Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 81
कलौ काशी च मथुरा ह्यवंती च द्विजोत्तम । अयोध्या च तथा माया कांची चैव च मत्पुरी
kalau kāśī ca mathurā hyavaṃtī ca dvijottama | ayodhyā ca tathā māyā kāṃcī caiva ca matpurī
ஏ த்விஜோத்தமரே! கலியுகத்தில் காசி, மதுரா, அவந்தி, அயோத்தி, மாயா (ஹரித்வார்), காஞ்சி மற்றும் என் புரி—இவையே முதன்மைத் தீர்த்தங்கள்.
Śiva
Tirtha: Sapta-purī (Kāśī, Mathurā, Avantī, Ayodhyā, Māyā/Haridvāra, Kāñcī, Dvārakā)
Type: kshetra
Listener: Dvijottama (best of brāhmaṇas)
Scene: A sacred map-like tableau of seven cities, each with its signature icon: Kāśī with Viśvanātha and Gaṅgā, Mathurā with Yamunā and Kṛṣṇa, Avantī with Mahākāla and Śiprā, Ayodhyā with Rāma, Māyā/Haridvāra with Gaṅgā descent, Kāñcī with Devī/Varadarāja-Ekāmranātha, and Dvārakā with sea and Dvārakādhiśa.
FAQs
Even in Kali Yuga, certain sacred cities remain enduring gateways to liberation-oriented merit through pilgrimage and devotion.
A canonical set of holy cities is named—Kāśī, Mathurā, Avanti, Ayodhyā, Māyā, Kāñcī—along with Dvārakā (matpurī).
No single rite is prescribed; the verse functions as a tīrtha-list, implying pilgrimage/darśana as the practice.