This boom is not only due to growing religiosity, but also to a profound shift in how people relate to spirituality. In the age of social media and the travel “bucket list,” pilgrimage is increasingly marketed as an experience to be lived, documented, and shared. Thousands head to the mountain trails, often driven not by faith but by a desire for an intense experience, a striking photo, or a story that generates digital engagement. In many cases, spirituality has been absorbed by the logic of fast consumption.
India, with its vast spiritual heritage, has thus become a top destination for those seeking personal reconnection or escape from everyday noise. But this popularity comes at a high cost. Many shrines are located in fragile, remote regions with limited carrying capacity and vulnerable infrastructure. Improvisation, lack of controls, and weak coordination between civil and religious authorities further exacerbate the risks.
In response, various voices are calling for urgent action. On one hand, proposals include setting daily pilgrim quotas, digitizing registration systems, and staggering visits to avoid congestion. On the other hand, there is a call for investment in medical infrastructure, emergency support points, and pilgrim education. Some state authorities have started implementing early warning systems and GPS tracking, but much remains to be done in terms of prevention, planning, and visitor flow management.
The issue is not just about organizing human traffic—it’s about reclaiming the symbolic and spiritual value of pilgrimage. In many Indian religious traditions, walking to a temple or crossing a sacred path involves a process of purification, sacrifice, and connection with the divine. Massification threatens this deeper meaning, turning inner journeys into noisy and superficial activities. The hustle of crowds, blaring loudspeakers, and the commercialization of the environment have transformed many of these spaces into spiritual fairs rather than sanctuaries of reflection.
This phenomenon is not exclusive to India. Routes like the Camino de Santiago in Spain or pilgrimages to Fátima in Portugal and Mecca in Saudi Arabia face similar dynamics. But in India—where millions of people converge in dense spaces with diverse religious sensitivities—the situation is especially delicate. Spirituality is deeply woven into the nation’s cultural fabric, so poor management affects not only tourism but also the country’s religious and cultural equilibrium.
International organizations and experts in sustainable tourism have begun offering technical assistance and recommendations. The key lies in finding a balance between accessibility and preservation, between tourism promotion and respect for the sacred. Educating travelers, involving local communities, and promoting a more ethical media narrative can help reverse the current trend.
India now faces the challenge of protecting its spiritual legacy in an era of mass consumption. The solution is not to close the doors to pilgrims, but to open a new chapter of responsible management—one where fervor does not eclipse safety, and faith is not diluted by spectacle. Spirituality, in its essence, does not require crowds to be authentic. It requires awareness, respect, and silence.
