Top Ten Most famous Temples in India
List of Most Popular temples in the Country
India is a diverse land where innumerable religion, community, traditions, culture and ritual mingle under the same roof and enrich the religious heritage of the country. And when, it comes to religious monuments, the entire territory is peppered with uncountable Temples, Mosques, Churches and Gurudwara. Here, we are telling about some of the most famous and most visited temples of the country. As the Hindu followers comprises of the largest part of the whole population, in every part and corner of the country you will come across temples of multiple size, shape and architecture. Some are just too majestic in their architecture and structure; some are extreme revered and holy.
Let’s, have a pilgrimage to these highly esteemed temples of the country.
Venkateshwara Tirupati Balaji – Andhra Pradesh
Undoubtedly, it can be said the most famous and the most visited temples in India, having an astounding number of forty millions of annual visitors. Situated in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, it was built during the reign of Krishna Deva Raya in Dravidian Style of architecture. This second richest temple of the country receives enormous swarms of pilgrims during special occasion. Location – Tirupati, 163 Km by road from Chennai
Kashi Vishwanath Temple – Uttar Pradesh
Dedicated to Lord Shiva, Kashi Vishwanath Temple is one of the most revered temples in India. Situated in Varanasi, the holy temple is home to one of the twelve Jyotirlingas. The temple, which is visited by large number of devotees, was built in 1780 by Ahilyabai Holkar. Location – Varanasi, about 270 Km from Lucknow and 128 Km from Allahabad
Vaishno Devi Temple – Jammu
Situated on Trikuta Mountain, in Jammu, Vaishno Devi Temple is home to of the 108 Shakti Peetha. The temple is dedicated to Shakti and is the second most visited temple in the country with annual visitors of around 8 million pilgrims. Location – 12 Km away from Katra
Lord Jagannath Temple – Odisha
Positioned as one of the oldest temples in India, Lord Jagannath Temple houses about 120 shrines. Built in 12th century, the temple is extremely famous for holy Rath Yatra. Noticeable for its stunning architecture, it is also known for its tasty Mahaprasad which is considered extreme pious. Location – 60 Km from Bhubneshwar.
Mahabodhi Temple – Bihar
Placed in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Mahabodhi Temple is an international pilgrimage centre which receives a large number of footfalls of Buddhist pilgrims from all across the world. The revered site is where 2,500 years ago Lord Buddha attained Nirvana (enlightenment). Location – It is 7 Km from Gaya airport and 135 Km from Patna (capital of Bihar).
Shirdi Sai Baba Temple – Maharashtra
Being the third richest temple of India, Shirdi Sai Baba Temple is devoted to holy shrine of Sai Baba. The temple is visited by millions of devotees from all over the world regardless their religion. The temple is also showered with hefty donations by the affluent believers. Location – 296 from Mumbai, 83 Km from Ahemdnagar and 15 Km from Kopargaon
Khajuraho Temple – Madhya Pradesh
World renowned for the erotic carvings, Khajuraho temple is one of the most famous temples and is listed in UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was built during Chandela dynasty and is dedicated to Hindu deities – Vishnu and Shiva. The temple is splendid in structure and architecture, and known mainly for the extreme artistically carvings, depicting many postures taken from human lives. Location – 175 Km South East of Jhansi, 361 km from Bhopal
Siddhivinayak Temple – Maharahstra
Dedicated to Lord Ganesha, Siddhivinayak Temple is extremely famous in Mumbai. It was built by Vithu and Deubai Pail in 1801. With a gold plated roof, it is one of the richest temples in Mumbai. The temple is visited by many Bollywood stars regularly making it all the more popular. Location – Mumbai Meenakshi Temple – Tamil Nadu
Situated in Madurai district, Meenakshi temple is devoted to Goddess Parvati and Lord Shiva. Built in Dravidian style, the structure of the temple constitutes fourteen Gopurams, which are the signature design of South Indian temples. Location – In the middle of Madurai,
Akshardham Mandir – Delhi
Inspired from the Akshardham temple of Gandhi Nagar, the temple is marvellous in architecture. Devoted to Swaminarayan, the temple is built from finely carved sandstone and marble. Constructed by Bochasnwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BSAPSS), the lofty temple is splendid in architecture and design.
Location – NH 24, Akshardham Setu, New Delhi
So, how many of these temples you have been to? Tell us through your comments.