Topic: Pilgrimages are journeys to sacred places that are a common feature of religions. For this writing, you will have the opportunity to explore one of the religious pilgrimages provided below. Describe the journey in terms of the specific sites visited, why they are visited, and what they mean for the adherents of the religion. For each, you have been provided with a video as a place to start; however, there is additional research required. Be sure to pay attention to all of the details in the rest of this document before writing. Here are the options from which you will choose only one to explore:
• The Shikoku Pilgrimage of Buddhism.
• The Kumbh Mela Pilgrimage of Hinduism.
• The Osun-Osogbo Festival Pilgrimage of the Yoruba.
RELIGIOUS PILGRIMAGE – Select only one (1) of the following religion inspired pilgrimages to explore: The Shikoku Pilgrimage The Osun-Osogbo Festival Pilgrimage of the Yoruba. You should
CONTENT – You should describe the various activities associated with your selected pilgrimage, the places visited, and the beliefs behind them. Some things to consider: Where geographically is the pilgrimage? What is the specific path taken? Why are each of the specific sites on the pilgrimage visited? What meaning does each hold? What does one get from visiting these places? Are there specific activities, props, and/or dietary aspects associated with the journey and the stops along the way? To what extent do the people participate in the various events? Are the events publicly observed by all at the same time or privately at the individual’s own pace and own time schedule? Have aspects of the pilgrimage become secularized and/or commercialized? The idea here is that you have demonstrated extensive cross-cultural knowledge through a description of the journey taken by the religious pilgrims. This would include identifying each of the sacred places visited, the meaning/purpose of each site within the religion, and the religious benefits that the pilgrims to these sites believe they receive. Deductions of up to 30 points will be made for errors related to the parameters for the Religious Pilgrimage and Content categories outlined above.
STRUCTURE – This paper should be done in a traditional essay format: an introduction paragraph, two to four content paragraphs, a conclusion paragraph, and then a bibliography of sources consulted.
of Buddhism, The Kumbh Mela Pilgrimage of Hinduism, or
focus your attention on what the pilgrims do today rather than
historically. Most of these pilgrimages have evolved over time, therefore they may have had a different journey
100, 500, or 1000 years ago. Since our focus is on today, you should participate in a virtual version of the
pilgrimage using the Sacred Journeys video provided.
RESEARCH – You are expected to do academic research for this assignment. This is not an opinion paper, it is a research paper. To that end, consult and cite multiple sources (at least 3) to illustrate depth of research. These academic or scholarly sources should be peer-reviewed journal articles or books (library resources), primary sources (sacred literature and official religious documents), or authorized publications of recognized religious organizations. The Sacred Journey video can be one of your sources, but you will need at least two more as described above to ensure the validity of your content. The research sources consulted should be provided in a Bibliography conforming to the MLA (Modern Language Association) format.
