Lotus Temple
India takes pride in the country’s rich cultural and
religious history as it is the birth land of the traditions of Hinduism,
Jainism, Buddhism, and Sikhism. India is a land where people of different
religious beliefs live in harmony and brotherhood. Though called a secular
country, Hinduism is the predominant religion here and is believed to be the
world’s oldest religion. India is a country which has
one of the richest and most vivid historical background and heritage. In 2019, there were reportedly more than 500000
temples across the country. Many foreigners come to India to visit its
beauty and temples.
In my current interaction,
you will get information about some of the most famous must visit temples in India, that have been a
large part of national history as well as the world-history for several centuries :
1. Ramanathaswamy
or Rameswaram Temple:
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Ramanathaswamy Temple also
known as Rameshwaram temple, located on an island in Tamil Nadu is
quite famous and believed to be sacred by the people of Hindu religion all
around the world because it is believed to be that after defeating Ravana, this
was the first site where Lord Rama came with his wife Devi Sita. The temple is
considered to be tremendously holy since it is one of the four sacred places in India
or Char Dham. Not only is
the temple architecturally masterful, but it is located in a beautiful location
as well.
2. Badrinath
Temple:
3. Jagannath Temple:
The Shri Jagannath Temple is an important Hindu Temple dedicated to Lord
Jagannath, a form of Lord Vishnu, is in the state of Odisha on the eastern coast
of India. Famous for its ‘Annual Rath Yatra’ or ‘chariot festival’ in which they pulled three principal deities on huge elaborately decorated temple cars (
chariots).
Rath Yatra
Unlike the stone & marble icons found in most Hindu
temples, the idol of Lord Jagannath is made of ‘neem’ wood and is ceremoniously
replaced every 12 or 19 years by an exact replica. These idols have no hands,
no feet, and no ears. It holds an important place of importance for devotees and
is one among the ‘ Char Dhams’
pilgrimage sites in India. Non-Hindus are not allowed in the temple.
Suggested Read : 1000-year-old temples in India
4. Somnath
Temple:
The Somnath Temple also known as Deo Patan, located in Veraval on the western coast of Gujarat, India and literally translated as ‘Lord of Moon’ ( Soma), is believed to be the first among the 12 Jyotirling shrines of Lord Shiva, It is a specimen of fine architectural masterpieces and Dubbed as the ‘Eternal Shrine’; it is believed to be the place where Lord Krishna ended his Lila and thereafter left for the heavenly abode. Because of its invaluable gemstones fixed in the temple, it was looted and destroyed as many as 17 times and reconstructed every time.
5. Kashi
Vishwanath Temple:
Kashi Vishwanath Temple, one of the most famous Hindu temples is located in Varanasi, stands on the western bank of the holy river Ganga is dedicated to Lord Shiva. It is one of the twelve Jyotirlings or Jyotirlingams, the holiest of Shiva temples and regarded among the holiest and important places of worship in Hindu religion. Besides its religious significance, the temple plated with 800 kg gold on its tower, is also an architectural marvel. Thousands of pilgrims converge here to perform ‘abhishekam’ to the sacred Jyotirlingam, with water from holy Ganga. People offer their ‘sankalp’ or statement of intent; a tradition that one should give up at least one desire after a pilgrimage to the temple.
Suggested Read: 12 Jyotirlingas -Temples of Lord Shiva
6. Vaishno
Devi Temple:
The word ‘Maa’ and ‘Mata’ are commonly used in India for ‘mother’, and thus are often heavily connected with Vaishno Devi. A pilgrimage to the Holy Shrine of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi is considered to be one of the holiest pilgrimages of our times. Millions of people across the world visit the temple, which is at an altitude of 5200 feet, after taking a trek of 12 kms from the base camp, Katra. Darshans are in the form of three natural formations called Pindis, there are no idols or statues inside the cave. People say that no one can visit the temple unless ‘Maa’ calls them.
7. Golden
Temple:
The Golden
Temple also known as Harminder Sahib or Harimandir Sahib meaning ‘Abode of
God’ or ‘Darbar Sahib’ is a Gurudwara located in the city of Amritsar, Punjab,
India. It is not only a central religious place of Sikhs but also a symbol of
human brotherhood and equality and the most important pilgrimage site of the
Sikhs. The majority of the temple is built of gold and
includes entrances on all four sides signifying that it is open to
worshippers of all castes and creeds. There is a large dining hall named Guru
Ramdas Langar, that serves meals to lakhs of pilgrims and visitors free of
cost.
Suggested Read : 10 Unique & Interesting Temples to Visit In India
8. Meenakshi
Temple:
An
architectural marvel Arulmigu Meenakshi Sundareshwarar Temple popularly known
as Meenakshi Sundareshwara Temple is one
of the oldest and most important Hindu temples located in the temple city
of Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India. The temple has a great mythological and
historical significance. It is believed that Lord Shiva assumed the form
of Sundeshwarar ( the handsome) and married Parvati ( Meenakshi) at this site. Nine hundred eighty-five pillars decorate the entire
temple, and every one of them has been carved quite differently. It is epic and
hence was nominated to be among the new Seven Wonders of the World.
Suggested Read : 10 Most Beautiful Temples In India
9. Padmanabhaswamy
Temple:
Padmanabhaswamy Temple, situated at the heart of Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, is considered to be the richest temple in the world. The chief deity of this gold plated temple is Lord Padmanabha which is one of the avatars of Lord Vishnu and the idol is made of pure gold, which is said to be INR 500 crores. The idols are made of gold, silver & brass and the jewelry for them is made of gemstones like emeralds and diamonds. This temple is one of the 108 Divya Desams in Kerala.
10.
Tirupati Balaji Temple:
Tirumala Tirupati Venkateswara Temple, situated in the
seventh peak of Venkata Tirumala Hill, one
of the seven hills in Tirupati, and dedicated to Lord Venkateswara,
a form of Vishnu, who is believed to have appeared here to save humankind from
trials and troubles of Kali Yuga. It is one of the oldest Hindu pilgrimage
sites in the country. Tirupati is one of the
oldest cities of India and finds mention in plenty of ancient Vedas and Puranas
too. The idol of 8 feet tall
statue of Lord Venkateshwara is placed under Ananda Nilaya Divya Vimana, the
gold-gilded dome, and is decorated with various types of gemstones.
Suggested Read: 11 Wealthy And Rich Temples in India
11.
Dilwara Jain Temple:
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Suggested Read: 11 Beautiful Jain Temples in India
Inputs & Pics courtesy Google, Wikipedia and envigblogs.com
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