Spiritual Travel And Spiritual Journeys

In: Travel & Leisure

10 Dec 2009

Many of us have traveled extensively but have at the end of our travels come away feeling less than satisfied which is why it makes sense to find out a little bit more about how spiritual travel can provide that feeling of fulfillment. If you have had your fill of cathedrals from the Gothic era and the sight of another Madonna does not uplift your spirits then you need to find an alternative solution which can take the form of traveling to find spiritual solace.

Spiritual travel is more than a catch phrase meant to make you seek some far off destination. As a matter of fact, traveling for spiritual reasons is not new because from the very earliest times in our history people have made pilgrimages. Traveling for religious purposes is not a new concept and as far back as in the early 16th century Spanish nationals (Jesuits) used to travel to places such as Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina to build missions where natives would be educated in the Christian religion.

In these modern times, traveling for spiritual reasons has become more popular and there are numerous options to choose from that include going to places other than Yucatan, the Vatican and also Egypt. The best way to lift up your spirits is to travel to places where the surroundings are idyllic and a good example is a Buddhist monastery which is mainly found in Asia though some are also located in Europe and in the United States.

To get the true Buddhist spiritual experience you will want to choose Bodhgaya as your destination. This is a place that is part of the Indian state of Bihar and it is here that Lord Buddha sat under a Bodhi tree and finally became enlightened about the meaning of life. This part of the world where Lord Buddha became enlightened has become the home of a giant complex called the Mahabodhi Temple.

This particular place is truly exceptional as the surroundings are serenity personified and everything here is absolutely peaceful so as to promote true spiritualistic experiences. It is here that monks read the Holy Scriptures and spend their time contemplating the complexities and meaning of life.

Bodhgaya is home of many a Buddhist monastery each of which is maintained by Buddhists from different countries. If you are planning on flying here, there is an airport at Gaya that is about seven miles away from Bodhgaya and which sees a few flights arriving here from the not too distant metropolis of Kolkata.

If you are traveling from other parts of India then there is the main airport at Patna the state capital of Bihar and this airport is about eighty-seven miles distant from Bodhgaya. Of course, if you don’t mind a train journey then it is certainly more convenient to use this mode of transportation that is cheap and which will help you reach Gaya very easily.

If you want a truly uplifting spiritual travel experience then visiting Bodhgaya should be at the top of your list of travel priorities. You should time your travel for the months November through February while the worst time to come here is June through September which is the monsoon season in this part of India.

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