Sacred Travel Journal
Assignment Description:
Pilgrimages or journeys to sacred destinations have been part of our collective religious heritages. From ancient Greek and Hindu sites – the Parthenon and Angkor Wat — to sites at Jerusalem, Lourdes, and Mecca, and Dharamshala, people have gathered to engage with the history and particular sites considered sacred within their faith tradition. Even for those who are fortunate enough to travel to these destinations, these pilgrimages are still considered as “once in a life-time” events. In this assignment you need to research three sacred sites and focus your research attention on the following theme: “transformation.”
Paper Requirements:
In this assignment, you need to write on three different sacred sites. Each site is worth 5 marks (3 sites x 5 marks = 15 marks). Write at least 300 words per site for a total of around 900-1000 words. Feel free to write more, but not less. Review the rubric for a more detailed breakdown of your grade. Two of your sacred sites need to be associated with a religious tradition, and the third site needs to reflect a place(s) that you consider sacred. This third site can be associated with a religious tradition, but need not be. For a location to be sacred/holy literally means that the place is “set apart” or “revered” and not associated with the “mundane” places or locations of everyday life such as grocery stores or shopping malls (although I suppose, one could consider these places sacred). Given this definition, sacredness or sacred places does not necessarily need to be aligned with a religious tradition.
Sacred Travel Journal
This travel experience may be based on a trip that you have already taken or on one that you would like take in the future. However, this is not an exercise in fantasy literature: please include pictures of your sacred sites in your assignment along with a detailed description of what one does – rituals, sacred practices, etc. – at all three sites that you include in your assignment. Since I assess your knowledge of Christianity (modules 9 & 10) in this assignment, one of your sacred sites must be associated with the Christian tradition. The other sacred religious site can be located in the same general area, associated with the same religious tradition, or not. The religious tradition for your second sacred site does not have to be one that is covered in the course. However, like your previous assignment, be sure that the information that you research is based on reliable sources. Answer the two following questions in paragraph form for each sacred site.
Sacred Travel Journal
What makes the site sacred? When answering this question, make sure to describe the historical/religious importance of the site. Do your research and properly site your sources.
Would a person within the religious tradition hope to gain from the journey? Connect this question to the theme of “transformation.” What experiences or emotions does one expect to have – or report having – when visiting the site? What rituals/practices does one perform at this site? You can include first-hand accounts that you find online when answering this question. If you do include first-hand accounts, just make sure to properly site your sources. Include a visual component for each sacred site in your assignment. Include images of the sacred site along with any images that help to express what one experiences/or hopes to experience when visiting the sacred site. APA referencing style.