India is considered as one of the oldest civilizations in the world and is also known to be the origin place of few of the most important religions of the world including Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism. With over thousands of temples of India, we are sharing most beautiful and famous temples of India.
Famous Temples of India
There are more than thousands of famous temples present here dedicated to hundreds of gods. However, most of the famous temples are dedicated to some form of Lord Shiva or Lord Vishnu, two of the 3 supreme Gods considered by Hindus and goddess shakti. Some of the temples have been in existence for more than 1,000 years and some temples have been built only in the last decade. The latest temple built is Shri Ram Temple situated in Ayodhya.
1.Ram Mandir Ayodhya
The Ram Mandir is considered to be one of the most popular Hindu pilgrimage destinations located in Ayodhya, Uttar pradesh. It is believed to be the birthplace of Lord Ram and is considered a most sacred place. The temple is dedicated to Lord Ram, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. The construction of the temple is seen as a symbolic victory for the Hindu community, who had been fighting for the temple’s construction over decades.
2.Kedarnath
Kedarnath is not only a famous temple among the tourists who are religiously inclined, It is also famous among other nature lovers as well because of its location. The temple is located in Uttarakhand amid the Himalayan glaciers, and during the winter, the entire area gets covered in snow.
That is why the temple remains closed for half the year and is opened for devotees only during the summer season from the month of March to September. This temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and is believed to be built by the Pandavas from the Mahabharata. Pilgrims have to walk over a distance of more than 14 km to reach the temple. It is one of the famous religious destinations in India.
3.Rameshwaram Temple
Rameshwaram temple is a famous temple dedicated to Lord Shiva and the temple is believed to be sacred place for Hindu religion all around the world because it is the first site where Lord Rama came with his wife Devi Sita after defeating Ravana.
This holy temple is located on an island situated in Tamil Nadu, known as Rameshwaram. It is considered to be holy as it is one of the four sacred places of India or Char Dham. The temple is located at a beautiful location.
4.Badrinath Temple
Badrinath Temple is a sacred religious destination among the Hindu people as it is believed to be one of the 108 temples created for Lord Vishnu in the world. It is located in Uttarakhand and is visited by a large number of tourists of all religions from all over the world. It is one among the Char Dhams of India.
The temple is beautiful as the location of the temple is adorable. Best time to visit the temple is considered during April to November because it will be impossible to visit the temple during winter due to the immense snow.
5.Brihadeeswara Temple
Brihadeeswara temple is located in Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu. It is one of the most famous and ancient hindu temples in India. The temple is a UNESCO heritage site in the world, and is a genuine piece of brilliant architecture.
The temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and was constructed by the ruler of the Chola dynasty named Raja Raja Chola I. The temple is considered as a holy pilgrimage destination for Hindus.
6.Somnath Temple
Somnath temple is one of the most famous and ancient architectural masterpieces in India. The temple is located in the Saurashtra of Gujarat. It is dedicated to the Moon God and has an interesting history behind it. The temple was destroyed and rebuilt several times in the past thousand years. Legend says Lord Shiva built the temple, and it is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas in India.
7.Vaishno Devi Temple
Vaishno Devi temple is a famous as well as sacred destination among the people of the Hindu religion from all around the world. The temple is located in Jammu and Kashmir and is a beautiful temple dedicated to Vaishno Devi. It is also considered as shakti peeth of goddess Sati.
Millions of pilgrims come here to visit Maa Vaishno Devi and also enjoy the snow-capped hills surrounding the temple. People consider themselves to be lucky if they get a chance to visit Maa Vaishno Devi as everyone does not get the opportunity to visit the temple.
8.Golden Temple
Golden temple also known as Sri Harmandir Sahib temple is located in Amritsar and is one of the most famous temples all around the world. Majority part of the temple is built up of gold and the food of the Langar of this famous temple feeds more than thousands of people each day without any cost.
Any people who want to help can cook the food and wash dishes in the kitchen of the temple. The temple’s significance lies in the universal generosity it offers to the ordinary people. Golden Temple is primarily a Sikh temple but is loved and cherished by the people of every religion in the world.
9.Jagannath Temple
Jagannath temple is a famous temple located at Puri in Odisha, It is one of the most famous temples in the entire world due to multiple reasons. The temple is dedicated to Lord Jagannath. Ratha Yatra, the famous festival that is celebrated around the ancient temple every year to commemorate Lord Jagannath and his siblings Lord Balabhadra and Goddess Subhadra. The festival is so famous that even people from all around the world gather around Puri to celebrate it.
10.Meenakshi Temple
Meenakshi temple, a famous temple of hindus was built in the 12th century, The temple is located at Madurai in the state of Tamil Nadu and is dedicated to Goddess Parvati. There are a total of Nine hundred eighty-five pillars that decorate the entire temple, and every one of them has been carved quite differently. Tourists from all around the world visit the temple not just because of religious inclinations but because of the beauty of the temple as well.
11.Amarnath Cave Temple
Amarnath cave temple is a popular temple which is located in the state of Jammu and Kashmir, and the temple was built before 5000 years old. The temple is situated at the height of 3900 meters and is closed during the winter season because the road to the temple gets blocked due to the snowfalls. The temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva, but interestingly the temple is not human-made.
It is a natural cave that is formed from ice, and a lingam of ice is worshiped in the temple. Millions of travelers all around the world visit this cave temple and it is challenging to reach the temple. Best time to visit the temple is during the summer season.
12.Sri Venkateswara Temple
Sri Venkateswara Temple is one of the auspicious and sacred hindu temples located in the hill of Tirumala in Tirupati of Andhra Pradesh. The temple is crowded with a large number of tourists throughout the year. This temple is considered to be one of the wealthiest and holy temples in the world. The temple is massive and welcomes around 50,000 pilgrims every day which is a vast number. The temple is dedicated to Lord Venkateswara, a form of Lord Vishnu.
13.Kashi Vishwanath Temple
Kashi Vishwanath Temple is a famous Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. It is located in Vishwanath Gali, in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. The temple is a Hindu pilgrimage site and is one of the twelve Jyotirlinga shrines. The temple is located in western bank of river Ganga in Varanasi. The temple is visited by a large number of devotees every day from all over the world who gather to seek blessings from Lord Shiva.
14.Dilwara Temple
Dilwara Temple is one of the finest and architecturally renowned Jain temples in India. A large number of visitors and pilgrims visit this temple every day from all over the world. The temple is surrounded by the lush green Aravalli hills of Mount Abu, the Dilwara Temple was built between the 11th and 13th century, this temple is designed by the Vastupal Tejpal and built by Vimal Shah. This temple is built with marble and intricate carvings.
15.Akshardham Temple
Swaminarayan Akshardham Temple is a Hindu temple, and spiritual-cultural campus in Delhi, India. The temple is located close to the border with Noida. The temple reflects the beauty of Indian culture and splendid architecture. This temple holds the Guinness Book of World Records as the World’s largest comprehensive Hindu temple. There are around 20,000 deities present in the temple that reflect the beauty of the rich Indian history.
16.Mallika Arjun Swamy Temple
Mallika Arjun Swamy Temple is located at the southern bank of Krishna River, this temple is situated in the town of Srisailam. The Mallikarjuna Swamy Temple is known as one of the famous temples in India which finds its roots from 6 past centuries down history. Built by King Harihara Raya of Vijaynagar. The walls and pillars are worth looking at which adds grandeur to the temple.
17.Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple
Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple is one of the 108 Divya Desams which is situated in Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city of Kerala. The temple is plated with gold, the temple holds much importance among the Hindus. The main deity of the temple is Lord Padmanabha which is one of the forms of Lord Vishnu. This is one of the prime places for Vaishnava worship in the dharma of Vaishnavism. The temple is visited by a large number of devotees every day.
18.Shore Temple
Shore Temple is one of the oldest temples in South India, which was built during the 7th century. This popular temple reflects the royal taste of the Pallava Dynasty and is listed as one of the World Heritage Sites by UNESCO. It is located in Mahabalipuram, this place is one of the most photographed monuments in India resting by the shores of Bay of Bengal.. This temple also hosts the annual Mahabalipuram Dance festival.
19. kandariya Mahadeva Temple
Kandariya Mahadev Temple was built during 1025-1050 AD, this temple boasts a fine and grand architecture reflecting the rich heritage of India. The temple walls are adorned by magnificent frescos of women standing in various postures. This temple is considered to be one of the finest sights of Khajuraho which is visited by many tourists.
The Kandariya Mahadev Temple is engraved with shrines of around 800 women statues which are around 3 feet high. The temple is Dedicated to Lord Shiva, and has a shiva lingam situated at the center of Garba Griha.
20.Mahakaleshwar Temple
Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga is a famous Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Shiva and is one among the twelve Jyotirlingas, shrines which are said to be the most sacred temple of Lord Shiva. This popular temple is located in the ancient city of Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh, India. The temple is situated on the bank of the holy river Shipra. The temple is one of the most visited pilgrimage destinations of Madhya Pradesh.