New Delhi: TripAdvisor , the world’s largest travel site, today announced the results of its pilgrimage survey conducted online amongst over 3800 Indian travellers. India emerges as a country of the devout with 87% travellers who said they have undertaken a pilgrimage or religious travel at least once in their lives and 57% who travel for the same at least once in a year. Not to be mistaken as being a phenomenon among the older generation, more than 70 percent respondents between the age group of 20-30 undertake pilgrimage at least once a year as well. The spiritually inclined also appear to be technologically inclined as 42 percent respondents feel that a ‘virtual’ pilgrimage* is a great option for the elderly and infirm.

While abstinence from smoking, drinking and eating non-vegetarian seem to be the most common practices among travellers during a pilgrimage, many go a step further to abstain from speaking lies and maintain celibacy. Home to almost every religion practiced in the world, India lives up to its spirit of being a truly secular nation as 84.6% respondents said they would visit a religious destination even if they don’t belong to the same faith.

Nikhil Ganju, Country Manager of TripAdvisor India elucidates, “It’s not entirely unexpected to find so many Indians heading for pilgrimages and so frequently too, but the real surprise is the percentage of 20-30 yr olds who are taking to religious travel.” Nikhil further adds “However, despite the influx of tourism to these popular religious destinations, devout travellers often have to deal with daunting conditions, with notable gaps in their management and maintenance.

With a touch of luxury and a dash of fun

96% respondents said they combine pilgrimage travel with leisure and explore the destinations beyond the place of worship.

75 % respondents said they do not consider austerity as a sign of their reverence or sincerity and dismissed practice of austere measures like avoiding luxury stay and indulgent food while on  pilgrimage.

64% travellers mentioned they would pay extra to beat the queue for worship without any qualms

No ‘Holier-than-thou’ for women

62 percent men said they combine pilgrimage travel with leisure compared with 72 percent women

Men appear to endorse austere measures for religious travel more than women. 58 percent women as opposed to 51 percent men consider virtual pilgrimage as a great option.

Need of the hour: Makeover of pilgrimage destinations

50 percent respondents admitted that the condition of religious sites  is poor

81.5 percent respondents said public utilities such as sanitation and drinking water are a big problem area

74 percent believed that people traffic was not well managed during peak pilgrimage time

As result of this glaring void in the management and maintenance of popular pilgrimage destinations, 49% people agreed that the management of these sites should be privatized instead of resting with the Government.

Door-Darshan

So we asked Indian travellers what they thought of having websites where you could worship religious destinations and even complete their pilgrimage all online.

While 42% respondents thought it was a great option for the elderly or infirm for whom the physical journey could be strenuous or even impossible, a good 35% put it down as fake worship and labeled it sacrilegious. However, a minority of respondents believed that it was as real to worship online as to undertake the physical journey as what mattered was having faith