ABSTRACT
The importance of Sarasvati in the Mahabharata arises primarily due to various pilgrimage sites on her banks, traversed by Balarama, elder brother of Lord Krishna, during his peregrinations along her course. Prior to the Mahabharata, the practice of pilgrimage was, perhaps, perceived as an individualized event, in contrast to 'mass pilgrimage' and confined to visiting the banks of the holy rivers for the performance of Vedic rites. Some scholars, such as, Yaroslav Vassilkov, attribute the Hindu practice of pilgrimage to a 'mixture of some Vedic ideas and practices with pre-Aryan folk tradition'. A major portion of Shalya Parva is devoted to Balarama's pilgrimage which details the tirthas on her banks visited by him. Balarama's pilgrimage can be described as yatsattra which requires the pilgrims to move from one place to another. It is a mobile sattra as distinguished from the sattra being performed in a seated position.
