As coronavirus curtails travel, backyard pilgrimages become the way to a spiritual journey
Many major religious pilgrimages have been canceled or curtailed in an effort to contain the spread of COVID-19. These have included the Hajj, a religious milestone for Muslims the world over; the Hindu pilgrimage, known as the Amarnath Yatra high in the mountains of Kashmir; and pilgrimages to Lourdes in France.
Pilgrims have faced travel delays and cancellations for centuries. Reasons ranged from financial hardship and agricultural responsibilities to what is now all too familiar to modern-day pilgrims – plague or ill health.
Then, as now, one strategy has been to bring the pilgrimage home or into the religious community.
Journey of a thousand miles
Pilgrimage can be an interior or outward journey and while individual motivations may vary, it can be an act of religious devotion or a wa...