Top Temples to Visit in India

Temples - India, its history and its life thrives on its temples. The temples, with its architecture, design, relics and sanctum sanctorum showcase lifestyle of an era gone by. From Rishikesh in the North to Kanyakumari in the south, many theories have been formulated to explain the existence of these holy sites in humongous numbers which pave the path to salvation or "nirvana". Awaken the spiritual side of you by visiting the temples in India. Take a deep breath while you get s breath grasping view of some of the most fabulous and stunning ones here.

Sun temple, Konark:



Dubbed as the "Black Pagoda", The Sun Temple in Konark (Orissa) is "Where the Language of Stone defeats the Language of man". The glorious Sun Temple at Konark is the zenith of Orissan temple architecture and is one the most stunning monuments of religious architecture in the world. Built in the thirteenth century by the King Narasimhadeva, the temple was designed in the shape of a colossal chariot with seven horses and twenty four exquisitely ornamented wheels, carrying the sun god - Surya - across the heavens. The sun temple marks the highest point of achievement of Kalinga architecture that depicts grace, the joy and rhythm of life. The temple is a wealth of decoration- from intricate patterns in bas-relief done with a jeweler's meticulousness to gallantly modeled agnostic sculptures of exceptionally large size. Though the Sun Temple has lost its main sanctuary under the wheels of past events, the Sun temple has not lost its charm.

Golden Temple:



In and amongst the hustle - bustle of India stands a timeless place of worship, where the enchanting hymns captivate devotees and tourists alike. The Golden Temple or Sri Harmandir Sahib Ji in Amritsar, Punjab is a place of sublime peacefulness and a meditating retreat for wandering mendicants and sages since deep antiquity. The temple's architecture draws on both Hindu and Moslem architecture styles. Over the years, the site has become a primary sacred shrine of the Sikhs.

Meenakshi Temple:



The Meenakshi Sundereshwar temple is situated in the ancient holy town of Madurai and is dedicated to Lord Shiva in the form of Sundereshwar and Goddess Parvati in the form of Meenakshi. The temple forms the heat and lifeline of this 2500 year old city. The temple complex houses 14 glorious Gopurams which includes two main gopurams for the main deities which are intricately and elaborately sculpted and painted. Believed to be built in 1600, the temple has been mentioned since the olden times in Tamil literature.

Somnath Temple:



Facing the wide open Arabian Sea, the temple of Somnath is a striking structure that present a stunning spectacle. According to legends, Somnath was built by none other than the Moon God himself at the time of creation. Somraj, the moon god, built the Somnath Temple or the Somnath Pattan out of gold. It was rebuilt by Ravana in silver. Again Lord Krishna, the incarnation of Lord Vishnu built it in wood. Further in the 10th century it was rebuilt in stone by King Bhimdev Solanki.


Mahabodhi Temple:



Literally meaning the "Great Awakening Temple", the Mahabodhi temple is a Buddhist temple situated in Bodh Gaya- the location where Siddharth Gautama attained enlightenment. The temple's main relic is a distant descendant of the Bo tree under which Buddha sat. Elements of the temple date from the 3rd century B.C. The temple is one of the few early monumental brick structures to have survived in eastern India. Its colossal central tower (55 m tall) comprises of many horizontal bands of moldings and arch motifs extending upward to an amalaka topped by umbrella-shaped forms, evoking the umbrella motifs found at Buddhist stupas dating back to the time of Asoka and earlier.