A pilgrimage or visit to holy places such as Kaashi, prayaag etc. in India is called "tiirtha yaatra". These places and rivers became holy only because great saints have stayed in such places in days of yore and conducted penance and puja to the Lord. When we visit such places, we feel the lord’s presence there and we get peace of mind and happiness.

Before we go on a pilgrimage to holy places, it is good to understand the importance and holiness of that place, river or temple so that we can offer prayers with a pure mind and be inspired to offer everything to the Lord with faith and devotion. The great saints and sages have done many years of penance and have attained knowledge from the Lord. From this knowledge all the sR^iti, smR^iti, shaastraas and puraaNas (all the scriptural texts), have been given by these sages for the benefit of mankind. So when we reach these holy places with the knowledge of the greatness of such places, it will invoke greater reverence and devotion in our minds.

Many great saints and sages are referred to by the name "tiirtha", such as Srimad madhavatiirtha. This is because of their great penance, sacrifice and unflinching devotional service to the Lord and to mankind. These saints are considered holy, because of the way they lead their lives and hence they are referred to as "tiirtha swamis". This can be explained by the following Sloka from Srimad Bhagavatam

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