Sacred journeys

"Walking the path" is a phrase loaded with allegorical meaning, whether that path is Buddhist, Christian, Jewish, Hindu or Muslim. Almost all world religions have a tradition or form of pilgrimage, where a journey in the world mirrors a journey in one's soul. True pilgrimage almost always implies a sacrifice of time, effort and the self. Here are some of the world's great pilgrimage traditions and destinations.

Bear Butte, Western South Dakota • American Indian spirituality

Known in Lakota as Paha Mato, or Bear Mountain, Bear Butte is a pilgrimage site for at least 17 North American Indian tribes, all from the plains and Rocky Mountain states. This lone mountain, about 8 miles east of the main body of the Black Hills, is important as a place for fasting and prayers.

Bodhgaya, Bihar state, India • Buddhist

Here, Siddhartha Gautama sat down under a peepul tree and swore he wouldn't get up again until he had the answers to life's big questions. His success at answering those questions resulted in a world religion that thrives in much of Asia today. Most Buddhist nations have temples at Bodhgaya, and a descendent of the original peepul tree grows on the spot where Buddha is said to have broken free from the bonds of suffering.

Kumbha Mela, Allahabad, India • Hindu

This pilgrimage happens every 12 years and is the largest gathering of people in the world. In 2001, about 15 million people gathered at the confluence of the Ganges, Saraswati and Yamuna rivers to celebrate, bathe in the rivers and pray. Minor melas are held in intervening years at three other locations. The next major Kumbha Mela is Jan. 27- Feb. 25, 2013.

Mecca, Saudi Arabia • Muslim

The prophet Mohammed advised that there were three appropriate destinations for pilgrimage. First and foremost is Mecca, in Saudi Arabia. Second is Medina, also in Saudi Arabia, and third is al-Aqsa, in Jerusalem. The annual pilgrimage, or Hajj, to Mecca is made by as many as 3 million Muslims, who gather to circle the sacred kaaba, a stone structure said to have been built by Adam and rebuilt by Abraham and Ishmael. The Hajj includes many other imporant rituals.

Santiago de Compostela, Spain • Christian

For more than 1,000 years, Christian pilgrims have trekked along the famous, 500-mile-long Camino de Santiago in northern Spain. In medieval times, the Apostle James' body mysteriously appeared in Compostela, leading to rumors of healing miracles and redemption. Since then, the route to the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela, where the saint's remains are interred, has attracted tens of thousands of pilgrims each year.

Stonehenge, Salisbury Plain, England • Various

These rings of standing stones are seen by some as a cultural curiosity, by some as an exciting archaeological puzzle and by some New Age seekers and Druid revivalists as a much revered shrine. As many as 30,000 pilgrims arrive on winter and summer solstices when the sunrise and set are framed perfectly by the massive stones.

Varanasi, India • Hindu

Varanasi, considered the home of the gods Shiva and Parvati, is India's most holy city. Some Indians like to say it's better to be born a rickshaw driver in Varanasi than a king anywhere else. Many Hindus believe that dying in Varanasi is the last step to escaping samsara, or the endless cycle of birth and death. The city has more than 200 Hindu temples and is famous for its "ghats" or steps along the Ganges River, where people bathe and pray and where cremations are performed.

Virgin Mary shrines, Various locations • Christian

Apparitions of the Virgin Mary have appeared in many places -- some quite recently. In some places, the phenomenon has generated a dedicated pilgrimage tradition, or in the case of Our Lady of Guadalupe, a big part of a nation's identity. A few of the top virgin sites: Lourdes, France; Fatima, Portugal; Mexico City, Mexico (Our Lady of Guadalupe), and Medjugorje, Bosnia- Herzegovina, where apparitions first appeared in 1981.

CHRIS WELSCH • 612-673-7113