[360-11]. Singh, Rana P.B. 2011. Holy Places and Pilgrimages in India: Emerging Trends & Bibliography; in, Singh, Rana P.B. (ed.) Holy Places and Pilgrimages: Essays on India. Planet Earth & Cultural Understanding Series, Pub. 8. Shubhi Publications, New Delhi: pp 07-56. ISBN: 81-8290-228-2. Price Rs 1495.oo/ US $ 55. © Rana P.B. Singh. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Holy Places and Pilgrimages in India: Emerging Trends & Bibliography Rana P.B. Singh Banaras Hindu University, India ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Abstract. Among the ancient epics, the Mahabharata, dated ca 5th century BCE, is the first source of Hindu pilgrimages (tirtha-yatra). The mythologies of medieval period eulogised the sacred places and their sacred spots. These works describe how the pilgrimage symbolises spiritual progress and how it would be beneficial in getting relief from sins and worldly affairs. Pilgrimage is prescribed as a duty for spiritual merit. The notion of Hindu pilgrimage symbolised different contexts like route, place, riverbank, and also sites associated to sages. The typology of sacred places is described in ancient texts on the scale of location, merit, associational context, and intensity of power. In general, a four-tier hierarchy of pilgrimage places is accepted. According to ancient mythology and the Hindu mind-set still the most popular sacred place is Kashi (Banaras), eulogised as one of the three ladders to the heaven; the others are Allahabad and Gaya. These three together form ‘bridge to the heaven’. Keywords: cosmic circuit, faithscape, ghostscape, Hindu belief system, Kumbha Mela, mandala, sacredscape, typology. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Flower-like the heels of the wanderer, His body growth and is fruitful; All his sins disappear, Slain by the toil of sacred journey. — Aitareya Brahmana (Rig Veda), 7.15. The Hindu places of pilgrimage are the symbols of the religious beliefs of Hinduism; they reflect its vitality, resilience, and syncretism. They broadly define and continually reemphasize the Hindu sacred space. They have knitted the linguistically diverse Hindu population socially, culturally, and spatially at different integrative levels. — Surinder Bhardwaj (1973: 228).