Tirtha Yatra

 

**Tirtha(yatra) means spiritual self discovering journey. Theertha is the holy water that is given in temples.

What is the internal meaning of Tirtha Yatra?

Ford ... The verb ford describes crossing a body of water on foot at a shallow point or driving across it in a vehicle. The idea is that you're not using a bridge or a boat to cross the water. Ford also has a noun form, meaning a shallow point in a river or stream.

Tirtha is a Sanskrit word that means "crossing place or ford", and refers to any place, text or person that is holy. It particularly refers to pilgrimage sites and holy places in Hinduism. Punyya Tirtham like Kasi.

So the inner meaning of Tirtha is a spiritual concept that is a holy junction between "worlds that touch and do not touch each other". Word refers to a holy person, or text with something that can be a catalyst for a transition from one state of conscience existence to another. The Himalayan peak which is abode Shiva is a Tirtha, it connects Earth, Nakshtras and Heavens. We are symbolically trying to transcend.

Tirtha is a metaphorical term referring to meditation where the person travels to an intellectual sacred state of mind such as "truth, forgiveness, kindness, simplicity etc". one of the many ways toward self-realization and bliss.

Tirtha refers to any holy place, such as by the sea, or a place that connects a sacrificial ground Yagna to the outside. Some texts use the word Tirtha to refer to any spot, locality or expanse of water where circumstances or presence of great sages or gurus has made special.

So the definition of Tirtha is "crossing over" refers to the "spiritual transition and transformation from this world to the world of Brahman, the Supreme, the world illumined by the light of knowledge and Ganga.

Arjuna Tirtha Yatra?

The Pandavas attended Swayamvara of Panchala's princess, Draupadi, disguised as Brahamans. Among all great kings and other Kaurava princes, Arjuna was the only one to shoot the arrows to break a fish doll, as demanded by the Panchala King Draupada. As per Kunti's wish, along with his brothers, Arjuna was married to Draupadi, who gave birth to a son, Srutakriti.

The brothers followed Narada’s advice on a sharing arrangement with regard to Draupadi: each brother will have exclusive rights over her for a year, after which the mantle will shift to the next brother. Moreover any brother intruding on the privacy of the couple will have to go on a 12 year Tirtha-yatra (pilgrimage). However during a freak incident involving chasing out some bandits, Arjuna was forced to enter into the private space of Yudhistira and Draupadi. He accepted the punishment agreed with Narada and set off on a 12-year pilgrimage.

When a person commits grave sin in life, according to traditions and laws, as a sacred soul, it is your duty to embark on Tirtha Yatra for repentance and rediscover true nature of your inner-self. In medieval times it is an arduous journey, most of the time, the person may not even comeback home alive due to many factors and challenges in olden days. Today going on pilgrimage is easy and many travel in comforts. This is not the intention of it. It is prolonged arduous journey like 12 years will transform a person spiritually. That is the intention.

Sacred Hindu Yatras

Kashi Yatra –

Thousands of people visit the holy town of Kashi (present Varanasi or Banares) to conduct Vedic rites for their ancestors. Located in the state of Uttar Pradesh, Kashi is considered the epitome of Hindu religion as innumerable parikramas take place here throughout the year. Various religious rituals are also performed here to help one attaining nirvana (salvation). It is also believed that those who take their last breath in the land of Kashi attain freedom from the grueling cycle of life and death.

Kashi-Rameshwaram Yatra –

There is a link between Kashi and Rameshwaram yatra. Rameshwaram is a holy place located in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. As mentioned in ancient scriptures like Skanda Purana, rituals performed in Kashi bear best results when performed as per the ancient religious standards. It is extremely auspicious if a devotee performs Saikatha puja at Rameshwaram, collects some sand from the same place and travels all the way through Kashi to immerse it in the holy Triveni Sangam where the River Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati converge. At the same time, it is also fortunate if one, after propitiating Lord Shiva at Kashi Vishvanath Temple in Kasi, brings the holy water from the Ganges to the Rameshwaram Temple to offer Abhisheka to the Jyothirlinga of Lord Shiva present, here in the form of Lord Ramanathaswamy.

Kailash Mansarovar Yatra –

Situated in the Himalayan region of Tibet at the height of 6,740 m, Mount Kailash is a famous pilgrimage in Hinduism, Jainism, Tibetan Buddhism and Bonpo (followers of Bon tradition). In Hindu religion, Mount Kailash is revered as the earthly manifestation of Mount Meru. Mount Kailash is the spiritual and religious hub of the Hindus as it is believed that Lord Shiva resides at the peak of the mountain along with his beloved wife Parvati. The roots of the mountain is considered hell while the peaks are the spiritual abode of Lord Shiva and hence considered heaven.

Amarnath Yatra –

It is one of the holiest pilgrimage centres and the prime deity in the Amarnath cave is Lord Shiva. Amarnath is located around 88ml from Jammu and Kashmir at the altitude of 12,756 feet. Lord Shiva is propitiated here in the form of a self-manifested Jyotirlinga. An ice lingam is formed every year along with two other formations of Parvati and Lord Ganesha. Pilgrims in lakhs visit this holy abode of Shiva and the temple is considered one of the most popular yatra destinations of the Hindus. The cave is opened for the pilgrims only during the summer and the rest of the year the cave is covered with snow-capped mountain.

Ratha Yatra –

This festival is held every year at Puri in Orissa, India. Ratha Yatra generally falls in the months of June-July and is celebrated on Sukla Paksha of Ashad month. The 15 day celebration begins on the day of Akshay Trtiya. It is called the festival of chariots and is celebrated during the grand event when Lord Jagannatha, along with his brother Balarama and sister Subhadra, visit the Gundecha temple, few miles away in the north. Pulling the vamana or chariot with ropes is considered extremely sacred, on the other hand merely getting the sight (darshan) of vamana is also considered extremely lucky.