India is known for its rich heritage and culture and being part of one of the world’s oldest civilisations, it has beautifully preserved its ancient roots and beliefs through various art and architecture such as temples, monuments, inscriptions, etc. India is known as the land of temples that are very sacred to its devotees. Though most temples belong to Hinduism but Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists too have their own temples. These temples generally are the houses of different Gods and Goddesses but more than that they are deeply rooted into the hearts of the devotees.
Some of the famous temples in India attract thousands of devotees every year and are considered some of the most significant places of worship in India.
Importance of Temples in India
- These are the places of worship. People come with hopes, devotion and love for their Gods.
- Many temples are also used as meditation centers that focus on the divine and self.
- They are great source of information. Temples tell a lot about history and their relevance in present context.
- Temples also help decode history. They are rich source of information about kings, people, socio cultural constructs, etc.
- They help people overcome stress, fight fear and above all, introspect about their actions.
- Temples are also very beautiful and with little intricate designs, they are great works of art.
List of Famous Temples in India
- 1. Kedarnath Temple, Uttarakhand
- 2. Jagannath Temple, Odisha
- 3. Kashi Vishvanath Temple, Uttar Pradesh
- 4. Vaishno Devi Temple, Jammu and Kashmir
- 5. Somnath Temple, Gujarat
- 6. Badrinath Temple, Uttarakhand
- 7. Sun Temple, Odisha
- 8. Ramanathaswamy Temple, Tamil Nadu
- 9. Siddhivinayak Temple, Maharashtra
- 10. Golden Temple, Punjab
1. Kedarnath Temple, Uttarakhand
District | Rudraprayag |
Climate | Summers are cool with average temperature of 17 degree celsius |
Built by | Built by the Pandavas and restructured by Adi Shankaracharya |
Best season to visit | April to June |
Elevation of place | 3553m |
Nearest Airport | Jolly Grant Airport near Dehradun |
Main Deity | Shiva |
The temple lies in the Garhwal range of Himalayas. It is one of the most Famous temples in India. This temple is said to have been built by the Pandavas at the time of Mahabharata. Then in the 8th century, it was restructured by Adi Shankaracharya. To reach to the temple, one needs to trek for a distance of 14kms on a hilly terrain.
The temple has glaciers, snow-laden peaks and it is closed in winters.
2. Jagannath Temple, Odisha
District | Puri |
Climate | Tropical climate, humidity is high, winters are cool |
Built by | Ananta Varman Chodaganga Deva of Ganga Dyansty |
Best season to visit | October to February |
Elevation of place | 65m |
Nearest Airport | Bhubaneswar Airport |
Main Deity | Lord Vishnu as Jagannath |
Jagannath temple forms part of the Chardhams of India. This is a one of the famous temples in India for its ratha yatra festival. The temple was built in 12th century AD. Buddhists, Jains, Sikhs are also allowed in the temple. At one point of time, the temple was destroyed by Firoz Shah Tughlaq towards the end of his reign.
3. Kashi Vishvanath Temple, Uttar Pradesh
District | Varanasi |
Climate | Hot summer, cool winters |
Built by | Rani Ahilyabai Holkar of Indore |
Best season to visit | October to February |
Elevation of place | 77m |
Nearest Airport | Lal Bahadur Shastri Airport or Babatpur Airport |
Main Deity | Lord Shiva |
Kashi Vishvanath is a famous temple in India. It is a general belief among Hindus that those who spend their final days in Varanasi, get relieved from cycle of brith and rebirth. The temple is situated close to river Ganga and it forms part of the twelve Jyotirlingas, the holiest of Shiva temples. It was repeatedly destroyed by many invaders such as Muhammad Ghori, Sikander Lodi, Aurangzeb.
4. Vaishno Devi Temple, Jammu and Kashmir
District | Katra |
Climate | summers are short, hot, humid, and clear and the winters are short, cold, and partly cloudy |
Built by | Padavas |
Best season to visit | March to October |
Elevation of place | 1585m |
Nearest Airport | Jammu (IXJ) Airport |
Main Deity | Parvati, Saraswati, Lakshmi |
Vaishno Devi is the most famous temple in India among others. The temple is recognised as one of the 51 Maha Shakti Peethas dedicated to Durga. The sacred place is one of the most visited pilgrimages in the world. The first mention of Vaishno Devi is found in the Mahabharata and therefore it is believed that it was Pandavas who started worshipping at this place first and made it sacred.
5. Somnath Temple, Gujarat
District | Somnath |
Climate | Summers are extremely hot, winters are pleasant |
Built by | Pratishtha King Nag Bhatt II |
Best season to visit | October to February |
Elevation of place | 8m |
Nearest Airport | Diu Airport |
Main Deity | Lord Shiva |
The temple is located in the Saurashtra region of Gujarat. It is one of the twelve Jyotirlinga’s famous temples in India. Mahmud Ghazni looted the precious jewels of the temple and also slaughtered many pilgrims. He then went on to burn the temple and destroyed it.
6. Badrinath Temple, Uttarakhand
District | Chamoli |
Climate | Summers are pleasant with average temperature of 18 degree celsius, winter remains cold, chilly and snowy |
Built by | Adi Shankaracharya |
Best season to visit | May to June and September to October |
Elevation of place | 3300m |
Nearest Airport | Jolly Grant Airport, Dehradun |
Main Deity | Lord Vishnu |
This temple is also known as Badrinarayana temple. It is located close to Alaknanda river and this one of the famous temples in India and Char Dhams of Hindus. This temple can be visited only from April to November due to harsh winter in rest of the months.
7. Sun Temple, Odisha
District | Konark |
Climate | tropical climate, characterised by high temperature, high humidity, medium to high rainfall and short and mild winters |
Built by | King Narasimha Deva I |
Best season to visit | September to March |
Elevation of place | 2m |
Nearest Airport | Bhubaneswar (BBI) Airport |
Main Deity | Surya Deva |
The temple is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site and it has been built in the shape of a chariot. The inside of the temple is mesmerising, beautifully decorated with intricate designs.
8. Ramanathaswamy Temple, Tamil Nadu
District | Rameswaram |
Climate | tropical climate, characterised by high temperature, high humidity |
Built by | Sethupathy Maravar started, finished by Maravar |
Best season to visit | December to February |
Elevation of place | 10m |
Nearest Airport | Madurai Airport |
Main Deity | Lord Shiva |
This is one of the famous temples in India, as it is part of 12 Jyotirlingas dedicated to Lord Shiva. Rameswaram is also part of Char Dhams in India. Here Lord Ram, after defeating Ravana prayed to Lord Shiva for atonement of killing Ravana who was a Brahmin.
9. Siddhivinayak Temple, Maharashtra
District | Mumbai |
Climate | tropical, wet and dry climate |
Built by | Laxman Vithu |
Best season to visit | October to February |
Elevation of place | 14m |
Nearest Airport | Chhatrapati Shivaji Aiport |
Main Deity | Lord Ganesh |
The temple has eight images of Lord Ganesha. It was built around 1801 AD. The temple witnesses a huge crowd during the aarti. There is also a Hanuman temple in the complex.
10. Golden Temple, Punjab
District | Amritsar |
Climate | hot semi-arid climate, extreme winters |
Built by | Guru Arjan Dev |
Best season to visit | October to February |
Elevation of place | 218m |
Nearest Airport | Amritsar (ATQ) Airport |
Main Deity | Unknown |
The temple is also known as Harmandir Sahib or Darbar Sahib. The temple is one of the most pious places for Sikhs. It represents universal equality and brotherhood. People from any religion can visit the place. The beauty and spirituality of this place makes it one of the famous temples in India
WELL THAT’S ALL YOU NEED FOR YOUR NEXT MEMORABLE TEMPLE VISIT. YOU HAVE THE LOCATIONS, YOU HAVE THE GEARS, YOU HAVE THE SPIRIT. DISCOVER THE ANCIENT BEAUTY OF INDIA WITH THESE MAGNIFICENT TEMPLES.
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