The Most Glorious Temples in India

India is considered to be one of the world's oldest civilizations and is regarded as the source of a number of the world's most important religions, including Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism. India has thousands of temples dedicated to hundreds of gods with thousands of rich heritage, culture and traditions. Most of the famous temples, however, are dedicated to some form of Shiva or Vishnu, two of the three supreme Hindu Gods. Some of the temples have been in existence for more than 1,000 years and only in the last decade have some temples been constructed, but their significance varies from place to place.

Posted On October 29th, 2020

Sri Ranganatha Swamy Temple, Srirangam

Sri Ranganatha Swamy Temple is renowned for having the largest temple complex in India, covering an area of 155 acres, 81 shrines, 21 towers, 39 pavilions, and many water tanks. Know that it is still the biggest working temple in the world. Its economic and spiritual meaning is brought out by about 800 inscriptions on the temple. Tamil, Kannada, Sanskrit, Telugu, Marathi, and Odiya comprise these inscriptions. In addition to this, the temple also served as a charitable organisation that offered educational and medical facilities.

Brihadisvara Temple, Thanjavur

This 11th-century temple was built by the Chola emperor Raja Raja Chola I, also known as Peruvudaiyar Kovil and RajaRajeswaram. Brihadeeswara temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva, is the largest temple in India located in Tamil Nadu's city of Thanjavur. Cholas are renowned for their majestic and impressive structural scale. In the grand and majestic architecture of the temple, the opulence and artistic competence of Cholas is well represented. Made entirely of granite stone, it was designed according to the Vaastu Shastras and Agamas concepts.

Kashi Vishwanath Temple, Varanasi

Kashi Vishwanath temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva, also referred to as Vishwanath or Vishweshwara, meaning ruler of the universe, in the ancient and holy city of life and death of Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh). Varanasi is also known as Kashi, which is why the temple is commonly known as the temple of Kashi Vishwanath. Many great holy men, including Swami Vivekanand, Adi Shankaracharya, Goswami Tulsidas and Gurunanak, have visited the distinguished temple. The merit or blessings obtained from Kashi Vishwanath sighting jyotirlinga is equivalent to that won from visiting the remaining 11 jyotirlingas placed in several areas in India.

Bateshwara Temple, Morena

The site is not only about one temple; the temples of Bateshwar are a cluster of nearly 200 mini grandeurs made of sandstone, dedicated to Shiva and Vishnu lords. Spread over 25 acres, these shrines were constructed near Padavali across slanted hills. The temples were probably founded during the Gurjara-Pratihara Dynasty in the 8th to 10th centuries A.D. Interestingly, there are many beautiful birds in the surrounding jungle, such as peacocks, parakeets and kingfishers. The national bird can often be seen perching and posing on the temple rooftop. All three destinations are located in the Morena district and can be easily reached via Gwalior.

Somnath Temple, Veraval

This is one of India's oldest centres of pilgrimage and is listed in ancient books, such as Shivpuran, Skandpuran, and Shreemad Bhagvat. The 'Moon God' refers to Som, so Somnath means 'Protector of the Moon God'. According to a legend, in praise of Lord Shiva, Som founded the temple because it was Shiva who healed the disease inflicted on him because of the curse of his father-in-law. It is among India's 12 current jyotirlingas, one of the most admired 'jyotirlingas.' In Saurashtra (Gujarat), the temple is situated in Prabhas Kshetra. Prabhas Kshetra is also the area where Lord Krishna is thought to have abandoned his mortal body.

Meenakshi Amman Temple, Madurai

Situated in Madurai (Tamil Nadu), this architectural wonder is dedicated to Goddess Parvati (also known as Meenakshi) and her husband, Lord Shiva. Madurai is India's second-largest city and is also one of the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities. A dip in the temple, contained in the Golden Lotus Tank, is considered auspicious and is usually taken before visiting the God and Goddess's main shrine. The pond was built by Shiva as per a legend and is even older than the temple. The temple has a hall consisting of 985 pillars; each pillar is carved in a different and intricate way.

Thillai Nadaraja Temple, Tamil Nadu

In Chidambaram, Tamil Nadu, India, Nataraja Temple, also known as the Chidambaram Nataraja temple or Thillai Nataraja temple, is a Hindu temple dedicated to Nataraja-Shiva as the lord of the dance. The temple has mythical origins and when the town was known as Thillai, a Shiva shrine existed at the site.