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108 Shiva Temples, Kalna
A unique complex of 108 small Shiva temples in two concentric circles, built in 1809 by Maharaja Tej Chand of Bardhaman. The rings of lingas are often compared to a rosary.
Adbhuta Narayana Temple, Thirukadithanam
One of the five Pandava temples around Chengannur, said to have been built by Sahadeva.
Adi Jagannatha Perumal Temple, Thirupullani
A Divya Desam near Rameswaram where Rama is said to have lain on darbha grass for three days, praying to the ocean to let his army cross to Lanka.
Adikesava Perumal Temple, Thiruvattar
A Kerala-style Vishnu temple in Kanyakumari district, where a 22-foot image of Vishnu reclines on the serpent Adishesha. It is regarded as the elder brother of the Padmanabhaswamy temple in Thiruvananthapuram, which it closely resembles.
Living templeAdinatha Perumal Temple, Alwarthirunagari
The birthplace of Nammalvar, the greatest of the Alvar poets, on the Thamirabarani river. The tamarind tree under which he is said to have sat in silence for sixteen years still grows in the temple. It is the chief of the Nava Tirupati, nine Vishnu temples nearby.
Agroha Dham
A modern temple complex at Agroha, held to be the capital of Maharaja Agrasen, ancestor of the Agrawal community. Its main shrine is of Mahalakshmi, the Agrawals' family goddess.
Ahobilam Narasimha Temples
A group of nine Narasimha shrines in the Nallamala forest of Andhra Pradesh, where Vishnu is said to have burst from a pillar as the man-lion to save the boy Prahlada. It is the seat of the Ahobila Matha.
Living templeAiravatesvara Temple, Darasuram
A Chola temple of the 12th century, built by Rajaraja II, smaller than Thanjavur but crowded with fine carving. Its front hall is shaped like a chariot drawn by horses, with stone wheels. It is part of the UNESCO site 'Great Living Chola Temples'.
Ajgaivinath Temple, Sultanganj
A Shiva temple on a granite rock in the Ganga at Sultanganj, where the river turns north. Pilgrims fill their pots with Ganga water here and walk about 105 km to the Baidyanath temple at Deoghar in the Shravani kanwar yatra.
Ajitanatha Temple, Taranga
A large Jain temple of Ajitanatha, the second Tirthankara, built by the Chaulukya king Kumarapala on the advice of the scholar-monk Hemachandra. Its tall spire of many tiers is one of the finest of the Solanki period.
Living templeAlarnath Temple, Brahmagiri
A temple of Vishnu where pilgrims come during Anasara, the fortnight after Snana Purnima when Jagannath is hidden from view in Puri. Chaitanya is said to have stayed here and lain on a stone that melted under his devotion.
Alchi Monastery
A group of small temples of the 11th to 13th centuries on the Indus, famous for wall paintings in a style drawn from Kashmir. Tradition links it with the translator Rinchen Zangpo. It is now cared for by monks of Likir monastery.
Living templeAmaralingeswara Temple, Amaravathi
The first of the five Pancharama temples, where pieces of a single linga are worshipped. The linga here is about 4.5 m tall and rises through two floors. The town was earlier the great Buddhist centre of Dhanyakataka.
Amarnath Cave Temple
A cave shrine at about 3,900 m in the Kashmir Himalaya, where an ice stalagmite forming each summer is worshipped as a lingam of Shiva. Lakhs of pilgrims make the Amarnath Yatra in July and August.
Amaruviappan Temple, Therazhundur
A Divya Desam where Vishnu stands as a cowherd with a cow and calf beside him. The village is the birthplace of Kambar, author of the Tamil Ramayana.
Living templeAmbaji Temple, Arasur
The chief goddess temple of Gujarat, in the Arasur hills on the Rajasthan border. There is no image in the sanctum: a sacred yantra is worshipped, dressed so that it looks like the goddess. Nearby Gabbar hill is held to be where part of Sati's heart fell.
Living templeAmbalappuzha Sree Krishna Temple
A Krishna temple built by the rulers of Chembakassery, where the deity holds a whip and conch like Parthasarathy, Arjuna's charioteer. It is famous for its palpayasam, a rice and milk pudding that Guruvayurappan is believed to come and taste each day, and it sheltered the Guruvayur image during Tipu Sultan's invasion.
Ambika Mata Temple, Jagat
A 10th-century temple of the goddess Ambika at Jagat, known for its carvings of goddesses, musicians and celestial women. It is sometimes called the Khajuraho of Rajasthan.
Living templeAmbreshwar Shiva Temple, Ambarnath
An 11th-century Shilahara temple of Shiva near Mumbai, with an inscription dated 1060. Its richly carved walls in the Bhumija style make it one of the finest early temples of the Konkan.
Ananta Vasudeva Temple, Bansberia
A Vishnu temple of 1679 with a single tower (eka-ratna) and walls covered in terracotta panels showing the Ramayana, Mahabharata and Krishna stories.
Living templeAnanta Vasudeva Temple, Bhubaneswar
The main Vaishnava temple of Bhubaneswar, a city of Shiva, built in 1278 by the Ganga princess Chandrika. It houses Krishna, Balarama and Subhadra, and its kitchen prepares a temple food offering like that of Puri.
Ananthapura Lake Temple
The only lake temple in Kerala, a shrine of Vishnu as Anantha Padmanabha in the middle of a lake. It is held to be the original seat of the Padmanabhaswamy of Thiruvananthapuram. A crocodile, believed to guard the temple, lived in the lake for decades.
Living templeAndal Temple, Srivilliputhur
The birthplace of Andal, the only woman among the twelve Alvars, who wrote the Thiruppavai and is said to have married Vishnu. The temple has two parts: her shrine, and the shrine of Vishnu lying on a banyan leaf. Its gopuram, about 59 m high, appears on the emblem of the Tamil Nadu government.
Andalakkum Aiyan Temple, Thiruaadhanoor
A small Divya Desam near Swamimalai where Vishnu is shown holding a grain measure and a palm leaf. It is linked with Thirumangai Alvar's temple-building at Srirangam.
Anjaneya Swamy Temple, Kondagattu
A hill temple of Hanuman in north Telangana, among the most visited Hanuman shrines in the Telugu lands. The image shows Hanuman with two faces, Anjaneya and Narasimha.
Annapoorneshwari Temple, Horanadu
A temple of Annapoorneshwari, the goddess of food, in the Western Ghats of Chikkamagaluru. Every visitor is given meals and a place to rest, in keeping with the goddess's nature as the giver of food.
Annapurna Devi Temple, Varanasi
The temple of Annapurna, goddess of food, beside the Kashi Vishwanath temple. Shiva himself is said to have begged for food from her. In 2021 an 18th-century Annapurna image stolen from Varanasi a century earlier was returned from Canada and installed in the Vishwanath complex.
Living templeAppakudathaan Perumal Temple, Koviladi
One of the five Pancharanga shrines of reclining Vishnu along the Kaveri. Vishnu here holds a pot of appam, a sweet cake, and the temple is said to be where Nammalvar sang his last hymn.
Living templeAranmula Parthasarathy Temple
A Divya Desam on the Pamba river where Krishna is worshipped as Parthasarathy, Arjuna's charioteer, in a six-foot image said to be the tallest of Krishna in Kerala. It is the home of the Aranmula snake-boat race, the Vallasadya feast and the metal Aranmula mirror.
Living templeArunachaleswarar Temple, Tiruvannamalai
One of the largest temples in India, at the foot of Arunachala hill, where Shiva is worshipped as fire (Agni Lingam). Each year at Karthigai Deepam a great flame is lit on the hilltop. Pilgrims walk the 14 km path around the hill, and the sage Ramana Maharshi lived here.
Aruvippuram Shiva Temple
The Shiva temple where Sree Narayana Guru, the social reformer, consecrated a lingam taken from the Neyyar river in 1888. By doing so as a non-Brahmin, he challenged caste rules on who could install a deity, a turning point in Kerala's social reform.
Ashapura Mata Temple, Mata no Madh
The temple of Ashapura, 'she who fulfils hopes', family goddess of the Jadeja rulers of Kutch and of many communities in western India. Pilgrims walk hundreds of kilometres to reach her at Navaratri.
Ashokdham, Lakhisarai
A Shiva temple at the place where a large linga was found in 1977 by a boy named Ashok while playing, after whom the site is named. Its Shravani fair is a major event in the region.
Ashtabhuja Perumal Temple, Kanchipuram
A Kanchipuram Divya Desam where Vishnu has eight arms, each holding a weapon. It belongs to the cycle of stories about Brahma's sacrifice and Saraswati's anger.
Living templeAttukal Bhagavathy Temple
A shrine of the goddess Bhagavathy, identified with Bhadrakali and with Kannaki of the Tamil epic Silappatikaram. It is famous for the Attukal Pongala, when millions of women cook a sweet rice offering in the streets of Thiruvananthapuram, recognised by Guinness World Records as the largest gathering of women.
Rebuilt / restored for worshipAundha Nagnath Temple
A 13th-century Seuna Yadava temple in Hemadpanti style, considered by many to be the Nageshwar Jyotirlinga named in Adi Shankara's Jyotirlinga hymn. Damaged by Sultanate invasions, its upper part was rebuilt later, traditionally by Ahilyabai Holkar.
Auniati Satra, Majuli
One of the leading Vaishnava monasteries (satras) of Majuli, the great river island of the Brahmaputra, founded in 1653 with the support of the Ahom king Jayadhvaj Singha. It is famous for its Paalnaam festival and museum.
Avantiswami Temple, Avantipora
The ruins of a Vishnu temple built by the Utpala king Avantivarman, founder of Avantipura, in the 9th century. Its colonnaded court and carved gateway are among the finest remains of Kashmiri temple art.
Living templeAzhagiya Manavalan Temple, Uraiyur
The Divya Desam of Uraiyur, the early Chola capital, sacred to Kamalavalli, a Chola princess said to have married Ranganatha of Srirangam. It is the birthplace of Thiruppan Alvar.
Azhagiya Singar Temple, Thiruvelukkai
A Kanchipuram Divya Desam of Narasimha, called 'the beautiful lion'. Its name comes from vel irukkai, 'the place where he chose to stay'.
Baba Balak Nath Temple, Deotsidh
The cave shrine of Baba Balak Nath, a child ascetic revered in Himachal and Punjab and identified by devotees with Kartikeya. By custom women view the cave from a platform opposite instead of entering.
Baba Garibnath Temple, Muzaffarpur
A popular Shiva temple in Muzaffarpur, known as the Deoghar of north Bihar. In the month of Shravan, kanwariyas carry Ganga water from Pahleja ghat near Sonepur to offer to the lingam.
Baba Ramdev Temple, Ramdevra
The samadhi shrine of Baba Ramdev, a 14th-15th century Tanwar Rajput saint revered by Hindus as an incarnation of Krishna and by Muslims as Ramdev Pir. His Bhadrapada fair is one of the largest in Rajasthan.
Badami Cave Temples
Four cave temples cut into a red sandstone cliff at Vatapi, the Chalukya capital: one for Shiva, two for Vishnu and one Jain. Cave 3, dated 578, is one of the earliest dated Hindu cave temples in India.
Bade Hanuman Temple, Prayagraj
A shrine of a huge reclining Hanuman near the confluence (Sangam) of the Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati. When the Ganga rises in flood it enters the shrine, and devotees say the river has come to bathe Hanuman.
Badi Patan Devi Temple
A Shakti Peetha in old Patna, where Sati's right thigh is said to have fallen. The goddess Patan Devi is held to be the guardian of the city, which may take its name from her.
Living templeBadrinath Temple
A temple to Vishnu as Badrinarayan on the Alaknanda river at about 3,100 m, one of the Char Dham and a Divya Desam. It is open in summer only, and its chief priest (Rawal) is by tradition a Namboodiri Brahmin from Kerala.
Bagnath Temple, Bageshwar
A Shiva temple at the meeting of the Saryu and Gomti rivers, whose present building dates from 1602 under the Chand king Lakshmi Chand. It is the centre of the Uttarayani fair.
Bahuchara Mata Temple, Becharaji
The temple of Bahuchara Mata, a goddess who rides a rooster, and the patron goddess of the hijra (transgender) community of western India. Families also bring children here for their first haircut.
Baidyanath Temple
The temple of Baba Baidyanath in Deoghar, Jharkhand, widely regarded as the Vaidyanath Jyotirlinga, with 21 other temples in its compound. In the month of Shravan, millions of pilgrims (kanwariyas) carry Ganga water about 100 km on foot from Sultanganj to offer here. Parli Vaijnath in Maharashtra also claims this Jyotirlinga.
Baijnath Temple, Garur
A group of stone temples of the 12th-13th century on the Gomti river, built in the time of the Katyuri kings, whose capital Kartikeyapura was nearby. The main shrine holds a fine image of Parvati.
Baijnath Temple, Kangra
A stone temple of Shiva as Vaidyanath, the lord of physicians, built in 1204 by two merchants, Ahuka and Manyuka, according to its inscriptions. Some traditions count it among the twelve Jyotirlingas.
Bakreshwar Temple
A Shiva temple among hot springs in Birbhum, also counted a Shakti Peetha, where the point between Sati's eyebrows is said to have fallen. The goddess here is Mahishamardini.
Balkampet Yellamma Temple
A busy temple of the goddess Yellamma in Hyderabad, whose image lies below ground level beside a spring. Her annual wedding festival, the Yellamma Kalyanam, draws huge crowds.
Ballaleshwar Temple, Pali
The only Ashtavinayak shrine named after a devotee, the boy Ballal, for whom Ganesha appeared. The temple is laid out so that the sun's rays fall on the image at the winter solstice.
Bambleshwari Temple, Dongargarh
A hilltop temple of the goddess Bambleshwari above Dongargarh, reached by about 1,100 steps or a ropeway. A second shrine, Chhoti Bambleshwari, stands at the foot of the hill.
Rebuilt / restored for worshipBanashankari Temple, Badami
A temple of the goddess Banashankari (Shakambhari), family deity of the Chalukyas of Badami. Its month-long fair in the month of Pushya is one of the largest in north Karnataka.
Living templeBanke Bihari Temple, Vrindavan
The most visited temple of Vrindavan, home of the image of Krishna as Banke Bihari, 'the one bent in three places', revealed to the musician-saint Swami Haridas. A curtain is drawn across the image every few minutes, so that no devotee may gaze too long.
Bargabhima Temple, Tamluk
A Shakti Peetha in Tamluk, the ancient port of Tamralipta, where Sati's left ankle is said to have fallen. The goddess is worshipped as Bargabhima, a form of Kali.
Barpeta Satra
A major Vaishnava satra founded in the late 16th century by Madhavdeva, the chief disciple of Sankardev, with Mathuradas Burha Ata as its first head. Its Doul festival is one of the biggest in Assam.
Barsur Temples
A group of 11th-century temples at Barsur, the old capital of the Chindaka Naga kings of Bastar, including the Mama-Bhanja temple, the 32-pillared Battisa temple and two large monolithic Ganesha images.
Basokund, Vaishali
A village near ancient Vaishali held by many Jains and scholars to be Kundagrama, the birthplace of Mahavira, the 24th Tirthankara. A memorial and temple mark the spot, and the Bihar government set up a Prakrit and Jain studies institute nearby.
Basukinath Temple
A Shiva temple in Dumka district visited by Kanwar pilgrims after Baidyanath at Deoghar. Devotees believe a visit to Deoghar is incomplete without Basukinath.
Batadrava Than
The birthplace of the saint-reformer Sankardev (1449-1568), where he set up his first prayer hall (kirtanghar). It is one of the holiest places of Assamese Vaishnavism.
Bateshwar Temples
A group of nearly 200 small sandstone temples of Shiva, Vishnu and the goddess, built in the 8th-10th centuries. They had collapsed into rubble and were pieced together by the Archaeological Survey of India from 2005.
Bawe Wali Mata Temple, Bahu Fort
A temple of Mahakali inside the old Bahu Fort above the Tawi river in Jammu, worshipped as Bawe Wali Mata. She is regarded as the guardian goddess of Jammu.
Belur Math
The headquarters of the Ramakrishna Math and Mission, founded by Swami Vivekananda in 1898. Its main temple, dedicated in 1938, blends Hindu, Buddhist, Islamic and Christian forms, reflecting Ramakrishna's teaching on the harmony of religions.
Bhadrakali Temple, Ahmedabad
The temple of Bhadrakali, guardian goddess (nagar devi) of Ahmedabad, inside the 15th-century Bhadra fort. Its legend tells of Lakshmi agreeing to stay in the city for good.
Bhadrakali Temple, Itkhori
A sacred site where a goddess temple stands among Buddhist and Jain remains of the 9th-10th centuries, including a votive stupa with over a thousand small Buddha figures.
Bhadrakali Temple, Warangal
A temple of the goddess Bhadrakali beside a lake between Hanamkonda and Warangal. Tradition says it was founded by the Chalukya king Pulakeshin II in the 7th century, and the Kakatiya rulers later worshipped her. The temple was rebuilt in 1950.
Living templeBhaktavatsala Perumal Temple, Thirukannamangai
One of the five Pancha Krishna shrines, where Vishnu and Lakshmi are said to have married. A beehive in the goddess's shrine is believed to be the gods themselves, come to watch.
Living templeBhaktavatsala Perumal Temple, Thiruninravur
A Divya Desam on the western edge of Chennai, where Lakshmi is said to have stood ('ninra') and stayed, giving the town its name.
Bhalka Tirth, Veraval
The place where Krishna is said to have been struck in the foot by the arrow of the hunter Jara, ending his life on earth. A modern temple shows the reclining Krishna under a sacred pipal tree, near Somnath.
Living templeBharat Mata Mandir, Varanasi
A temple dedicated to Mother India, with no image except a large relief map of undivided India carved in marble. It was built by the nationalist Shiv Prasad Gupt and opened by Mahatma Gandhi in 1936.
Living templeBhimakali Temple
The family temple of the Bushahr rulers at Sarahan, a striking example of Himachal's Kath-Kuni style of layered timber and stone with pagoda-like roofs. It is revered locally as a Shakti Peetha.
Living templeBhimashankar Temple
A Jyotirlinga temple high in the Sahyadri hills at the source of the Bhima river, inside the Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary. Its assembly hall and spire were built by Nana Phadnavis in the 18th century. Some other sites, including one in Assam, also claim to be the Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga.
Living templeBhimeswara Temple, Draksharama
A great Shiva temple of the Godavari delta, one of the five Pancharamas, where the goddess Manikyamba is worshipped as one of the 18 Maha Shakti Peethas. Tradition places Daksha's fateful sacrifice here, the event that began the story of the Shakti Peethas.
Ruined / monumentBhitargaon Brick Temple
The oldest surviving brick temple of India with a tall spire, built in the Gupta period. Its walls once carried terracotta panels of gods, animals and scenes from myth, some now in museums.
UnfinishedBhojeshwar Temple
An unfinished 11th-century Shiva temple of the Paramara king Bhoja, with one of the largest stone lingas in India. Construction drawings engraved on nearby rocks and the earthen ramp used to lift stones survive, so the site shows how medieval temples were built.
Bhoramdeo Temple
A stone Shiva temple of about the late 11th century in the Maikal hills, built under the Phani Nagavanshi kings. Its carvings of gods, dancers and couples have earned it the name 'Khajuraho of Chhattisgarh'.
Bijli Mahadev Temple
A hilltop Shiva temple above Kullu, famous because lightning is said to strike its tall flagstaff and shatter the linga, which the priest then rejoins with butter.
Living templeBiraja Temple, Jajpur
The temple of Biraja (Viraja), a two-armed form of Durga killing Mahishasura, at Jajpur in Odisha. Jajpur is the Viraja Kshetra of the Puranas, counted among the 18 Maha Shakti Peethas, and its well is the Nabhi Gaya where rites for ancestors are performed.
Birla Mandir, Hyderabad
A white marble temple of Venkateswara on a hill above Hussain Sagar lake, built by the Birla family and consecrated in 1976. It mixes South Indian, Rajasthani and Odia temple forms, and is known for its quiet: there are no bells.
Brahma Temple, Brahma Karmali
One of the very few temples of Brahma in India, in a village of Sattari taluka. Its stone image of Brahma, of about the 12th century, is said to have been brought from Carambolim in the 16th century to escape Portuguese destruction.
Brahma Temple, Pushkar
One of the very few temples in India dedicated to Brahma, the creator, beside the sacred lake of Pushkar. The Kartik Purnima fair at Pushkar, with its camel market, is one of the largest in Rajasthan.
Living templeBrahmeswar Temple, Bhubaneswar
A five-shrine (panchayatana) Shiva temple built by Queen Kolavati, mother of the Somavamshi king Udyotakesari, according to an inscription. Its walls are among the first to show musicians and dancers in large numbers, linked to the temple's dancers.
Brajeshwari Temple, Kangra
A Shakti Peetha at Kangra, where Sati's left breast is said to have fallen. The temple was famously rich, was plundered by Mahmud of Ghazni in 1009, and was rebuilt after the 1905 earthquake.
Living templeBrihadisvara Temple
Built by the Chola emperor Rajaraja I and consecrated in 1010 CE, this granite temple to Shiva has a vimana about 66 m high and is one of the largest temples of its age. It is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site 'Great Living Chola Temples'.
Living templeBrihadisvara Temple, Gangaikonda Cholapuram
The great Shiva temple of the city that Rajendra I built as his capital after his armies reached the Ganges. Its vimana, about 55 m high with gently curving sides, is a counterpart to his father's temple at Thanjavur. It is part of the UNESCO site 'Great Living Chola Temples'.
Champaran, Birthplace of Vallabhacharya
The birthplace of Vallabhacharya (1479-1531), founder of the Pushti Marg, in the forests near Raipur. Two shrines (baithaks) mark his birth and appearance, and it is a major pilgrimage for Pushti Marg Vaishnavas.
Chamunda Devi Temple, Kangra
A temple of the fierce goddess Chamunda on the Baner river below the Dhauladhar range, one of the main goddess shrines of Kangra.
Chamunda Mata Temple, Chotila
A hilltop temple of Chamunda on Chotila hill, reached by about 600 steps, by the highway between Ahmedabad and Rajkot. It is one of the most visited goddess shrines in Saurashtra.
Living templeChamundeshwari Temple, Mysuru
The hilltop temple of Chamundeshwari, the goddess who killed the buffalo demon Mahishasura, from whom Mysuru takes its name. She is the family deity of the Wodeyar kings and the 'Nada Devi' of Karnataka, at the heart of the Mysuru Dasara.
Chandi Devi Temple, Haridwar
A hilltop temple of the goddess Chandi on Neel Parvat across the river from Haridwar. The main image is said to have been installed by Adi Shankara; the present temple was built in 1929.
Chaturbhuj Temple, Orchha
A towering temple built on a high platform at Orchha in the late 16th century, meant for the image of Rama that stayed in the Ram Raja palace instead. It is one of the tallest temple buildings of its time, combining temple, fort and palace forms.
Chaurasi Temples, Bharmour
A group of 84 shrines at Bharmour, the old capital of the Chamba kings, including the wooden Lakshana Devi temple of about the 7th-8th century. Pilgrims start the Manimahesh yatra from here.
Chausath Yogini Temple, Bhedaghat
A circular yogini temple of the 10th century on a hill above the marble gorges of the Narmada, with more than 80 carved goddess images in the cloister. A shrine of Shiva and Parvati riding Nandi stands in the centre.
Living templeChausath Yogini Temple, Hirapur
A small circular temple open to the sky, with 64 images of yoginis, female divinities of the tantric tradition, carved in black stone. It is one of only a few yogini temples surviving in India.
Chausath Yogini Temple, Mitaoli
A circular hilltop temple with 64 cells around a central Shiva shrine, built for the 64 yoginis. It is often said to have inspired the round design of India's old Parliament House, though this is not documented.
Chaya Someswara Temple, Panagal
A three-shrined Shiva temple of the 11th-12th century at Panagal, built under the Kunduru Chodas. It is famous for a shadow (chaya) that falls on the lingam through the day without any visible source.
Living templeCheluvanarayana Swamy Temple, Melukote
A hilltop temple of Vishnu as Cheluvanarayana, where the philosopher Ramanuja lived for about twelve years. Its Vairamudi festival, when the god wears a diamond crown from the Mysore palace, draws huge crowds.
Living templeChennakeshava Temple, Belur
A masterpiece of Hoysala sculpture on the Yagachi river, commissioned by King Vishnuvardhana in 1117 CE. Its soapstone surfaces carry thousands of figures, including the famous bracket figures of dancers (madanikas). It is part of the UNESCO site 'Sacred Ensembles of the Hoysalas' (2023).
Chennakeshava Temple, Somanathapura
The best-preserved Hoysala temple, a triple shrine on a star-shaped platform inside a cloistered courtyard. No worship takes place today; it is a protected monument and part of the UNESCO Sacred Ensembles of the Hoysalas.
Chettikulangara Bhagavathy Temple
A goddess temple near Mavelikkara, known for its Kumbha Bharani festival, when villages bring tall decorated effigies of chariots, horses and figures (kettukazhcha) to the temple.
Chhatarpur Temple
A large temple complex of the goddess Katyayani in south Delhi, founded in 1974 by Baba Sant Nagpal. Its marble and lattice buildings in the South and North Indian styles spread over many acres.
Chhinnamasta Temple, Rajrappa
A temple of the headless goddess Chhinnamasta, one of the ten Mahavidyas, at the meeting of the Damodar and Bhairavi rivers. It is a major centre of tantric worship in eastern India.
Living templeChilkur Balaji Temple
A Venkateswara temple near Hyderabad, popularly called the 'Visa Balaji' because people seeking visas pray here. It accepts no money offerings and has no hundi, VIP queue or special tickets.
Chintaman Ganesh Temple, Ujjain
A temple of Ganesha as Chintaman, the remover of worries, with self-manifested images of Ganesha and his consorts Riddhi and Siddhi. It is the most important Ganesha temple of Ujjain.
Chintamani Temple, Theur
An Ashtavinayak shrine of Ganesha as Chintamani, 'the wish-fulfilling jewel'. It was the favourite of the Peshwa Madhavrao I, who died here in 1772.
Chintpurni Temple
A Shakti Peetha in Una district where Sati's feet are said to have fallen. The goddess, Chhinnamastika, is worshipped as a pindi and is believed to remove worries (chinta).
Living templeChottanikkara Bhagavathy Temple
A goddess temple near Kochi where the deity, a self-manifested laterite stone, is worshipped as Rajarajeswari together with Vishnu. A lower shrine, the Keezhkkavu, holds Bhadrakali in her fierce form, and many people with mental distress come here hoping for relief.
Cuttack Chandi Temple
The temple of the city goddess of Cuttack, Chandi, worshipped as a form of Durga. At Durga Puja the city's great festival begins here, and the goddess is decked as Mahishasuramardini and other forms each day.
Da Parbatia Temple
The ruins of an early temple near Tezpur whose carved stone door frame, of about the 5th-6th century, is the oldest surviving temple sculpture in Assam. It shows the river goddesses Ganga and Yamuna.
Daitya Sudan Temple, Lonar
A 12th-century temple of Vishnu as slayer of the demon Lonasura, in the town beside the Lonar crater, a lake formed by a meteor impact. Many smaller temples stand around the crater rim and inside it.
Living templeDakshineswar Kali Temple
A nine-spired (navaratna) temple of Kali as Bhavatarini on the Hooghly river, built by Rani Rashmoni in 1855. Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa served here as priest, making it the birthplace of a spiritual movement that went worldwide through Swami Vivekananda.
Danteshwari Temple, Dantewada
The temple of Danteshwari, family goddess of the Bastar rulers and chief goddess of Bastar, at the meeting of two rivers. It is counted by some as a Shakti Peetha where Sati's tooth (danta) fell, and is central to the 75-day Bastar Dussehra.
Ruined / monumentDashavatara Temple, Deogarh
One of the earliest surviving stone temples of north India, built in the Gupta period around 500 CE. Its relief panels of Vishnu lying on the serpent, Gajendra being saved, and the sages Nara and Narayana are masterpieces of Gupta art.
Deepaprakasar Temple, Thoopul
A Kanchipuram Divya Desam where Vishnu appeared as a great light. The neighbourhood, Thoopul, is the birthplace of the teacher Vedanta Desika in 1268.
Deivanayaka Perumal Temple, Thirunangur
One of the eleven Divya Desams of Thirunangur near Sirkazhi. Its name means 'where the gods gathered'.
Deorani-Jethani Temples, Tala
The ruins of two temples of the 5th-6th century at Tala, known for a huge and unusual image of Rudra Shiva, its body made of animal and human forms, found here in the 1980s.
Living templeDevanathaswamy Temple, Thiruvahindrapuram
The temple of Vishnu as Devanatha, 'lord of the gods', on the Gadilam river near Cuddalore. The Sri Vaishnava teacher Vedanta Desika lived here for many years, and a hill shrine above holds Hayagriva, the horse-headed god of learning.
Devi Patan Temple, Tulsipur
A goddess temple near the Nepal border, counted by some lists as a Shakti Peetha where Sati's shoulder fell. It is linked to the Nath yogis, and each Chaitra the procession of Pir Ratannath comes from Dang in Nepal.
Devi Talab Mandir, Jalandhar
A goddess temple beside a large tank in Jalandhar, counted among the Shakti Peethas as the place where Sati's left breast fell. It also hosts the Harballabh Sangeet Sammelan, one of the oldest music festivals in India.
Dewri Temple, Tamar
An old stone temple of a sixteen-armed Durga near Ranchi, where tribal pahan priests serve alongside Brahmin priests. It became widely known as a temple frequented by the cricketer M. S. Dhoni.
Dhabaleswar Temple, Cuttack
A Shiva temple on a rocky island in the Mahanadi, reached by a suspension footbridge. On Kartik Purnima night, the Bada Osha festival draws huge crowds who fast and offer to Shiva.
Living templeDhandayuthapani Swamy Temple, Palani
The hilltop temple of Murugan as a young renunciant holding only a staff, the third of his six abodes (Arupadai Veedu). Its image is said to be made of nine poisonous herbs and minerals by the siddha Bhogar. It is among the most visited temples in South India.
Dhari Devi Temple
A temple of the goddess Dhari Devi on the Alaknanda river, held to be the guardian of the Char Dham. The image was moved for a hydroelectric dam in June 2013, just before the Kedarnath flood, which many devotees linked to the move.
Dilwara Temples
A group of five Shvetambara Jain temples at Mount Abu, famous for some of the finest marble carving in India. The two oldest, Vimal Vasahi (1031) and Luna Vasahi (1230), were built by ministers of the Chaulukya and Vaghela rulers of Gujarat.
Living templeDodda Basavanna Temple, Bengaluru
A temple of Nandi, Shiva's bull, with a monolithic image about 4.5 m high and 6 m long. It gives its name to Basavanagudi, and its groundnut fair, the Kadalekai Parishe, is one of Bengaluru's best-loved festivals.
Durga Temple (Durga Kund), Varanasi
A red ochre temple of Durga beside a large tank, built in the 18th century by Rani Bhabani of Natore in Bengal. It is one of the most important goddess temples of Varanasi.
Ruined / monumentDurga Temple, Aihole
An apsidal Chalukya temple ringed by a pillared gallery, the best known of more than a hundred temples at Aihole, often called a cradle of Indian temple architecture. The name comes from a nearby fort (durga), not from the goddess.
Durgaparameshwari Temple, Kateel
A goddess temple on a rock in the middle of the Nandini river near Mangaluru. It is famous as the home of one of the oldest Yakshagana troupes, whose all-night performances are offered to the goddess as worship.
Durgiana Temple, Amritsar
Amritsar's main Hindu temple, a domed shrine in the middle of a sacred tank, built in 1921 in a style similar to the Golden Temple. Its doors are covered in silver, and it is dedicated to Lakshmi and Narayan, with a shrine of Durga.
Dwarkadhish Temple, Bet Dwarka
A temple of Krishna on the island of Bet Dwarka, held to be his residence while Dwarka was his court. The island, reached by ferry and since 2024 by a cable-stayed bridge, has also yielded remains of a Late Harappan settlement.
Living templeDwarkadhish Temple, Dwarka
The temple of Krishna as king of Dwarka, on the western shore of Gujarat. It is one of the four Char Dham and one of the seven sacred cities, and its tall spire flies a flag that is changed several times a day.
Dwarkadhish Temple, Mathura
A temple of Krishna as king of Dwarka near the Yamuna in old Mathura, built in 1814 and served by priests of the Pushti Marg. Its swing festival (jhula) in the monsoon month of Shravan is the most famous in Mathura.
Living templeEkambareswarar Temple, Kanchipuram
The largest temple in Kanchipuram, where Shiva is worshipped as a linga of earth (Prithvi Lingam), one of the five Pancha Bhoota Sthalams. An ancient mango tree in its courtyard marks where Parvati is said to have worshipped him and won him in marriage.
Eklingji Temple, Kailashpuri
The family temple of the rulers of Mewar, dedicated to Shiva as Eklingji, the true ruler of the state. The Maharanas ruled as his diwan (minister). The walled complex holds more than a hundred shrines.
Living templeEttumanoor Mahadeva Temple
One of Kerala's major Shiva temples, rebuilt in 1542, with a copper-roofed sanctum and a celebrated mural of Shiva's Pradosha dance. It owns the Ezharaponnana, seven and a half gold-plated elephants shown to devotees once a year at midnight during the festival.
Gajendra Varadha Perumal Temple, Kapisthalam
A Divya Desam on the Kaveri where Vishnu is said to have saved the elephant king Gajendra from a crocodile. It is one of the Pancha Krishnaranya shrines.
Galtaji Temple
A complex of temples, pavilions and sacred tanks fed by a natural spring in a rocky gorge east of Jaipur. It has been a seat (peeth) of the Ramanandi order since the 16th century and is famous for its many monkeys.
Ruined / monumentGalteshwar Temple, Sarnal
A 12th-century Shiva temple of the Chaulukya period at the meeting of the Mahi and Galti rivers. Its spire is lost, but its plinth and walls carry some of the finest Solanki carving in central Gujarat.
Gangeshwar Mahadev Temple, Diu
A cave shrine on the seashore at Fudam near Diu, with five Shiva lingams set among the rocks that are washed by the waves at high tide. The Pandavas are said to have worshipped them during their exile.
Gangotri Temple
The temple of the goddess Ganga at Gangotri, one of the four shrines of the Chota Char Dham. The source of the Bhagirathi, at the Gaumukh glacier, lies about 18 km beyond. The temple is open from Akshaya Tritiya to Diwali.
Gauri Shankar Temple, Chandni Chowk
A Shiva temple in Chandni Chowk built about 1761 by Apa Gangadhar, a Maratha officer. Its lingam is believed by devotees to be far older than the building.
Gavi Gangadhareshwara Temple, Bengaluru
A cave temple of Shiva in the heart of Bengaluru, developed by the city's founder Kempe Gowda I. On Makara Sankranti the setting sun shines through a window, between the horns of the Nandi, onto the linga.
Ghateshwar Temple, Baroli
The largest of a group of eight 10th-century temples at Baroli near the Chambal river, named for its pot-shaped (ghata) linga. Its carved spire and porch are among the best preserved Pratihara-period work.
Giraudpuri Dham
The birthplace of Guru Ghasidas (born 1756), founder of the Satnami panth, which rejects caste and image worship. The Jaitkham, a white tower about 77 m high completed in 2015, stands here.
Living templeGirijatmaj Temple, Lenyadri
The only Ashtavinayak shrine in a cave, inside an early Buddhist rock-cut vihara on Lenyadri hill. Ganesha is worshipped here as Girijatmaj, son of Parvati (Girija), who is said to have done penance in the cave.
Girnar Jain Temples (Neminatha)
A group of Jain temples on Mount Girnar, where Neminatha, the 22nd Tirthankara, is believed to have renounced the world and attained liberation. The same mountain holds Hindu shrines to Amba and Dattatreya, and an edict of Ashoka stands at its foot.
Living templeGnana Saraswati Temple, Basara
One of the few major temples of Saraswati, the goddess of learning, on the bank of the Godavari. Parents bring young children here for Akshara Abhyasam, the ceremony of writing their first letters.
Gokul (Thiruvaipadi)
The cowherd village across the Yamuna where Krishna grew up in the house of Nanda and Yashoda. The Alvars sang of it as Thiruvaipadi, the holy settlement of the cowherds.
Living templeGommateshwara, Shravanabelagola
A 57-foot (17.4 m) monolithic statue of Bahubali, carved from the granite of Vindhyagiri hill in the 10th century. Every twelve years it is anointed in the Mahamastakabhisheka, one of the great Jain festivals.
Living templeGondeshwar Temple, Sinnar
A 12th-century five-shrine (panchayatana) temple of Shiva built under the Seuna Yadavas, with shrines to Vishnu, Surya, Ganesha and Parvati at the corners. It is one of the best-preserved Bhumija-style temples in Maharashtra.
Gopalakrishna Temple, Thirukkavalampadi
One of the eleven Divya Desams of Thirunangur near Sirkazhi. Krishna is said to have rested here with Satyabhama after bringing the parijata tree from heaven.
Gorakhnath Math, Gorakhpur
The chief monastery-temple of the Nath yogis, built over the meditation seat of Guru Gorakhnath, the yogi who gave the city its name. At Makar Sankranti lakhs of people offer khichdi to Gorakhnath here.
Govardhan Hill (Giriraj), Govardhan
The low sandstone hill that Krishna is said to have lifted on one finger to shelter the people of Braj from Indra's storm. The hill itself is worshipped as Krishna, and pilgrims walk the 21 km parikrama around it, some prostrating the whole way.
Govind Dev Ji Temple, Jaipur
The most visited temple of Jaipur, inside the City Palace gardens, holding the image of Krishna as Govinda that was brought from Vrindavan. The Kachwaha rulers regarded Govind Dev as the true king of Jaipur and themselves as his ministers.
Living templeGovind Dev Temple, Vrindavan
A great red sandstone temple built in 1590 by Raja Man Singh of Amber, for the image of Krishna found by Rupa Goswami. Its upper storeys were destroyed in the 17th century and the image was taken to Jaipur, but worship goes on in the old building with a new image.
Great Stupa, Sanchi
The oldest stone structure in India still standing, a great Buddhist stupa begun by the emperor Ashoka in the 3rd century BCE. Its four carved gateways (toranas) are masterpieces of early Indian art. Sanchi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Gridhrakuta (Vulture Peak), Rajgir
A rocky hill at Rajgir where the Buddha often stayed and taught, and where Mahayana tradition places the teaching of the Lotus Sutra and the Heart Sutra. Pilgrims climb the old path to brick terraces at the top.
Rebuilt / restored for worshipGrishneshwar Temple
The smallest of the Jyotirlinga temples, at Verul next to the Ellora Caves. Destroyed under the Delhi Sultanate and again during the Mughal-Maratha wars, it was restored by Maloji Bhosale, Shivaji's grandfather, and rebuilt in its present form by the Holkars in the 18th century.
Living templeGundicha Temple, Puri
The garden temple at the end of the Grand Road (Bada Danda) of Puri, where Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra stay for seven days during the Rath Yatra. For the rest of the year it stands empty.
Living templeGuruvayur Sri Krishna Temple
One of Kerala's most visited temples, dedicated to Krishna as Guruvayurappan, a four-armed Vishnu form. It is central to Kerala devotional literature, the Narayaneeyam and Jnanappana, and was the site of the 1931-32 Guruvayur Satyagraha for temple entry.
Hangseshwari Temple, Bansberia
A temple of the goddess Hangseshwari with 13 lotus-bud towers, designed, by tradition, after the channels of the body in tantric yoga. It was begun by Raja Nrisinghadeb Roy and completed by his widow Rani Shankari in 1814.
Living templeHanuman Garhi, Ayodhya
A fortress-like temple of Hanuman on a mound in Ayodhya, reached by 76 steps. By custom pilgrims visit Hanuman here before going to the Rama temple, as he is the guardian of Rama's city.
Har Ki Pauri, Haridwar
The most sacred ghat of Haridwar, where the Ganga leaves the mountains. Its evening Ganga aarti draws thousands every day, and it is the centre of the Kumbh Mela held here every twelve years.
Living templeHarasaabavimochana Perumal Temple, Thirukandiyur
A Divya Desam near Thiruvaiyaru whose name means 'the lord who freed Hara from his curse'. It stands close to the Shiva temple where Brahma's head is said to have been cut off.
Harihar Nath Temple, Sonepur
A temple of Harihar, Vishnu and Shiva in one, at the meeting of the Ganga and Gandak. The Sonepur fair at Kartik Purnima, once famous for elephant trading, is held around it.
Living templeHarishankar Temple, Balangir
A temple of Vishnu and Shiva together (Hari-Shankar) on the slopes of the Gandhamardan hills, beside a stream that falls in steps over granite rocks. Across the hills stands the Nrusinghanath temple, and pilgrims often visit both.
Harshat Mata Temple, Abhaneri
A partly ruined 8th-9th century temple of Harshat Mata, the goddess of joy, beside the famous Chand Baori stepwell. Its scattered sculptures are among the finest of the Pratihara period.
Harsiddhi Temple, Ujjain
The goddess temple near Mahakaleshwar in Ujjain, known for two tall lamp pillars that blaze with lamps during Navaratri. It is commonly identified with the Ujjain seat among the 18 Maha Shakti Peethas, though some traditions give that place to Gadkalika.
Hatkeshwar Mahadev Temple, Vadnagar
A richly carved Shiva temple in Vadnagar, the family deity (kuldevta) of the Nagar Brahmins. Vadnagar itself is one of the oldest continuously inhabited towns of Gujarat.
Hayagriva Madhava Temple, Hajo
A Vishnu temple on Monikut hill at Hajo, rebuilt in 1583 by the Koch king Raghudev Narayan. Some Buddhists, especially from Bhutan, hold that the Buddha attained parinirvana here.
Hemis Monastery
The largest and wealthiest monastery of Ladakh, of the Drukpa Kagyu order, re-established in 1672 under King Sengge Namgyal. Its masked dance festival, Hemis Tsechu, honours Padmasambhava.
Hidimba Devi Temple, Manali
A wooden temple with a four-tiered pagoda roof in a cedar forest at Manali, built in 1553 around a rock where Hidimba, wife of Bhima, is said to have meditated.
Living templeHoysaleswara Temple, Halebidu
A twin Shiva temple in the old Hoysala capital, Dorasamudra, carved in soapstone with friezes of elephants, lions, horsemen and epic scenes. The capital was sacked in the 14th century, and the temple is now part of the UNESCO Sacred Ensembles of the Hoysalas.
Imayavarappan Temple, Thiruchengunrur
One of the five Pandava temples around Chengannur, said to have been built by Yudhishthira.
Irattai Tirupati, Thirutholaivillimangalam
One of the Nava Tirupati, nine Vishnu temples on the Thamirabarani river, linked with Rahu and Ketu, one for each of the twin temples.
ISKCON Mayapur
The world headquarters of ISKCON at Mayapur, held to be the birthplace of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. The very large Temple of the Vedic Planetarium is being built here.
ISKCON Temple, Delhi
The Delhi temple of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, opened in 1998 on a hill in south Delhi. It is dedicated to Radha and Krishna as Parthasarathi, Arjuna's charioteer.
Jagannath Temple, Mahesh
A Jagannath temple at Mahesh near Serampore whose chariot festival, said to date from 1396, is the oldest in Bengal and the second oldest in India after Puri.
Jagannath Temple, Ranchi
A hilltop Jagannath temple at Ranchi built in 1691 by Thakur Ani Nath Shahdeo, a Nagvanshi chief of Barkagarh, in the style of Puri. Its Rath Yatra is a major festival of Jharkhand.
Living templeJagannatha Perumal Temple, Nathan Kovil
A Divya Desam near Kumbakonam where Shiva's bull Nandi is said to have worshipped Vishnu to be freed from a curse.
Jagathrakshaka Perumal Temple, Thirukoodalur
A Divya Desam on the Kaveri where Vishnu, as Varaha, is said to have rescued the earth. Its name Koodalur, 'meeting place', recalls the gods who gathered here.
Jagdish Temple, Udaipur
A large temple of Vishnu as Jagannath built in 1651 by Maharana Jagat Singh I, next to the City Palace of Udaipur. It is the main temple of the old city.
Living templeJageshwar Temples
A valley of more than 100 stone temples in a deodar forest in Kumaon, built between the 7th and 14th centuries and protected by the ASI. Some traditions identify Jageshwar with Darukavana, the deodar forest of the Nageshwar Jyotirlinga story.
Jain Temples, Jaisalmer Fort
A group of seven interconnected Jain temples of yellow sandstone inside the living fort of Jaisalmer, built in the 15th and 16th centuries. The chief temple is of Parshvanatha. The fort is part of the Hill Forts of Rajasthan World Heritage Site.
Jakhu Temple, Shimla
A temple of Hanuman on Jakhu hill, the highest point of Shimla, with a 33 m statue of Hanuman added in 2010. The hill is known for its monkeys.
Jal Mandir, Pawapuri
A white marble Jain temple in the middle of a lotus pond at Pawapuri, marking the place where Mahavira's body was cremated after his nirvana. It is one of the holiest places for Jains.
Jalaram Bapa Temple, Virpur
The home and shrine of Jalaram Bapa (1799-1881), a Rama devotee who fed every visitor at his free kitchen. The kitchen still serves anyone who comes, and the temple has refused all donations since 2000.
Jalpesh Temple
A Shiva temple near Jalpaiguri, the most important in north Bengal, whose linga sits in a pit below the floor. The present temple is linked with the Koch kings of Cooch Behar.
Living templeJambukeswarar Temple, Thiruvanaikaval
The water temple of the Pancha Bhoota Sthalams, on Srirangam island near Tiruchirappalli. Its linga sits over an underground spring and is always partly under water. The goddess Akhilandeswari, said to have been calmed by Adi Shankara, is the temple's other great focus.
Jhandewalan Devi Temple
A goddess temple in central Delhi linked to the discovery of an old image by a cloth merchant, Badri Bhagat, in the 18th century. A flag (jhanda) raised over the spot gave the area its name.
Rebuilt / restored for worshipJogulamba Temple, Alampur
The goddess temple at Alampur, beside the Chalukya-era Navabrahma temples, where Jogulamba is shown seated on a corpse with a scorpion, frog and lizard on her head. Destroyed in 1390, it was rebuilt on its old site in 2005 and the original image reinstalled.
Jor Bangla Temple (Keshta Raya)
A brick temple of 1655 in the Malla capital Bishnupur, shaped as two joined Bengali thatched huts (jor-bangla) and covered in terracotta panels of the Ramayana, Mahabharata and Krishna's life. It is an ASI monument.
Jwalamukhi Temple, Kangra
A temple with no image, where the goddess is worshipped as natural gas flames burning from fissures in the rock. Counted among the 18 Maha Shakti Peethas as the seat where Sati's tongue fell, it has a gilded dome and silver doors from the Sikh period.
Kaila Devi Temple
The temple of Kaila Devi, family goddess of the Yadav rulers of Karauli, on the edge of the Kaila Devi wildlife sanctuary. Its Chaitra fair draws lakhs of pilgrims, many singing the langurias songs.
Ruined / monumentKailasa Temple, Ellora (Cave 16)
The largest monolithic rock-cut temple in the world, carved downward out of a single basalt hill in the 8th century under the Rashtrakuta king Krishna I. It represents Mount Kailasa, Shiva's home, and is part of the Ellora Caves UNESCO site with Buddhist and Jain caves.
Living templeKailasanathar Temple, Kanchipuram
The oldest structural temple in Kanchipuram, built in sandstone by the Pallava king Rajasimha around 700-728. Its walls are lined with small shrines and lively sculptures of Shiva in many forms, and it set the pattern for later Tamil temples.
Kainchi Dham
The ashram and Hanuman temple founded by the saint Neem Karoli Baba in the 1960s in a bend of the Kosi valley. Its foundation day on 15 June draws very large crowds, and it is known for its foreign visitors.
Kaisina Vendhan Temple, Thirupuliangudi
One of the Nava Tirupati, nine Vishnu temples on the Thamirabarani river, linked with Mercury (Budha).
Kal Bhairav Temple, Ujjain
A temple of Kal Bhairav, the guardian of Ujjain, famous because liquor is offered to the deity and appears to be drunk from the saucer held to his lips.
Kal Bhairav Temple, Varanasi
The temple of Kal Bhairav, the fierce form of Shiva who is the 'kotwal' (police chief) of Kashi. Pilgrims visit him to seek permission to stay in the city, and receive a black thread for protection.
Kalamegha Perumal Temple, Thirumogur
A Divya Desam near Madurai linked with Vishnu's form as Mohini, the enchantress who shared out the nectar of immortality. Its sixteen-armed image of the discus Sudarshana is famous.
Living templeKalaram Temple, Nashik
A black-stone temple of Rama at Panchavati, where Rama, Sita and Lakshmana are said to have lived in exile. In 1930 B. R. Ambedkar led a satyagraha here for the right of Dalits to enter the temple.
Kaleshwara Mukteswara Swamy Temple, Kaleshwaram
A Shiva temple at the meeting of the Godavari and Pranahita rivers, with two lingams on one pedestal: Mukteswara (Shiva) and Kaleshwara (Yama). It is counted among the three lingas that are said to give Telangana (Trilinga) its name.
Kali Devi Temple, Patiala
A temple of the goddess Kali in Patiala, built in 1936 by Maharaja Bhupinder Singh, who is said to have brought the image from Bengal. A much older Raj Rajeshwari temple stands in the same compound.
Kalighat Kali Temple
The most famous Kali temple of Kolkata and a Shakti Peetha, where the toes of Sati's right foot are said to have fallen. The city's name is often linked with Kalighat. The present temple was completed in 1809.
Kalijai Temple, Chilika
A shrine of the goddess Kalijai on a small island in Chilika lake, Asia's largest brackish-water lagoon. Her story, of a bride drowned in a storm on the way to her wedding, is one of the best-known folk tales of Odisha.
Kalika Mata Temple, Chittorgarh
A temple in Chittorgarh fort built in the 8th century as a sun temple and rededicated to the goddess Kalika in the 14th century. The fort is part of the Hill Forts of Rajasthan World Heritage Site.
Living templeKalika Mata Temple, Pavagadh
A hilltop temple of the goddess Kalika on Pavagadh, about 800 m high, above the ruined Sultanate city of Champaner. The hill is part of the Champaner-Pavagadh UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the temple received a new spire in 2022.
Kalkaji Mandir
An old temple of the goddess Kalka (Kali) on a low hill in south Delhi. The shrine is believed to be very old, but the present building dates mainly from the 18th and 19th centuries.
Living templeKallalagar Temple, Alagar Kovil
The temple of Vishnu as Kallalagar, 'the beautiful one', at the foot of the wooded Alagar hills near Madurai. Each Chithirai, Kallalagar travels to Madurai for his sister Meenakshi's wedding and enters the Vaigai river before a vast crowd.
Kalpeshwar Temple
A small cave temple in the Urgam valley where Shiva's matted hair (jata) is worshipped. It is the only Panch Kedar shrine open all year.
Kamadgiri, Chitrakoot
The sacred hill at Chitrakoot, worshipped as Kamtanath, the lord who grants all wishes. Rama, Sita and Lakshmana are believed to have lived at Chitrakoot for much of their exile, and pilgrims walk the 5 km path around the hill.
Rebuilt / restored for worshipKamakhya Temple
One of the most important Shakti Peethas and a major centre of Tantra, on Nilachal hill above the Brahmaputra. The goddess is worshipped as a yoni-shaped stone in a cave, kept wet by a spring. It was rebuilt in 1565 by the Koch king Nara Narayan after destruction earlier in the century.
Living templeKamakshi Amman Temple, Kanchipuram
The great goddess temple of Kanchipuram, where Kamakshi sits in yogic posture holding a noose, goad, sugarcane bow and flower arrows, with a Sri Chakra before her. It is counted among the 18 Maha Shakti Peethas and is closely tied to the Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham.
Living templeKanak Bhawan, Ayodhya
A palace temple of Sita and Rama, said to be the 'golden house' that Kaikeyi gave Sita as a wedding gift. The present building was put up in 1891 by the queen of Tikamgarh.
Living templeKanaka Durga Temple, Vijayawada
A hill temple of the goddess Kanaka Durga on Indrakeeladri above the Krishna river in Vijayawada. Its Dasara festival, when the goddess takes a different form each day, is one of the largest in Andhra Pradesh.
Ruined / monumentKandariya Mahadeva Temple
The largest and finest of the Khajuraho temples, a Chandela masterpiece of about 1030 CE. Its central spire about 31 m high is surrounded by 84 smaller spires, and its walls carry some 870 sculptures. It is intact but no longer in regular worship, and is part of a UNESCO site.
Kankalitala Temple
A Shakti Peetha near Santiniketan where Sati's waist (kankal) is said to have fallen into a pool. There is no image; the goddess is worshipped in a painting and the sacred pool.
Kapal Mochan
A sacred group of tanks and temples near Bilaspur in Haryana, where Shiva is said to have been freed from the skull of Brahma that stuck to his hand. A large fair is held on Kartik Purnima.
Living templeKapaleeshwarar Temple, Mylapore
The best-known Shiva temple of Chennai, in the old quarter of Mylapore. Its name recalls Parvati, who worshipped Shiva here in the form of a peahen. The 37 m eastern tower faces a large temple tank, and its Arupathu Moovar festival is the city's great procession.
Kapil Muni Temple, Gangasagar
The temple of the sage Kapila on Sagar island, where the Ganga meets the Bay of Bengal. The Gangasagar Mela at Makar Sankranti is one of the largest gatherings in India.
Karaikal Ammaiyar Temple
A temple to Karaikal Ammaiyar, a woman saint and poet of the 6th century counted among the 63 Nayanmars, in her home town of Karaikal. Its Mangani (mango) festival re-enacts the story of her life.
Karni Mata Temple, Deshnoke
The temple of Karni Mata, a 15th-century woman sage of the Charan community revered as an incarnation of Durga, famous for the thousands of rats (kabbas) that live and are fed in it. She is the family goddess of the Rathore rulers of Bikaner and Jodhpur.
Rebuilt / restored for worshipKashi Vishwanath Temple
One of the twelve Jyotirlingas, in the heart of Varanasi (Kashi), the city of Shiva. Earlier temples were destroyed in the 12th, 15th and 17th centuries; the present temple was built by Ahilyabai Holkar of Indore in 1780 next to the Gyanvapi Mosque, which stands on the site of the temple demolished in 1669.
Kashi Vishweshwara Temple, Lakkundi
A Western Chalukya temple famous for its intricately carved doorways, among more than fifty temples and many stepwells at Lakkundi. Lakkundi was a royal mint town and a patron centre of the Jain noblewoman Attimabbe.
Katarmal Sun Temple
A sun temple of about the 9th century in the hills near Almora, attributed to the Katyuri king Katarmalla, with a main shrine and 44 smaller shrines. Its carved wooden doors are now in the National Museum, Delhi.
Living templeKedarnath Temple
A Jyotirlinga temple at about 3,583 m in the Garhwal Himalaya, open only from about April-May to November. It is part of the Chota Char Dham and Panch Kedar. The stone temple survived the 2013 Uttarakhand floods that devastated the town.
Keesaragutta Ramalingeswara Temple
A Shiva temple on Keesaragutta hill near Hyderabad, whose lingam is said to have been installed by Rama. Many lingams lie scattered across the hill, and the remains of a Vishnukundina-period settlement have been found nearby.
Kesariya Stupa
One of the tallest Buddhist stupas in the world, a terraced brick mound in East Champaran excavated by the ASI from 1998. It marks where the Buddha is said to have given his begging bowl to the people of Vaishali.
Khajrana Ganesh Temple, Indore
The best-known temple of Indore, dedicated to Ganesha, said to have been built by Ahilyabai Holkar after the image was recovered from a well where it had been hidden for safety.
Living templeKhandagiri and Udayagiri Jain Caves
Twin hills with rock-cut caves made for Jain monks in the 2nd-1st century BCE, under the Kalinga king Kharavela, whose Hathigumpha inscription is a key source for early Indian history. A Digambara Jain temple on the summit of Khandagiri is still in worship.
Living templeKhandoba Temple, Jejuri
The hill temple of Khandoba, a warrior form of Shiva and family god of many communities across Maharashtra and the Deccan. Devotees shower one another with turmeric (bhandara), turning the hill yellow.
Khatu Shyam Temple
A temple of Shyam, the head of Barbarika, grandson of Bhima, who gave his head to Krishna before the Mahabharata war and was blessed to be worshipped as Krishna himself. The Phalgun fair draws millions.
Kheer Bhawani Temple, Tulmul
A marble shrine of the goddess Ragnya (Kheer Bhawani) standing in a sacred spring at Tulmul. Devotees offer kheer, rice pudding, which gives the goddess her popular name, and believe the colour of the spring water foretells the future.
Kichakeswari Temple, Khiching
A temple of the goddess Kichakeswari at Khiching, the old capital of the Bhanja kings. It was rebuilt from its own fallen stones in the early 20th century, and is the family goddess of the rulers of Mayurbhanj.
Kiradu Temples
A group of five ruined temples in the Thar desert near Barmer, the best preserved being the Someshwara temple of Shiva. Their richly carved walls make them among the finest Maru-Gurjara work in western Rajasthan.
Kiriteswari Temple
A Shakti Peetha in Murshidabad where Sati's crown (kirit) is said to have fallen. It is said to be one of the oldest temple sites of the district.
Living templeKodandarama Temple, Vontimitta
A large Vijayanagara-era temple of Rama, Sita and Lakshmana carved from a single stone, without the usual Hanuman. Since 2015 Andhra Pradesh holds its official Sri Rama Navami celebrations here.
Living templeKodungallur Sree Kurumba Bhagavathy Temple
One of Kerala's oldest goddess shrines, in the old Chera capital near Muziris. The fierce eight-armed Bhadrakali, also identified with Kannaki, is head of 64 Bhadrakali shrines of Malabar. Its Bharani festival, with the Kavu Theendal rush of oracles, is among the most intense in Kerala.
Kolanupaka Jain Temple
A Svetambara Jain temple at Kolanupaka, a Jain centre since the medieval period. Its main image is of the first Tirthankara, Rishabhanatha, carved in green stone and called Manikya Swami.
Living templeKolavilli Ramar Temple, Thiruvelliyangudi
A Divya Desam where the planet Venus (Shukra) is said to have regained his lost eye. Devotees pray here for relief from Shukra's ill effects.
Komuravelli Mallanna Temple
A popular temple of Mallanna, a folk form of Shiva, set in a cave on a hillock in Siddipet district. He is worshipped with his two wives, Golla Ketamma and Medalamma, and his festival season runs from Sankranti to Ugadi.
Ruined / monumentKonark Sun Temple
A 13th-century Sun temple of the Eastern Ganga king Narasimhadeva I, built as a colossal stone chariot of Surya with 24 carved wheels drawn by seven horses. The main tower has collapsed; the surviving assembly hall (jagamohana) is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Living templeKoodal Azhagar Temple, Madurai
The main Vishnu temple in the heart of Madurai. Its three-storeyed vimana shows Vishnu seated, standing and reclining, one above the other. Here Periyalvar is said to have sung the Thiruppallandu, the blessing that opens the Divya Prabandham.
Koodalmanikyam Temple, Irinjalakuda
A large temple at Irinjalakuda, one of the very few in India dedicated to Bharata, Rama's brother. It has a single deity with no subsidiary shrines, and garlands of lotus flowers are its chief offering.
Living templeKoteshwar Mahadev, Kutch
A Shiva temple on the far western edge of India, where the Kori creek meets the Arabian Sea. A legend says the linga Ravana carried from Kailasa was multiplied here into a crore (koti) lingas.
Kottiyoor Shiva Temples
A pair of Shiva shrines in the forest at Kottiyoor, on the two banks of the Bavali river. The Akkare shrine, a lingam on a heap of stones in the river, is open only during the 28-day Vysakha Mahotsavam.
Krishna Balaram Mandir (ISKCON), Vrindavan
The first temple built in India by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), opened in 1975 by its founder A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, whose memorial (samadhi) stands beside it. It draws devotees from all over the world.
Living templeKsheera Ramalingeswara Temple, Palakollu
One of the five Pancharama temples, known for its milky-white linga and a nine-storey gopuram about 37 m high. The name means the garden where milk sprang from the ground.
Kudamadukoothan Temple, Thirunangur
One of the eleven Divya Desams of Thirunangur near Sirkazhi. The god is named after Krishna's dance with pots.
Living templeKukke Subramanya Temple
A Western Ghats shrine where Subrahmanya is worshipped together with the serpent king Vasuki, who took refuge under him. It is the main place in Karnataka for rites against sarpa dosha, the affliction believed to follow harm done to snakes.
Living templeKumara Bhimeswara Temple, Samalkot
One of the five Pancharama temples, built by the Eastern Chalukya king Bhima I and almost a twin of Draksharama. A tall linga of limestone rises through two storeys.
Kumari Amman Temple, Kanyakumari
The temple of the virgin goddess Kanyakumari at the southern tip of India, where three seas meet. She stands with a rosary, waiting for Shiva who never came to marry her. Some traditions count it among the Shakti Peethas.
Living templeLakshmana Perumal Temple, Thirumoozhikkulam
A riverside temple dedicated to Lakshmana, one of the four Nalambalam temples of Rama and his brothers visited in a single day during the monsoon month of Karkidakam.
Lakshmana Temple, Khajuraho
The earliest of the great Chandela temples of Khajuraho, dedicated to Vishnu as Vaikuntha and completed by 954. It is the best preserved of the western group, with all four corner shrines intact, and is part of the Khajuraho World Heritage Site.
Lakshmana Temple, Sirpur
One of the finest brick temples of India, built about 650 at Sirpur by Queen Vasata in memory of her husband, the Panduvamshi king Harshagupta. Its brick tower and carved stone doorway are remarkably well preserved.
Living templeLakshmi Narasimha and Vedarajan Temples, Thiruvali-Thirunagari
A pair of temples counted as one Divya Desam, at the home of Thirumangai Alvar. The Alvar, once a chieftain, is said to have turned to God here through his love for Kumudavalli.
Lakshmi Narasimha Temple, Yadagirigutta
A hill cave shrine of Narasimha that the Telangana government rebuilt between 2016 and 2022 as a vast temple of carved black granite. It is the state's most important Vaishnava pilgrimage.
Lakshmi Narayan Temple, Chamba
The main temple complex of Chamba, founded in the 10th century by Raja Sahil Varman, with six stone temples of Vishnu and Shiva. The towers carry wooden canopies to shed snow.
Lalita Devi Temple, Prayagraj
The goddess temple at Meerapur in Prayagraj, near the meeting of the Ganga and Yamuna, regarded as the Prayag Shakti Peetha where Sati's fingers fell. The Ashtadasha hymn calls the goddess here Madhaveshwari; the nearby Alopi Devi temple also claims the seat.
Lalji Temple, Kalna
A temple of Radha-Krishna built in 1739 for the Bardhaman royal family, with 25 pinnacles (pancha-vimsati ratna) and rich terracotta panels.
Lamayuru Monastery
One of the oldest monasteries in Ladakh, of the Drikung Kagyu order, set above a dramatic eroded landscape called the moonland. It hosts the Yuru Kabgyat masked dance festival.
Laxminarayan Temple (Birla Mandir), Delhi
A large temple of Lakshmi and Narayan built by the industrialist Birla family between 1933 and 1939. Mahatma Gandhi opened it in 1939 on the condition that people of all castes be allowed to enter.
Leaning Temple of Huma
A Shiva temple on the bank of the Mahanadi that leans at an angle, with its smaller shrines leaning in different directions. It was built or rebuilt by the Chauhan king Baliar Singh of Sambalpur in the late 17th century.
Living templeLingaraja Temple
The largest temple of Bhubaneswar, the 'temple city', dedicated to Harihara, a joint form of Shiva and Vishnu. Its spire is about 55 m high, and it is the mature masterpiece of the Kalinga style.
Loganatha Perumal Temple, Thirukannangudi
One of the five Pancha Krishna shrines, near Nagapattinam, linked with stories of Thirumangai Alvar.
Maa Mangala Temple, Kakatpur
A goddess temple on the Prachi river with a special role in the Nabakalebara of Puri. When new wooden images of Jagannath are to be made, the goddess Mangala is said to show the priests in a dream where the sacred trees stand.
Maa Tarachandi Temple, Sasaram
A goddess shrine in a cave in the Kaimur hills near Sasaram, counted by local tradition among the Shakti Peethas. A rock inscription of 1169 by the local chief Pratapadhavala is carved nearby.
Living templeMaa Tarini Temple, Ghatagaon
A forest goddess shrine in Kendujhar district, famous for the millions of coconuts offered to the goddess. Travellers on the road stop here to pray for a safe journey.
Madan Kamdev
The ruins of a group of 10th-12th century stone temples near Guwahati, associated with the Pala kings of Kamarupa and known for sculptures of gods, dancers and couples. It is sometimes called the Khajuraho of the Northeast.
Madan Mohan Bari, Cooch Behar
The royal temple of Cooch Behar, built in the 1880s by Maharaja Nripendra Narayan for the family deity Madan Mohan, a form of Krishna. Its Rash Mela is the biggest fair of north Bengal.
Madan Mohan Temple, Bishnupur
A brick temple of Krishna built in 1694 by the Malla king Durjan Singh, with a single tower and walls covered with fine terracotta panels. It is still in worship.
Living templeMadan Mohan Temple, Vrindavan
The oldest surviving temple of the Gaudiya Vaishnavas in Vrindavan, on a hill above the old course of the Yamuna. Its tall sandstone spire was built for the Krishna image of Sanatana Goswami, which was later moved to Karauli in Rajasthan.
Madhyamaheshwar Temple
A temple of Shiva where his navel (nabhi) is worshipped, one of the Panch Kedar, in a high meadow below the Chaukhamba peaks.
Living templeMahabaleshwar Temple, Gokarna
The shrine of the Atmalinga that Ravana carried from Kailasa and Ganesha set down on the beach at Gokarna. One of the seven Mukti Sthalas of the coast, it is a major place for ancestral rites and is called the Kashi of the south.
Mahabhairab Temple, Tezpur
A Shiva temple in Tezpur, linked by tradition with the demon king Banasura, whose capital Sonitpur is identified with Tezpur. Its stone base is old, while the upper part was rebuilt after the 1897 earthquake.
Living templeMahabodhi Temple
The temple marks the place where Siddhartha Gautama attained enlightenment under the Bodhi tree, the holiest site in Buddhism. Its present 55 m brick tower dates from the Gupta period, and it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Living templeMahadeva Temple, Itagi
A richly carved Western Chalukya temple of 1112, called in its own inscription 'Devalaya Chakravarti', the emperor among temples. It is one of the finest examples of the later Chalukya style that led on to Hoysala art.
Mahaganapati Temple, Ranjangaon
An Ashtavinayak shrine of Ganesha as Mahaganapati, invoked by Shiva before he destroyed the three demon cities (Tripura). The east-facing temple is built so that the sun's rays fall on the image at certain times of the year.
Rebuilt / restored for worshipMahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga
One of the twelve Jyotirlingas, in the ancient city of Ujjain (Avantika). Its south-facing linga and pre-dawn Bhasma Aarti are unique. Destroyed by Iltutmish in 1234-35, it was rebuilt under Maratha rule in the 18th century, and the Mahakal Lok corridor opened in 2022.
Living templeMahalakshmi Temple, Kolhapur
The temple of Mahalakshmi, known locally as Ambabai, in the old city of Karaveer (Kolhapur). Her gemstone image wears a crown with a five-hooded serpent. It is one of the 18 Maha Shakti Peethas and one of Maharashtra's 'three and a half' Shakti Peethas.
Mahalakshmi Temple, Mumbai
A seaside temple of the goddesses Mahalakshmi, Mahakali and Mahasaraswati, founded when images were found in the sea during the building of a causeway joining Bombay's islands. It gave its name to the Mahalakshmi area of the city.
Mahamaya Temple, Ratanpur
A temple of the goddess Mahamaya at Ratanpur, the old capital of the Kalachuri kings of Chhattisgarh. It is one of the most important goddess temples of the state, busy at both Navaratris.
Mahavir Mandir, Patna
A Hanuman temple outside Patna Junction, one of the most visited and richest temples of north India. Its trust uses temple income to run hospitals, including a large cancer centre, and its naivedyam laddus are famous.
Mahavira Jain Temple, Osian
One of the oldest surviving Jain temples of western India, dedicated to Mahavira. An inscription of 956 says it was built in the reign of the Pratihara king Vatsaraja.
Makara Nedunkuzhaikathar Temple, Thentirupperai
One of the Nava Tirupati, nine Vishnu temples on the Thamirabarani river, linked with Venus (Shukra).
Living templeMale Mahadeshwara Temple
A forest hill shrine of Male Mahadeshwara, a Veerashaiva saint of the 15th century worshipped as a form of Shiva. Pilgrims walk long distances through the forests of the Karnataka-Tamil Nadu border to reach him.
Malinithan
The ruins of a stone temple complex on a hill near Likabali, with fine sculptures including Indra on Airavata and Surya. Tradition says Krishna and Rukmini rested here on their way from Bhishmaknagar to Dwarka.
Living templeMallikarjuna Temple, Srisailam
A hilltop temple above the Krishna river where Shiva is worshipped as Mallikarjuna and the goddess as Bhramaramba. It is unusual in being both one of the twelve Jyotirlingas and one of the Shakti Peethas, and inscriptions show it was already a sacred site in the 2nd century.
Maluti Temples
A village of about 72 surviving terracotta temples, built in the 17th-19th centuries by the Baj Basanta rulers and their families. The group has been named among endangered heritage sites.
Manakula Vinayagar Temple
The best-known temple of Puducherry, dedicated to Ganesha, standing in the old French quarter near the sea. The shrine is older than French rule, and the temple has since been enlarged with a gilded tower and painted halls.
Mangla Gauri Temple, Gaya
A hilltop goddess temple in Gaya, the city of ancestral rites, where Sati is worshipped as Mangala Gauri. It is counted among the 18 Maha Shakti Peethas as the seat where Sati's breast fell, and is mentioned in the Vayu, Padma and Agni Puranas.
Living templeManjunatha Temple, Dharmasthala
A Shiva temple in which Madhva Vaishnava priests serve the linga and a Jain family, the Heggades, holds hereditary charge. It is known for free meals for every visitor, for settling disputes, and for the welfare work of the Dharmasthala trusts.
Living templeMannarasala Sree Nagaraja Temple
Kerala's best-known serpent temple, set in a sacred grove at Haripad with over 100,000 snake images along its paths. It is run by the Mannarasala Illam family, and its matriarch, the Amma, leads worship, a rare tradition of a woman as chief priest. Childless couples come to pray here.
Mansa Devi Temple, Haridwar
A hilltop temple of the goddess Mansa, who grants wishes, above Haridwar. With Chandi Devi and Maya Devi it is one of the three Siddha Peethas of the city, and is reached by steps or ropeway.
DestroyedMartand Sun Temple
Built by the Karkota king Lalitaditya Muktapida in the 8th century, this Sun temple on a plateau above the Kashmir valley was the grandest example of Kashmiri temple architecture. It was destroyed in the early 15th century under Sultan Sikandar Shah Miri, and its ruins are an ASI monument.
Masrur Rock-cut Temples
A group of 15 monolithic temples cut from a single sandstone ridge in the 8th century, facing a tank that reflects them. They were never finished and were damaged in the 1905 earthquake.
Mata Mansa Devi Temple, Panchkula
A goddess temple in the Shivalik foothills near Chandigarh, built between 1811 and 1815 by Raja Gopal Singh of Mani Majra. It is one of the most important goddess temples of north India, and a shrine board has run it since 1991.
Living templeMata Vaishno Devi Temple
A cave shrine of the goddess in the Trikuta hills, reached by a trek of about 12-13 km from Katra. The goddess is worshipped as three natural rock forms (pindis) of Mahakali, Mahalakshmi and Mahasaraswati. It is one of India's most visited pilgrimages.
Matangeshwar Temple, Khajuraho
The only temple of the Khajuraho group still in regular worship, a plain square shrine holding a linga about 2.5 m high. Its Mahashivaratri fair draws large crowds. It is part of the Khajuraho World Heritage Site.
Mayakoothan Temple, Thirukulandai
One of the Nava Tirupati, nine Vishnu temples on the Thamirabarani river, linked with Saturn (Sani).
Mayappiran Temple, Thiruppuliyur
One of the five Pandava temples around Chengannur, said to have been built by Bhima.
Living templeMayureshwar Temple, Morgaon
The first and chief of the eight Ashtavinayak shrines of Ganesha around Pune, where he is worshipped riding a peacock. It is the centre of the Ganapatya tradition, the sect that worships Ganesha as the supreme god.
Rebuilt / restored for worshipMeenakshi Amman Temple
The temple of Meenakshi (Parvati) and Sundareswarar (Shiva) stands at the centre of Madurai, which was laid out around it. Damaged during the Delhi Sultanate raids of the early 14th century, it was rebuilt by the Madurai Nayakas into the vast complex of 14 gopurams seen today.
Mehandipur Balaji Temple
A temple of Hanuman known across north India for rituals to free people believed to be possessed by spirits. Alongside Balaji, Pretraj Sarkar (king of spirits) and Bhairav are worshipped.
Living templeMookambika Temple, Kollur
A shrine of the goddess Mookambika on the Souparnika river below Kodachadri hill. Her emblem is a self-formed linga split by a golden line into Shiva and Shakti, and Adi Shankara is said to have installed her image. It draws large numbers of pilgrims from Kerala.
Mukteshwar Mahadev Caves, Pathankot
A group of rock-cut caves on a cliff above the Ravi near Pathankot, with a Shiva shrine. Tradition says the Pandavas stayed here during their exile. The caves have been at risk from the reservoir of the Shahpur Kandi dam.
Living templeMukteshwar Temple, Bhubaneswar
A small 10th-century Shiva temple of the Somavamshi period, known as the 'gem of Odishan architecture' for its carving and its free-standing arched gateway (torana). It marks the change from the early to the mature Kalinga style.
Living templeMuktinath Temple
A Vishnu shrine at about 3,700 metres in the Mustang district of Nepal, sacred to both Hindus and Buddhists. In the Divya Desam tradition it stands for Saligramam, the land of the Kali Gandaki, whose fossil stones are worshipped as Vishnu.
Mulagandhakuti Vihara, Sarnath
A modern Buddhist temple at Sarnath, where the Buddha gave his first sermon in the Deer Park. Built by Anagarika Dharmapala's Maha Bodhi Society and opened in 1931, it holds relics of the Buddha and murals by the Japanese painter Kosetsu Nosu.
RelocatedMumba Devi Temple, Mumbai
The temple of Mumba Devi, the goddess of the Koli fisherfolk from whom the city of Mumbai takes its name. The old shrine at Bori Bunder was moved to Bhuleshwar in the 18th century.
Mundeshwari Temple
An octagonal stone temple on a hill in Kaimur, held to be one of the oldest temples in India still in worship. The goddess Mundeshwari and a four-faced linga are worshipped here.
Murudeshwar Temple
A seaside Shiva temple on Kandukagiri hill, tied to the story of Ravana and the Atmalinga. It is known for a very tall rajagopura and a giant seated Shiva statue facing the Arabian Sea, both built in recent decades.
Nachiyar Kovil, Thirunaraiyur
A temple where the goddess takes first place: in procession Vanjulavalli walks ahead of Vishnu. Its stone Garuda is famous for seeming to grow heavier as it is carried out of the temple.
Living templeNageshwar Jyotirlinga Temple
A Jyotirlinga temple on the Saurashtra coast about 16 km from Dwarka, with an underground sanctum and a 25 m seated statue of Shiva. Tradition places the Darukavana forest of the Shiva Purana story here, although Aundha Nagnath in Maharashtra and Jageshwar in Uttarakhand also claim this Jyotirlinga.
Nagoba Temple, Keslapur
The shrine of Nagoba, the serpent god of the Mesram clan of the Gond people, at Keslapur in Adilabad. Its Nagoba Jatara, held at the new moon of Pushya, is one of the largest tribal festivals in Telangana.
Naimisharanya
The sacred forest on the Gomti where, in the Puranas, the sage Suta recited the epics and Puranas to the assembled rishis. In the Divya Desam tradition Vishnu is present here as the forest itself.
Naina Devi Temple, Bilaspur
A hilltop Shakti Peetha above the Gobind Sagar lake, where Sati's eyes are said to have fallen. A stampede here in 2008 killed about 146 people.
Naina Devi Temple, Nainital
A temple of the goddess Naina on the shore of Naini lake, counted a Shakti Peetha where Sati's eyes are said to have fallen. The old temple was destroyed in the landslide of 1880 and rebuilt.
Nalanda Mahavihara
The ruins of Nalanda, the great Buddhist monastery and university of ancient India, founded under the Guptas in the 5th century and supported by the Palas. Its temples, stupas and monasteries are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Nalateshwari Temple, Nalhati
A Shakti Peetha on a hill at Nalhati in Birbhum, where Sati's throat (nala) is said to have fallen. The goddess is worshipped as Nalateshwari, a form of Kali.
Nambi Temple, Thirukurungudi
A Divya Desam at the foot of the Western Ghats, famous for the story of Nampaduvan, a singer of low birth who kept his promise to a demon, retold each year on Kaisika Ekadasi.
Living templeNanmathiya Perumal Temple, Thalaichanga Nanmathiyam
A Divya Desam near the old port of Poompuhar where the Moon (Chandra) is said to have been cured of a wasting curse.
Naranag Temples
Two groups of ruined stone temples to Shiva in a Himalayan valley above the Sind river, linked with the Karkota king Lalitaditya in the 8th century. The site was an important Shaiva pilgrimage on the way to the sacred lake Gangabal.
Narasimha Temple, Joshimath
The Narasimha temple of Joshimath, the town where the Badrinath image spends the winter. It is the usual identification of the Divya Desam Thiruppiruthi, though some place that shrine elsewhere in the Himalaya.
Narayan Temple, Shivrinarayan
A Vishnu temple of about the 12th century at the meeting of three rivers, linked by local tradition with Shabari, who fed Rama berries. Its Magh Purnima fair is one of the oldest in Chhattisgarh.
Narayana Perumal Temple (Manimadakoil), Thirunangur
One of the eleven Divya Desams of Thirunangur near Sirkazhi. It is the chief of the eleven, where the joint Garuda Sevai begins.
Narmada Udgam Temple, Amarkantak
The temple complex at the source of the Narmada, one of India's holiest rivers, on the Maikal plateau. Nearby stand the 11th-century temples built under the Kalachuri king Karna.
Nartiang Durga Temple
A temple of the goddess Durga at Nartiang, built by the Jaintia kings, near the tallest of the famous Nartiang monoliths. Some traditions count it a Shakti Peetha, Jayanti, where Sati's left thigh fell.
Navagraha Temple, Guwahati
A temple of the nine planets on Chitrachal hill in Guwahati, built in the 18th century by the Ahom king Rajeswar Singha. Nine lingas, each for a planet, surround a central one for the sun.
Living templeNavamukunda Temple, Thirunavaya
A temple on the Bharathapuzha river, where the great Mamankam festival was held every twelve years under the Zamorins of Kozhikode until 1755.
Neelkanth Mahadev Temple
A Shiva temple in the forested hills above Rishikesh, where Shiva is said to have swallowed the poison from the churning of the ocean, turning his throat blue. It is a main goal of the Kanwar Yatra in Shravan.
Living templeNeervannar Temple, Thiruneermalai
A hill temple near Chennai with Vishnu in four forms: standing at the foot of the hill as Neervannar, and on the hilltop reclining as Ranganatha, seated as Narasimha and striding as Trivikrama.
Living templeNellaiappar Temple, Tirunelveli
A twin temple in the heart of Tirunelveli, one for Shiva as Nellaiappar and one for the goddess Kanthimathi, joined by a long hall. It is famous for its musical stone pillars and for the Copper Hall of Nataraja, one of his five dance halls.
Living templeNinra Narayana Perumal Temple, Thiruthangal
A hill temple near Sivakasi, linked with the love story of Usha and Aniruddha, Krishna's grandson.
Nishkalank Mahadev, Koliyak
Five Shiva lingas on a rock in the sea, reachable on foot only at low tide; at high tide only the flagpole shows above the water. The shrine is linked to the Pandavas, who are said to have been cleansed of their sins here after the Mahabharata war.
Living templeNithyakalyana Perumal Temple, Thiruvidanthai
A Divya Desam on the coast south of Chennai where Vishnu as Varaha holds the goddess on his arm. He is called Nithyakalyana, 'the one married every day', and many come here praying for marriage.
Rebuilt / restored for worshipOmkareshwar Temple
A Jyotirlinga temple on Mandhata island in the Narmada, which tradition says is shaped like the sacred syllable Om. Built by the Paramaras, damaged in later invasions and rebuilt by the Holkar queens in the 18th century, it is paired with the Mamleshwar temple on the river's south bank.
Living templeOppiliappan Temple, Thirunageswaram
The temple of Oppiliappan, 'the lord without equal', near Kumbakonam. He is regarded as the elder brother of Venkateswara of Tirumala, and vows made to Tirumala may be fulfilled here. Offerings are cooked without salt.
Pahari Mandir, Ranchi
A Shiva temple on Ranchi hill, where the British once hanged freedom fighters. The national flag is raised here on Independence Day, a rare joining of a temple with the memory of the freedom struggle.
Pallikonda Ranganatha Temple, Thirunangur
One of the eleven Divya Desams of Thirunangur near Sirkazhi. It is the only reclining image among the eleven.
Living templePambanaiappan Temple, Thiruvanvandoor
One of the five Pandava temples around Chengannur, said to have been built by Nakula.
Panakala Narasimha Temple, Mangalagiri
A cave shrine of Narasimha halfway up Mangalagiri hill, where the god is offered panakam, a jaggery drink. Half of whatever is poured into his mouth is said to be swallowed and half returned, whatever the amount.
Living templePandavadhoothar Temple, Kanchipuram
A Kanchipuram Divya Desam where Krishna sits as the messenger of the Pandavas. Its seated image, about 7.5 m high, is one of the largest in the region.
Paramekkavu Bhagavathy Temple
A temple of the goddess in Thrissur, one of the two main participants in the Thrissur Pooram. Tradition holds that the goddess was worshipped here even before the Vadakkunnathan temple became prominent.
Parashurameswar Temple, Bhubaneswar
The best-preserved of the early temples of Bhubaneswar, built under the Shailodbhava kings about 650 CE. Its short curved tower and flat-roofed hall show the Kalinga temple style in its first form.
Parassinikadavu Muthappan Temple
A riverside temple of Muthappan, a folk deity of north Kerala seen as a union of Shiva and Vishnu. Muthappan is performed as a theyyam every day, and all visitors are given tea and boiled pulses.
Parimala Ranganatha Temple, Thiruindalur
One of the five Pancharanga shrines of reclining Ranganatha along the Kaveri, at Mayiladuthurai, where the Moon worshipped Vishnu.
Parshuram Kund
A sacred pool on the Lohit river where Parashurama is said to have washed away the sin of killing his mother. Its Makar Sankranti fair draws pilgrims from across India and Nepal.
Parshvanatha Temple, Khajuraho
The largest Jain temple at Khajuraho, built in the mid-10th century and noted for some of the finest sculpture of the site. It was first dedicated to Adinatha; the present Parshvanatha image was installed in 1860.
Living templeParthasarathy Temple, Triplicane
One of the oldest temples in Chennai, where Vishnu is worshipped as Krishna the charioteer of Arjuna, with a moustache and the marks of Bhishma's arrows on his face. It holds shrines to five forms of Vishnu and was sung by three Alvars.
Pashupatinath Temple, Mandsaur
A temple on the Shivna river holding a rare eight-faced linga, found in the river in 1940 and consecrated in a new temple in 1961.
Living templePavalavannar Temple, Kanchipuram
A Kanchipuram Divya Desam of Vishnu 'the colour of coral'. Facing it is the shrine of Pachai Vannar, Vishnu 'the colour of emerald', and pilgrims visit both.
Peddamma Temple, Jubilee Hills
A temple of Peddamma, the 'great mother' and village goddess, in Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad. It is one of the main centres of the Bonalu festival.
Perarulalan Temple, Thirunangur
One of the eleven Divya Desams of Thirunangur near Sirkazhi. The god's name means 'the one of great grace'; Rama is said to have worshipped here.
Pitambara Peeth, Datia
A Shakti peeth of the goddess Bagalamukhi, called Pitambara because she wears yellow, founded in 1935 by an ascetic known as Swami ji Maharaj. It also has a rare shrine of Dhumavati, the widow goddess.
Prachin Hanuman Mandir, Connaught Place
An old Hanuman temple near Connaught Place, said to have been built by Maharaja Jai Singh II of Amber, who also built the Jantar Mantar nearby. The chant 'Shri Ram, Jai Ram, Jai Jai Ram' is said to have been sung here without a break since 1964.
Living templePrem Mandir, Vrindavan
A large white marble temple of Radha-Krishna and Sita-Rama opened in 2012 by Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat. Its walls carry scenes of Krishna's life, and in the evening it is lit in changing colours.
Prithudak Tirtha, Pehowa
An ancient pilgrimage town on the Saraswati river, where Hindus perform rites for the dead. A 9th-century inscription found here records temples built in the reign of the Pratihara king Mahendrapala.
Punaura Dham, Sitamarhi
The site near Sitamarhi held to be where Sita was found by King Janaka in a furrow while ploughing. A temple of Sita and a sacred tank mark the spot.
Living templePundarikakshan Perumal Temple, Thiruvellarai
A hill temple on a white rock, believed to be older than Srirangam. It has two entrances used in alternate halves of the year, and a Pallava-era stepped well shaped like a swastika.
Purnagiri Temple
A hilltop temple of the goddess near Tanakpur on the Nepal border, counted a Shakti Peetha where Sati's navel is said to have fallen. Its Chaitra Navaratri fair draws lakhs of pilgrims.
Puruhutika Devi Temple, Pithapuram
The shrine of Puruhutika Devi inside the Kukkuteswara Shiva temple at Pithapuram, where Shiva is worshipped as a rooster-shaped linga. The town is one of the 18 Maha Shakti Peethas, the Pada Gaya of the three Gaya sites, and the birthplace of Sripada Sri Vallabha.
Purushottama Perumal Temple, Thirunangur
One of the eleven Divya Desams of Thirunangur near Sirkazhi. Vishnu here is the supreme person, Purushottama.
Radha Raman Temple, Vrindavan
A temple of Krishna as Radha Raman, whose small image is said to have emerged from a shalagrama stone worshipped by the Gaudiya saint Gopal Bhatta Goswami in 1542. It is one of the original seven temples of the Gaudiya Vaishnavas in Vrindavan, and its image has never left the town.
Living templeRadha Rani Temple, Barsana
The hilltop temple of Radha at Barsana, her home village in Braj. It is famous for the Lathmar Holi, when the women of Barsana playfully beat the men of Nandgaon with sticks.
Raghunath Temple, Devaprayag
The Rama temple above the confluence at Devaprayag, where the Alaknanda and Bhagirathi meet to become the Ganga. Periyalvar sang of it as Kandam, the city on the Ganga.
Raghunath Temple, Jammu
A large temple complex of Rama in the heart of Jammu, begun by Maharaja Gulab Singh in 1835 and completed by his son Ranbir Singh in 1860. Its gilded spires and many shrines made Jammu known as the City of Temples.
Raghunath Temple, Kullu
The temple of Rama as Raghunath, chief deity of the Kullu valley, whose image was brought from Ayodhya in the 1650s by order of Raja Jagat Singh. The famous Kullu Dussehra centres on Raghunath's chariot.
Raja Rajeshwara Temple, Vemulawada
A Shiva temple known as Rajanna, where devotees offer bull calves (kode mokku) in fulfilment of vows. A Sufi dargah stands inside the temple complex, and devotees of both faiths visit it.
Rajarajeshwara Temple, Taliparamba
A major Shiva temple of north Kerala at Taliparamba, counted among the 108 Shiva temples of Kerala. Its offering of a golden pot (ponnumkudam) for divination is well known.
Rajarani Temple, Bhubaneswar
An 11th-century temple with no deity in its sanctum, famous for its tower of clustered miniature spires and its graceful sculptures of women and the guardians of the eight directions. It is named after the red-gold sandstone, locally called rajarania.
Rajiv Lochan Temple, Rajim
A Vishnu temple of about the 7th-8th century at Rajim, called the Prayag of Chhattisgarh because of the meeting of three rivers. The Rajim Kumbh (Maghi Punni Mela) is held here every year.
Ram Mandir, Ramtek
A fortified hill temple of Rama near Nagpur, on the Ramgiri of Kalidasa's Meghaduta. Vakataka temples of the 5th century stand on the same hill, and the present Rama temple was rebuilt by the Bhosales of Nagpur.
Ram Raja Temple, Orchha
The only temple where Rama is worshipped as a king, with a guard of honour from the state police every day. By tradition the image was brought from Ayodhya by Queen Ganesh Kunwari and would not leave the palace where it was first placed.
Ram Tirath, Amritsar
A pilgrimage site west of Amritsar held to be the hermitage of the sage Valmiki, where Sita lived in exile and gave birth to Lava and Kusha. A large temple complex with a golden statue of Valmiki opened in 2016.
Living templeRamanathaswamy Temple
A Jyotirlinga temple on Pamban Island, where tradition says Rama worshipped Shiva. It is one of the Char Dham and is famous for its pillared corridors, the longest of any Hindu temple in India, and its 22 holy wells (theerthams).
Living templeRamappa Temple
A Kakatiya Shiva temple of 1213 CE, built by the general Recharla Rudra and known by the name of its sculptor, Ramappa. Its shikhara uses light, porous bricks, and its dancer brackets are celebrated. It became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2021.
Ranakpur Jain Temple
A great four-faced Jain temple of Adinatha built from 1437 by the merchant Dharna Shah, with land granted by Rana Kumbha of Mewar. Its 1,444 carved marble pillars, no two alike, make it one of the most celebrated buildings in India.
Ranchhodrai Temple, Dakor
The temple of Krishna as Ranchhodrai, 'the one who left the battlefield', whose image is said to have been brought from Dwarka by a devotee. It is the chief Krishna temple of central Gujarat and is crowded on full-moon days.
Living templeRanganathaswamy Temple, Srirangapatna
A temple of Vishnu reclining on the serpent Adishesha, on an island in the Kaveri. It is the first of the three Ranga shrines along the river, and the town later became Tipu Sultan's capital.
Renuka Devi Temple, Mahur
A hilltop temple at Mahur where Renuka, mother of Parashurama, is worshipped as Ekaveera. Only her head is enshrined. Mahur is one of Maharashtra's 'three and a half' Shakti Peethas and is also sacred to Dattatreya.
Renuka Yellamma Temple, Saundatti
A hill temple of Renuka, the mother of Parashurama, worshipped as Yellamma, 'mother of all'. Its full-moon fairs draw lakhs of pilgrims from Karnataka and Maharashtra; the old practice of dedicating girls as devadasis here is banned by law.
Ruined / monumentRoda Temples
A group of seven small stone temples of the 7th-8th century near Himmatnagar, among the earliest surviving temples of Gujarat. They show the early form of the Nagara spire before the Maru-Gurjara style developed.
Ruined / monumentRudra Mahalaya, Siddhpur
The ruins of a great Shiva temple complex begun by Mularaja, founder of the Chaulukya dynasty, and completed by Siddharaja Jayasimha in the 12th century. It was destroyed by the army of Alauddin Khalji, and part of it was later turned into a mosque.
Rudranath Temple
A natural rock temple where Shiva's face is worshipped, one of the Panch Kedar. It is the hardest of the five to reach, a trek of about 20 km.
Living templeRukmini Devi Temple, Dwarka
A small, richly carved temple of Rukmini, Krishna's chief queen, standing alone outside Dwarka town. A legend explains why she lives apart from her husband.
Rumtek Monastery
The seat in exile of the Karma Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism, built in 1961-66 by the 16th Karmapa after he left Tibet. It is modelled on the Karmapa's monastery at Tsurphu.
Living templeSabarimala Sree Dharma Sastha Temple
A hill shrine of Ayyappa in the Western Ghats, open only in set seasons. Pilgrims keep a 41-day vow, carry the irumudi bundle and climb the 18 sacred steps. Its peak attendance in the Mandala-Makaravilakku season is counted in millions.
Sachiya Mata Temple, Osian
A hilltop temple of the goddess Sachiya Mata at Osian, the ancient temple town in the Thar desert. She is the family goddess of the Oswal community and of many other castes.
Sai Baba Samadhi Mandir, Shirdi
The tomb shrine of Sai Baba of Shirdi (died 1918), a saint revered by Hindus and Muslims alike. It is one of the most visited pilgrimage places in India, with a rich trust that runs hospitals and free meals.
Sakshigopal Temple
A temple of Krishna as Sakshigopal, 'Gopal the witness', on the road to Puri. Pilgrims say a visit to Jagannath is incomplete until they have visited this god to bear witness to it.
Salasar Balaji Temple
A temple of Hanuman (Balaji) whose image, with beard and moustache, is said to have been found by a farmer while ploughing in 1754. It is one of the most visited temples of Rajasthan, especially on Hanuman Jayanti and at the Chaitra and Ashvin fairs.
Living templeSalasayana Perumal Temple, Thirusirupuliyur
A Divya Desam where Vishnu reclines in a small form, revealed to the tiger-footed sage Vyaghrapada.
Samaleswari Temple, Sambalpur
The temple of Samaleswari, presiding goddess of Sambalpur and of western Odisha, on the bank of the Mahanadi. The town is said to take its name from her, and she is at the heart of the region's Sambalpuri identity.
Sammakka Saralamma Shrine, Medaram
A forest shrine of the Koya tribal goddesses Sammakka and her daughter Saralamma, who are said to have fought the Kakatiya army. The biennial Medaram Jatara draws over a crore of people, one of the largest tribal gatherings in the world.
Sangameshwara Temple, Kudalasangama
A Shiva temple at the confluence of the Krishna and Malaprabha, where the 12th-century reformer Basavanna studied and where his samadhi (aikya mantapa) lies. It is the holiest place of the Lingayat tradition.
Sangameswara Temple (relocated)
A Chalukya-era Shiva temple that stood at Kudaveli, where the Tungabhadra meets the Krishna. When the Srisailam dam reservoir was to flood the site, it was taken apart stone by stone and rebuilt near Alampur, which is also home to the Jogulamba Shakti Peetha and the Navabrahma temples.
Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple, Varanasi
A temple of Hanuman as 'reliever of troubles', founded according to tradition by Tulsidas, author of the Ramcharitmanas. A bomb attack in 2006 killed several worshippers, and its music festival each April is one of India's leading classical music events.
Sant Dnyaneshwar Samadhi Mandir, Alandi
The shrine where the Marathi saint-poet Dnyaneshwar entered living samadhi in 1296 at the age of about 21. It is where the Wari to Pandharpur begins with his palanquin.
Living templeSaptashrungi Devi Temple, Vani
A shrine of an eighteen-armed goddess carved in the cliff of a hill with seven peaks in the Sahyadris near Nashik. It is the 'half' of the three and a half Shakti Peethas of Maharashtra.
Living templeSaranatha Perumal Temple, Thirucherai
A Divya Desam near Kumbakonam where the river goddess Kaveri is said to have worshipped Vishnu. It is called the Panchasara Kshetram, 'place of the five essences'.
Living templeSarangapani Temple, Kumbakonam
The largest Vishnu temple in the temple town of Kumbakonam, where Vishnu reclines as Sarangapani, 'holder of the bow Saranga'. Its inner shrine is built as a chariot drawn by horses and elephants, and its eleven-tiered tower is about 50 m high.
Sas-Bahu Temples, Gwalior
A pair of temples of Vishnu in Gwalior fort, built in 1093 by the Kachchhapaghata king Mahipala. The popular name Sas-Bahu ('mother-in-law and daughter-in-law') is a corruption of Sahastrabahu, 'the thousand-armed', a name of Vishnu.
Living templeSathyamurthy Perumal Temple, Thirumayam
A Divya Desam at the foot of Thirumayam fort with one of the largest rock-cut reclining Vishnu images in India, carved into the living rock around the 8th century.
Shakumbhari Devi Temple, Saharanpur
A goddess temple in a seasonal river valley of the Shivalik hills, dedicated to Shakumbhari, the goddess who fed the world with vegetables during a famine. Pilgrims first worship Bhura Dev, her guardian, at a nearby shrine.
Living templeShamlaji Temple
A temple of Vishnu as Gadadhar, 'bearer of the mace', whose dark image gives the place the name Shamlaji. It is sacred both to Hindus of Gujarat and to the Bhil adivasis, who call the god Kaliya Dev, and holds a large fair at Kartik Purnima.
Living templeShani Temple, Shani Shingnapur
An open-air shrine of Shani, the planet Saturn, where a black stone slab stands on a platform with no roof. The village is famous for houses without doors, as the god is believed to punish thieves.
Shankaracharya Temple, Srinagar
A stone Shiva temple on a hill about 300 m above Srinagar and Dal Lake. Tradition dates the shrine to very early times, while scholars date the present building to about the 9th century. It is named after Adi Shankara, who is said to have meditated here.
Living templeShankheshwar Parshvanath Temple
One of the most important Jain pilgrim places of Gujarat, with an image of Parshvanatha, the 23rd Tirthankara, believed to be extremely ancient and miraculous. The large white temple has 52 small shrines around it.
Sharada Peeth
The ruined temple of the goddess Sharada in the Neelum valley, once one of the great centres of learning in South Asia and the source of the Sharada script. Counted among the 18 Maha Shakti Peethas, it has been beyond reach of most Indian pilgrims since 1947.
Rebuilt / restored for worshipSharadamba Temple, Sringeri
The temple of the goddess Sharada at the first of the four monasteries that tradition credits to Adi Shankara. Beside it stands the 14th-century Vidyashankara temple, linked to the founding of the Vijayanagara empire.
Sharda Mata Temple, Maihar
A hilltop temple of the goddess Sharda on Trikuta hill, reached by 1,063 steps or a ropeway. The name Maihar is said to come from 'Mai ka haar', the mother's necklace, which fell here.
Sharika Devi Temple, Hari Parbat
The shrine of the goddess Sharika, the presiding goddess of Srinagar, on Hari Parbat hill. She is worshipped as a rock face marked with a Shri Chakra, not as an image.
Shatrunjaya Temples, Palitana
A sacred hill crowned by more than 850 Jain temples, the holiest pilgrimage site of the Shvetambara Jains. The chief temple is of Adinatha (Rishabhanatha), the first Tirthankara, who is said to have preached here.
Sheetla Mata Temple, Gurugram
A popular goddess temple in Gurugram, where families bring children for their first haircut. Local tradition links the goddess with Kripi, wife of Dronacharya, the teacher of the Pandavas.
Shila Devi Temple, Amer
The temple of Shila Devi, family goddess of the Kachwaha rulers, inside Amer Fort. Raja Man Singh I is said to have brought the stone image from Jessore in Bengal after his campaign there. Amer is part of the Hill Forts of Rajasthan World Heritage Site.
Shiv Khori Cave Shrine
A natural limestone cave in Reasi district with a self-formed Shiva lingam and many rock formations seen as gods. A shrine board runs the pilgrimage, which peaks at Mahashivaratri.
Ruined / monumentShore Temple
One of the earliest structural (built, not rock-cut) stone temples of South India, standing on the Bay of Bengal. It holds two Shiva shrines and a reclining Vishnu between them, and is part of the Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram (UNESCO).
Shree Govindajee Temple, Imphal
The royal Vaishnava temple of Manipur beside the old palace in Imphal, dedicated to Krishna as Govindajee. It is the centre of Manipuri Raslila, the dance-drama created under Maharaja Bhagyachandra.
Living templeShree Jagannath Temple
The temple of Jagannath, 'lord of the universe', with his siblings Balabhadra and Subhadra, all in wooden form, on the coast at Puri. One of the Char Dham, it is famous for the Rath Yatra and for its kitchen, which feeds tens of thousands daily with Mahaprasad.
Shri Devikoop Bhadrakali Temple, Kurukshetra
A Shakti Peetha at Thanesar in Kurukshetra, where Sati's right ankle is believed to have fallen into a well (devikoop). Pilgrims offer clay or metal horses here.
Shri Digambar Jain Lal Mandir
The oldest Jain temple in Delhi, in red sandstone opposite the Red Fort. It was founded in the mid-17th century for Jain merchants and officers of the Mughal city. A charitable hospital for birds runs in its premises.
Living templeShri Krishna Janmasthan, Mathura
The shrine at the place in Mathura where Krishna is believed to have been born in Kamsa's prison. Its temples were destroyed and rebuilt several times, and the site beside the Shahi Idgah is the subject of pending court cases.
Shri Mahalasa Narayani Temple, Mardol
The temple of Mahalasa Narayani, worshipped as Mohini, the female form of Vishnu, and as a form of the goddess. The deity was moved from Verna in the 1560s to escape Portuguese temple destruction.
RelocatedShri Mangueshi Temple
The family deity of many Gaud Saraswat Brahmins, Mangesh (Shiva) was moved in the 1560s from Kushasthali (Cortalim) in Portuguese-ruled Salcete to Mangeshi in Ponda, beyond Portuguese control, when temples were being destroyed. The present temple, with its seven-storey lamp tower, dates from the 18th century.
Shri Nagesh Temple, Bandora
A Shiva temple at Bandora, one of the few Goan temples that stayed in place through Portuguese rule. An inscription of 1413, from the time of Vijayanagara rule, records gifts to it.
Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir
A new temple to Rama at the site held by Hindus to be his birthplace, built after the Supreme Court's 2019 judgment in the Ayodhya title dispute. The site had held the Babri Masjid (1528) until its demolition in 1992. The Nagara-style temple was designed by the Sompura family and consecrated in January 2024.
Shri Ramnath Temple, Ramnathi
A Shiva temple at Ramnathi, whose lingam is said to have been worshipped by Rama. It was moved from Loutolim in Salcete in the 1560s, when Portuguese rule led to the destruction of temples there.
Shri Sammed Shikharji
The holiest Jain pilgrimage, a hill where 20 of the 24 Tirthankaras are believed to have attained liberation. Pilgrims walk about 27 km barefoot to visit the shrines (tonks) on the summit ridge in a single day.
Shri Saptakoteshwar Temple, Narve
The temple of Saptakoteshwar, family deity of the Kadambas of Goa. Its original temple on Divar island was destroyed by the Portuguese, and the present temple at Narve was rebuilt by Chhatrapati Shivaji in 1668.
Shri Shantadurga Temple, Kavlem
The temple of Shantadurga, the peaceful Durga, family goddess of many Goan families. The goddess was moved from Quelossim in Salcete in the 1560s to escape Portuguese temple destruction, and the present temple was built in 1738 with the help of a Maratha minister.
Living templeShri Swaminarayan Mandir, Kalupur
The first temple of the Swaminarayan sampradaya, built at the wish of its founder Sahajanand Swami in 1822. Its carved Burmese teak and colourful brackets make it one of the most ornate wooden temples of Gujarat.
Living templeShri Vaijnath Temple, Parli
A Hemadpanti-style Shiva temple at Parli in Beed district, which many in Maharashtra regard as the true Vaidyanath Jyotirlinga, a claim shared with Deoghar in Jharkhand. Its spire rises about 75-80 feet above a brass-plated eastern door.
Shrinathji Temple, Nathdwara
The chief shrine of the Pushti Marg, where the image of Krishna as Shrinathji, lifting Govardhan hill, was brought from Braj in 1672. The temple is built as a haveli (mansion) rather than a temple, and its famous painted cloths (pichwais) are an art form of their own.
Shyam Rai Temple, Bishnupur
A five-towered (pancha-ratna) brick temple of 1643, built by the Malla king Raghunath Singh, with some of the richest terracotta work in Bengal.
Shyama Mai Temple, Darbhanga
A Kali temple in Darbhanga built in 1933 over the cremation site of Maharaja Rameshwar Singh of the Darbhanga Raj. It is one of the few temples in India built over a funeral pyre, and weddings are held here despite the setting.
Rebuilt / restored for worshipSiddhivinayak Temple, Mumbai
Mumbai's most famous Ganesha temple, founded in 1801 by a childless woman so that other women's wishes might be granted. The image has its trunk turned to the right, a form believed to be powerful and demanding.
Living templeSiddhivinayak Temple, Siddhatek
The only Ashtavinayak shrine whose Ganesha has his trunk turned to the right, worshipped as Siddhivinayak on a hillock by the Bhima. Vishnu is said to have prayed to Ganesha here before slaying the demons Madhu and Kaitabha.
Sita Ramachandra Swamy Temple, Bhadrachalam
A Rama temple on the Godavari built by the saint-poet Bhakta Ramadasu, who was jailed for spending tax money on it. Its Sri Rama Navami wedding festival, with pearls and silk sent by the state government, is the best known in the Telugu lands.
Sivadol, Sivasagar
A tall Shiva temple of 1734 built by the Ahom queen Ambika beside the great Sivasagar tank, one of the tallest Hindu temples in India at about 32 m. It stands with the Vishnudol and Devidol.
Living templeSomeswara Temple, Bhimavaram
One of the five Pancharama temples, where the linga is believed to change colour with the phases of the moon. The shrine has two storeys, with the goddess Annapurna above the Shiva sanctum.
Rebuilt / restored for worshipSomnath Temple
The first of the twelve Jyotirlingas, on the Saurashtra coast. Sacked by Mahmud of Ghazni in 1026 and attacked repeatedly afterwards, it was rebuilt each time; the present temple was raised after Independence on the initiative of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and consecrated in 1951.
Sonagiri Jain Temples
A hill covered with about a hundred white Digambar Jain temples, sacred as a place where many monks are believed to have attained liberation. The main temple is of Chandraprabha, the eighth Tirthankara.
Living templeSoundararaja Perumal Temple, Nagapattinam
The Divya Desam of the old port of Nagapattinam, where Vishnu is called the beautiful king. The serpent Adishesha and the child-devotee Dhruva are said to have worshipped here.
Living templeSowmya Narayana Perumal Temple, Thirukoshtiyur
The temple from whose tower Ramanuja is said to have proclaimed the sacred mantra to everyone, after his teacher had taught it to him under a vow of secrecy. Its multi-storey vimana shows Vishnu in four postures.
Living templeSowriraja Perumal Temple, Thirukannapuram
One of the five Pancha Krishna shrines, praised by five Alvars. The god's name, Sowriraja, recalls a legend in which Vishnu grew a lock of hair to save a priest's honour.
Living templeSree Padmanabhaswamy Temple
The temple of Vishnu as Padmanabha, reclining on the serpent Ananta, gives Thiruvananthapuram (city of Ananta) its name. It blends Kerala and Tamil Dravida styles, and was the state temple of Travancore. The opening of its vaults in 2011 revealed one of the largest known temple treasures.
Sree Poornathrayeesa Temple, Tripunithura
The royal temple of the Cochin kings at Tripunithura, dedicated to Vishnu seated on the serpent Ananta. Its Vrischikolsavam is the first big temple festival of the Kerala year.
Living templeSreevallabha Temple, Thiruvalla
One of the oldest and largest temples of central Kerala, where Kathakali is performed almost every night as an offering to the god.
Sri Krishna Matha, Udupi
The Krishna shrine founded by Madhvacharya, the teacher of Dvaita Vedanta, and served in turn by the eight Ashta Mathas of Udupi. Devotees see the child Krishna through a small window, the Kanakana Kindi, named after the poet-saint Kanaka Dasa.
Living templeSri Ranganathaswamy Temple
On an island between the Kaveri and Kollidam rivers, this temple of the reclining Vishnu, Ranganatha, is the first of the 108 Divya Desams and among the largest functioning Hindu temple complexes in the world, with seven concentric enclosures. It was the home of the philosopher Ramanuja.
Living templeSri Venkateswara Temple, Tirumala
The hill temple of Venkateswara on the seventh of the Seshachalam hills is one of the most visited religious sites in the world. It is run by Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), known for its hair-tonsure offerings, hundi and the Tirupati laddu.
Living templeSrikalahasteeswara Temple, Srikalahasti
The Shiva temple of the wind (Vayu) among the five element shrines of the south, named after a spider (sri), a snake (kala) and an elephant (hasti) who worshipped here. It is famous for the hunter-saint Kannappa and for rites to ease the influence of Rahu and Ketu.
Living templeSrikanteshwara Temple, Nanjangud
One of the largest temples in Karnataka, dedicated to Shiva as Nanjundeshwara, 'the god who swallowed poison'. It is known for healing, for the Wodeyars' patronage and for an emerald linga said to be a gift of Tipu Sultan.
Living templeSrikurmanatha Temple, Srikurmam
A rare temple of Vishnu in his tortoise (Kurma) form, near the coast of Srikakulam. It is linked to Ramanuja, who is said to have turned the shrine from Shaiva to Vaishnava worship, and it keeps a sanctuary for star tortoises.
Srinivasa Perumal Temple, Thiruvellakulam
One of the eleven Divya Desams of Thirunangur near Sirkazhi. The god is called Annan, the elder brother of Venkateswara of Tirumala, and the temple is the birthplace of Kumudavalli, wife of Thirumangai Alvar.
Living templeSthalasayana Perumal Temple, Mamallapuram
The Divya Desam of Mamallapuram, where Vishnu lies on the bare ground rather than on his serpent. Bhoothath Alvar, one of the first three Alvars, was born here.
Sthaneshwar Mahadev Temple, Thanesar
A Shiva temple at Thanesar, the old city of Sthanvishvara, which takes its name from Shiva as the Lord of the Place (Sthanu). Thanesar was the capital of King Harshavardhana in the 7th century and was sacked by Mahmud of Ghazni in 1014.
Living templeSubramaniya Swamy Temple, Tiruchendur
The seashore temple of Murugan at Tiruchendur, the second of his six abodes, where he is said to have defeated the demon Surapadman. The Soorasamharam enacted on the beach during Kanda Sashti draws vast crowds.
Sudh Mahadev Temple
An old Shiva temple in the hills near Patnitop, where pieces of a large trident are kept that are said to be Shiva's own. A fair is held on Shravan Purnima, and nearby Mantalai is held to be where Shiva and Parvati married.
Sukreswar Temple, Guwahati
A Shiva temple on a hillock above the Brahmaputra, built in 1744 by the Ahom king Pramatta Singha. Its riverside ghat is a favoured place for funeral rites.
Ruined / monumentSun Temple, Modhera
A Sun temple built under Bhima I of the Chaulukya (Solanki) dynasty in 1026-27 CE, just after Mahmud of Ghazni's raid on Gujarat. It has a sanctum hall, an assembly hall and a great stepped tank (Surya Kund). Its spire is lost and it is no longer in worship.
Surya Temple, Deo
A stone sun temple at Deo, unusual in facing west, the centre of one of Bihar's largest Chhath celebrations.
Living templeSuryanarayana Temple, Arasavalli
One of the few temples in India where the Sun is worshipped in daily puja. Twice a year the rising sun shines through the gate straight onto the feet of the image.
Swaminarayan Akshardham, Delhi
A vast temple complex on the Yamuna, opened in 2005 by the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha. Its central monument of pink sandstone and white marble is carved with thousands of figures, and the complex includes exhibitions, a boat ride through Indian history and a musical fountain.
Living templeSwaminarayan Akshardham, Gandhinagar
A large pink sandstone temple of the BAPS Swaminarayan organisation, opened in 1992, with a gold-leafed image of Swaminarayan and exhibition halls on Indian culture. In 2002 it was the target of a terrorist attack in which more than 30 people died.
Swayambhu Ganapati Temple, Ganpatipule
A beach temple of a self-formed Ganesha in a hillock on the Konkan coast. Pilgrims walk around the whole hill, which is taken to be the god's body, and the temple faces west to the sea.
Tambdi Surla Mahadev Temple
A small basalt Shiva temple of the 12th-13th century, hidden in the forest at the foot of the Western Ghats. It is the oldest surviving temple in Goa, having escaped destruction because of its remote location.
Tanot Mata Temple
A goddess temple near the India-Pakistan border in the Thar desert, famous because Pakistani shells that fell around it in the 1965 war are said not to have exploded. The Border Security Force runs the temple.
Living templeTara Tarini Temple, Ganjam
A hilltop temple of the twin goddesses Tara and Tarini above the Rushikulya river, counted in Odisha among the four chief (Adi) Shakti Peethas. It is a favourite place for children's first haircut, and Tuesdays in Chaitra draw huge crowds.
Tarakeswar Temple
A Shiva temple of 1729 with a self-manifested linga, the goal of a great pilgrimage in the month of Shravan, when devotees carry Ganga water on foot from Baidyabati.
Tarapith Temple
A temple of the goddess Tara, one of the ten Mahavidyas, beside a cremation ground in Birbhum. It is famous as a seat of tantric practice and for the 19th-century saint Bamakhepa. Some traditions count it a Shakti Peetha.
Tawang Monastery
The largest Buddhist monastery in India, founded in 1680-81 by Merak Lama Lodre Gyatso at the wish of the fifth Dalai Lama. It belongs to the Gelug school.
Teli ka Mandir, Gwalior
The tallest building in Gwalior fort, a temple of the 8th-9th century about 30 m high, with an unusual wagon-vault roof of the kind seen in south India. It is now empty and protected as a monument.
Living templeThadalan Temple, Sirkazhi
A Divya Desam in Sirkazhi, where Vishnu is shown as Trivikrama measuring the worlds. It is remembered for the meeting of Thirumangai Alvar and the Shaiva saint Sambandar.
Thamaraiyal Kelvan Temple, Thiruparthanpalli
One of the eleven Divya Desams of Thirunangur near Sirkazhi. Arjuna (Partha) is said to have worshipped here, giving the place its name.
Thanjai Mamani Kovil, Thanjavur
A group of three Vishnu shrines on the Vennar river at Thanjavur, counted together as one Divya Desam. Here Vishnu as Narasimha is said to have killed the demon Thanjan, who gave the city its name.
Thawe Durga Temple
A goddess temple in Gopalganj district, famous for the story of the devotee Rahshu Bhagat, for whom the goddess is said to have appeared.
Thiksey Monastery
A Gelug monastery of the 15th century rising in tiers up a hill in the Indus valley, often compared to the Potala Palace in Lhasa. Its Maitreya temple, with a statue about 15 m high, was built to mark the Dalai Lama's visit in 1970.
Living templeThillai Nataraja Temple
The temple of Shiva as Nataraja, the cosmic dancer, and one of the Pancha Bhoota Sthalams, representing space (akasha). Its gopurams carry the 108 karanas, dance poses of the Natya Shastra. It also houses the Vaishnava Govindaraja shrine.
Thirukameswarar Temple, Villianur
A large Shiva temple at Villianur, near Puducherry, with Shiva as Thirukameswarar and the goddess as Gokilambal. It is said to date from the Chola period, and its chariot festival is the largest in Puducherry.
Thirunallar Dharbaranyeswarar Temple
A Shiva temple at Thirunallar near Karaikal, praised in the Tevaram hymns and best known for its shrine of Saneeswaran (Saturn). Lakhs of devotees come here to bathe in the Nala Theertham, especially when Saturn changes signs.
Living templeThirunelli Maha Vishnu Temple
A forest temple of Vishnu in the Brahmagiri hills of Wayanad, about 900 m above sea level. Water reaches it through a stone aqueduct, and pilgrims come to perform rites for their ancestors in the Papanasini stream, which has earned it the name Kashi of the South.
Thiruvambady Sri Krishna Temple
A Krishna temple in Thrissur, one of the two main temples that take part in the Thrissur Pooram. Its procession and fireworks compete each year with those of the Paramekkavu temple.
Thiruvanchikulam Mahadeva Temple
A Shiva temple near Kodungallur, the old Chera capital, and the only temple in Kerala praised in the Tamil Tevaram hymns. The saint Sundarar and his friend, the Chera king Cheraman Perumal, are said to have left for Kailasa from here.
Living templeThiruvazhmarban Temple, Thiruppathisaram
A Divya Desam near Nagercoil in the Kerala style, connected with Nammalvar's mother, who was born here.
Living templeThousand Pillar Temple, Hanamkonda
A star-shaped triple temple of the Kakatiya king Rudradeva, with shrines to Shiva, Vishnu and Surya and a richly carved pillared hall. Its connecting dance hall was dismantled for restoration in 2004 and rebuilt by 2022.
Thriprayar Sree Rama Temple
A temple of Rama with four arms on the bank of the Thriprayar river, first of the four Nalambalam temples of Rama and his brothers. Its deity, Thriprayar Thevar, leads the gathering of gods at the Arattupuzha Pooram.
Living templeThyagarajaswamy Temple, Tiruvarur
A vast temple complex in the Kaveri delta, dedicated to Shiva as Thyagaraja, the form of Shiva seated with Uma and Skanda. Its chariot is the largest in Tamil Nadu, and the town was the birthplace of all three great composers of Carnatic music.
Rebuilt / restored for worshipTrimbakeshwar Temple
A Jyotirlinga temple near the source of the Godavari, whose linga has three small faces for Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. The earlier temple was destroyed under Aurangzeb, and the present black-basalt temple was built by Peshwa Balaji Baji Rao in the 18th century.
Trinetra Ganesh Temple, Ranthambore
A temple of the three-eyed Ganesha inside Ranthambore Fort, in the middle of the tiger reserve. Devotees post letters and wedding invitations to Ganesha here. The fort is part of the Hill Forts of Rajasthan World Heritage Site.
Tripura Sundari Temple
A Shakti Peetha at Udaipur in Tripura, built in 1501 by Maharaja Dhanya Manikya, where Sati's right foot is said to have fallen. The hill's shape is likened to a tortoise, so the site is called Kurma Peetha.
Triyuginarayan Temple
A Vishnu temple where Shiva and Parvati are believed to have married, with Vishnu giving the bride away. A fire that has burned since their wedding, through three yugas, is kept alive in front of the temple.
Living templeTulja Bhavani Temple, Tuljapur
The temple of Bhavani, family goddess of Chhatrapati Shivaji and of many Maratha and other families. Counted among the 'three and a half' Shakti Peethas of Maharashtra, it is the most important goddess temple of the Marathwada region.
Tungnath Temple
The highest Shiva temple in the world, at about 3,680 m, one of the Panch Kedar, where Shiva's arms are said to have appeared. It is reached by a short trek from Chopta.
Udayagiri Caves, Vidisha
Some 20 rock-cut caves of the early 5th century, with an inscription of 401 from the reign of Chandragupta II. Their great relief of Vishnu as Varaha rescuing the earth is one of the most famous works of Gupta art.
Ugratara Temple, Guwahati
A temple of the goddess Ugratara in Guwahati, built in 1725 by the Ahom king Siva Singha beside the Jor Pukhuri tanks. There is no image; the goddess is worshipped in a small pit filled with water.
Ugratara Temple, Mahishi
A temple of the goddess Ugratara at Mahishi in Mithila, held by local tradition to be a Shakti Peetha and linked with the scholar Mandana Mishra.
Ujjaini Mahankali Temple, Secunderabad
A goddess temple in Secunderabad founded in 1815 by a soldier who prayed to Mahakali of Ujjain during a cholera epidemic. It is a centre of the Bonalu festival, when women carry pots of food to the goddess.
Living templeUlagalantha Perumal Temple, Kanchipuram
A Kanchipuram temple that holds four Divya Desams in one compound: Thiruooragam, Thiruneeragam, Thirukaragam and Thirukarvaanam. Its huge image of Trivikrama, measuring the worlds, is one of the largest Vishnu images in Tamil Nadu.
Living templeUlagalantha Perumal Temple, Tirukkovilur
The temple of Vishnu as Trivikrama, measuring the worlds with his leg raised high. Here, tradition says, the first three Alvars met on a rainy night in a narrow passage and began the hymns of the Divya Prabandham.
Umananda Temple
A Shiva temple on Peacock Island, one of the smallest inhabited river islands in the world, in the Brahmaputra at Guwahati. It was built in 1694 by order of the Ahom king Gadadhar Singha and rebuilt after the 1897 earthquake.
Unakoti
A hillside of huge rock-cut reliefs of Shiva and other gods, carved in the 7th-9th centuries, including a Shiva head about 10 m high. Its name means 'one less than a crore'. Unakoti is on India's tentative list for World Heritage status.
Living templeUthamar Kovil, Thirukarambanur
A rare temple where Vishnu, Shiva and Brahma are all worshipped with their consorts. Here Shiva is said to have been freed from the skull of Brahma that stuck to his hand.
Living templeUyyavantha Perumal Temple, Thiruvithuvakodu
A Divya Desam on the Bharathapuzha in Palakkad district, sung by the Kerala king-saint Kulasekara Alvar. It holds five images of Vishnu said to have been installed by the Pandavas.
Living templeVadakkunnathan Temple, Thrissur
A walled temple complex of about nine acres on the hillock at the heart of Thrissur, with shrines to Shiva, Shankaranarayana and Rama. Its Shiva linga lies hidden under a mound of ghee built up over centuries of offerings, and the Thrissur Pooram is held around it. It is a protected national monument and won a UNESCO Asia-Pacific conservation award in 2015.
Vadivazhagiya Nambi Temple, Anbil
A Divya Desam on the Kollidam river near Lalgudi, where Vishnu is called 'the handsome lord'. The village is known for the 10th-century Anbil copper plates of the Chola king Sundara Chola.
Living templeVaikom Mahadeva Temple
An ancient Shiva temple, worshipped as Dakshinamurthy in the morning, Kiratamurthy at noon and Shakti Panchakshari in the evening, with Kerala's only oval sanctum. The roads around it were the scene of the Vaikom Satyagraha of 1924-25, a landmark struggle against untouchability.
Living templeVaikunta Perumal Temple, Kanchipuram
An 8th-century Pallava temple built by Nandivarman II, with three shrines stacked one above another. Its cloister walls carry sculpted panels of Pallava royal history, a rare record in stone.
Vaikuntanatha Perumal Temple, Thirunangur
One of the eleven Divya Desams of Thirunangur near Sirkazhi. Vishnu here is seated as the lord of Vaikuntha, his heaven.
Vaikuntanathan Temple, Srivaikuntam
One of the Nava Tirupati, nine Vishnu temples on the Thamirabarani river, linked with the Sun.
Living templeVaital Deul, Bhubaneswar
An 8th-century temple of the fierce goddess Chamunda, with an unusual barrel-vaulted roof (the khakhara style) like a South Indian gopura. Its dark sanctum and its images of skulls and corpses link it to tantric worship.
Living templeVaithamanidhi Perumal Temple, Thirukolur
One of the Nava Tirupati, nine Vishnu temples on the Thamirabarani river, linked with Mars (Sevvai).
Living templeValvil Ramar Temple, Thirupullabhoothangudi
A rare temple where Rama is shown reclining, after performing the funeral rites of the vulture Jatayu who died defending Sita.
Living templeVamanamoorthy Temple, Thrikkakara
The Vamana temple near Kochi that is the traditional home of Onam. Here, it is said, Vishnu as the dwarf Vamana sent the beloved king Mahabali to the underworld, and Mahabali returns each year at Onam to visit his people.
Vanamamalai Perumal Temple, Nanguneri
A Divya Desam at Nanguneri where the god is anointed daily with oil that is stored in a well and taken by devotees as medicine. It is the seat of the Vanamamalai Mutt, one of the main Sri Vaishnava monasteries.
Varadaraja Perumal Temple, Thirumanikoodam
One of the eleven Divya Desams of Thirunangur near Sirkazhi. The Moon is also said to have worshipped here.
Living templeVaradharaja Perumal Temple, Kanchipuram
The great Vishnu temple of Kanchipuram, where Vishnu is worshipped as Varadaraja, 'king of boon-givers'. An ancient image of fig wood, the Athi Varadar, lies under the temple tank and is brought out for worship only once in 40 years. With Srirangam and Tirumala it is one of the three holiest Sri Vaishnava shrines.
Varadvinayak Temple, Mahad
An Ashtavinayak shrine where devotees may enter the sanctum and touch the image themselves. An oil lamp here is said to have burned without stopping since 1892.
Living templeVaraha Lakshmi Narasimha Temple, Simhachalam
A hill temple of Vishnu combining the boar (Varaha) and man-lion (Narasimha) forms. The image is kept covered in sandalwood paste all year and is revealed only once, on Akshaya Tritiya, in the Chandanotsavam festival.
Living templeVarasiddhi Vinayaka Temple, Kanipakam
A temple of a self-manifested Ganesha who rises from a well and is believed to keep growing. Disputes are settled and oaths sworn before him, as he is held to punish false witnesses.
Vedapureeswarar Temple, Puducherry
A Shiva temple in Puducherry town that replaced an older temple destroyed by the French in 1748. The destruction was recorded at the time in the diary of Ananda Ranga Pillai, the chief Indian agent of the French.
Living templeVeera Venkata Satyanarayana Temple, Annavaram
A hill temple of Satyanarayana, the form of Vishnu worshipped in the household Satyanarayana Vratam. Couples come in great numbers to perform the vratam here, especially after weddings.
Living templeVeerabhadra Temple, Lepakshi
A Vijayanagara temple famous for its painted ceilings, a pillar that does not touch the floor, a giant monolithic Nandi and a seven-hooded serpent sheltering a linga. Tradition links the place to the bird Jatayu of the Ramayana.
Living templeVeeraraghava Perumal Temple, Tiruvallur
The temple that gave Tiruvallur its name, where Vishnu asked his host 'Where shall I lie down?' (evvul?). Pilgrims come on new-moon days to bathe in its tank and pray for healing.
Living templeVenkateswara Temple, Dwaraka Tirumala
A hill temple of Venkateswara known as 'Chinna Tirupati', little Tirupati. The self-manifested image shows only the upper half of the god; the feet are said to be worshipped at Tirumala.
Vighnahar Temple, Ozar
An Ashtavinayak shrine of Ganesha as Vighnahar, 'remover of obstacles', who defeated the demon of obstacles, Vighnasura. Its golden dome and fortified walls stand on the bank of the Kukadi.
Vijayaraghava Perumal Temple, Thiruputkuzhi
A Divya Desam near Kanchipuram where Rama is said to have performed the funeral rites of the vulture Jatayu. The young Ramanuja studied here under his first teacher, Yadavaprakasa.
Vijayasan Devi Temple, Salkanpur
A hilltop temple of Vijayasan Devi, reached by about 1,000 steps or a ropeway, near Bhopal. Its Navaratri fairs draw lakhs of pilgrims.
Vijayasana Perumal Temple, Thiruvaragunamangai
One of the Nava Tirupati, nine Vishnu temples on the Thamirabarani river, linked with the Moon.
Vindhyavasini Devi Temple, Vindhyachal
The temple of Vindhyavasini, 'she who dwells in the Vindhyas', on the bank of the Ganga near Mirzapur. She is identified with Yogamaya, the goddess born to Yashoda who escaped from Kamsa, and pilgrims make a triangular circuit to her and to the shrines of Kali and Ashtabhuja.
Living templeVirupaksha Temple, Hampi
A living Shiva temple in the middle of the ruined Vijayanagara capital. It kept its worship after the city was sacked in 1565 and is the focus of the Hampi UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Living templeVirupaksha Temple, Pattadakal
The largest temple at Pattadakal, built by Queen Lokamahadevi to celebrate her husband Vikramaditya II's victory over the Pallavas at Kanchipuram. It is a key monument of the UNESCO site where northern and southern temple styles stand side by side.
Living templeVishalakshi Temple, Varanasi
The goddess temple at Mir Ghat in Varanasi, near Kashi Vishwanath, regarded as the Shakti Peetha where Sati's earring fell. The present temple, with a small Dravidian gateway and Tamil inscriptions, was completed in 1893 by the Nattukottai Nagarathars of Tamil Nadu.
Vishnupad Temple, Gaya
A temple built around a footprint of Vishnu set in rock on the bank of the Phalgu river at Gaya. Gaya is the most important place in India for rites for the dead (shraddha), and the present temple was built by Ahilyabai Holkar in 1787.
Vishwa Shanti Stupa, Rajgir
A white peace pagoda on Ratnagiri hill at Rajgir, built in 1969 by the Japanese Buddhist order Nipponzan Myohoji, reached by an aerial ropeway. Nearby Gridhrakuta (Vulture Peak) is where the Buddha gave many sermons.
Ruined / monumentVittala Temple, Hampi
The most ornate temple of the ruined Vijayanagara capital, dedicated to Vittala, a form of Vishnu. It is famous for its stone chariot and the 'musical pillars' of its great hall, and stands empty since the city was sacked in 1565.
Living templeVitthal Rukmini Temple, Pandharpur
The temple of Vitthal (Vithoba), a standing form of Krishna, and his consort Rukmini on the Chandrabhaga river. It is the goal of the Wari, the walking pilgrimage of the Varkari saints' palanquins, which brings lakhs of people on Ashadhi Ekadashi.
Walkeshwar Temple and Banganga Tank, Mumbai
A Shiva temple and sacred tank on Malabar Hill, among the oldest surviving holy places in Mumbai. Rama is said to have made the sand linga here and drawn water from the earth with an arrow.
Yamunotri Temple
The temple of the goddess Yamuna near the river's source, the first shrine of the Chota Char Dham. Pilgrims cook rice and potatoes in the hot spring of Surya Kund beside it as an offering.
Living templeYathothkari Perumal Temple, Thiruvekka
A Kanchipuram Divya Desam where Vishnu is called 'the lord who did as he was told', after he rolled up his serpent bed and followed his devotee out of the city. Poigai Alvar, the first Alvar, is said to have been born in its tank.
Yoga Narasimha Temple, Sholinghur
A hilltop temple of Narasimha seated in yoga, reached by more than 1,300 steps. Tradition says that staying here for one ghatika, about 24 minutes, is enough to win liberation.
Yogmaya Temple, Mehrauli
A temple of the goddess Yogmaya, Krishna's sister, in Mehrauli near the Qutb Minar. The site is held to be very old, and the present temple was built in the early 19th century. It is the Hindu centre of the Phool Walon Ki Sair festival.