Sapta Puri: the seven cities of moksha
Seven cities are named in the Puranas and in a verse recited all over Bharat as the givers of moksha: Ayodhya, Mathura, Maya (Haridwar), Kashi, Kanchi, Avantika (Ujjain) and Dwaravati (Dwarka).
Dying in any of them, or living there in devotion, is said to free the soul from rebirth. Each holds a temple to Shri Ram, Shri Krishna or Mahadev at its heart, and Kanchi holds both, Vishnu Kanchi and Shiva Kanchi, in one city. Ujjain and Haridwar are also cities of the Kumbha Mela.
Temples in this circuit
StandingAyodhya (Saketa)
The city of the Ikshvakus on the Sarayu, first of the seven moksha-giving cities, birthplace of Shri Ram and of five Jain Tirthankaras. A Shunga-period inscription found here calls the place Kosala and names its king Dhanadeva as a descendant of Pushyamitra.
RebuiltShri Krishna Janmabhoomi, Mathura
The prison-cell of Kamsa where Shri Krishna was born at midnight. The Katra Keshavdev mound carried great temples that were destroyed in 1018 and 1670; the Shahi Idgah stands on part of it, and a new temple complex stands beside.
StandingHaridwar
Gangadwara, the gate where the Ganga leaves the hills for the plains, and Mayapuri, one of the seven moksha-giving cities. The evening aarti at Har ki Pauri is watched by thousands every day.
RebuiltKashi Vishwanath
The Jyotirlinga of Kashi, the city Shiva never leaves, where death on the ghats is said to bring moksha. The temple was destroyed in 1194 and 1669 and stands today beside the mosque built on its old plinth.
StandingKanchipuram, city of learning
One of the seven Mokshapuris and the Pallava capital, whose ghatika, a college of Vedic learning, drew students from across the south. Shaiva, Vaishnava, Jain and Buddhist teachers all taught here.
RebuiltMahakaleshwar, Ujjain
The Jyotirlinga of Avantika, one of the seven moksha-giving cities, where Shiva is worshipped as Mahakal, Lord of Time and Death. The only Jyotirlinga facing south, and the only one bathed in ash at the dawn aarti.
RebuiltDwarkadhish Temple, Dwarka
The western dham of the Char Dham, Shri Krishna’s city on the Gomti creek, where the five-storeyed Jagat Mandir flies a flag changed several times a day.