Pilgrimage Practices Research Articles

Optimizing Pilgrimage Traditions and Community Empowerment: Integration of Spirituality, Socio-Economy, and Technology in Pilgrimage Practices

Optimizing Pilgrimage Traditions and Community Empowerment: Integration of Spirituality, Socio-Economy, and Technology in Pilgrimage Practices

Social Media and the Spiritual Journey: The Place of Digital Technology in Enriching the Experience

This qualitative study explores the utilization of social media among Pakistani pilgrims during spiritual journeys and investigates its impact on their pilgrimage experiences. Thirty Pakistani pilgrims who had embarked on spiritual journeys to various religious sites were interviewed using semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis was employed to analyze the interview transcripts, revealing five main stages of social media usage: pre-trip preparation, real-time updates and guidance, community building and support, sharing experiences and insights, and post-trip reflection and engagement. At each stage, social media played diverse roles, including providing information and support, fostering connections with fellow pilgrims, sharing personal experiences, and facilitating spiritual dialogue. This explorative study underscores the significance of social media in enhancing the pilgrimage experience for Pakistani pilgrims, serving as a valuable tool for information dissemination, community building, spiritual support, and personal reflection throughout the pilgrimage journey. The findings contribute to a deeper understanding of how social media shapes pilgrims’ experiences and fosters their spiritual growth, emphasizing the need for further research to explore the nuanced dynamics of social media usage in the context of pilgrimage. Overall, this study sheds light on the unique role of social media in the spiritual journeys of Pakistani pilgrims and highlights its implications for pilgrimage practices and the broader discourse on religious tourism.

The pilgrimage (hajj) of Central Asian Muslims before joining to the Russian Empire

This study examines the pilgrimage practices of Central Asian Muslims to Mecca before the region became part of the Russian Empire and shows that despite the importance of the Hajj in Islam, participation from this area was limited. The analysis outlines the various barriers to making the pilgrimage, such as the strict Sharia requirements that many could not meet, the financial and logistical challenges involved, and the fear of the dangers associated with the journey. In addition, social and family obligations prevented a significant number of Muslims from making the Hajj, leading to a preference for local pilgrimage sites in Central Asia as an alternative. The research also examines the socio-political implications of the hajj for Central Asian Muslims, including the different routes taken to reach Mecca and the role of socio-economic status in facilitating or hindering the pilgrimage. Through this examination, the article sheds light on the complex interplay of religion, culture and politics in the practice of hajj among Central Asian Muslims prior to Russian annexation.

When Non-Muslims Visit Muslims: A Study of Ethnic Chinese Pilgrimage Practices at Ong Tien's Grave in Astana Village, Cirebon

Cirebon, one of the areas that still preserves traditions from ancient times to the present, upholds pilgrimage as one such tradition. This article highlights a pilgrimage phenomenon whose tradition remains in Cirebon Regency. In Cirebon's pilgrimage tradition, which is quite 'unique,' the Chinese ethnic group carries out a pilgrimage when visiting the grave of Ong Tien in Astana Village, Gunung Jati Subdistrict, Cirebon Regency. According to local beliefs, Ong Tien, a descendant of the Chinese ethnicity, embraced Islam and was one of the wives of Sunan Gunung Jati. In this study, three religious adherents visit Ong Tien's grave: Buddhists and followers of Confucianism. Several questions are outlined: First, what are the beliefs of the Chinese ethnic group when visiting Ong Tien's grave? Second, what are the purposes of the Chinese ethnic group visiting Ong Tien's grave? And third, what activities do the Chinese ethnic group carry out when visiting Ong Tien's grave? I answer these questions using a Social-Anthropological approach. In analyzing the data, I employ a qualitative descriptive analysis method, aiming to explain and analyze the phenomenon of pilgrimage carried out by non-Muslims at Ong Tien's grave

Saints and shrines as ‘contested heritage’ and the case of Norwich Cathedral

ABSTRACT ‘Contested heritage’ and ‘cancel culture’ have specific meanings and points of reference in our culture today, but these are by no means new phenomena in the life of cathedrals. At the time of the Reformation and the Civil War, all evidence of traditional Catholic culture was considered fair game for iconoclasts, who systematically destroyed saints’ shrines and tombs with their relics. In recent years, in association with the revival of the practice of pilgrimage and in unstated rejection of Reformation tradition, shrines of saints in many cathedrals have been restored, some including relics. It is unsurprising that saints and their shrines can be controversial, since saints themselves are ‘signs of contradiction’, those whose lives lived according to the standards of the kingdom of heaven challenge the values of earthly kingdoms and cultures. Norwich Cathedral is unusual among the ancient cathedrals of England in never having had a great saint enshrined within it. This study will consider the cases of two figures locally revered as martyrs, William of Norwich and Edith Cavell, whose lives and witness have been causes of international controversy and yet who still merit commemoration by Christians today.

The role of Acharya Madhva’s pilgrimages for the Mādhvas of Udupi

In Hinduism, pilgrimage (Sanskrit: तीर्थयात्रा, tīrtha-yātrā) is a fundamental element in the lives of devotees. Pilgrimage as an integral part of religious life is used by the followers of Hinduism as a process which promotes spiritual progress. There are many places of pilgrimage in India, as it has very rich spiritual traditions. For Mādhvas of Udupi, tīrtha-yātrās is also an undivisible part of their spiritual life. There are a few academic works (e. g. B. N. K. Sharma “The Philosophy of Madhvacharya” and “History of the Dvaita School of Vedanta and its Literature”, Vasudeva Rao “Living traditions in Contemporary Context: The Madhva Matha of Udupi”) about the ethnographic peculiarities of the Mādhva Vaiṣṇava Sampradaya , such as the description of pilgrimage practice in Madhva tradition. Acharya Madhva’s pilgrimages to Badrinath and other holy places were discussed historically by scholars, but there isn’t study on its influence and role in religious culture for the Mādhvas of Udupi. For this article the study of Narayana Panditacharya’s hagiographic work called "Madhva Vijaya" which is about the life of Madhvācārya gives an opportunity to comprehend the peculiarities of the pilgrimage practice of Madhva and it’s cultural aspects for Mādhvas of Udupi.

Of pilgrimages and restorations: religion, heritage and politics in divided Cyprus

AbstractThis paper explores the intersections of religion, heritage, and politics in divided societies by focusing on two events that occurred in Cyprus before the crossing points opened (2003). These are the Greek and Turkish Cypriot reciprocal pilgrimages to a Christian and Muslim site, respectively, and the two sites' restoration. I argue that in these events the Cyprus Issue effected the transformation of pilgrimage practices and sites into matters of political agreement, implicating them in processes of conflict management and resolution. In this context, pilgrimage facilitated inter-communal exchanges and intra-communal frictions and antagonisms that question binary oppositions through which questions of conflict and amity have been debated in pilgrimage studies.

Book review: Mathieu, Jon: Mount Sacred. A short global history of holy mountains since 1500

Mathieu, Jon: Mount Sacred. A short global history of holy mountains since 1500. 155 pp. 11 figs. The White Horse Press. Winwick 2023. ISBN 978-1-912186-716, 30 £. eISBN 978-1-912186-72-3, OA ebook.Mathieu, Jon: Mount Sacred. Eine kurze Globalgeschichte der heiligen Berge seit 1500. 192 pp. 11 figs. Böhlau. Wien 2023. ISBN: 978-3-205-21702-2, eISBN: 978-3-205-21703-9, 35 €.
 The topic of sacred mountains has been fascinating for mountain researchers that had access to varied peaks on different continents and opened up comparative perspectives. Edwin Bernbaum’s (1990) famous book on Sacred mountains of the world was published a generation ago at the same time when Karl Gratzl (1990) edited his book on Die heiligsten Berge der Welt. It was a time when the human sphere of mountain regions attracted more attention by anthropologists, archaeologists and geographers. Embedded in a less prophane approach their descriptive books hinted towards more rigorous studies on indigenous practices and rituals, emphasized the historical rootedness of mountain communities and led to changing appreciations over time on the path to highlighting mountain exceptionalism and its exalted representation of pristine environments.The recent publication of Jon Mathieu’s Mount Sacred is a welcome reflection about how mountains became sacred objects and sanctified entities covering a period of half a millennium. The author, himself an authority on European Alpine history, has been fascinated by global mountain studies earlier on in his seminal work on the ‘third dimension’ (Mathieu 2011). This as well as the present book were simultaneously published in German and English.It is fascinating to read how sacred mountains have been created and imagined, how belief systems and scientific approaches shaped the perception of mountain peaks. The opening two chapters are devoted to an enquiry that is inspired by seminal works on Eurasian studies with a focus on place and position of mountains in structuring human environments, environmental control and scientific approaches. Eight chapters are devoted to selected mountains, among which we find at the beginning Mount Kailash and at the end Uluru. The former has probably gained the highest attention among Western readers and has been further promoted since being popularised as the ‘holiest mountain’ (Tichy 1937) suggesting a hierarchy of sacredness. In contrast, Uluru, formerly known as Ayers Rock in Australia, has been rather neglected in the above-mentioned books, probably because the mountain towers only 350 metres above the surrounding plains. Uluru has gained in popular appreciation and became a symbol in the recently debated treaty for Indigenous Australians.The two cases from China and Korea – Tai Shan and Paektusan/Changbaishan – have been canonized in their respective political contexts. Beginning with ritual importance and a deep historical rootedness they have been instrumentalized for less religious purposes and fixed on the political maps of China and North Korea. Presenting cases from the Christian realm in the European Alps seemed to be more challenging as there were pilgrimage places in villages and valleys, rather than a tradition of attributed sacredness and mountain worship on Alpine peaks and passes. Jon Mathieu entertains the reader with a number of anecdotes and historical turns in placing crosses there and in a subsequent chapter on erecting crosses in Italy and neighbouring countries on places in order to celebrate Catholic Christians’ persistence at the beginning of the 20th century. Here a comparison with the wider Himalayan arc and its manifold iconography and materiality on passes, springs and rivers would have been interesting because of its pilgrimage practices, plentiful stocks and great variety of expression and ritual veneration. The chapter devoted to North America puts the Black Hills where Black Elk and Lakota Sioux used to pray to their ‘six grandfathers’ (Tunkasila Sakpe Paha) into the centre of attention; it is the same place where the conflict about Mount Rushmore with the rock sculptures of four American presidents emerged. Competition about sacred places occurs as well where adventure sports and rock climbing take place in spiritually laden or only respected places and peaks. This applies for North American national parks obviously more than for the East African volcanoes; the latter having become attractive tourism destinations with the Kilimanjaro and victims of myth creation. Marketing of mountains has often contributed to generating legends and stories about alleged sacredness and spiritual capacities of mountains. In this context many more prominent case studies and mountain regions would come to our mind that are not covered or mentioned in this book. Jon Mathieu made his selection in order to investigate the underlying processes of creating Mount Sacred.Jon Mathieu’s approach to unearth the roots of the sacredness of some mountains and telling us revealing stories about influential actors and changing factors over time has resulted in an entertaining and enlightening text that broadens the horizon of mountain veneration. His book is highly recommended to interested members, promotors and curious visitors of mountain communities.

Constructing Mary through Pilgrimages: Lived Catholic Mariology in Poland

This article presents selected aspects of Marian pilgrimages in the context of lived Catholicism in Poland. Lived Catholic Mariology is a concept introduced in this paper and discussed in terms of the intimate as well as communal relationships people establish with Mary through and in various rituals (e.g., pilgrimages), sites (e.g., shrines) and objects (e.g., images). Links between materializing Mary through images; affective, sensual and corporeal religious experiences; and community bonding are presented. They are discussed by drawing on approaches that refer to material religion, religion as mediation, concepts of sensational forms, and aesthetic formations. When examining the centrality of Marian images in Polish pilgrimage practices, this paper focuses on earlier developments, especially (1) those connected with the growth of Marian shrines during the Counter Reformation period and (2) the role played by traditional and innovative Marian pilgrimages during the Communist period in Poland (1945–1989). The final part of the paper refers to the recent changes connected with political polarization of Polish society, the process of radicalization through right-wing discourses that embrace Marian imagery and pilgrimages, the decline of Roman Catholicism and Catholic practices among Poles, and emerging alternative currents relating to Mary and pilgrimages in religious and secular contexts. Referring to various historical and current examples, this paper proposes seeing pilgrimages through the lived religion approach with a focus on materiality and mediatory dimension of religion.

The Relation of Community Values and Norms to the Practice of Pilgrimage in Mount Kawi, Indonesia

This study aims to see the relationship between community behaviour in practising at the tomb of religious figures in Mount Kawi, Malang Regency, Indonesia. The behaviour of pilgrims in visiting has a variety of motivations and interests. Mount Kawi is a pilgrimage tourism site with an exciting background. There are tombs of Islamic religious figures and places of worship of ethnic Chinese. The relationship between the two has an interesting relationship to know. Researchers use a qualitative approach by selecting several informants and processing the data qualitatively. The results showed that the relationship between people's behaviour in performing pilgrims leads to values, norms, and group identity. People's encouragement to visit tombs is more on the mundane aspect. Therefore, individual symbols appear that strengthen as a form of spirituality respectively. This research also impacts improving the quality of pilgrimage tourism, which has a pattern of making the tomb of religious figures its symbol.

Eventum: A Journal of Medieval Arts and Rituals and its First Issue

This first introductory article presents the brand new, interdisciplinary, and diamond open access journal Eventum, along with the specific theme of Issue 1: “The Arts and Rituals of Pilgrimage”. It describes the rationale and scope of the journal in association with the three key terms of its subtitle, in reverse order: ‘rituals’, ‘arts’, and ‘medieval’. As for the topic of the present issue, which explores the arts and rituals of the medieval and postmedieval practice of pilgrimage, some important points are noted in relation to the issue’s five subsequent articles.

Religious Materiality and Virtual Sainthood: The Case of Shna Ndou (St. Anthony) Pilgrimage in Laç

The interdisciplinary perspective, between history and anthropology, of our contribution has as its subject the pilgrimage at Kisha e Shna Ndout (Sanctuary of St. Anthony of Padua) in Laç, northern Albania, which is one of the most visited religious sites in southeastern Europe. The church, built there and ministered by Franciscans, is now an impressive place of worship frequented throughout the year by thousands of pilgrims. On the 12th and 13th of June of each year, an official pilgrimage is held, which reaches its climax on the night of the 12th, when thousands of Albanians sleep in the shrine seeking blessings and healing. The pilgrimage practices show how materiality is a privileged means of reaching out to a religious place. This materiality is grounded in the multilayered built environment, which has been built and rebuilt and especially reconstructed after the collapse of the socialist regime—a process that reveals the pivotal function of secular infrastructures in the case of religious places. Virtuality is also an important aspect of the pilgrimage, and so materiality and virtuality form a single milieu that reshapes perceptions. Through participation in this pilgrimage, virtuality is sacralized and promotes sanctity.

Broadcasting Umrah through the Hadith of Hajj Badal in the COVID-19 Pandemic Era.

This article delves into an extensive project concerning the development of the umrah industry in Indonesia and its relationship with the interpretation of Hadith. Specifically, it examines the impact of the pandemic on this brief pilgrimage practice in Indonesia, a predominantly Muslim society. Despite the economic setbacks, the pandemic has significantly influenced the widespread use of social media globally. Indonesian Muslims, being active netizens, have shown a strong desire to reconnect with the sacred sites in Mecca and Medina. This article employs a multifaceted approach to investigate the utilization of social media by Indonesian muṭawwifs-vloggers, employing intersecting methodologies. Firstly, it conducts a textual study focusing on thematic badal Umrah. Secondly, it involves (online) observations and participation in the activities of various muṭawwifs vloggers based in Saudi Arabia. The result of this research is that cyber-mediated Umrah experiences cannot fully substitute the physical pilgrimage journey. Badal Umrah, primarily rooted in the badal Hajj Hadiths. It emerges as a crucial practice during times of crises and being used as legitimacy inoffering assistance to those who are physically unable to undertake the journey. Consequently, there has been an increased acceptance of Hadiths related to Hajj and Umrah during the pandemic, ." In addition, Muṭawwifs play a pivotal role in facilitating communication between i forced mobility of aspiring pilgrims during the pandemic, thereby emphasizing the importance of ethical considerations. Lastly, the activities in the cyber-space realm align with three essential dimensions: providing an imaginative travel experience for dispersed audiences, engaging muṭawwifs as navigators in the cyber-space, and addressing ethical considerations concerning badal Umrah amidst health and financial challenges.

PENGARUH BIMBINGAN AJARAN TAREKAT QODIRIYAH NAQSYABANDIYAH PONDOK PESANTREN SURYALAYA TERHADAP AKHLAK MAHASISWA

ABSTRACTUniversally a student is someone who has a very noble position and function, as an agent of change, moral force, social control and self-efficacy. Since they have an intellectual responsibility, the guidance program will determine the success of the student be in a society that is ready to contribute to the sustainability of the nation's welfare and progress in various sectors. The purpose of this study is to test the hypothesis and find out 1) the guidance program on the teachings of the Suryalaya Qodiriyah Naqsyabandiyah (TQN) Order to students, 2) efforts to improve the positive character of students and 3) the influence of TQN Suryalaya Teaching guidance to students at the Institute of Islamic Religion and Institute of Economic Science of Latifah Mubarokiyah at the Islamic Boarding School Suryalaya. This study uses a quantitative approach with the correlative method. The sampling technique used in this study is a simple random sampling technique. Sampling is taken from a population of final semester students which involved a sample of 183 students from a total of 338 final semester students, 136 Islamic Institute students and 47 Latifah Mubarokiyah Institute of Economic Science students. The technique of data collection uses a Likert scale questionnaire; while the technique for data analysis uses Pearson products of moment correlation, determination test, significance test, and regression test. The TQN Suryalaya teachings have some basic teachings, namely the practice of dhikr, completion (khatam), virtues (manaqib), night prayer (qiyamul lail) and pilgrimage. In addition there are practices in terms of behavior (morals) such as morality to God, morality to teachers (morshed), morality to others, morality to oneself, morality to the environment and how to instil the attitudes of taking care of (muraqabah) conditions. The influence of the TQN Suryalaya Teachings can have a positive influence on social life in the community, which includes two aspects, namely in the religious life and social life by bringing out good behaviour and attitudes, adhering to the existing norms, establishing harmonious relationships in society and nationality. The results of the study showed that the guidance of Suryalaya's TQN Teaching was in the good category at 75.69%. The moral description of students at the Islamic Institute of Religion and the Institute of Economic Science of Latifah Mubarokiyah in Suryalaya Tasikmalaya Islamic Boarding School is in good category at 74.30%. Guidance on the teachings of TQN Suryalaya is strongly and positively correlated with the morals of students with a correlation coefficient of 0.652 and a coefficient of determination of 0.452, which means that improving the quality of guidance in the Teaching of the Qodiriyah Naqsyabandiyah Suryalaya Order will be followed by positive student morals. And conversely, the decline in the quality of guidance in Suryalaya's TQN Teaching will be followed by the student's morality of 45.2%. Keywords: Guidance, Tarëqat Qodiriyah Naqsyabandiyah, Morals.

The Pilgrim and the Peas and Pilgrimage by Rail: Defining acceptable pilgrimage practices in Nineteenth-Century Britain

ABSTRACT In the nineteenth century, attitudes towards Catholic pilgrimage travel became increasingly critical as newspaper reporters and writers attacked pilgrims for choosing to travel in comfort, and at speed, by train. This paper argues that the reason for this change can be pinpointed to two key things: the widespread popularity of a comic verse, The Pilgrim and the Peas, and the 1873 English Pilgrimage by rail to Paray-le-Monial. It argues that together these two factors were instrumental in shaping modern British attitudes to how pilgrimage should, and should not, be conducted and cemented the idea that a pilgrimage should be a journey of hardship undertaken on foot.

The Adriatic Catholic Marian Pilgrimage in Nin near Zadar as a Maritime Pilgrimage

Following the general approach to pilgrimage as established by anthropologists and other scientists, the paper analyses the pilgrimage in Nin to Our Lady of Zečevo. More specifically, this pilgrimage will be observed as a maritime pilgrimage, following relevant recent research. Based on the oral story about the apparition of Virgin Mary to a widow, the statue of Mary is transported from Nin in a boat procession via sea to a mediaeval church on the nearby uninhabited island of Zečevo. Pilgrimage practices include many sensorial and symbolic practices, so it will be analysed from several points of view and more than one theoretical approach, including the relational approach and mobility turn, applied also to maritime pilgrimage with a reflection on influence of tourism on pilgrimage activities, especially in the Mediterranean. The paper relies on the field research from 2020–2023 in Nin near Zadar in Croatia which has been supported in part by the Croatian Science Foundation under the project ‘PILGRIMAR’ (UIP-2019-04-8226).

The geography of pilgrimage: Adriatic maritime pilgrimages and natural features of the landscape

In this article, we have analysed how natural features influenced the emergence of maritime pilgrimages in the Eastern Adriatic (three sites in Croatia and one in Montenegro). All researched locations are insular and dedicated to the Virgin Mary (Madonna). We applied a diverse methodology, including flying a drone and completing fieldwork and archival work studying old maps and documents. We believe that the geography of pilgrimages in these sites reflects the relational interaction between the religious practices of the local communities, mostly fisherman, and their lived environment. We argue that all four locations of the churches and sites of pilgrimage were, at least partially, determined by natural features of their environment, i.e. a safe harbour and a site protected from winds, located within fisherman communities living space, etc. Because of these environmental determinants, the local communities created their pilgrimage geography with ritualistic and religious pilgrimage practices and folklore.

Normativism of Islamic Law in the Akkattere Hajj Ritual of South Sulawesi’s Ammatoa Community

The profound impact of cultural and religious modernity on various aspects of life has brought about significant changes in regional akkattere traditions in Ammatoa society. According to this hadith, the pilgrimage which is in harmony, the conditions and obligations are in accordance with Islamic law, and which must be performed at a certain time and place, can be completed easily through the akkattere ritual. This research is an empirical law using an anthropological approach to Islamic law. The purpose of this study is to examine the incorporation of customary values and Islamic law in the Akkattere tradition of the Ammatoa community in the region, and to evaluate its impact. Data was collected using interviews and literature studies. The research was conducted in Tanah Towa Village in Kajang District, Bulukumba Regency, South Sulawesi Province. The research concluded that the akkatere ritual obviated the need to wait in long lines or have the financial resources to perform the pilgrimage to the holy land of Mecca. Based on the findings of this study, anthropologically the akkattere traditional law is the result of a dialectic between Islam and local traditions and has resulted in new local pilgrimage practices, which is now a religious characteristic of the Ammatoa people. Nonetheless, the understanding of Hajj by the Ammatoa community has deviated substantially from the normatism of Islamic law, so that it fundamentally influences aspects of religious belief and ideology.

Presenting The Love of God Through The Javanese Hindu Temple of The Sacred Heart of Jesus in Ganjuran Yogyakarta

The paper aims to study inculturation in the practices of pilgrimage to the Sacred Heart of Jesus temple in Ganjuran Yogyakarta by exploring its socio-historical background and the current practices. The temple was built in 1927-1930 by Schmutzer family and designed in the Javanese Hindu architecture. After being neglected for 60 years, in 1990, the temple was reinterpreted and revitalized by Father Gregorius Utomo in line to the spirit of the Sacred Heart of Jesus that aspired the Schmutzer family. Now, many pilgrims from various faith visit the temple everyday for getting spiritual and physical healing. This study is an action research where the researcher directly involves in the object to be studied. He did pilgrimage to the temple regularly while he did interviews with the pilgrims for getting the data. Besides, the data are collected through indirect interviews with questionnaires. It is completed with the library sources. The data then was verified, classified, and analized in a descriptive qualitative approach.

Missional pilgrimage: A new framework for short-term mission

Pilgrimage and short-term mission have both seen a rise in popularity in recent years. Despite its popularity, the goals and expectations associated with short-term mission are often in conflict with the lived experiences of participants who both go on, and receive those doing short-term mission. The liminality and communitas described by participants in short-term mission reflect similar processes found in the practice of pilgrimage. In this article we show the multiple similarities between pilgrimage and short-term mission and suggest a new framework of “missional pilgrimage” as a way of bringing together these lived experiences with the aims of short-term mission. In doing this we do not reduce those who receive short-term mission participants to the “holy center” but rather consider them as fellow pilgrims who journey alongside those being sent in participating in the missio Dei, the mission of God in a wider sense.