TEN BEST TEMPLES IN INDIA
Hinduism has around 900 million followers around the world and thus finding Hindu Temples in abundance in the country shouldn’t be a surprise. There are lakhs of Hindu temples in the country. Some of them are as ancient as the land itself. Hindu temples have been built in a wide variety of styles that have amazed the onlookers. Worshippers have taken great care of their ancestral heritage and therefore, ages old these temples still stand unharmed by the ravages of time.
Choosing top 10 temples is a difficult ask I know. A list talking about top 10 often generates a lot of buzz sometimes very angry reaction of the offended individuals whose favorite are not included. This list of top 10 temples in India might also incite such extreme reactions.
Yet today, I have tried to jot down the names of ten temples, which according to me, can be regarded as the ten best owing to their popularity, strong faith, history and architectural importance. So, here it goes-
1 - Kashi Vishwanath
2- Lord Jagannath Temple
4- Vaishno Devi Temple
5- Somnath Temple
6- Khajuraho Temple
7- Siddhivinayak Temple
8- Akshardham Temple
10- Ramnathaswamy Temple
Choosing top 10 temples is a difficult ask I know. A list talking about top 10 often generates a lot of buzz sometimes very angry reaction of the offended individuals whose favorite are not included. This list of top 10 temples in India might also incite such extreme reactions.
Yet today, I have tried to jot down the names of ten temples, which according to me, can be regarded as the ten best owing to their popularity, strong faith, history and architectural importance. So, here it goes-
1 - Kashi Vishwanath
Location- Along the western banks of holy river Ganga, lies the Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh State, India.
About -
Dedicated to Lord Shiva, it is one of the holiest temples of India. The temple was built by Ahilyabai in 1780 and today its holds utmost importance for the Hindus who believe that a bath in the Holy River Ganga can liberate one from all the sins.
The temple has been demolished and reconstructed many times, the last was torn down by Aurangzeb and he started a mosque on the site.The temple preserves one of the twelve Jyotirlingams, it is considered very holy and believed that even a glance of Jyotilinga delivers liberation from Maya and materialistic entanglements.According to a legend, the Jyotilingam is basically a pointless reality, from where Lord Shiva appears, more like a column of light. It is believed that originally there were 64 Jyotilingas, only 12 of them are considered holy. The 12 Jyotilingams are at Gujarat, Somnath, Malikajurna, MAhakaleshwar, two in Madhya Pradesh, Andra Pradesh, two in Maharashtra, Varanasi, Himalayas and in Tamil Nadu.The Kashi Vishwanath Temple holds the highest of Hindu spiritual values.The Manikarnika Ghat on the banks of the Ganges, close to the temple is considered as a Shakti Peetha, a holy place for worship for the sect called Shaktism.The temple complex consists of several other shrines, placed along a small lane called the Vishwanatha Galli.However the main temple is ornamented by the shrines of other gods. The temple has a 15.5 m high gold spire and gold dome, three domes made up of pure gold.Inside the temple is a small, well, called Jnana Vapi, it is believed that the Jyotilingam was hidden in this well, to protect from the invaders.Around 3000 visitors come to the Kashi Vishwanath everyday.There is a popular belief that Shiva himself chants some words of salvation into the ears of people who choose to end their lives at the Vishwanath temple.
2- Lord Jagannath Temple
Location- Situated in the northern coast of Orissa
About-
The Jagannath Puri Temple is one of the holy Char dhams in India. Located in the beach city of Puri in Odisha (Orissa), the holy temple is visited by Hindu devotees throughout the year. The 11th century temple is the holy abode of Lord Jagannath, accompanied by Subhadra and Balabhadra. The divine ambiance of the temple is said to cleanse your soul.
3 - Venkateshwara Tirupati Balaji
Location-
Tirupati is located in the Chittoor District of Andra Pradesh at the foothills of the Eastern Ghats, and the temple of Sri Venkateshwarya is placed on the seventh peak Venkatachala.
About-
Unfortunately, there are no records of the origin of the Temple, but was maintained and upgraded by various dynasties in the past. The temple is patronized by the Pallavas, Cholas, Pandyas and later kings of Mysore.Tripura has several temples and is a major economical and educational hub in south. It is one of the richest pilgrimage centers.The Tirumala Hill is 853m above sea level and is about 10.33 square miles. It is believed that About 50,000 pilgrims’ visit the temple every day and during the festivals like, yearly Brahmotsavam the number of pilgrims is almost 500,000. The celebrated festivals are Vaishnava festivals, Rama Navami, Janmasthtami . while the most important festival celebrated each year is Brahmotsavam.Tirupati is regarded as one of the oldest temples which were mentioned in Puranas and the Shastras.
4- Vaishno Devi Temple
Location-
Vaishno Devi Mandir is a holy pilgrimage destination for the Hindus, located in the folds of three-peaked mountain Trikuta, 12 km away from Katra in the state of Jammu and Kashmir, India.
About-
It is very difficult, like any other old shrines, to trace back the history of Vaishno Devi; however geological studies indicate that the holy shrine of Vaishno Devi is almost a million years old. Though the Vedic literature doesn't refer to any goddess, however one can find the mention of Trikuta hills in Rigveda - the oldest of the four Vedas.
There are different versions of the origin of Vaishno Devi available, but according to the most popular version, the shrine of Vaishno Devi was discovered about 700 years back by Pandit Shridhar. According to the popular belief, Mata once helped in organizing a Bhandaara at Shridhar's place. But, she had to leave the place to escape Bhairon Nath. As Mata left the place, Shridhar started giving up food in grief and started praying for Mata Vaishno Devi.
Mata came in his dreams and asked him to search for her at the cave in the Trikuta Mountain. This led to the discovery of the holy cave. Shridhar found three head atop a rock, which are currently known as the Holy Pindies.
There are different versions of the origin of Vaishno Devi available, but according to the most popular version, the shrine of Vaishno Devi was discovered about 700 years back by Pandit Shridhar. According to the popular belief, Mata once helped in organizing a Bhandaara at Shridhar's place. But, she had to leave the place to escape Bhairon Nath. As Mata left the place, Shridhar started giving up food in grief and started praying for Mata Vaishno Devi.
Mata came in his dreams and asked him to search for her at the cave in the Trikuta Mountain. This led to the discovery of the holy cave. Shridhar found three head atop a rock, which are currently known as the Holy Pindies.
5- Somnath Temple
Location-
79 kilometres from Junagadh in the Prabhas Kshetra near Veraval, Gujarat
About-
Also known as Prabhas Pattan, Deo Pattan or Somnath Pattan, this temple is an excellent example of typical ancient temple architecture of India. It was famed for being a treasure of wealth, which was looted by Muslim rulers from 11th to 18th century. Being one of the 12 Jyotirlingas, it is considered to be one of the popular religious sites of the followers of Hinduism and Lord Shiva.
Renowned as a timeless shrine, it is every year visited by a decent number of devotees from all around the country. If the legends are to be believed, during the ancient times revenue was collected from the nearby 10,000 villages for the maintenance of the Somnath temple.The present structure is 7th reconstruction that was done in the year 1951 by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. The riches of this temple invited several invasions but after every invasion, the temple was given back its glory by one or the other Hindu devotee or devotees.
Renowned as a timeless shrine, it is every year visited by a decent number of devotees from all around the country. If the legends are to be believed, during the ancient times revenue was collected from the nearby 10,000 villages for the maintenance of the Somnath temple.The present structure is 7th reconstruction that was done in the year 1951 by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. The riches of this temple invited several invasions but after every invasion, the temple was given back its glory by one or the other Hindu devotee or devotees.
The temple was looted of its wealth by Muslim rulers like Sultan Mohammad of Ghazni, Sultan Allauddin and Mohammad Begda.
6- Khajuraho Temple
Location-
Khajuraho Group of Temples have been divided into three groups as per their locations: Eastern Group, Western Group and Southern Group. Khajuraho is located in Bundelkhand region of Madhya Pradesh, India.
About-
The temples are sculpted in the Nagara Style of architecture and date back to 950 AD, during the reign of Chandela dynasty. According to the records, by the 12th century Khajuraho had about 80 temples, out of which only 20 have survived. The temples roughly cover an area of 6 km sq. Out of these 20, Kandariya Mahadeva Temple is considered the best of all. Kandariya Mahadeva Temple is the largest and grandest of all, and is believed to have been built by King Ganda. The temple of Vishnu was built by Yasovarman and his successor indulged in the making of the temple of Parsvanatha, Visvanatha and Vaidyanatha. The Khajuraho Group of Temples has Hindu as well as Jain Temple. All of them are built similarly, and it is said that the temples intended to create a harmony between these two religions. You can find most eminent temples in the western zones like Varaha, Lakshmana, Matangeshwara, Mahadeva, Kandariya, Chopra Tank, Chitragupta, Prvati, Vishwanath and Nandi.
While in the eastern and southern groups, don’t forget to visit Ghantai, Adinath, Parshvanath, Shantinath, Chaturbhuj and Dulhadeo. The temple of Vishnu (aka Temple of Lakshmana) was built by Yasovarman and his successor indulged in the making of the temple of Parsvanatha, Visvanatha and Vaidyanath. Listed down are the best temples of the group, and you must not miss them.
1. Eastern Group of Temple
These are divided in two parts- Jain Temple and Hindu Temples. Some of the best temples in eastern side are Hanuman Temple, Vamana Temple, Parsvanath Temple, Adinath Temple, Ghantai Temple and Brahma Temple.2. Southern Group of Temples
Dulha Deo Temple and Chaturbhuja Temple are the two very important temples. Dulha Deo is dedicated to Lord Shiva and was built somewhere around 1100 AD and 1150 AD.3. Western Group of Temples
This group is mainly comprised of Hindu Temples like Kandariya Mahadeo, Chaunsat Yogini Temple, Chitragupta Temple, Varaha Temple, Lakshmana Temple, Vishwanath Temple and Matangeshwara Temple.
7- Siddhivinayak Temple
Location-
Situated in Prabhdevi, Mumbai in the state of Maharashtra.
About-
Siddhivinayak Temple was built on a Thursday, 19th November 1801, by a professional contractor and a great devotee of Lord Ganesha, Mr. Laxman Vithu Patil. Mrs. Deubai patil provided the financial support for the construction of this temple.
She could not conceive a child and the idea that led for the construction of the temple was to provide a worship place to other childless women to pray for a child from Lord Ganesha.
Myths and stories that revolve around the temple have led the devotees to believe that Deubai’s humble request was accepted by Lord Ganesha.
In the beginning, it was a small structure housing the black stone idol of Shree Siddhivinayak. The temple complex was approximately 2550 Sq. m in area and consisted of two Deepamalas, a rest house and living quarters for the caretaker. In 19th century, Nardulla dug up an adjoining lake to counter the water scarcity in the region.
She could not conceive a child and the idea that led for the construction of the temple was to provide a worship place to other childless women to pray for a child from Lord Ganesha.
Myths and stories that revolve around the temple have led the devotees to believe that Deubai’s humble request was accepted by Lord Ganesha.
In the beginning, it was a small structure housing the black stone idol of Shree Siddhivinayak. The temple complex was approximately 2550 Sq. m in area and consisted of two Deepamalas, a rest house and living quarters for the caretaker. In 19th century, Nardulla dug up an adjoining lake to counter the water scarcity in the region.
Later, the lake was filled up and now it constitutes a part of the temple complex. During a road extension project in the year 1952, a Hanuman icon was discovered. A small shrine for the Hanuman icon was built in the temple complex.
By 1952, huge crowds started visiting the temple and by 1965, long queues of devotees were started to be seen outside the temple.
By 1952, huge crowds started visiting the temple and by 1965, long queues of devotees were started to be seen outside the temple.
Siddhivinayak Temple is the 4th richest temple of India.The dome over Ganesha's idol inside the temple is coated in 3.7 kilos of gold.Among devotees, Siddhivinayak is popularly known as “Navasala Pavanara Ganapati” or “Navasacha Ganapati” which stands for 'Ganapati bestows whenever humbly genuinely prayed a wish'
A legend goes that Ramakrishna Jambhekar Maharaj, a disciple of Swami Samarth, was asked to bury two divine idols in the temple by his guru. After 21 years, as Swami Samarth prophesized, a mandar tree grew there with a svayambhu Ganesha in its branches.There is a place nearby temple where Saint Ved Vyasa performed sacrifices. The spot is now covered with water.
Siddhivinayak Temple is said to be primarily built by Lord Vishnu, later reconstructed by Peshwas.A popular belief about the temple among the devotees is that all the honorable and humble wishes of the devotees will be fulfilled by Lord Ganesha on visiting the temple.
8- Akshardham Temple
Location-
Akshardham or the Swaminarayan Temple is a Hindu temple complex in Delhi.
About-
'Akshardham' means the divine abode of God. It is hailed as an eternal place of devotion, purity and peace. Swaminarayan Akshardham at New Delhi is a Mandir – an abode of God, a Hindu house of worship, and a spiritual and cultural campus dedicated to devotion, learning and harmony. Timeless Hindu spiritual messages, vibrant devotional traditions and ancient architecture all are echoed in its art and architecture.The mandir is a humble tribute to Bhagwan Swaminarayan (1781- 1830), the avatars, devas and great sages of Hinduism. The traditionally-styled complex was inaugurated on 6 November 2005 with the blessings of HH Pramukh Swami Maharaj and through the devoted efforts of skilled artisans and volunteers.
Each element of Akshardham echoes with spirituality – the Mandir, the Exhibitions and even the Gardens.
The Akshardham mandir has over two hundred murtis, representing many of the spiritual stalwarts over many millennia. The spiritual premise of Akshardham is that each soul is potentially divine. Whether we are serving the family, the country our neighbors or all living beings the world over , each service can help one move towards divinity. Each prayer is a call towards improving oneself and moving closer to God.
A visit to Akshardham is a spiritually enriching experience. Whether it is in realising the power of prayer, in feeling the strength of non-violence, in being aware of the universal nature of Hinduism’s ancient principles, or just in admiring the beauty of God’s abode on Earth –- each element has a spiritual significance.More than 300,000,000 volunteer hours went into making the complex.Over 8,000 volunteers from across the world participated in building it.
9- Golden Temple
The story goes that impressed by the local lifestyle and as an act reverence to the third Sikh guru Amar Das, Mughal Emperor Akbar gifted a small piece of land to his daughter on occasion of her marriage to Bhai Jetha who later became the fourth guru Ram Das.
In yet another legend, it is believed that Guru Amar Das found the cure to the skin disease of the second Sikh guru Angad on the banks of this pool. It is also one of the reasons why the water of Amrit Sarovar is considered to contain medicinal property.
The Akshardham mandir has over two hundred murtis, representing many of the spiritual stalwarts over many millennia. The spiritual premise of Akshardham is that each soul is potentially divine. Whether we are serving the family, the country our neighbors or all living beings the world over , each service can help one move towards divinity. Each prayer is a call towards improving oneself and moving closer to God.
A visit to Akshardham is a spiritually enriching experience. Whether it is in realising the power of prayer, in feeling the strength of non-violence, in being aware of the universal nature of Hinduism’s ancient principles, or just in admiring the beauty of God’s abode on Earth –- each element has a spiritual significance.More than 300,000,000 volunteer hours went into making the complex.Over 8,000 volunteers from across the world participated in building it.
9- Golden Temple
Location-
Harmandir Sahib or the Golden Temple in Amritsar, Punjab
About-
Sri Harmandir Sahib also called Darbar Sahib and popularly referred to as the Golden Temple is the holiest site of Sikhs and the most iconic symbol of heritage and traditions of Sikhism.
Golden Temple is also voted as one of the seven wonders of India.Construction of the Golden Temple was completed under the tutelage of the fifth Sikh guru Arjan who himself laid the foundation stone in 1558.
According to the legends, the Gurudwara came up around the lake Amrit Sarovar excavated by fourth guru Ram Das. Under the leadership of Guru Arjun, the Gurudwara construction was completed in 1604 and Guru Granth Sahib was installed at the Golden Temple.Golden Temple is also voted as one of the seven wonders of India.Construction of the Golden Temple was completed under the tutelage of the fifth Sikh guru Arjan who himself laid the foundation stone in 1558.
The story goes that impressed by the local lifestyle and as an act reverence to the third Sikh guru Amar Das, Mughal Emperor Akbar gifted a small piece of land to his daughter on occasion of her marriage to Bhai Jetha who later became the fourth guru Ram Das.
In yet another legend, it is believed that Guru Amar Das found the cure to the skin disease of the second Sikh guru Angad on the banks of this pool. It is also one of the reasons why the water of Amrit Sarovar is considered to contain medicinal property.
The original Golden Temple was destroyed by the invading Afghan forces of Ahmad Shah Abdali and the present one was rebuilt by Jassa Singh Ahluwalia in 1764.The floor of Golden Temple were gold plated during the reign of Maharaja Ranjit Singh who secured the Punjab from external aggression.
10- Ramnathaswamy Temple
Location-
Rameshwaram, Tamil Nadu
About-
The temple and the island of Rameswaram have acquired this name because, Lord Rama worshipped Lord Shiva, the God of Gods here on return from Sri Lanka. According to legend, after killing Ravana Lord Rama returned with his consort Goddess Seetha to India first stepping on the shores of Rameswaram. To expiate the "dosha" of killing a brahmin, Lord Rama wanted to offer worship to Lord Shiva. Since there was no shrine in the island had despatched Sri Hauman to Kailash to bring an idol of Lord Shiva.
Between 1897 and 1904, the ALAR family of Devakottai completed the imposing eastern tower of nine tiers 126 feet in height from Thiruppani funds. Between 1907 and 1925 they renovated the Sanctum Sanctorum and the prakaram(inner most corridor) by replacing the lime stones by black granite with adequate provision for light and ventilation and also arranged for the performance of Ashtabandana Kumbabishekam in 1925; then on 22-2-1947 and the third Ashtabandana Maha Kumbabishegam was performed on 5-2-1975.
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