10 Important Temples in India you should visit once in a lifetime

India is home to many famous and beautiful places for worship. As we all know, India has diverse cultures, religions, and languages spoken throughout, be it north, south, east, or west. Most of the population follows Hinduism in India. Many Temples in India are ancient and have historic landmarks. All of these prominent temples in India are intricately designed and carved with huge structures of architecture that will fill you with high spiritual energy.

Here we are presenting you with a list of top 10 famous temples in India, along with states that have immense importance in India.

Vaishno Devi Temple, Jammu

Vaishno Devi is one of the famous temple of North India. The holy cave is reached after a 12-kilometer trek from Katra, the residence of Vaishno Devi. It is located in Jammu & Kashmir, close to the town of Katra. Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Ji, known throughout the globe as Moonh Maangi Muradein Poori Karne Wali Mata, or "the Mother Who Fulfills Whatever Her Children Wish For," lives in a Holy Cave nestled among the folds of the Trikuta mountain, a three-peaked mountain (pronounced as Trikoot). Hindus regard Mata Vaishno Devi Temple to be one of the holiest pilgrimages, drawing millions of visitors each year.

Located at a height of 5200 feet, the Holy Cave of the Mother is a sacred place. In order to reach the base camp in Katra, the Yatris must trek for about 12 kilometres. Pilgrims are honoured with the Darshan of Mata Vaishno Devi inside the Sanctum Sanctorum at the end of their journey. These Darshans take the form of three natural rock formations known as the Pindies. Inside the Cave, there are no statues or idols. And you can also visit to Gulmarg which is one of the famous Indian ski resorts that is about 290 kms away from katra.

Meenakshi Temple, Madurai, Tamil Nadu

Meenakshi Temple is considered to be one of the largest temples in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is also one of the famous temples in south India.This temple is located in the heart of Madurai and on the banks of the Vaigai River. Meenakshi Temple or Meenakshi Amman Temple has dedicated to the two prominent Hindu deities; Goddess Parvati in the form of Meenakshi and Lord Shiva as Sundareshwar.

Legend has it that God Indra built this supreme shrine to amend his misdeeds. It is said that the temple was looted in the 14th Century by Malik Kafur, a Mughal Muslim Commander. The temple was destroyed by the commander for which the only shrines of Sundareshwar and Meenakshi were intact. The temple was once again rebuilt by Vishwanatha Nayakan in the 16th century who was a Nayak ruler. Meenakshi Temple is known for its beautiful and bright Dravidian architecture. This temple can be called as one of the best temple in India for its lucrative architecture.

The Temple is famous for its golden tank which is considered very auspicious because it is believed that Lord Shiva made the tank and is considered older than the temple. The main feature of the temple is a huge sculptured silver carving of Nataraja, the dancing avatar of Shiva. The main idol of Meenakshi has a parrot in her right hand.

Read Also>>> Best Foods to Eat while Fasting During Navratri

Golden Temple, Amritsar, Punjab

Golden Temple is also known as Harmandir Sahib which is located in Amritsar, Punjab. This gorgeous temple is a holy place of worship for people of the Sikh religion. It is one of the most famous temples in India that is visited by lakhs of visitors every single day. Golden Temple was built in the 15th century on the banks of a man-made pond. The golden façade of the temple which looks majestic has a huge religious significance that attracts many tourists and pilgrims from all over.

Sri Harmandir Sahib, commonly known as Darbar Sahib or the Golden Temple, is the holiest site of pilgrimage for Sikhs in Amritsar, Punjab. The temple is based on worldwide brotherhood and equality beliefs.

People of any faith or race are welcome to pursue religious and spiritual fulfilment through any of the four doorways, which open in the four prominent directions. The building, which is admired for its magnificent architecture, is situated lower than the surrounding area, signifying the importance of humility. After its completion, the Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikhs' holy book, was first put in Sri Harmandir Sahib.

Tirupati Balaji Temple, Tirumala, Andhra Pradesh

Tirupati Balaji Temple also known as Venkateshwara Swamy Temple is dedicated to the magnificent Hindu God Lord Venkateshwara an incarnate of Lord Vishnu. This temple is also known as the Temple of Seven Hills as it is located on the seventh peak of Tirumala hills in Tirupati. This temple is known as the richest temple in India due to the amount of money received from the devotees. It is also one of the famous temples in South India that has huge significance.

An interesting ritual known as ‘Mokku’ is followed by devotees where they shave their heads and offer them to God. Legend has it that Balaji became partly bald after being hit on the head by a shepherd. Neela Devi, a Gandharva princess saw this and wished that there should not be any flaw on such a charming face. So, she cut a portion of her hair and fixed it on Balaji’s head with her supernatural powers. This gesture of sacrifice impressed the Lord for which Balaji promised her that she will receive all the hair donated by devotees at his temple. Every year huge tonnes of hair are collected and sold to international buyers. The hair is used as hair extensions.

The interesting part of visiting the temple is the Prasadam. The Ladoo is the prasadam offered which also has a unique geographical identification tag. Only, the temple organization is allowed to make or sell Tirupati Ladoos.

Siddhivinayak Temple, Mumbai, Maharashtra

Siddhivinayak Temple is one of the prominent temples in the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is dedicated to Lord Ganesha and is located in the heart of Mumbai. This temple sees the maximum number of visitors on Tuesdays and is open all days throughout the year.

The most important feature of the temple idol is that the trunk of the lord is on the right side. Almost, all other idols of Ganesha have the trunk on the left side. The idol of Ganesh in this temple has four hands that hold a lotus, a bowl of modaks, a small axe, and prayer beads.

Ganesha’s consorts Riddhi and Siddhi are placed on either side of the idol. A statue of Mushak, Ganeshji’s Vahan is located inside the temple.  It is believed that if you whisper your wishes in the ears of Mushak then all your wishes are made to come true. Being situated in Mumbai, the temple is mostly visited by many famous Bollywood actors before the release of their films and during Ganesh Chaturthi.

Puri Jagannath Temple, Odisha

Puri Jagannath Temple is one of the oldest temples in India. It dates back to the 12th century and is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. This temple is popular for its Rath Yatra Festival which takes place every year in the month of July and is attended by millions of devotees every year. It is believed that the Mahaprasad offered is made under the scrutiny of Goddess Lakshmi and is considered prosperous. This temple is considered to be one of the Char Dhams or the four holiest places of India and is situated in Nilgiri Hills. This temple is also one of the 12 prominent Jyotirlingas of India.

Kedarnath Temple, Uttarakhand

Kedarnath is one of the famous Hindu temples dedicated to Lord Shiva in North India. This Hindu shrine is located in the Uttarakhand region of the Himalayas. This sacred temple of Lord Shiva attracts many pilgrims from all over India, especially in the summer. This temple requires a hike of 14 Km on foot through the mountains which is very difficult if you are not a regular walker. Kedarnath is one of the prominent temples in India and also one of the popular out of the 12 Jyotilingas in india.

The temple is the coldest during the winter season and is remained shut during the winter months.

Padmanabhaswamy Temple, Kerala

Located in the capital city of Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala, Padmanabhaswamy temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. The name Thiruvananthapuram in Tamil and Malayalam is translated to “The City of Lord Anantha” (The City of Lord Vishnu). It is one of the most important South Indian temples that hold huge mythological significance in the world.

This temple was established in the 8th Century making it one of the oldest temples in South India. Padmanabhaswamy Temple is built in Chera and Dravidian style of Architecture with beautiful murals and paintings adorning the walls of the temple making it a must-visit.

Somnath Temple, Gujarat

Somnath Temple is a famous temple located in the Indian state of Gujarat. Legend tells that this temple was built by the Moon God Som using the auspicious metal gold after Shiva freed him from the curse given by his Father-In-Law, Daksha Prajapati. Somnath temple has its mentioned in the Hindu epic Mahabharata and also in Puranas. Somnath place is one place where the holy river Sarasvati mixes with the sea. The Somnath temple was rebuilt and destroyed many times in history. The temple was last restored by Sardar Vallabhai Patel in 1947 when he was the Vice-President of India.

The Temple is famous for its Sound and Light Show. Junagadh gate, Somnath beach, and Simnath Museum are top attractions around the temple.

READ ALSO>>> Did you know these facts about India?

Kashi Vishwanath Temple, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh

Kashi Vishwanath Temple is one of the attractive pilgrimage spots in Northern India which is located in the holy city of Varanasi. This Temple is located on the banks of the river Ganga and is dedicated to Lord Shiva. The temple is at peak prominence for visit by the pilgrims during the month of Shravana, Maha Shivratri, and among major Hindu festivals as per the calendar.

The famous Ganga Aarti takes place every evening at this temple. The idol in this temple is one of the 12 Jyotirlingas in the country. Many pilgrims from all over the country come here to take the blessings of the lord. And Varanasi is one of India's most oldest cities and places that have a deep history about Indian culture and traditions. 

Conclusion

So, these were some of the important temples in India that you should visit once in your lifetime. This entire list highlights the treasures of temples located all across India. So, if you are planning some of the places where these temples are located then don’t miss visiting them.