Temples in India is important topic for IAS prelims exam. While studying temples in India, the focus should be- Location of the temple (town, state, river, hill), the main deity, style of architecture, a period of construction, world heritage sites, and patrons. In this article, we will cover most temples in detail.
Vijayeshwar and Chakradhar Temple
Location- Bijbehara, Dist.Anantnag, Kashmir
It is situated on the banks of river Jhelum.
Details- It is mentioned in Jonaraja’s Rajatarangini.
Martand Sun Temple
Location- Anantnag District of Kashmir
Details-
- It was built during 725-756 CE.
- It was built by Lalitaditya Muktapida of the Karkota Dynasty.
- Example of Kashmiri architecture
- It is a blend of Gandharan, Gupta, Chinese, Roman, Syrian-Byzantine, and Greek architectural styles.
Masroor Rock Cut Temple
Location- Situated in Kangra Valley of Beas River, Himachal Pradesh
Details-
- Monolithic temple
- Completed around 8th C. AD
- Hindu temples in Masrur have similarities with the Elephanta Caves near Mumbai, Angkor Wat in Cambodia and the rock-cut temples of Mahabalipuram in Tamil Nadu
- Nagara Style of Temple architecture
Hidimba Devi temple
Location-Manali, Himachal Pradesh
Details-
- Locally known as Dhungari Temple
- Raja Bahadur Singh built this temple in 16th century AD
- Pagoda style of Temple Architecture
Khatarmal Temple/Sun (Bara Aditya) Temple
Location-Almora, Uttarakhand
Details-
- Built by the Kings of Katyuri in the ninth century.
- 44 subsidiary shrines around the main temple
Badrinath
Location-Dist. Chamoli of Uttarakhand
Details-
- Temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu
- Pitha founded by Shankaracharya
Gangotri Temple
Location-Dist. Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand
Details-
- Famous for Temple of Ganga
- Here Ganga originates as Bhagirathi
Deogarh Dashavatara temple (Vishnu temple)
Location-Deogarh, Lalitpur District of Uttar Pradesh
Details-
- Panchayatana style of architecture.
- Temple is west facing, which is rare.
Kashi Vishwanath Temple
Location-On the confluence of river Ganga and Gomati at Varanasi (Isipatana)
Details-
- Varanasi was capital of Kashi Mahajanapada
Bhitargaon Temple
Location-Dist. Kanpur, Uttarpradesh
Details-
- Nagara style temple of Gupta age
- India’s largest brick temple to survive from the era of the Gupta Empire
Nachna Kuthara Temple
Location-Bhumara, Madhya Pradesh
Details-
- Temple of Mahadeva
- Nagara style
- It was the early capital of Vakatakas
Mandsaur Sun Temple
Location- Dist. Mandsaur, Madhya Pradesh
Details-
- It was built by the silk weavers mentioned in the inscription of Mandsaur.
Chaturbhuj Temple
Location- Orchha, Dist. Tikamgarh, Madhya Pradesh
Details-
- Dedicated to Vishnu
- It is situated on an island formed by the River Betwa
- The Bundela Rajput built the temple in the early 16th century.
Madsyat Sun Temple
Location- Dist. Indore, Madhyapradesh
Details-
- Built during the Gupta period
Chausath Yogini temple
Location- The 11th-century temple located in Morena district, Madhya Pradesh.
Details-
- The Kachchhapaghata king Devapala (r. c. 1055 – 1075) constructed this temple.
Khajuraho Temple
Location- Madhya Pradesh
Details-
- Built by Chandela rulers
- World Heritage Site
- Here temples belong to Hinduism, Jainism and tantric worship (Chausath Yogini Temple)
- Nagara style of Temple architecture
- Main temples- Khandariya Mahadev and Laxman temples
- Laxmana Temple is dedicated to Vishnu. It is the grandest temple of all Khajuraho temples.
- Famous for erotic sculpture
Mahakaleshwar Temple
Location- Situated on Kshipra river, Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh
Details-
- Kalidasa (c. 2nd–1st century BCE) has mentioned the rituals of the temple in his works in Meghadūta.
- He described the nada-Aradhana, the presentation of art, and dance during the rituals of the evening.
Bhojpur Shiva Temple
Location- On banks of river Betwa (Ancient name-Vetravati), Madhya Pradesh
Details-
- Incomplete temple
- Built by King Bhojadeva (1010-1055 A.D.) of Paramara dynasty
- Largest Shiva linga in the country
Sirpur Laxman Temple
Location- Located on the bank of river Mahanadi, Dist. Mahasamund, Chhattisgarh
Details-
- During the 7th century, Queen Vasata, daughter of Maukhari King Surya Verma of Magadha built this temple.
- Brick temple
- Dedicated to Vishnu
Rajim Temple
Location- Situated in Raipur, Chhattisgarh
Details-
- Dedicated to Vishnu
- Built before 7th C AD during the reign of Vilastunga
- Mahakoshal Architecture
- A notable example of Panchayana Shaili (Architect)
Konark Sun Temple
Location- Dist.-Puri, Odisha coast
Details-
- Also called Black Pagoda
- Built by King Narasimhadeva 1 (1238-64A.D.) of the Ganga dynasty
- The temple looks like a chariot with 12 wheels.
Bishnupur terracotta temple
Location- West Bengal
Details-
- The terracotta temple was built using laterite stones
- Established by Mallas in the 17th and 18th centuries
Bhubaneshwar
Famous for Parasurameswara(750-900AD), Lingaraj Temple (900-1100AD), Rajarani temple
Kamakhya Temple
Location- Nilachal Hill, Guwahati, Assam
Details-
- Oldest of the 51 Shakti Peethas
- Belong to Tantric Shaktism Cult
Sibsagar
Location- Assam
Details-
- Use of brick and stone
- Established in 1714-44 AD by King Siba Singh of the Ahom dynasty
- Also famous for temples of Devidol and Vishnudol
Pushkar
Location- Located in Ajmer district of Rajasthan
Details-
- Dedicated to Lord Brahma
Somnath
Location-Kathiawar region of Gujarat
Details-
- Also known as Prabhas Patan
- Dedicated to Shiva
- In the 10th century AD, Bhimdev of Solanki dynasty built this temple.
- It was raided and looted several times for its wealth.
- The present temple was rebuilt in the supervision of Sardar Patel.
Modhera Sun Temple
Location- On the banks of river Pushpavati, Gujarat
Details-
- Raja Bhimdev I of Solanki dynasty in 1026 AD constructed this temple.
- Temple has some commonalities with Konark Sun temple
- The water tank near the temple is the largest in the country.
Mahalaxmi temple
Location- Located at Kolhapur, Maharashtra
Details-
- On the banks of the river Panchganga
- Built during Chalukya Rule
- Deity faces west
- Famous for Kirnotsav festival
Vithoba temple
Location- Located on banks of river Chandrabhaga (Bhima) at Pandharpur/ Panchala, Maharashtra
Details-
- Hoysala king Vishnuvardhana built this temple in the mid 13th century.
- Temple is dedicated to Vaishnavism
- Famous for Warakari (religious movement within Bhakti Tradition)
Trimbakeshwar Temple
Location- Located in Nashik District of Maharashtra
Details-
- Dedicated to Shiva
- Origin of Godavari river
Kailasa Temple, Ellora
Location- Dist. Aurangabad, Maharashtra
Details-
- Monolithic temple
- Built by Krishna 1 (8th C. AD)
- Modeled on Virupaksha Temple
Lonar
Location- Dist. Buldhana, Maharashtra
Details-
- fifteen temples built around crater lake
- Hemadpanthi temples
- Dedicated to Lord Shiva and Shakti (Kamalija Devi)
Dwarasamudra Temple
Location- Halebidu, Dist. Hasan, Karnataka
Details-
- Capital of Hoysala kings
- Famous for the temple of Hoysaleswara (12th Century AD)
- Sponsored by King Vishnuvardhana of the Hoysala Empire
- A Shaivism tradition monument
Bellur
Details-
- Temple of Chenna Keshava
- Example of Hoysala architecture
Pattadakal
Location- Bagalkot district of Karnataka
Details-
- It is called ‘city of crown rubies’. (Pattada Kisuvolal)
- It was a place for Pattadakisuvolal (royal coronation)
- The style of the temple is based on the fusion of the Nagara, Dravida, Rekha, and Prasada style. (VESARA STYLE)
- Famous temples- Sangameshwara, Kadasiddeswara, Jambu Lingeswarar
Virupaksha temple
Location- Located at Hampi, Karnataka
Details-
- Hampi was capital of Vijayanagara kingdom
Badami
Location- Bagalkot District, Karnataka
Details-
- Also known as Vatapi
Amarlingeshwar Temple
Location- Located on banks of river Krishna at Amaravathi, Andhra Pradesh
Details-
- Dedicated to Lord Shiva
- Amaravathi is also a famous school of Buddhist architecture
Lord Venkatesha Temple
Location- Located in the hill town of Tirumala at Tirupati in Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh
Details-
- Vaishnavite temple
- The first recorded donations were made by Queen Samavai of Pallava in 966 CE.
- The Pallava dynasty (9th century), the Chola dynasty (10th century), and Vijayanagara pradhans (14th and 15th centuries) were devotees of Venkateswara.
Mukhalingam
Location- Dist. Srikakulam, Andhrapradesh
Details-
- Shiva temple
- This temple was constructed by Kamarnava–II of eastern Ganga King in 8th C.
Meenaxi Temple
Location- On banks of river Vaigai at Madurai, Tamil Nadu
Details-
- Built by Madurai Nayak
- As per historical sources, by the mid 6th century, Meenaxi temple existed in Madurai.
- Dedicated to Lord Shiva
Brihadeshwara Temple
Location- On banks of the river Kaveri at Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu
Details-
- One of the largest temple in the world
- Dedicated to Lord Shiva
- Called as Dakshina Meru
- Built by Raja Raja Chola 1 in 11th C. AD
- UNESCO World Heritage Site
**Temples of Great Living Chola include three temples- Brihadeshwara, Gangaikondacholapuram, and Airavatesvara temples.
Gangaikonda Chola Puram
Location- On river Kaveri, Ariyalur District, Tamilnadu
Details-
- Dedicated to Shiva
- This temple was constructed by Rajendra I (1012-1044 CE) after his victory over North India.
Mahabalipuram
Details-
- Built by Pallava Kings
- Evolved in three stages
- Famous for Shore temple and Arjuna’s penance sculpture
- Mahabalipuram is Megalithic city
Kanchipuram
Location- Located on the banks of the Vegavathi river
Details-
- Famous for Kailasanathar Temple, Ekambareswarar Temple
Rameshwaram
Location- Located on Pamban Island, Tamilnadu
Details-
- Dedicated to Lord Shiva
Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple
Location- It is situated on an island between the Cauvery and Kollidam rivers.
Details-
- Dedicated to Vishnu (Ranganath)
- Dravidian style of temple architecture
Pashupatinath Temple
Location-Located on the banks of the Bagmati River near Kathmandu, Nepal
Details-
- UNESCO world heritage site
Shawala Teja Singh Temple
Location- Located in Sialkot city, Pakistan
Details-
- Built by Sardar Teja Singh
- More than 1,000 years old
Arasavalli Sun Temple
Location- Located near Srikakulam, Andhra Pradesh
Details-
- Built by king Devendra Varma, the ruler of the Kalinga dynasty around 7th C. AD
Vidyashankara temple
Location- Situated on the banks of River Tunga, Sringeri, Dist. Chikmagalur, Karnataka
Details-
- Built in the year 1338 A.D
- Contributions made by several Vijayanagara emperors.
- It is a fusion of Hoysala (Chalukya) and Vijayanagara (Dravida) architectural features.
Angkor Wat
Location- A temple complex in Cambodia
Details-
- The largest religious monument in the world
- The Khmer King Suryavarman II constructed this temple in the early 12th century.
- It was originally built as a Vishnu temple.
- Slowly, it was transformed into a Buddhist temple towards the end of the 12th century.
Location- cave temples in Malaysia
Details-
- Dedicated to Lord Murugan
Sri Mariamman Temple
Location- Singapore’s oldest Hindu Temple
Details-
- Built in the Dravidian style
- Founded in 1827
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