India is land of Temples. The temples in India present a distinct architectural style different to the region. Indian temples are known for its architectural style, sculpture and arts. Temples of India are popular all over World. India is a wonderful land offering incredible attractions. India temples are known for their historical significance and architectural charm.
Here is a list of Top 10 beautiful temples in India
1. Somnath Temple Gujarat
Somnath is considered to be the 1st among the Jyotirlingas. It is situated on the coast of Gujarat, near veraval, in Junagadh district of Gujarat. It is considered to be the primary of the 12 Jyotirlingas of lord Shiva and also houses the remains of historic Sun Temple.
Destroyed, sacked and rebuilt multiple times over the centuries, the present Shiva temple at Somnath is a recent structure. Constructed in 1947, this avatar of the Somnath temple is a pilgrim magnet as well as a top tourist spot in Gujarat.
Tip: Check out the Arrow Pillar on the sea protection wall. This pillar indicates a straight line over the water with no land between the shores of the temple and Antarctica.
Best time to visit: October to March is when you should get your hands on that flight ticket to Ahmedabad.
The Somnath Temple in Gujarat was a favourite among invaders for centuries
2. Kashi Vishwanath Temple Varanasi Uttar Pradesh
Kashi Vishwanath Temple is among the 12 Jyotirlinga Shiva temples and the most important in Hinduism specifically for a Lord Shiva devotee. The safety around here is tight making entrance off limits to visitors. Kashi Vishwanath Temple is popular temple of Lord Shiva located in Varanasi of Uttar Pradesh of India. It’s the holiest destination for Hindu; every Hindu is likely to come here the moment in a lifetime. The Kashi Vishwanath temple is situated on the shore of holy river Ganges.
3. Lord Jagannath Temple Puri Orissa
The abode of the Lord Jagannath, Jagannath Puri- also known as Jagannath Dham and Purushottam- is among the four dhams of India (Rameshwaram, Dwarka, Badrinath and Jagannath Puri), and one of the most sacred destinations for the Hindus around the world. Located in the eastern Indian state of Orissa, Jagannath Puri is much famous for the amazing Jagannath Temple, the great Rath Yatra, and the hugely favorite Puri Beach Festival, besides the holy Festival of Nava Kalebara.
4. Venkateshwara Tirupati Balaji Andhra Pradesh
Tirupati Balaji is accredited for being the best visited pilgrimages centers in India. The temple is dedicated to Lord Venkateshwara or Vishnu, visited by a large number of pilgrims throughout the year. The word ‘Tirupati’ is derived on the title of the village situated on the Venkata Hill means ‘the Lord of Lakshmi’. With it’s a lot of shrines and many dharamshalas the complete are surrounding the Tirumala Hill gives an amazing insight of the contemporary Hinduism practiced on the large scale in India. Tirupati Balaji is among the holy Hindu Temple in the state of Andhra Pradesh, dedicated to Lord Venkateshwara. The Tirupati Balaji temple is the richest temple not only in India but around the world.
5. Meenakshi Temple Madurai Tamil Nadu
Meenakshi Amman Temple and Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple is a famous Hindu temple which is situated in the city of Madurai in Tamil Nadu. This is one of the most popular temples of India which is known around the world for its excellent and outstanding architectural beauty. Goddess Meenakshi is an incarnation of the Goddess Parvati who is worshiped mostly by South Indians.
6. Akshardham Temple Delhi
Akshardham Temple in New Delhi is the hottest tourist destination of the city. Akshardham Temple is easily the most wonderful and most recently built temple in Delhi with a lot of ritual values. An architectural sight, an epitome of beauty and a must see holiday vacation, as it is believed, promises a memorable visit with memories to last a lifetime. The look of the temple is said to have been inspired by historic temple architecture of India.
7. Golden Temple Amritsar Punjab
Amritsar is an amazing holiday destination of Punjab where visitors come from all over the world. The Golden Temple of Amritsar is a popular destination of incredible India. The other must-see destinations are Goindwal Sahib Gurudwara and Durgiana Mandir.
8. Mata Vaishno Devi Temple Jammu
The Vaishno Devi shrine is one of most visited pilgrimage destination in India after Tirupati Tirumala Balaji Temple in Andhra Pradesh. Vaishno Devi, {also called Vaishnavi and Mata Rani, is a manifestation of the Mother Goddess. It is the most revered destinations of worship in India. Among amount of holiday destinations in Jammu Vaishno Devi is a wonderful pilgrimage destiny with the cave of the goddess Vaishno Devi. The cave of Vaishno Devi is situated at the altitude of 5200 feet and is approximately 13 kms.
9. Ranakpur Jain Temples Rajasthan
Ranakpur is one of the five most significant pilgrimage destinations of Jainism located in the Rajasthan state. It is also the popular holiday destination of Rajasthan where visitors come to witness the beauty of natural charm and architectural wonders. The beautiful charm of this place is heightens by the presence of Aravalli mountain ranges. The largest Jain temple of India is Adinath Jain Temple situated in Ranakpur, near Udaipur, Rajasthan. Built-in the 15th century, it is also one of the beautiful Jain temples. The most amazing aspect of this temple is the beautiful play of shadow and light on nearly 1,500 pillars.
10. Khajuraho Temple Madhya Pradesh
Khajuraho is located in the state of Madhya Pradesh in the district of Chattarpura. It is also the most famous holiday destination of the country. The most famous thing that is popular in the Khajuraho Temples is the amazing sculptures. The temples of Khajuraho are very historic, ranging from a thousand and more years. Khajuraho is the architectural land popular around the world for its stone sculptured temples.
India is home to spectacular temples, built ages ago by craftsmen and artisans, devoid of any technological advancements or digital designing tools. Yet, these magnificent structures narrate awe inspiring tales of gods and demons,apsaras depicting the age old ‘kathas’ and changing reigns with new dynasties.
India is known to be a land of cultures and traditions. One of the most secular countries in the world, India is home to a number of beautiful temples. A temple can also be called a structure that brings human beings and God together, the connecting link between the human and the Divine. Temples are a mark of faith and culture. In ancient times, temples were considered to be a social hub where people congregated. Temples were also a significant site for practicing a variety of art- music, dance etc. It was a place where people would congregate to pray, watch and participate in devotional music and dance recitals.
A temple is not just a physical structure but is also symbolic in various ways- a typical Hindu temple usually presents God, the theory of good vs. evil and the cycle of time. The carvings and paintings in ancient temples reflected the art and lifestyle of ancient people.
