Can a Pilgrimage disappoint?

I've often wondered if a religious pilgrimage always lives up to expectations.

Can a Pilgrimage disappoint?

If it did, would it be OK to say so?

Are religious beliefs so strong that they make the journey more important than the destination?


Please, do not post negative comments about other people's religion.

Pilgrimage in India and everywhere else is a double edged sword. It can be spiritually very uplifting, but crass comercialism and double standards of the establishment can be very disappointing and heart breaking.

I don't think the journey is more important than the destination. The destination can't (spiritually) disappoint badly; if it does, then the journey becomes questionable.

Long ago, Haridwar and Varanasi disappointed me; my 'journey' was never the same.

As a spiritual person, as compared to a religious one (I don't follow any particular way) every trip I've taken has been a pilgrimage of sorts. In the past twenty years I have traveled internationally perhaps ten times or so (each time going for no less than four months); seven of those trips have been to parts of the world that resonate with me spirtually (China/Tibet/India numerous times/Indonesia/Bali); every one of them feeding and enlarging my knowledge of Buddhism and Hinduism.
I leftt on my first trip to India in '82, and even then I defined that journey for myself as a pilgrimage, wanting on that trip to travel from Caluctta to Gangotri. Leaving on that trip I understood then (and still) that for me the journey is more important than the destination. I never got to Gangotri, and felt nothing like disappointment. Instead I considered every encounter and event on that trip as a "reason" for going. Now, 25 years later I feel the only place I didn't get to on that trip was where I was going; I'm good with that; still travel that way.

On the Char Dham out of Chitrakoot the bus full of pilgrims became steadily more "charged" as the tour went on. I seen one old guy spported by his sons stagger into the cave temples.
I swear he was practically dancing by the end of the day!!! Quite amazing!!

Every time i go to Vaishno devi, its an amazing experience. Given any day it will be very difficult to walk 14 KMs that too on hills. But the sheer energy which is felt while moving up keeps you going. I was scared of stares for atleast few days after returning from there for the first time.

Thanks for the comments.

I saw a TV programme a few days ago about a group going on a pilgramage, as CH says, the closer they got, the more excited they become.

They were asked about their expectations, and I was shocked at what they expected, but they all seemed to have a great time.

The whole point of spiritual pilgrimage is the journey, the destination is a climax to the journey. The journey is about being austere, its about a clensing of the "soul"(as a monoist there is only one soul, but you catch my drift).

Back in the day pilgrimages meant something. They were tough, austere and ardous journeys. The Char Dham yatra or Vaishno Devi meant something because they were difficult climbs up into the mountains, prostrating along the way.

Many miss the real point of pilgrimages.

Beside, Bhagawan Nityananda once said, there is no need to run around to temples or rivers, all these places are inside you, abide in the hrit.(heart)

In the Guru Gita it says, "Sprinkle some water on your head and think of the Supreme Guru(Paramashiva, Paramatman, etc..) and you will have visited all the holiest rivers."

In Austin Texas there is a "Barsana Dham" It is a place of pilgrimage for me

I wonder if it was 'Once Upon a Time in Iran'. I started watching it, but fell asleep quite soon. Hopefully they'll repeat it, it seemed very interesting.

I'd say that everyone has their own reasons for undergoing a pilgrimage. Your faith might be questioned if some part of it didn't live up to expectations. If this was the case, maybe your attitude needs to change.

If the point of pilgrimage/religion is austerity, then even having expectations would seem contrary to its purpose.

I want emotional maturity to understand the reasons and significance of pilgrimage and not let commercialism bother me!

Why would commercialism bother you? Pilgrimage is an outward journey, but the focus is inward.

It shouldn'tnt, but it does.

I need to focus, focus and focus

Something interesting about pilgrimage, is the time for introspect-um during the process. The spiritual pilgrimage or inner pilgrimage tends to make us pretty aware about our faults, pretty hard on ourselves and so we become disappointed in ourselves. If we don't get inspired by this awareness we blame the experience.

God may have been standing directly in front of us but we are feeling so lousy that we miss it.

Yes I agree whole heartedly. One of the biggest detriments to spiritual progress(not that there is actual progress, ie. going somewhere) is self-deprecation.

But with competent teachings or a competent Guru, one should know that being in your head constantly, feeling down on yourself for this and that, is nothing more than the silly mind and we should not do this, but transcend such foolishness.

I struggle with this daily, but thanks to my Guru, he helps me keep myself in check.


"Get out of your head!" he says.

"If you wish to visit a holy place,
go and bathe there
with faith and trust,
with a proper attitude.
Be unconcerned with expenses.
Distribute food and clothing in charity.
With love, endure turmoil.
Never fail to perform your duties.
"-- Babaji Muktanand



-Dan