holy places, sacred sites

[Guest guest]

In the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition, Vraja is of special importance, because this

is the place where Lord Krishna is believed to have sported with the Gopis.

There are, however, two Vrajas:

- the earthly Vraja, which is subject to human influence and historical change,

where people build their houses, trains and airports, and contaminate the earth

with industrial waste

- and the heavenly Vraja, which is of course unaffected by such things.

 

I wonder whether only the Vaishnavas know the idea that a holy place or sacred

site is merely the reflection or mirror image of an "original" existing on a

higher plane, or if that is a general concept regarding the sacred places of

India.

 

Has someone more information?