South India is famous globally for its artistically chiseled stone temples. These famous Hindu temples attract many tourists from across the globe.
Meenakshi Amman Temple
Visit this temple in Madurai, South India. It is known as the ‘Athens of the East.’ The Meenakshi Temple was built in the 12th century. It has an imposing nine-storey tower built between the 13th and 16th century. This majestic temple welcomes all its visitors. You enter the temple from the eastern street. The pillars here have inscriptions about Devi Meenakshi’s wedding. On either side, you will find inscriptions about Lord Subramanya.
The tourists as they enter the temple complex come to the five aisles separating each of them by stone pillars carved with Holy Scriptures. On the western side of the Mandapam are 1008 brass oil lamps. There is a lotus tank with huge corridors surrounding it. The pillars on the northern side have the figures of 24 poets etched on them. You will also see intrinsic paintings from the ancient scriptures.
Meenakshi Devi at this temple is depicted as a fish-eyed goddess who has a parrot and a bouquet sending out the message of peace, love and grace.
The entire complex is very huge as the visitors go around seeing The Sundareshwar Shrine, The Shiva Shrine, and The Hall of Thousand Pillars radiating the excellence of Dravidian architecture. Then you see The Famous Musical Pillars and Mandapams. The pillars are carved out of a single stone and when tapped they produce musical notes. The height of the Meenakshi Amman Temple is 52m and it is open from 4.00am to 8.30pm.
Brihadeeswarar Temple
This temple is in Thanjavur in the state of Tamil Nadu, South India. It is an ancient temple built in the center of the city. The temple stands magnificently as one of the famous Hindu Temples in South India. This temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva. It is famous for its Indian architecture constructed during the reign of the Cholas.
The temple complex houses the main “Periya Kovil.” This masterpiece has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site. The walls of the entire temple complex have beautiful paintings telling a story about the Chola and Nayak period.
The Shiva Lingam at the famous temple is huge and has a height of 12 feet. The visitors admire the 216 feet tower over the sanctum. It is seen as one enters Tanjore. It is a surprise to see that the shadow of this massive temple does not fall on the ground at noon. The Brihadeeswarar Temple is one of the tallest temples in the world.
Brihadeeswarar Temple is one of its kind in the world as it is the only temple entirely made of granite.
This famous temple in South India is covered with intricately carved designs depicting the marvelous artistry of the work. It took seven years to complete this temple. The capstone on the temple weighs 20 tons. This temple is illuminated at dusk and stands proudly to be admired by one and all as the famous temple of South India besides being the tallest one in India. It draws thousands of people to worship and to behold it as a jewel in Tanjore. You will find two idols of Ganesh in the corridor. The Dravidian style architecture is outstanding and people come to worship Lord Shiva at this temple.
Tirumala Venkateswara Temple
The temple is in the hill town of Tirumala in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India. Tirumala Temple is yet another famous Hindu temple in South India lying at a distance of 138km from Chennai (Madras).
The temple welcomes the worshippers and its admirers. It is a temple dedicated to Sri Venkateswara Swamy, the Lord of the universe. It is the richest shrine in India besides being a famous temple in South India. It is built on the seventh Tirumala Hill which is 853m above sea level.
The temple today is operated and run by TTD board of trustees. The inner temple houses the main deity and the temple has a golden eye-catching roof. The Lord is seen wearing a gold crown with a large emerald in the front. Everything on the Lord is of gold. A sacred thread is seen flowing down from his left shoulder.
The people enter from the Tirumamani Mandapam to the golden entrance and then to the inner sanctorum. The idol of Lord Sri Venkateswara is placed in the Garbha Gruha. This idol as legend says is self-manifested which no human could have carved. You will find a number of other deities in the temple.
The town of Trimala celebrates a number of festivals and in the month of February Lord Venkateshwara’s deity is taken out in a procession around the temple in chariots. There are other temples nearby which the tourists could also visit.
Ramanathaswamy Temple
This is a Hindu Temple dedicated to god Shiva. It is on the island of Rameshwaram in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. Lord Rama after his return from Sri Lanka visited this famous temple in South India to worship lord Shiva. The deity of Shiva is in the form of a Lingam.
The temple has a huge compound wall. It has enormous towers in north, south, east and west. There are several corridors and about 1212 pillars. The visitors see other shrines in the temple complex. The Ramanathaswamy Temple is one of the holiest Hindu Char Dham sites in South India and is one of the famous historical pilgrimage sites.
Padmanabhaswamy Temple
This temple is in the capital city of the state of Kerala in South India. The temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. You will see Lord Vishnu in this temple reclining on a hooded serpent. It is one among the 108 sacred Hindu Vishnu temples and its history dates back to the 8th century. Once in six years a continuous chanting of prayers takes place in the temple.
The main idol in the temple is about 18 feet long. The temple is constructed in stone and bronze. You will see beautiful paintings and murals as you enter the temple. It has a dhwaj stamba about 80 feet high and is covered with gold-plated copper sheets. The corridors here are very broad with sculptured granite stone pillars. During the ten-day annual festival, the Kathakali is performed here. Only Hindus are permitted entry to this famous temple in South India.
There are a number of other famous Hindu temples in South India, which the tourists can visit. They are Ekambareswarar Temple in Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu India, Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple in Srirangam, Tamil Nadu India, the Guruvayur Temple dedicated to Lord Krishna in Kerala and Thyagaraja Temple in the northern part of Chennai.
A tour to these famous Hindu Temples in South India enriches the visitors not only about religion but also the culture, architecture and the history about these temples. The tourists can book on a good reliable Temple Darshan Tour, South India. You are assured of a peaceful, religious holiday while the tour operators take care of all your needs so that your trip remains hassle free.
