Answered by Pt. Shri. Raghuttamachar in Kannada
General
The purpose of Teertha Yatra (pilgrimage) is the purification of the mind and inner self. Our mind becomes impure due to various sins and attachments, and pilgrimage helps remove these impurities.
According to scriptures, India (Bharata Varsha) is the sacred land meant for worship, service to God, and pilgrimage. Performing japa, tapas, and pilgrimages elsewhere does not give the same result as doing them in this holy land.
Pilgrimage has two main purposes:
Performing sacred rituals like teertha and shraddha for the upliftment of ancestors.
Removing mental impurities so that the teachings of Shri Madhvacharya can firmly settle in our mind.
Pilgrimage should never be treated as a picnic. It must be done with devotion, faith, proper conduct, and scriptural understanding. The greatest pilgrimage is listening to scriptures through the Guru (Guru-mukha shastra shravana).
When pilgrimage is done with sincerity, it purifies the heart, strengthens spiritual knowledge, and brings divine grace.
