before Easter, and Jubilee Years to the funeral rites for deceased Popes, the vigils upon declarations of new Popes and the canonization of Saints, pilgrims gather here to witness the poignant events of their faith. For travelers to Rome, the trip is never complete until they take the opportunity to admire St. Peter’s Basilica, St. Peter’s Square and the gorgeous colonnade that embraces it all. The Basilica is very large and has many points on top that point to heaven. It is absolutely beautiful to look at in person.
JUDAISM
DAYS 11.12.13: It took me a while and a day of travelling, but I have finally arrived at the wailing wall which is a major destination for people of the Jewish faith. The wailing wall is located in Jerusalem because this is the city where the faith started. The Wailing Wall is a surviving remnant of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, which was destroyed by the Romans in 70 CE. The Temple was the center of the spiritual world, the main conduit for the flow of Godliness. When the Temple stood, the world was filled with awe of God and appreciation for the genius of the Torah. The wall is very tall and historic. It is very tall and there are many indicators that it is a very sacred place. Many Jewish people still pray there because of its holy significance.
ISLAM
DAY 15.16.17: This is my final destination on my journey. I have come to Mecca which is a major staple of the Muslim faith. The specific destination in the holy city that I am in is the Grand Mosque. This is a very important destination because in the Muslim holy text it states that a pilgrimage to The Grand Mosque in Mecca is on of the pillars of Islam that every person of the Muslim faith should accomplish. The Mosque is very large and the city could contain millions of people. There are many points on the mosque and a worship center in the middle. Mecca is the original English translation of the Arabic. Historically, the city has also been called Becca.In the 1980s, the Saudi Arabian government, and others, began promoting the spelling Makkah , which more closely resembles the actual Arabic pronunciation. According to Islamic tradition, the history of Mecca goes back to Abraham when he built the Ka'aba with the help of his son Ishmael around 2000 BC. According to other Islamic tradition, Abraham was to have rebuilt the House of Allah, a building which had been originally constructed by Adam. Today it is called the Ka'aba, a building in Mecca towards which all Muslims around the world face in prayer, five times each day. Muhammad was born in Mecca in 570, and thus Islam has been inextricably linked with Mecca ever since.
Credits:
Created with images by geralt - "cross sunset sunrise" • Fæ - "Benares- The Golden Temple, India, ca. 1915 (IMP-CSCNWW33-OS14-66)" • Peggy_Marco - "india figures hinduism" • fabcan - "sri krishnan hindu temple" • hartjeff12 - "Vishwanath Hindu Temple, Varanasi" • kudumomo - "Maya Devi Temple" • krebsmaus07 - "Buddhas birthplace" • taylorandayumi - "Lumbini" • krebsmaus07 - "Maya Devi temple, Lumbini" • David Paul Ohmer - "Rome - St. Peter's Basilica Dome & Fountain" • bshamblen - "St. Peter's Basilica" • bshamblen - "St. Peter's Basilica" • rottnapples - "Day 2- Rome. St. Peter's Basilica" • LoggaWiggler - "st peter's basilica dome vatican" • kellinahandbasket - "Wailing Wall/ Western Wall" • adactio - "The western wall" • 777jew - "wailing wall western wall judaism" • u07ch - "Wailing Wall / Western Wall" • kellinahandbasket - "Wailing Wall/ Western Wall" • GLady - "mecca mina buildings" • soham_pablo - "Mecca Masjid" • Raventhorne - "abu dhabi grand mosque sun" • Jenny Mackness - "Grand Mosque, Abu Dhabi" • alioshabp - "Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque" • prasad.om - "Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque, Oman"