Religious travel is deeply ingrained in the cultural psyche of Indians and this explains the existence of a large number of 80 pilgrimage sites in the sub-continent. Great religions like

Hinduism, Buddhism and Sikhism have originated on the Indian soil. The Hindus converge on the banks of the Ganga to take a holy dip, the Sikhs scale a height of 4329 meters

8 through difficult terrain to reach the Hemkund Sahib 2 Sarnath, the cradle of Buddhism, is frequented by devotees from all parts of the globe. Faith and hope draw people in hordes to the convent and church of St. Francis of Assisi in Old Goa and a deep-seated reverence is characteristic of the people who flock to Dargah Sharif of Ajmer, the final resting place of Khwaja Moin-ud-din Chisti.