GREEN PILGRIMAGE
OVERVIEW
More than 330 million people go on pilgrimage to holy sites every year – and many of these sites are found in nature. Some are located in important biodiversity areas, such as in Indian tiger reserves.
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With such high numbers of people flooding to religious destinations every year, natural areas as well as pilgrimage towns and cities are feeling the considerable strain on their habitat and wildlife, as well as their waste management and transport infrastructures, and on their energy and water sources.
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The Green Pilgrimage movement is about leaving a lighter footprint on the earth during holy pilgrimage. It is about influencing the behaviour and attitudes of millions of pilgrims to care for the environment and reconnect with the natural world before, after and while on pilgrimage. It encourages respect for natural areas and wildlife, and supports the use of locally produced food, crafts low carbon transport, clean water, renewable energy and greening of pilgrim buildings.
'The pilgrim is usually not aware of how their actions are harming Mother Earth and all beings. It is our divine responsibility as leaders to spread this awareness, and to exhort people to ensure that every aspect of their religious pilgrimage and celebrations should be sacred and filled with devotion and care.'
Swami Chidanand Saraswati
Treading more lightly upon the Earth
PILGRIMAGE IN DIFFERENT RELIGIOUS TRADITIONS
Pilgrimage in
BUDDHISM
Buddhism, an ancient spiritual tradition originating from India, has long emphasised the interconnectedness of all living beings and the importance of compassionate action. In recent years, this philosophy has found resonance with the growing global concern for environmental sustainability. Buddhism's teachings on mindfulness, non-harming, and impermanence provide a foundation for a greener approach to pilgrimage.
The concept of the Green Pilgrimage within Buddhism involves embarking on a sacred journey that not only nourishes one's spiritual growth but also fosters a deep connection with the natural world. By treading lightly on the Earth and actively engaging in eco-friendly practices, Buddhist pilgrims seek to honor the sanctity of all life while contributing to the preservation and restoration of the environment, thus forging a profound union between personal transformation and ecological responsibility.
Pilgrimage in
CHRISTIANITY
Christianity has a strong tradition of pilgrimage ever since Christians from Europe began visiting the land of the Bible from the 4th century onwards. In the centuries since then pilgrim sites associated with later saints or miracles sprang up around the world. The famous medieval pilgrimage to the Shrine of St James in Santiago de Compostela, Spain, is still walked by 350,000 people each year, but other pilgrim places range from Our Lade of Guadalupe in Mexico (20 million people a year) to Our Lady of Kibeho in Rwanda (30,000 people per year).
The Green Pilgrimage Network movement was founded to encourage pilgrim places to reduce the environmental impact of pilgrimage and to promote environmental care as a religious responsibility. ​That means protecting biodiversity along ​pilgrim routes and pilgrimage sites, and helping pilgrims to tread more lightly upon the earth. It means sharing pilgrimage's universal ​values of hospitality and of welcoming the stranger, regardless of belief or origin.
To be most effective, it should also involve municipalities, tourist authorities and other secular organisations working in partnership with faith groups to green pilgrim places through renewable energy, low carbon transport, clean water and effective waste collection and recycling. ​
Pilgrimage in
DAOISM
Within China's indigenous religion, Daoism, pilgrimage is undertaken to spaces which are considered to be ling (holding spiritual power). Such places are often mountains, and of particular religious significance are the five holy mountains: Mount Tai in the east, Mount Heng in the north, Mount Song in the centre, Mount Hua in the west, and Mount Heng in the south. In Chinese shan (mountain) is both singular and plural. Thus each sacred mountain is a series of mountain ranges, home to multiple temples, monasteries, and deities.
A key principle of the religion involves the veneration of nature, this has been recently reflected in the commitment of three Daoist pilgrim cities joining the Green Pilgrimage Network in 2014. Such involvement includes the promotion of an ecological lens to pilgrimage, including the limiting of incense which is burnt, reduction of pilgrims' carbon footprint, respect for the environment and protection of the local wildlife.
Pilgrimage in
HINDUISM
In the predominantly Hindu country of India, millions of pilgrims visit holy sites such as rivers, mountains, and caves every year. The biggest human gathering on Earth, the Kumbh Mela pilgrimage, occurs in India every three years, on the banks of sacred rivers. With more than 100 million Hindu pilgrims taking part, there is growing awareness and action to create a greener festival.
Many sacred natural sites are also located inside tiger reserves and other protected areas. The impacts on biodiversity have escalated as visitor numbers have grown, particularly during religious festivals. One of the largest is an annual pilgrimage festival in Periyar Tiger Reserve, attracting about 20 million visitors to the reserve over a three-month period.
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Most tiger reserves and other protected areas in India have sacred sites within their boundaries. Research by the Indian NGO, ATREE (the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment) has identified over 50 sacred sites in the 13 tiger reserves of the Western Ghats biodiversity hotspot.
India’s National Tiger Conservation Authority has mandated that every tiger reserve develop plans to manage religious tourism, but it faces challenges of balancing conservation with community visitation rights.​
Map of pilgrimage to tiger reserves in Western Ghats: Credit: ATREE
WWF and ATREE have been testing green pilgrimage approaches with religious, government and civil society stakeholders in various tiger reserves and have developed guidelines on best practices to share with reserve managers.
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WWF and ATREE also collaborated on a research paper, Managing Religious Pilgrimage to Sacred Sites in Indian Protected Areas, which explores the impact of pilgrimage on India’s tiger reserves, the core areas of protection for two-thirds of the world’s tigers, as well as other globally threatened species.
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Pilgrimage in
ISLAM
'Hajj, or pilgrimage, is the fifth of the fundamental Muslim practices and institutions known as the Five Pillars of Islam. It is considered a sacred journey that every adult Muslim who is physically and financially able must make at least once in their lifetime.’
As such an important element of the faith, the consideration of how to be ecologically conscious while engaging with Hajj is essential. Évery year, massive crowds engage in pilgrimage to the holy site of Mecca, in Saudi Arabia, creating a massive carbon footprint and affecting the natural habitat. Multiple initiatives have been launched, including a Green Hajj guidebook in collaboration with Green Peace and Green Hajj App. Such initiatives seek to promote environmentally conscious behaviour, consumption and protective measures during the journey
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Key guidance documents
Interested in getting a collaboration or a project going with a faith community but not sure where to start? Check out these key guidance documents.
