Pilgrimage to the Himalaya: Historical Perspectives and Present Scenario

The Himalaya, known as an abode of Shiva and Shakti, the folk deities, has many world-famous highland and valley pilgrimages. This paper examines pilgrimage to the Himalaya, its historical perspectives, and present scenario. A detailed qualitative study was carried out on pilgrimages of the Himalaya – river valleys and highlands. Source areas and inflows of pilgrims, the impact of pilgrimage tourism on culture and livelihood, and changes in the nature of pilgrims were elaborated. Mass pilgrimage tourism has a significant impact on the culture and livelihood of rural people. The historical perspectives of pilgrimage tourism in the Uttarakhand Himalaya were rich during the past. The pilgrims were following certain rich norms while visiting the pilgrimages, leading to strengthening the culture, which has been slightly diluting since the latter half of the 20 th Century. However, pilgrimage tourism's impact on rural livelihood as a major source of income is significant. The rural people are providing services to pilgrims on the roadside mainly during the yatra season and running their livelihood.