| If you are looking for a luxury holiday that pampers | | | | Varanasi and Hardwar, Ayodhya, the birthplace of |
| your spirit as well as your body, look no further than | | | | Rama; Mathura, Lord Krishna's Birthplace; Dwarka, |
| these top 5 destinations. | | | | where Krishna ruled as a king; Kanchipuram, the great |
| Peru | | | | Shaivite temple city of Tamil Nadu; and Ujjan, site of |
| Peru has long been regarded as a place of power. As | | | | Kumbha Mela. |
| reported in James Redfield's best-seller 'the Celestine | | | | Bodh Gaya is an extremely sacred Indian city. |
| Prophecy', it is reputed to sit on a ley line, or | | | | According to Buddhist traditions, Prince Gautama |
| energetic pathway. Since the book was published, | | | | Siddhartha reached the Falgu River and sat in |
| pilgrims in their thousands have visited the mysterious | | | | meditation under a bodhi tree. After three days and |
| lost city of Machu Picchu. As a consequence, there | | | | nights of meditation, Siddharta attained enlightenment. |
| are many luxury tours available. | | | | For Buddhists, Bodh Gaya is the most important of |
| However, the magic of Peru is not a modern notion, | | | | the main four pilgrimage sites relating to the life of |
| but something that has been known by its inhabitants | | | | Buddha, the other three being Kushinagar, Lumbini, |
| for many years. Peru contains the remains of the | | | | and Sarnath. |
| Inca empire Cuzco, an empire that worshipped the | | | | Tibet |
| goddess Pachamama, or Mother Earth. | | | | Lhasa is Tibet's capital and its heart and soul. Jokhang |
| Pachamama is still worshipped worshipped today. This | | | | Temple is one of the most sacred temples in all of |
| makes witchcraft and magic very popular. In Peru | | | | Tibet. Founded 1,400 years ago, its shadowy |
| witchcraft and Catholicism have been fused together | | | | hallways and incantations of monks add to the |
| into the one religion. | | | | mystery of this intriguing complex. All luxury holidays |
| On every street corner witchcraft markets can be | | | | should include a visit to the Temple. |
| found selling potions and spells. And brujos or | | | | The Barkhor Prayer Circuit is said to be one of the |
| curanderos are numerous. Curanderos use the healing | | | | most powerful spiritual centres on earth. It teems |
| power of Pachamama to cure their patients. Brujos | | | | with pilgrims circumambulating the Barkhor loop of |
| can be found anywhere in Peru, but Huacho, Piura | | | | devotion. Stalls line the circuit, selling everything from |
| and the Selva district are the best places to find | | | | prayer flags to Maoist memorabilia. Make sure you |
| them. | | | | walk the Circuit in a clockwise fashion. |
| Jerusalem | | | | Be sure to visit Potala Palace - once home to the |
| Jerusalem is the capital of Israel. It plays a central | | | | Dalai Lama. It now sits empty as its former resident |
| role in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. | | | | lives in exile in India. Despite the deserted feel of the |
| Christianity reveres Jerusalem because in the New | | | | place, Potala Palace stands as an impressive example |
| Testament, Jesus was brought to Jerusalem soon | | | | of Asian architecture. |
| after his birth. Jerusalem is also home to the Cenacle | | | | Egypt |
| on Mount Zion, reputed to be the location of Jesus' | | | | The concepts of death and the Afterlife were |
| Last Supper. Golgotha, or the site of Jesus' | | | | central to the beliefs of the Ancient Egyptians. The |
| crucifixion, is another central Christian landmark | | | | Egyptians believed that when a pharaoh died, |
| located in Jerusalem. | | | | everything he needed for the Afterlife would have |
| Jerusalem is sacred to Judaism because King David | | | | to be buried with him, even his physical body -- which |
| proclaimed it his capital in the 10th century BCE. | | | | is why mummification was such an important tradition. |
| Jerusalem contains the site of Solomon's Temple and | | | | The ancients believed the pyramids were "where |
| the Second Temple. The Temple Mount is the central | | | | gods were born." |
| site of spiritual importance to the Jewish people, and | | | | The Valley of the Kings was and is an important |
| is referred to as the "Holy of Holies." | | | | place for Egyptian spirituality. The Egyptian belief that, |
| Jerusalem is considered the third-holiest city in Islam. | | | | "To speak the name of the dead is to make him live |
| The city's lasting place in Islam is due to the belief | | | | again" is depicted by the design of the tombs. All |
| that Muhammad was transported one night from | | | | luxury tours include a stop at this magnificent |
| Mecca to the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, whereupon | | | | destination. |
| he ascended to Heaven. | | | | Most tombs were cut into the limestone following a |
| India | | | | similar pattern: three corridors, an antechamber and a |
| The traditional symbol of India is the lotus flower, a | | | | sunken sarcophagus chamber. The king's formal |
| symbol of transformation that grows from the mud, | | | | names were inscribed in the tomb along with his |
| yet remains untouched. | | | | images and statues. The tombs contain text from |
| India is home to many sacred sites, or tirathas -- | | | | the Book of the Dead and the Book of the |
| crossings between the worldly and divine spheres. | | | | Underworld. |
| The seven sacred cities are: | | | | |