Shrines

A shrine is a sacred place dedicated to a deity, saint, hero, or other revered figure, or to a sacred object or event. It may be a building, part of a temple or church, a tomb, or a simple site or reliquary containing relics or holy images. Shrines are centers for prayer, offerings, and devotional acts, and they often serve as pilgrimage destinations.

Depending on tradition, shrines may house relics, icons, or statues; contain an altar or inner sanctuary; and permit votive offerings such as candles, flowers, or inscriptions. They may be publicly maintained by religious institutions or supported by lay communities and pilgrim networks. Practices at shrines include ritual prayers, processions, and festival days.

Religious contexts: In Shinto, shrines (jinja) honor kami. In Hinduism and Buddhism, shrines are common in temples and homes, housing statues or images and sacred symbols. In Christianity, many shrines honor saints, miracles, or Marian apparitions, with Lourdes and Fatima among the best known pilgrimage sites. In Islam, tombs and dargahs of revered figures are visited as shrines in some traditions.

Shrines also appear outside strictly religious contexts as memorial shrines that commemorate individuals or events, such as national or local figures or disasters.

The term 'shrine' thus covers a range of sacred places, from intimate home altars to grand pilgrimage locales, unified by the function of focusing devotion and preserving memory.