Top 20 Famous Hindu Temples To Visit In India – India is one of the oldest civilisations in the world. It has a lot of history, different beliefs, traditions, and stories about religions. India is proud of its history of different cultures and religions. Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism and Sikhism all started in India. India is a place where people from different religions live together peacefully. Hinduism is the oldest religion in the world. Hinduism doesn’t have a single person who started it. Instead, it is a mix of different religions. Many old writings and smart people talk about religion as a way of living that has been around for a long time and will continue to exist.
Here are the Top 20 famous Hindu temples to visit in India. You can hear chanting and smell incense in the air while seeing traditional temple buildings.
List of Top 20 famous Hindu temples to visit In India
- Maa Vaishno Devi Temple, Jammu & Kashmir
- Kedarnath Temple, Uttrakhand
- Shree Somnath Jyotirlinga Temple, Gujarat
- Siddhivinayak Temple, Maharashtra
- Swaminarayan Akshardham Temple, Delhi
- Kandariya Mahadev Temple , Khajuraho
- Neelkanth Mahadev Temple , Uttrakhand
- Badrinath Temple, Uttrakhand
- Shri Jagannath Temple, Odisha
- Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple, Uttar Pradesh
- Rameswaram Temple, Tamil Nadu
- Tungnath Mahadev Temple, Uttrakhand
- Baidyanath Temple, Jharkhand
- Iskcon Temple, Uttar Pradesh
- Brahma Temple, Rajasthan
- Amarnath Cave Temple, Jammu & Kashmir
- Krishna Janmasthan Temple Complex, Uttar Pradesh
- Sri Venkateshwara Tirupati Balaji Temple, Andhra Pradesh
- Shree Dwarkadhish Temple, Gujarat
- Ram Mandir, Uttar Pradesh
Vaishno Devi Temple, Jammu and Kashmir
The Vaishno Devi Temple in Katra, Jammu and Kashmir is very famous. It is one of the Top 20 famous Hindu temples to visit in India. Many Hindus consider the pilgrimage to Shri Mata Vaishno Devi to be very sacred.
According to the story, Vaishno Devi was pretending to be a young girl named Vaishnavi and being chased by a black magician named Bhairo Nath.
He kept bothering her to marry him. She ran away to the mountains to get away from him, but he also went after her there. After visiting Banganga, Charan Paduka, and Adkwari, the Goddess finally arrived at the sacred shrine. Vaishnavi had to kill Bhairo Nath because he wouldn’t give up.
She cut off his head at the entrance of the cave and it rolled to a hill far away. After he saw he was wrong, Bhairo Nath asked her to forgive him. Feeling sorry for him, the Goddess gave him a gift that anyone who goes on the pilgrimage to the shrine must also go to Bhairo Nath Temple before the journey is finished.
Every year, many people go to the shrine to ask for blessings from the Great Goddess who is powerful, humble, and graceful.
Kedarnath Temple, Uttarakhand
The Kedarnath temple is located in the Himalayan Mountains in Uttarakhand and is considered one of the Top 20 famous Hindu temples to visit in India & most important religious sites in the world.
Adi Sankaracharya fixed the temple in the 8th century. It is one of the four sacred spots in Uttarakhand and people have to walk 14 kilometres on hilly land to reach there.
The temple is high up at 3,583 meters. It’s closed in winter because it’s too cold and snowy. During the months when the temple is closed, the idol of Lord Shiva is moved to Ukhimath.
Shree Somnath Jyotirlinga Temple, Gujarat
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Situated on the Arabian Sea in Veraval, Gujarat, Somnath Mahadev is a very important temple in India. Throughout history, the temple has been attacked and robbed 17 times by invaders and thieves who stole valuable things like gems, gold, and precious stones. The temple was finished in 1951 with a design that follows the Chalukya architecture style. The temple is an important place for people who worship Lord Shiva, and many people from around the world come to visit it. Hence, this temple makes its spot in the Top 20 famous Hindu temples to visit in India.
Siddhivinayak Temple, Maharashtra
Siddhivinayak Temple is in Prabhadevi, Mumbai. It is one of the eight Ganesha Temples in Maharashtra. It is also one of the most wealthy and top 20 famous Hindu temples to visit in India. Ganesha is the most important god at the temple. People always pray to him first before starting something new in their lives.
This is why people also call him Vighnaharta (the one who stops problems). Carvings of Lord Ganapati are on the wooden doors of the shrine. There are eight different carvings. Siddhivinayak temple has one of the eight statues of Lord Ganesha.
Other different pictures are found in seven temples in Maharashtra. People visit the temple every day, but Tuesday is the busiest day when many people come to pray for good luck.
Swaminarayan Akshardham Temple, Delhi
This temple is in Delhi and was built in the 21st century. It has to be on the list of top 20 famous Hindu temples to visit in India. This temple is well-known for its beautiful garden, big-screen movies about Swaminarayan, boat rides, and more. The temple has many statues that are carefully carved. The building is made of pink sandstone from Rajasthan and white marble from Italy.
The temple has 148 life-size statues of elephants that weigh a total of 3000 tons. The main god in the temple is Swaminarayan, and there are also over 2000 other gods.
The cool thing about the building is the Sahajan and Darshan. It has robots showing the teachings of Swaminarayan and other religious works. The temple is really big, covering 100 acres of land. It also holds the world record for being the biggest of its kind.
Kandariya Mahadev Temple, Khajuraho
The temples in Khajuraho are well-known for their pretty carvings, sculptures, and unique architecture. The biggest and tallest temple in the group is the Kandariya Mahadev Temple, which is one of the top 20 famous Hindu temples to visit in India.
The main god of the temple is Lord Shiva. The temple looks like a mountain. According to stories, this temple looks like Mount Meru. There are over 900 sculptures and the main god is a marble lingam.
Neelkanth Mahadev Temple, Uttarakhand
Neelkanth Mahadev Temple is a famous Hindu pilgrimage site in the hill town of Rishikesh. It is dedicated to Neelkanth, who is an incarnation of Lord Shiva. This temple is known as one of the top 20 famous Hindu temples to visit in India.
Long ago, the gods and demons battled for a special potion that would make them live forever during Samundra Manthan. To save the world, Lord Shiva consumed poison. This led to the building of the Neelkanth Mahadev Temple.
Badrinath Temple, Uttrakhand
This temple, Badrinath Dham, is dedicated to Lord Badri, who is an avatar of Lord Vishnu. It is a very important spiritual place among the top 20 famous Hindu temples to visit in India. The temple is located near the Alaknanda River and is an important stop on the pilgrimage in Uttarakhand, India. Built by Adi Shankaracharya in the 8th century, the temple stands out in the middle of green nature. According to stories, Lord Vishnu meditated here for a long time, even when the weather was tough. The temple is very important to people who believe in Vishnu and to all Hindus who want to go on a special pilgrimage and achieve spiritual liberation.
Shri Jagannath Temple, Odisha
Located on the eastern coast of Odisha, the Jagannath temple is an important stop in the All India Char Dham Yatra and this is how it is one of the top 20 famous Hindu temples to visit in India. The Jagannath temple was built in the 12th Century to worship Lord Vishnu, who is believed to be the lord of the universe. The main gods in the temple are Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and their sister goddess Subhadra. The temple is mentioned in the holy Skanda Puran and Brahma Puran. The wooden statues of the main god have been blessed by Lord Brahma and are very important to Hindu worshippers. The temple is very beautiful and it’s built on platforms. The main dome of the temple is 45 stories high.
Kashi Vishwanath Temple, Uttar Pradesh
The Kashi Vishwanath Temple is in Varanasi, the oldest city in the world. It’s a very popular temple in India. It is the most respected of the twelve sacred shrines located in India.
The temple is very strong and is located on the western side of the River Ganges. It helps people understand the real meaning of life and death. Visiting the Kashi Vishwanath Temple once is the same as visiting the other eleven important temples of Lord Shiva.
Many important people like Adi Shankaracharya, Swami Vivekananda, Goswami Tulsidas, and Gurunanak have visited this beautiful place. A visit to this special temple is thought to help people reach the ultimate freedom of the soul, called ‘moksha’. Hence, this temple also exists on the list of top 20 famous Hindu temples to visit in India.
Rameswaram Temple, Tamil Nadu
Also called Ramanathaswamy temple and is found on the island of Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu. This Hindu temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and is one of the 12 important pilgrimage sites for Jyotirlinga Darshan which is why it is known to be one of the top 20 famous Hindu temples to visit in India. It is also an important part of the All India Char Dham Yatra. According to history, Rameswaram temple was built based on directions from Lord Ram. He built the temple to worship Lord Shiva before going to Sri Lanka. The main lingam of the temple was set up and worshipped by Lord Rama before he crossed the bridge to Sri Lanka. The temple was made bigger and fancier by the Pandya Dynasty and the kings of the Jaffna kingdom. They added huge entrance towers and walkways to make it look very beautiful.
Tungnath Mahadev Temple, Uttarakhand
Located in the hilly state of Uttarakhand, Tungnath Mahadev Temple is the highest Shiva temple in the world, standing at 3,690 metres above sea level. This is why it is known as one of the most important top 20 famous Hindu temples to visit in India. Getting to the temple requires a short walk of a couple of kilometres through a variety of plants and animals in the Himalayas. The temple was built during the time of the Pandavas. They built this temple as part of their journey to find Lord Shiva. In Hindu stories, it is said that both Lord Rama and Ravana prayed and meditated at this place. When it gets really cold and snowy in winter, the statue of the main god is moved to the Markandeshwar Temple in a village called Makkumath.
Baidyanath Temple, Jharkhand
Baidyanath Temple, also known as Vaidyanath Jyotirlinga, is a special place where people worship Shiva. It is one of 12 important holy places in India and a big temple complex. The temple is in Deoghar, Jharkhand and it is very important to Hindu people. Next to the main temple, there are also 21 small temples for different gods and goddesses in the complex. It is believed that Ravan prayed to Lord Shiva at this place and his wishes were granted, which caused him to cause chaos in the world. Ravan offered his 10 heads as a sacrifice to fulfil his wishes at this place. The lord came down from heaven to heal Ravan’s injuries.
Iskcon Temple, Uttar Pradesh
Also called the Krishna Balaram Temple, ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness) was constructed in 1975. The temple is in Vrindavan, Mathura, Uttar Pradesh. People believe it is where Lord Krishna lived when he was young. This holds an important place in the top 20 famous Hindu temples to visit in India.
The ISKCON Temple is famous for being very clean. The words ‘Hare Krishna’ are sung all day long in the temple.
The temple is part of the Gaudiya Vaishnava group of Hinduism, started by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in the 1500s. In the temple, there are statues of Krishna, Radha, Balarama, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, and Swami Prabhupada.
Brahma Temple, Rajasthan
Located in the sacred town of Pushkar in Rajasthan, the Brahma temple is the only temple in India that is dedicated to Lord Brahma and this is why it is one of the top 20 famous Hindu temples to visit in India. This temple is very close to the sacred lake of Pushkar and has a great view of the area around it. It is not like many other temples. The temple was built in the 14th century and is made of marble and stone. The main room of the temple has a statue of Brahma with four heads and his wife Gayatri, who is the goddess of the Vedas. Every year, lots of people come to the temple during Kartik Purnima. They not only visit the temple but also take a bath in the lake of Pushkar.
Amarnath Cave Temple, Jammu and Kashmir
The Amarnath cave is a holy temple high up in the mountains of Jammu and Kashmir. It is 3,888 meters above sea level. Surrounded by snowy mountains, the cave is usually covered with snow all year. It is an important temple for all hindu people around India.
In the summer, from June to August, it’s easier for pilgrims to visit. The cave is thought to be 5000 years old. According to a well-known story, a Muslim shepherd named Buta Malik met a holy man who gave him a bag of coal.
When he got home, he saw that the coal had turned into gold. The shepherd was amazed by the miracle, so he went to look for the saint. But instead, he found the holy place of Lord Shiva. The journey to Amarnath is a 5-day walk where people face difficult weather and walk for 40 miles.
Krishna Janmasthan Temple, Uttar Pradesh
Located in Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, the Krishna Janmasthan Temple complex is a bunch of Hindu temples with the main one being the place where Lord Krishna was born. Located next to the Shahi Eidgah Mosque, which was built by Aurangzeb, visiting this place will show you how India is accepting of all religions. The temple is where Lord Krishna was born and then taken in a basket down the river to keep him safe from his uncle who wanted to kill him. The complex has a temple, a shrine, and a Bhagavata Bhavan. It’s one of the top 20 famous Hindu temples to visit in India, and going there during Holi and Diwali celebrations is a special experience.
Sri Venkateswara Temple Tirupati Balaji Temple, Andhra Pradesh
Sri Venkateswara Tirupati Balaji Temple is a very old temple in the city of Tirupati, which is at the bottom of Andhra Pradesh. It is a popular place for people on religious journeys. This is a very well-known, richest & one of the top 20 famous Hindu temples to visit in India. The main god of the temple is Lord Vishnu. The temple gets about 100,000 visitors every day. This old temple has writings from different dynasties like Yadaarayas, Pallavas, Pandyas, Cholas, and others.
Many celebrations and special ceremonies happen at this temple. Shaving your head and giving your hair to the god is an important act of going on a pilgrimage. The temple’s most popular food is a special sweet called laddoo.
Shree Dwarkadhish Temple, Gujarat
Also called Jagat Mandir and located in the middle of Dwarka city in Gujarat, Dwarkadhish temple is well-known. Dwarka is a holy place in India where people go on pilgrimages. It is dedicated to Lord Krishna and he is worshipped there as the king of Dwarka. The temple is really old, more than 2,000 years old. It’s still a very important religious & one of the top 20 famous Hindu temples to visit in India. They say that Vajranabha, lord Krishna’s nephew, built the temple where Krishna used to live. Like other Hindu temples before, this one has been destroyed and rebuilt many times. The temple we see now was built in the 16th century.
Ram Mandir, Uttar Pradesh
Last but not least on the list of top 20 famous Hindu temples to visit in India. The Ram Mandir is in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, a sacred place. The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra is overseeing the construction of the temple, which is going to be the biggest in India. The temple is very important for Hindu people because it’s where Lord Ram is believed to have been born according to the holy book of Ramayan. The temple will be built in a traditional way with tall towers and round roofs held up by very detailed pillars. Every brick in the temple will have the word RAM on it. After many years of challenges, unrest, protests, and damage, the groundbreaking ceremony finally happened in 2020. Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the event.
Conclusion
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