Pilgrimage

Buddhists consider pilgrimage —the visit of holy places blessed by great beings during the course of Buddhist history— as an important way of accumulating merit. The tradition is actually inspired by the Buddha himself. When he was about to pass into parinirvana, people around him asked him who will there be to guide people if he were to actually display is passing away. He replied that for people in the future to visit the four great holy places would be like meeting in actuality.