Famous Temples of India

Famous Temples of India

1. BadrinathTemple : The Badrinath temple also known as Badrinarayan is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. Badrinath was re-established as a major pilgrimage site by AdiShankara in the 9th century. Lord Vishnu is found here in a meditative posture flanked by Nar and Narayan. Badrinath is a significant pilgrimage centre for the Vaishnavites. It is also the most important of the Char Dhams.
2. Kedarnath Temple: Kedarnath is the seat of Lord Shiva, the protector and the destroyer. Extremely ancient, the temple has been continually reconstructed over the years. Set amidst snow-capped mountain peaks, the Kedarnath temple presents a magical spectacle.
3. Gangotri Temple: The birthplace of the holy River Ganges is in the mountains of the Himalayas. Gangotri temple is dedicated to Goddess Ganga. The landscape is very beautiful.
4. Yamunotri Temple: is the sacred shrine of Yamunotri which is also the source of River Yamuna. Surrounded by mountains. The shrine is dedicated to Goddess Yamuna and the deity is made of black marble. The sanctity of the place combined with an ambience of purity and bliss creates a deep feeling of reverence.
5. Har Ki Pauri : Haridwar  was mentioned in the ancient Hindu scriptures. Haridwar has several bathing ghats and the most sacred among them is Har Ki Pauri, constructed by King Vikramaditya. Taking a dip in the holy waters here is believed to help achieve salvation of ancestors. The evening prayer or Aarti that is performed on the banks of River Ganges is a very good experience.
6. Neelkanth Mahadev Temple: Located on the outskirts of Rishikesh  at a height of 1675 m is a temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. According to legends, during SamudraManthan venom that oozed out was ingested by Lord Shiva at this very place and hence the name Neelkanth Mahadeo.
7. Naina Devi Temple: Nainital is named after Naina Devi. It is considered to be one of the shaktipeeths where the eyes of Goddess Sati are believed to have been fallen. The Naina Devi temple is considered sacred by Hindu devotees. The temple was reconstructed after the landslide of 1880 which had devastated it.
8. Kashi Vishwanath Temple: Kashi Vishwanath Temple is located on the banks of River Ganges at Varanasi. The Jyotirlinga of Shiva, is enshrined in this temple. It is believed that a darshan of the Jyotirlinga will liberate man from the world. Millions of devotees undertake a pilgrimage to the Kashi Vishwanath temple for a darshan to remove their sins.
9. Golden Temple: The Harmandir Sahib also popularly known as the Golden Temple is a famous Sikh Temple located in Amritsar. The Gurdawara is not only a place of worship but a symbol of brotherhood and equality. Everyone irrespective of their caste, creed and religion can visit here. 
10. AmarnathTemple: Located at an impressive altitude of 3888m, 141 km from capital city of Srinagar, this cave temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva. The cave containsa lingam which is naturally formed of an ice. The cave is covered with snow for major part of the year except for a short period in summer when it becomes accessible to pilgrims. Millions of devotees undertake a challenging journey to Amarnath every year to offer their prayers. It is one of the most popular temples of India.
11. Vaishno Devi Temple: Vaishno Devi temple is dedicated to Shakti. Vaishnavi is a manifestation of Mother Goddess. Vaishno Devi Temple is visited by approximately 10 million devotees every year. It is the second most visited shrine after Tirumala Venkateshwara Temple in Andhra Pradesh.
12. Shankaracharya Temple: The temple in its present form has been in existence since the 9^th century A.D and is dedicated to Lord Shiva. The temple was visited by AdiShankara and since then it has been associated with him.
13. Akshardham Temple Akshardham temple inaugurated in 2005 is rich in ancient architecture and spirituality. There are various structures within the temple complex which depict history and culture of Indian religion. The main temple is dedicated to Lord Swaminarayan.
14. Lotus Temple: Lotus Temple is a Bahai House of Worship that was completed in 1986. Bahai Faith is a world religion which seeks to unite all people under one common faith.  The temple has nine doors which lead to a central hall devoid of pictures, statues or idols. The temple along with the surrounding ponds and gardens spread over an area of 26 acres.
15. Birla Mandir: Birla Mandir also known as the Laxminarayan temple is dedicated to Laxminarayan. The mandir was inaugurated by Mahatma Gandhi and has since become a major tourist destination of Delhi. On Diwali, lot of devotees visit the temple to offer their prayers.
16. ISKON Temple: ISKON temple located at Hare Krishna Hills is dedicated to Lord Krishna and Radharani. The ISKON temple is one of the largest temples in India. The temple follows a strict standard of worship with six pujas and six bhog offerings made to the deities each day.
17. Jwalamukhi Temple: is located in Himachal Pradesh. In the temple there is a copper pipe through which natural gas comes out and the priest lights this. This is taken as a manifestation of the goddess Jwalamukhi. The temple houses no deities. The Goddess is worshipped in the form of the flames. The temple is also considered to be one of the 52 Shakti Peethas. 
18. Konark Sun Temple : Orissa Konark Sun temple is a 13th century temple. Even in its ruins today the Konark Sun Temple looks attractive. The temple is dedicated to the Sun God. The temple built in the shape of a chariot, with twelve pairs of wheels and drawn by seven horses.
19. Rajarani Temple:The Rajarani Temple is considered by many as a masterpiece. Many refer to it as a ‘love temple’ owing to the carvings on the walls of the temple. The temple has no presiding deity.
20. Lingaraj Temple: Lingaraj Temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva. Built of sandstone and laterite, it is the grandest, most fascinating and undoubtedly the largest temple in Bhubaneswar.
21. Madan Mohan: is a Hindu temple situated at Karauli, in the Indian state of Rajasthan. The temple is located on the banks of the Bhadravati River, a tributary of the Banas River in the hills of Aravali. The temple is dedicated to the tutelary deity, Lord Krishna. It is believed that Shri Gopal Singhji got victory in the battle of Daultabad. After this the king in his dream saw that Lord Krishna instructed him to fetch his idol from Amer and installed at Karauli. The king of Karauli therefore, brought this idol and got this temple constructed to enshrine it. It is one of the Char Dham of Karauli District. Other three are Kaila Devi Temple, Mehandipur Balaji Temple and ShriMahavirji.

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