Hindu Religious Studies 43
-banks or sea-beaches. Places of pilgrimage are also situated on hill-
tops in an enchanting natural environment.
Places of pilgrimage are of three kinds:
- Sthabar or Immobile Pilgrimage, b. Jangam or Mobile Pilgrimage,
c. Manas or Spiritual Pilgrimage.
a. Sthabar or Immobile Pilgrimage
Immobile means fixed or motionless. These are located
permamently at some places around the world. Four fixed places of
pilgrimage are famous in four ages. These are Pushkar in the age of
Satya, Naimishaaranya in Treta, Kurukshetra in Dapor and Ganga
in Koli. Each place of pilgrimage is related with some spiritual
memory.
Sthabar pilgrimages are also known as land pilgrimages since these
are situated on earth. The climate is favourable and the natural
beauty is very pleasant here. The body and mind of human beings
are delighted at the panoramic beauty of nature. So, immobile
pilgrimages are very popular.
b. Jangam or Mobile Pilgrimage
Jangam means movable. Saints, ascetics, learned persons, priests
and similar persons are called mobile pilgrimages, since they can
move from one place to another. They can express their feelings
related to religion and other fields. Like visiting the places of
pilgrimage, meeting the ascetic and saintly persons brings religious
feelings to our mind and we gain much virtue. The good contact
with the saints widens human mind. Eventually men can discover
what is good for them.c. Manas or Spiritual pilgrimage
The word 'manas' refers to mind. Men's best sense-organ is mind. If
the mind becomes pure and liberal through religious practices, it possesses