Why do people go on pilgrimages across different religions?

The answer

Pilgrimage, the practice of traveling to a sacred place for spiritual purposes, appears across virtually all world religions. The Islamic Hajj to Mecca is obligatory for every able Muslim at least once in their lifetime and draws over 2 million participants annually. Hindus pilgrimage to Varanasi, Kumbh Mela (the largest gathering in human history with up to 150 million attendees), and the Char Dham circuit. Christians have long traveled to Jerusalem, Rome, and Santiago de Compostela, where the Camino de Santiago still attracts over 400,000 walkers per year. Buddhists visit Bodh Gaya where the Buddha achieved enlightenment, and Shinto practitioners climb Mount Fuji. The shared elements across traditions, physical hardship, communal experience, and arrival at a numinous place, suggest pilgrimage fulfills deep psychological needs for meaning, renewal, and connection.