4 Pilgrimages You Must Visit After Marriage

Marriage is not merely a social contract; in the Indian spiritual tradition, it is a divine bond—a union of two souls journeying together toward dharma, artha, kama, and ultimately moksha. To nurture this sacred connection, our ancient sages prescribed certain pilgrimages that cleanse, strengthen, and sanctify the marital relationship. Among them, four journeys stand out as especially powerful for newlyweds or any couple seeking divine blessings in their life together. These are not mere travels, but spiritual sadhanas—acts of surrender, humility, and shared devotion.

Let us delve into these four sacred yātras that every married couple must undertake together, each offering not only grace but deep symbolic transformation.


The first pilgrimage every married couple should undertake is the Govardhan Parikrama—a 21 Kilometre spiritual circumambulation around the sacred Govardhan Hill in Braj. This hill is no ordinary rock formation; it is worshipped as the very form of Lord Krishna, who lifted it with his little finger to protect the villagers of Vrindavan from the wrath of Indra.

In the act of parikrama, husband and wife together imitate the divine circle of life. Every step taken around Govardhan Hill is considered a step closer to Krishna. It is said that Lord Krishna resides in every pebble of this hill, and walking around it washes away sins, karmic debts, and relationship disharmonies.

For a married couple, this journey is more than just a physical walk. It becomes a vow of unity and service, a reenactment of Radha and Krishna’s eternal bond, and a deep offering of gratitude for the divine shelter they have received. As the couple walks hand in hand on the sacred path, barefoot and bowed with devotion, they symbolically place their egos at Krishna’s feet and ask for the strength to weather the storms of life together.


Chitrakoot, the forest of many wonders, is the land where Lord Ram, Sita, and Lakshman spent a significant portion of their exile. It is here that the divine ideals of marital fidelity, sacrifice, and steadfastness were lived out in silence and suffering. Kamadgiri Hill, the heart of Chitrakoot, is considered the embodiment of Lord Ram himself.

The Kamadgiri Parikrama is a 5-kilometer circuit that devotees walk with reverence, chanting the name of Ram. Couples who perform this together are believed to receive blessings for conjugal harmony, dharmic living, and the inner strength to walk through trials with grace, just as Sita and Ram did.

There is something profoundly moving about this journey—walking around the hill, recalling the quiet trials of the divine couple, absorbing the stillness of the forest, and praying for a love that is unshaken by fate. Chitrakoot doesn’t offer comfort; it offers purification, and couples who visit it often return with a deeper understanding of each other and their purpose.


The third pilgrimage leads us to the powerful Vindhyachal mountain, where Mother Vindhyavasini, a fierce form of Goddess Durga, resides. She is the wish-fulfilling mother (Icchā-pūrti Mātā), known to respond swiftly to the heartfelt cries of her children.

A newly married couple seeks not just companionship, but also strength, abundance, fertility, and divine protection. The darshan of Mother Vindhyavasini is said to fulfill all these aspirations. Sitting high on the Vindhya ranges, the Goddess radiates strength, grace, and fearless love. Her gaze pierces through illusion, ego, and weakness.

In the arms of the Mother, a wife finds her Shakti, and the husband finds humility before the Supreme Feminine. Together, they learn that power is not in dominance, but in devotion and surrender. Couples often perform rituals here for healthy progeny, domestic happiness, and the removal of obstacles. But beyond these boons, what they receive is an awakening—a fierce reminder that true love is protective, selfless, and divine.


The fourth and perhaps the most spiritually intense pilgrimage is to Lord Mallikarjuna, the Jyotirlinga of Shiva located in Srisailam, Andhra Pradesh. Unlike many temples where Shiva is alone, here he resides eternally with Devi Bhramaramba, a form of Parvati. This divine couple represents the perfect balance of masculine and feminine, Purusha and Prakriti.

A couple that visits Mallikarjuna doesn’t just receive Shiva’s blessings, they witness the eternal dance of duality dissolving into unity. Shiva and Shakti do not overpower one another here; they support and complement each other. For newlyweds, this temple becomes a reminder that love is not about control, but mutual elevation.

The journey to Srisailam is arduous, often requiring treks through forests and steep hills, but the destination is transcendental. As husband and wife bow before the Jyotirlinga and the Goddess, they are not just performing a ritual—they are consecrating their union in the most cosmic sense.

It is also believed that visiting Mallikarjuna destroys the karmas of previous births that may otherwise manifest as discord in marriage. It’s not just a blessing for this life—but for lifetimes.

These four pilgrimages are more than geographic markers—they are symbolic stations of spiritual evolution for every couple. Together, they invoke the blessings of Krishna, Ram, Durga, and Shiva—completing the divine circuit of love, duty, power, and transcendence.

But there is one final, secret ingredient to make these journeys truly fruitful—a heartfelt invocation of Mahadev.

O Lord, may the luck of the person who writes "Har Har Mahadev" and follows these sacred journeys be boundless. May their marriage be a garden of joy, watered with devotion, and rooted in dharma. May no evil eye touch them, no karma break them, and no sorrow overtake them.

Har Har Mahadev! Let this chant echo not just in temples, but in the hearts of couples who choose love that is sacred, purposeful, and eternal.