Top 20 Famous Temples in South India

South India stands specially distinguished for its marvelous temple worship tradition. Across centuries, South India has witnessed many acclaimed schools of temple architecture. Dravidian, Chola, Hoysala, Pallava, Chalukya, Pandya are some of the schools that have produced magnificent temple architectures in South India. If you are planning to embark on a tour of South India, you need to make it a point to visit some of the famous South Indian temples without which your tour remains incomplete. To know more about the must-see temples of South India, read on-

Imagining South India without its temples is like imagining Rasam without the tempering of curry leaves, movie-dom without Rajnikanth, Indian English writers without the mention of R.K. Narayan and his Malgudi Days. Temples and South India are so integrally connected to each other. By South India, we are going to discuss the “four brothers down South”: Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka.

Temple tourism is a fad nowadays. If you are planning one, go for the South Indian Temples. The good thing is that these temples remind you of the magnificence of our ancestors and let you reconnect with your glorious past. Without losing any more words, let’s get straight to the list of the famous temples in South India.

1- Tirupati Temple, Andhra Pradesh

Ask anyone the name of a South Indian temple; you are sure to get the answer: Tirupati Temple. Dedicated to Lord Venkateshwara (Vishnu), this temple is among the extremely popular ones by the lengths and breadths of India. But, remind you, this temple is actually in Andhra Pradesh and not in Tamil Nadu, as most thinks so. It is one of the wealthiest temples in India as it has been receiving patronage of the many kings and rulers through ages. Even now, there are many devotees who donate large amount of gold, gems and money to the temple. Myth has it that once Lord Venkateshwara borrowed money from Kubera (Lord of Wealth) to marry Padmavati (Laxmi, the goddess of Fortune). The devotees donate here to help their Lord to repay back the loan to Kubera.

2- Kanipakam, Andhra Pradesh

This temple is dedicated to Lord Swayambhu Vinayaka. It is located in the Chittoor district on the bank of Bahuda River. The temple is unique in the way that the presiding deity emerged from the well by His own self (and hence “Swayambhu”) and continues to grow in size much like Tilbhandeshwar Mahadev in Varanasi. It is stoutly believed that whoever takes a dip in the holy tank and takes oath in front of him is resolved of any day to day disputes with others. Sri Varasiddhi Vinayaka of Kanipakam is the ‘up-holder of truth’ and grants boon to his devotees who follow the path of Truth.

3- Simhachalam, Andhra Pradesh

Located in Vishakhapattanam district, also known as Simhadri, this temple is the abode of Lord Varaha Narasimha (‘Nara’ is man and ‘simha’ is lion). Lord Narasimha is the incarnation of Lord Vishnu. He took the bizarre form of man-lion to eliminate the cruel powerful king named Hiranyakashipu. He grew mighty powerful and chose to call himself God, while his own son Prahlad was the devotee of Lord Vishnu and refused to consider him God. Enraged, he tried to kill his son in many ways, but every time, Lord Vishnu saved him. Ultimately, He had to take the bizarre form to kill the cruel king by finding the loopholes of the boon of immortality the king received from Brahma.

4- Srisailam, Andhra Pradesh

One of the twelve Jyotirlingams, here Lord Shiva is worshipped in the name of Mallikarjuna. He resides with Goddess Parvati in the name Bhramaramba. Srisailam is unique in the way that it being a Jyotirlingam it is the only place which is also one of the 18 Shaktipeethas. Located in Kurnool district, this temple’s sanctum sanctorum is covered with gold.

5- Srikurmam Temple, Andhra Pradesh

Built in the name of the second incarnation of Lord Vishnu in the form of Kurma (Tortoise), this is one of the two temples of Kurmanatha another is situated in Kurmai, Chittoor district, Andhra Pradesh. It is situated 13 km east of Srikakulam town near the sea. The main deity is Kurmanatha, and the central piece is actually in the form of large Saligrama. It is not crafted by man but in reality is a fossil of a turtle. The temple has mesmerising architecture.

6- Meenakshi Temple, Tamil Nadu

It is also an equally popular temple in South India. Temple pilgrimage of South India will never be complete without this one. This temple is dedicated to Goddess Meenakshi. ‘Meen’ means fish and ‘aksha’ means ‘eye’ in Sanskrit, therefore the name means the goddess with the beautiful eyes in the shape of fish. The magnificently beautiful architecture is going to make you spell bound. This massive temple has four entrances each of which faces the four directions. Inside the temple premise, there are two shrines, one of Goddess Meenakshi (Lord Vishnu’s sister) and another of Lord Sundareshwar (Lord Shiva, her husband). The Chithirai Festival, held in the month of April-May, re-enacts the marriage of Meenakshi and Sundareshwara which continues for two long weeks. Plan and book ahead your tickets to Madurai to take part in the celestial wedding!

7- Brihadeshwara Temple, Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu

Your South India Temple Tour will not be worth telling if you do not visit the ‘Big Temple’ of Tanjore. This temple is dedicated to Lord Brihadeshwara built by by the powerful Chola king, Raja Raja I. This temple completed 1000 years (yes, 3 zeroes after 1!) in 2010. It has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage site. The temple tower (vimanam) rises to a staggering height of 66 metres, standing proudly reaffirming the power and might of the Chola Kings in the 11th century. The prime deity to grace the temple is Lord Shiva. It is a commonly held belief (not undisputed though) that the shadow of the tower never falls on ground. Also, that any political visit to the temple is sure to bring disastrous results for the politicians concerned. Well, a temple a so ancient is sure to hold some stories in it. True or untrue, that’s a different story altogether.

8- Ramanathaswamy Temple, Rameshwaram

This temple is situated in the island town of Rameshwaram in Tamil Nadu. Dedicated to Lord Shiva, it is another Jyotirlingam (pillar of light) named Ramanathaswamy meaning the Lord of Rama. It is the place where Lord Rama prayed to Shiva to absolve him of the sins of ‘brahma-hatya’, of killing Ravana, the Sri-Lankan King. Ravana was not only a great king but he was also a very learned man and composed ‘Shiv-Tandav Stotram’, which is revered by the poets and devotees alike. The story has it that Rama asked Hanuman to bring the largest of shivalingam from Himalayas. While it took a lot of time, and the auspicious hour passed by, Sita built one from sand, which is the present jyotirlingam.

9- Arunachaleswarar Temple, Tiruvannamalai

Also known as Annamalaiyar, the temple dedicated to Lord Shiva is situated on the base of Annamalai Hills in the town of Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu. As the story goes, once Goddess Parvati closed the eyes of Lord Shiva from behind playfully on the Mount Kailash. All the Creation submerged in darkness for years. Goddess Parvati performed penance and then He appeared as a pillar of light on the Mount Arunachal and merged with Parvati to form Ardhanareshwar (half-male, half-female form). The hill is considered sacred by the devotees and on auspicious day of Shukla Chaturdashi each month they circumnavigate the temple base.

10- Nataraja Temple, Chidambaram

The presiding deity is Thillai Nataraja or Shiva, the Lord of Dance. The famous Nataraj sculpture in bronze, which now stands as a motif of Hinduism, emerged from here. It is the only temple of Shiva where the main deity is in the form of human, the controller of all cosmos. Lord Shiva’s consort deity here is Shivakami Amman. In the grand golden hall of Pon Ambalam, the deity is seen to perform the Anada Tandava, the Dance of Delight. The different sculptures in the temple premise have inspired the beautiful poses of Bharatnatyam.

11- Sabarimala Temple, Kerala

The most famous temple in Kerala, Sabrimala Temple is dedicated to Lord Ayappa and situated in Pathanamthitta district. Located in Periyar Tiger Reserve Western Ghat mountain ranges at an elevation of 1535 feet, it is surrounded by dense green forests and hills. It is a Hindu pilgrimage site which gets approximately 50 million visits annually. Myth has it that Lord Ayappa killed the demoness Mahishi at this place. It is interesting to note that women of menstruating age, from 10 to 50 years of age, are barred from entering the temple as Lord Ayappa is a celibate.

12- Padmanabhaswamy Temple, Kerala

Located in Trivandrum, the temple houses the principal deity Shri Padmanabhaswamy in ‘ananta-shayanam’ (eternal sleep) on Adisheshnaag, the serpent. The royal family of Travancore worships Lord Padmanabhaswamy as their family-deity. The titular king is considered as the slave of the Lord. It is the one of the richest temple in terms of wealth and was also known as the “golden temple” in antiquity as referred in Tamil Literature. In the sanctum sanctorum of the temple, the deity can be seen reclined on the serpent coil (Anantha Shayan) with his two consorts, Sridevi, goddess of fortune and Bhudevi, the earth goddess on both of his sides. Emanating from the navel of the Lord is a lotus on which is the seat of Lord Brahma. The whole statue is made of 12,000 shaligrams brought from Gandaki River in Nepal. The deity is so large that it is seen through three doors, the first one shows the upper part, the second one the middle part and the last one shows the remaining part.

13- Guruvayur Temple, Kerala

Also known as the “Dwarka of South India”, the Sri Krishna Temple is situated in the Thrissur district. The temple houses the deity of Shri Krishna, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. The statue is the majestic form of Lord Krishna, the way his human parents Devaki and Vasudeva saw him before his birth. The central icon has four hands, each of which carries ‘sudarshana chakra’ (the discus), ‘koumadaki gada’ (the mace), ‘panchajanya sankh’ (the conch) and ‘padma’ (the lotus). The temple is also known as ‘Bhulok Vaikuntha’ (the Holy Earth-Abode of Lord Vishnu). There are numerous legends and myths associated with the temple and the presiding deity.

14- Mannarasala Nagaraja Temple, Kerala

This temple is situated at Haripad in Alappuzha district. Here the serpent god, Nagraja is worshipped. The story goes like this: Following the dictate of Brahmans, Parshurama reclaimed the land of Kerala from sea to donate them. But, because of severe salinity nothing grew on the land and people left the place. Pained, Lord Parshurama prayed to Lord Shiva who advised that the flaming poisons of snakes could rid the salinity. He then started meditating for Nagraja. Pleased, he sent his associate serpents to desalinate the land. Kerala became habitable with lush green all around. Following another legend of Nagraja granting boon for child for issue-less couples, many women come here to pray for child.

15- Chottanikkara Devi Temple, Kerala

The temple located near Ernakulam is a famous temple in South India. The presiding deity is Goddess Bhagawati, the mother goddess. The singularity of the temple is that Chottanikara Devi is worshipped as Goddess Saraswati in the morning and is draped in pure white, goddess Laxmi in noon draped in blazing crimson, and as Goddess Durga draped in blue in the evening. People with mental illness visit the temple to get cured by the temple priest. There are many legends and stories related to the temple mostly of tribal origin.

16- Sringeri Sharada Peetham, Karnataka

It is the southern seat of learning of “Advaita Vedanta” (philosophy of non-duality) established by Adi Shakaracharya in the 8th century AD. Situated on the bank of Tunga River in Chikkamagalur district, 303 km away from Bangalore, it is a monastery of the Smartha Advaitavites. The majority monks here are smartha Brahmins of South India, Maharastra and Goa. The head of the math (monastery) is called Jagatguru and is chosen by Guru Parampara. The prevailing pontiff chooses one from his young disciples (chosen quite early) who is a ‘brahmachari’ (celibate) and learner of Vedas and related scriptures.

17- Gomateshwara, Shravanabelgola, Chandragiri Hills

One of the most important Jain pilgrimage destinations Shravanbelgola is situated in Hassan district, Karnataka, 158 km from the state capital Bengaluru. Chandragupta Maurya is said to have embraced Jain philosophy in his later life and died here as an ascetic at this place. The 57 ft high monolith statue of Gomateshwara Bahubali stands high affirming the architectural and sculptural refinement of the past. It was built in the 10th century during the rule of Ganga dynasty. Millions of pilgrims from all corners of the world flocks the place every 12 years for the “Mahamastakavisheka” ritual. This colossal statue is then bathed in milk, clarified butter (ghee), saffron, curd, gold coins etc. The saint is completely nude in the statue following the Jain custom of Digambara (one who drapes the sky).

18- Sri Krishna Temple, Udupi

The temple built in 13th century AD is dedicated to Lord Krishna and founded by Madhwacharya, the Vaishnavite saint. The temple has a long story. Once Devaki, mother of Krishna, entreated him to show all his childhood frolics which she missed due to unfortunate circumstances. Krishna replayed the frolics and the mother’s joy knew no bounds. Rukmini, wife of Krishna, also witnessed it and asked him to carve an image in saligram for her to pray every day. With time the image got lost. In Kaliyuga, a merchant mistook it for gopichandan and carried it away on ship. The ship sank by the shore and by divine intervention Madhwacharya got the intuition of the image’s presence, and carried it away to install in the temple on Makara Sankranti, about 700 years from now.

19- Sri Manjunatheshwara Temple, Dharmasthala

The present temple is approximately 800 years old situated in Dhamasthala town in Dakshin Kannada. This temple is unique in a way that the priests are Shivalli Brahmins who are actually Vaishnavas worship the Shivalingam named Manjunatha and the temple administration is run by Jain Bunt family named Pergades. The deities inside the temple are Manjunatha, Ammavaru, the tirthankara Chandraprabha, Kalarahu, Kalarkayi, Kumarasvami and Kanyakumari; the last four being the protection giving gods of Jainism.

20- Chamundeshwari Temple, Mysore

This famous temple is situated 13 km away from Mysore on the top of Chamundi Hills. The resident deity is Chamundeshwari or Durga, the tutelary deity of the Mysore royalty for ages. The deity is made of pure gold and the temple doors of silver. This place is considered to be one of 18 Maha Shakti peethas (holy seat of Shakti). It is also known as “Krouncha Peetham” as in the ancient age it was known as Krouncha Puri. Shakti Peethas are actually divine seats of Shakti. There are 51 in number in total following the 51 alphabets in Sanskrit. With respect to the mythology of Daksha Yajna and Sati’s self-immolation thereafter, the hair of Devi Sati is believed to have fallen here. The ‘gopuram’ of the temple is seven-storey high and is studded by exquisitely beautiful ornate carvings.

The list actually is never-ending. The whole of South India is dotted with thousands of temples, each competing the next in terms of richness of beauty, antiquity, wealth and number of devotees.