India the Land of Beautiful Temples

India the land of beautiful temples India is a land of unending discoveries for travelers from across the globe. It’s impossible to find a traveler who has visited India and can say he/she has seen everything. The amazing country has its roots of Hinduism which is also the world’s oldest religions with more than 900 million followers worldwide. Even visiting the temples alone would take a traveler a lifetime to finish the list. So, instead visit the most famous Indian temples visited by devotees from across the globe.

Before planning your trip, you might wonder, what do I need to travel to India? Ensure you have a valid passport, an Indian visa, and any necessary vaccinations. Additionally, it’s wise to check travel advisories and health guidelines to ensure a safe and enjoyable journey.

Here’s the list of the most famous temples.

Meenakshi Amman Temple, Madurai

The Meenakshi Amman temple is centrally located in the oldest city of South India, Madurai and is known as one of the biggest temples in India as per the size and area. This beautiful temple is the crowning glory of Madurai and attracts thousands of tourists and pilgrims every year to take the blessings of Devi Meenakshi and admire the beauty of this marvelous architecture.

What to See-

• The statue of Meenakshi Devi, the fish eyed goddess standing with a bouquet and a parrot emanating grace and love.
• The holy gold lotus tank
• ‘Charam’ (The wheel of time) that denotes 60Tamil calendar years in a spell binding engraving.
• The 5 Musical pillars carved out of a single stone that produces musical notes when tapped.
• ‘Madapams’ (Tall Pillars) depicting the magnificent Dravidian art and cultural engravings.
• Hall with 985 pillars that when looked from any angle appears to be on the straight line.

Best time to go- While summers can be too hot to bear, it is best to go during the winter months starting October to February.

Temple timings- Morning 5:00am to 12.30pm, Evening 4:00pm to 10:00pm

The Darbar Sahib (Golden Temple), Amritsar

The renowned golden temple of Amritsar is just a small part of this magnificent and beautiful darbar Sahib Gurudwara complex. The beautiful gleaming shrine is surrounded by the holy water tank (Amrit Sarovar), which incidentally is also the reason we call this city of Punjab – Amritsar. Extensive use of gold and the intricate architectural engravings adorn this beautiful temple.

What to See-

• Amrit sarovar
• The Sikh Museum
• Ramgarhia Bunga
• The Historical seat
• Dukh Bhanjani Beri
• Gurdwara Ath Sath Tirath
• Langar Hall- one of the largest free eateries known. An average of 50,000 people eats here every day and the number increases to lacs during weekends.
• Gurdwara Manji Sahib Diwan Hall
• Karah Prasad
• Gurdwara Lachi Ber
• Darshni Deori
• Har Ki Pauri
• Gurdwara Akal Takhat Sahib
• Gurdwara Shaheed
• Baba Gurbakhash Singh Ji
• Gurdwara Thara Sahib
• 1984 Memorial
• Daily Hukamnama
• Sikh Reference Library

Best time to visit- All year long.

Temple Timings- Open 24hours a day, all days a week.

Vaishno Devi Mandir, Katra

One of the most visited temples of India, the Vaishno Mata temple is located in the beautiful three peaked Trikoot Mountains, in a cave. It holds great significant to the Hindu devotees. Situated at an altitude of 5200ft above the sea level, the shrine is surrounded by picturesque views all around. While summers are green and bright, winters are chilly and snowy. The devotees worship the 3 rock formations inside the cave and there are no statues of the devotee.

What to See-

• Ardh Kuwari
• Bhairav Nath Mandir
• Charan paduka Temple
• Banganga temple
• Charanganga Temple
• Jahan Kosha Temple
• Holy cave of Shiv Kori
• Bhairav Ghati

Best time to visit- Between March to October

Temple Timings- Morning 5:00am to 12.00pm, Evening 4:00pm to 9:00pm

Tirumala Venkateswara Temple, Tirupati

Popularly known as the Tirupati Balaji, the Tirumala Venkateshwara temple is the world’s most visited worship place in the world with an average of 40 million visitors every year. It has been an aged long tradition of devotees donating huge amounts of gold and cash to the temple. An annual estimate of gold offerings comes to a whopping 3000kgs of gold.

What to See-

• Akashganaga Waterfall
• Paap Vinashanam (cleanser of sins)
• Shila Thoranam (Great Geological Arch)
• Sri Varahaswami Temple
• Sri Bedi Anjaneyaswami Temple
• Sri Anjaneyaswami Temple
• Teerthams Ashthana Mandapam
• Dhayana Mandiram

Best time to visit- Between November to March

Temple Timings- 7.30a.m to 7.00pm

Shree Padmanabhaswamy temple, Thiruvananthapuram

Shree Padmanabhaswamy temple in the city of Thiruvananthapuram in South India has become the world’s richest temple after a treasure got discovered from the temple. Not giving any importance to the treasure, millions of devotees have been coming to the temple since hundreds of years. The beautiful temple is a sight to behold when it gets illuminated with thousands of lights during festivities.

What to See-

• Ananthasayanam Idol
• Ottakkal Mandapam
• Abhisravana Mandapam
• Kulasekhara Mandapam
• The Golden flag-staff (Dwaja Stambham)
• The Nine Entrances Gopuram
• The Sreebalippura (Corridor)
• Theerthams (Sacred water resources)
• Mural Paintings
• Thiruvambadi Sree Krishnaswamy Temple

Best time to visit- Between November to March

Temple Timings- Morning

• 03.30 am to 04.45 am (Nirmalya Darshanam)
• 06.30 am to 07.00 am
• 08.30 am to 10.00 am
• 10.30 am to 11.10 am 
• 11.45 am to 12.00 Noon

Evening

• 05.00 pm to 06.15 pm
• 06.45 pm to 07.20 pm

Sai Baba temple, Shirdi

While many consider him as God, some still call him a saint. Sai baba is probably the only deity worshipped by both Hindu and Muslim community by equal devotion. The temple is located in the small village of Maharashtra; it is now visited by millions of devotees all throughout the year. Don’t be surprised if you see an elderly as aged as 80 years and even a child of just 8 or 10 years coming to the shrine by walking (padyatra) for 300-400kms.

What to See-

• Samadhi Mandir
• Chavadi
• Sansthan complex
• Abdul baba cottage
• House of Laxmibai Shinde
• Sani temple (shignapur)
• Gurusthan Khanoba Mandir
• Lendi garden
• Dixit wada museum
• Jangli Maharaj Ashram

Best time to visit- All year long

Temple Timings

• Morning- 4:00a.m to 12.30p.m
• Evening- 4.00pm to 11.00pm

Temples in India can be very expressive. From the temple of love to the temple of service, to the temple expressing anger; Indian ancient temples are not only breathtakingly beautiful but also most of them depicts architectural brilliance. While this list is not an exhaustive one, it covers some of the most famous temples of India.