Indiscriminate constructions to accommodate an increasing and unchecked number of pilgrims, all-weather motorways that make it possible to drive up to temple doors and endless helicopter service have made what should be a sober, joyous enterprise fraught with danger, discomfort and damage.
If pilgrimages are, indeed, about introspection, faith and devotion, it now happens at warp speed – with consequences. There is a reason why many of these sacred places were established in places difficult to access. By making such journeys as easy as weekend getaways, both nature and humans pay the price. It is not that pilgrimages should be arduous treks.
Where possible, efforts must be made to make the journey easier. But this must not come at the cost of spiritual and planetary solace. There is no harm in restricting the flow of human traffic to these sites. In fact, it would make the experience less banal, and make tirth sthaans more aesthetic destinations worthy of the spiritual and temporal oases they are meant to be.
When one enters a Gothic cathedral or an ancient temple, the place should not be inimical towards devotion. Pilgrimages, spiritual as they may be, cannot disregard the world’s physicality. Limits of access to the number of pilgrims, entry of motorised and airborne vehicles, and seasonal closures are options that need to be adopted to protect sacred places, and the planet they exist in.
