Top 15 Famous Temples In India In 2023
India, one of the world's oldest civilizations, is a country with a rich history, a great number of religious traditions, and many myths and stories. The Hindus call the celestial residence of the Almighty on Earth as "Mandir". Every temple has a special myth and history associated with it. In the past, Indian kings would pay sculptors and painters to produce magnificent works of art for temples built under their dominion. Here are top 15 famous Indian temples 2023, that you must know of:
1/15 Kedarnath Temple, Uttarakhand: One of the holiest sanctuaries in the world is Kedarnath Temple, which is located in the Himalayan range of Garhwal (Uttarakhand). It is said that the Pandavas constructed the sacred abode of Shiva in order to atone for their misdeeds committed during the Mahabharata.
In the eighth century, Adi Sankaracharya remodelled the temple. It is one of Uttarakhand's Chota Char Dhams, and getting there involves a 14-kilometer hike across steep terrain. It is located 3,583 metres high and surrounded by mountains covered with snow and glaciers, is closed throughout the winter months owing to unpleasant climate conditions.
2/15 Sun Temple, Odisha: The Sun Temple is located in the Odisha town of Konark, which is part of the Puri district. This architectural wonder is devoted to Surya, the Indian sun god. The temple is shaped like his chariot, which is pulled by seven horses.
Narasimhadeva, a king in the 13th century, established the temple. According to an old myth associated with this temple, Lord Krishna allegedly afflicted one of his own sons with leprosy. His son Samba spent twelve years worshipping Surya in order to atone. Surya cured him in gratitude for his dedication. As a gesture of thanks, Samba built the Sun Temple.
3/15 Badrinath Temple, Uttarakhand: The home of Lord Badrinath is situated in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district, near Alaknanda River. One of the Char Dhams in Hinduism is this revered temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu.
The temple is closed during the other months owing to severe weather, thus only the months of April through November are suitable for visiting the ancient home of Lord Vishnu. The Mata Murti-Ka-Mela festival, held in September and dedicated to Lord Badrinath's mother. Another festival held in the temples of Badrinath and Kedarnath for eight days in the month of June is known as the Badri-Kedar Festival.
4/15 Somnath Temple, Gujarat: One of the earliest pilgrimage sites in India is Somnath Temple, which is mentioned in the Shiv Puran, Skanda Purana, and Shreemad Bhagvat Gita. Somnath is referred to be the "Protector of the Moon God" since Soma means "Moon God". Soma, the Indian moon god, allegedly received a curse from his father-in-law to become lustre-less. His ailment was healed by Lord Shiva, and Soma subsequently constructed this shrine in his memory. It is one of the 12 jyotirlingas of India that is highly esteemed. The temple is situated in Saurashtra (Gujarat), Prabhas Kshetra.
5/15 Sanchi Stupa, Madhya Pradesh: Sanchi Stupa is an architectural wonder in Sanchi that is said to contain the remains of Lord Buddha. It is surrounded by the ruins of smaller stupas and monasteries. The Indian Emperor Ashoka the Great constructed this well-known pilgrimage site in India, sometimes referred to as the Great Stupa, in the third century BC.
6/15 Ramanathaswamy Temple, Tamil Nadu: A remote island town in Tamil Nadu called Rameswaram is well-known for being one of the revered Char Dhams of the Hindus. According to mythology, after conquering the brahmin demon king Ravana, Lord Rama and his wife Sita landed on the beach of this island.
Lord Rama wished to pray to Lord Shiva in order to seek atonement for the death of a brahmin. He requested that Hanuman transport a Shivalinga by flying to Kailash. Goddess Sita created a little lingam in the meantime. Both the one created by Goddess Sita, Ramalingam and the one carried by Lord Hanuman, Vishwalingam are worshipped. Lord Rama stipulated that Vishwalingam must be worshipped before to the Ramalingam, and this tradition is being observed today.
7/15 Vaishno Devi Temple, Jammu and Kashmir: Vaishno Devi Temple, one of the holiest locations for Hindu visitors, is located in Jammu and Kashmir atop the Trikuta mountain. According to tradition, Bhairo Nath, a dark sorcerer, was pursuing Vaishno Devi when she disguised herself as a little girl named Vaishnavi. He chased Vaishnavi in order to marry her. Vaishnavi tried to escape as she fled to the mountains and after reaching the holy shrine Bhairo Nath did not leave her then too. She beheaded him and his head fell at a distant mountain. Realising his histake, Bhairo asked for forgiveness and since then the Goddess bestowed upon him a gift that stipulates that anybody making the trek to the shrine must also visit Bhairo Nath Temple; only then would the voyage is be considered complete.
Every year, thousands of followers come to the shrine to ask for blessings from the Great Goddess of strength, compassion, and the gift of grace.
8/15 Golden Temple, Punjab: For those who practise Sikhism, Sri Harmandir Sahib—also known as Darbar Sahib or the Golden Temple—is the most revered destination for pilgrimage in Amritsar, Punjab. The temple is based on the principles of brotherhood and equality.
People of any creed or ethnicity are invited to pursue religious and spiritual fulfilment through any of the four doorways, which open in the four major directions. The building, which is admired for its magnificent architecture, is situated lower than the surrounding area, signifying the importance of humility.
Guru Granth Sahib, the holy book of Sikhs, was first placed in the Golden temple after it got completed.
9/15 Amarnath Cave Temple, Jammu and Kashmir: In the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, at a height of 3,888 metres, sits the revered Amarnath cave. The cave spends the most of the year covered in snow since it is surrounded by snow-capped mountains.
It becomes accessible and so opens up for the pilgrims throughout the summer, specifically between the months of June and August. The estimated age of the cave is 5000 years.
According to myth, a Muslim shepherd Buta Malik encountered a holy man who gave him a bag of coal. When he went home, he saw that the coal had been turned into gold. The shepherd was moved by the miracle and set out to find the saint, but instead he discovered the holy residence of Lord Shiva.
10/15 Shri Jagannath Temple, Odisha: The Jagannath temple was built in the 12th century, also known as Jagannath Puri, is located in Puri, Orissa. The temple, one of India's Char Dhams, is devoted to Lord Krishna. The idols of Lord Balabhadra and Goddess Subhadra are located within the main temple, with the idol of Lord Krishna (Jagannath) in the middle. Non-Hindus are not permitted inside the temple's grounds.
11/15 Siddhivinayak Temple, Maharashtra: Siddhivinayak Temple, one of the eight Ganesha Temples in Maharashtra, is situated in Prabhadevi, Mumbai. Additionally, it is one of India's wealthiest temples. The chief god of the temple, Lord Ganesha, is the one who is usually worshipped first before beginning anything new in life. He is also referred to as Vighnaharta (the remover of obstacles) for this reason.
12/15 Kashi Vishwanath Temple, Uttar Pradesh: One of the most popular temples in India is Kashi Vishwanath Temple, which is situated in Varanasi, the oldest city still in existence. It is the most cherished of the twelve Indian jyotirlingas.The temple teaches people the actual meaning of life and death and is situated on the western bank of the River Ganges. A single visit to the Kashi Vishwanath Temple is comparable to seeing the other eleven jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva.
A visit to this sacred temple is believed to be one of the path to attain 'moksha'.
13/15 Khajuraho Temple, Madhya Pradesh: The town of Khajuraho in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh is home to a number of temples that date from the 10th to the 12th century. The town's monuments cover a 20 sq km area and are included as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
The temples are made of sandstone and are devoted to Hindu and Jain gods. The sensual urges, which are observed in the temples displaying daily tasks, are well-known across the world.
14/15 Akshardham Temple, Delhi: This temple is located in Delhi close to the banks of the River Yamuna and was built using the concepts of Pancharatra Shastra and Vastu Shastra. The temple's similarity to early Indian architecture and the spiritual energy it emanates are evidence of its genuineness. On November 6, 2005, Pramukh Swami Maharaj gave the temple its formal opening in the presence of A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, Manmohan Singh, L. K. Advani, and B. L. Joshi.
A manifestation of Lord Vishnu, Lord Swaminarayan is the temple's main deity. The 11-foot-tall statue is located underneath the temple's main dome. Italian Carrara marble and pink stone from Rajasthan were used to construct the building.
15/15 Dwarkadhish Temple, Gujarat: Dwarkadhish temple, the revered residence of Lord Krishna, is situated in the Gujarati city of Dwarka. The temple, also known as Jagat Mandir, has two doorways for pilgrims to enter and depart. The departure door is known as Moksha Dwar (the gateway to emancipation), while the entrance door is known as Swarg Dwar (the doorway to paradise).
The five-story temple, which is a part of the religious Char Dham Yatra, is supported by 72 pillars. The temple, which is located on the banks of the River Gomti, rises to a height of 51.8 metres, and it requires climbing 56 steps to get to the Swarg Dwar. Lord Krishna enchants his followers with his black stone statue within the shrine. Archaeological findings suggest the original temple was built at the early 200 BCE. The temple was rebuilt and enlarged in the 15th–16th century as per reports.
The Ayodhya temple which is under construction might be the new no.1 temple in India in 2024. The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra is in charge of supervising the building of the temple. The Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held the groundbreaking ceremony on August 5, 2020. There will be temples for the gods Surya, Ganesha, Shiva, Durga, Annapurna, and Hanuman on the temple grounds. In 2020, the Sompuras created a new design that differed somewhat from the original in line with vastu and the shilpa shastras. The temple will be 360 feet in length, 235 feet width, and 161 feet tall. The temple complex will be the third biggest Hindu shrine in the world when it is finished. It is built in the Northern Indian temple architecture style known as Gujara-Chaulukya. A complex comprising a prayer hall, a lecture hall, an educational centre, as well as additional amenities like a museum and a café, will be erected on 57 acres of land in addition to the 10 acres on which the temple will be built.
Here are some pictures of the proposed structure and the under construction images of the temple:
