In Hindu tradition, seven cities — Ayodhya, Mathura, Maya (Haridwar), Kashi (Varanasi), Kanchi (Kanchipuram), Avantika (Ujjain) and Dwaravati (Dwarka) — are believed to grant liberation (moksha) to those who die within their boundaries. The Sapta Puri concept is older than most of the temples within these cities; the cities themselves have been continuously inhabited for two to three millennia. Visiting all seven is not a circuit in the geographical sense — they are scattered from the Arabian Sea to the Bay of Bengal — but most devotees treat them as a lifetime list rather than a single trip.
No natural ordered route. Most pilgrims pair geographically: North Indian cluster (Ayodhya + Mathura + Haridwar + Varanasi) over 8–10 days; West (Dwarka + Ujjain) over 4–5 days; South (Kanchipuram) as a Tamil Nadu add-on. Each city is a major rail/air hub.
ALSO ON NAKSHIQ
Eight more rooms in the magazine.
Guides
Visa, scams, food, packing.
Everything the guidebook won't tell you — written for India in 2026.
Blog
Field notes from the road.
Long-form reads on regions, festivals, and the offbeat circuit.
Road trips
Curated multi-day routes.
Driving itineraries with day-by-day stops, distance, and difficulty.
Collections
Themed reading lists.
Wettest places. Sacred lakes. Solo-female-safe. Curated cuts.
NakshIQ 100
The 100 best destination-months.
India's highest-scoring places, ranked across all 12 months.
The Window
Our weekly newsletter, archived.
One honest spread, every Sunday. The full back catalogue.
Skip list
What we'd skip — and what we'd do instead.
Overhyped places with honest alternatives.
First trip
Planning your first time in India.
Safety, scams, what to wear, food survival, solo female travel.






