South Indian Temples
The land of ardent religious etiquette, century old amenities, South India holds wondrous and architecturally unlikely temples. With every sun rise and every sunset, these temples, some of which are 1700 years old, silently throw light on the many century old civilization of the Southern India.
South India has been ruled in the past, by numerous dynasties like Chalukyas, Pallava, Chera, Pandavas, the rulers of whom were great admirers of culture and religion. They have left their legacy behind in the form of temples built in Dravidian style.
The architecture of South India is no doubt different from that of the rest of the India. The most exclusive feature of South Indian temples is their repeated stories giving a horizontal visual thrust to their style. Their enormous structures always have a dome on the top called shikharas. The carvings and sculptures reflect extreme dexterity and craftsmanship on the sides of the artisans.
South Indian temples have always been the major preferences of people who are intensely religious and who not only wish to spend time with their deity but also enjoy the splendor of the divine ancient temples and their majestic locations
Around the year thousands of foreigners flock to pay homage to these temples. Having nil idea about the religion and customs, what attracts them is the peaceful aura comprising faith and integrity, which can be found only in India. In the laps of the divine, people enjoy a heavenly experience, away from the rustle- bustle of the city. What could not be found through wealth, people come here to find in religion. A pleasant journey to these temples is one of its kinds, bringing people close to the power of God.
Every temple is a benchmark of its own history and religious implications. Every temple has its own way of conducting pujas, own beliefs and own myths. Architecturally and symbolically, all these temples are unique. Some temples are situated on hills, some near oceans; these temples offer spectacular view to people.
Examples of these great architectural designs can be seen at Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerela.
Andhra Pradesh:
Presenting diverse style of temples, Andhra Desa, as called earlier, is an excellent example of cultural and religious eminence. Some of the major temples built here in the past are:
Tirupati Tirumala Balaji Temple
Location: Tirupati, 67 kms from Chittoor
Important Feature: World’s richest temple
Architectural Form: Dravidian
Dedicated to: Lord Venkateswara
Best time to visit: September and February
The pious shrine of Venkateswara, Sriniviasa or Balaji was patronized by the Pallavas in the 9th century A.D. Lord Venkateswara is said to be the incarnation of Lord Vishnu and has attributes of both Vishnu and Shiva. There are seven hills which surround Tirumala- Tirupati.
The shrine is located on a hill at Tirumala, on the Eastern Ghats. The temple has a history revolving around several centuries and is considered to attract the largest number of deity any where in India. According to the old scriptures one can receive moksh only after worshipping lord Venkateswara.
The temple swarms with thousands of pilgrims in a single day. The most important ritual attached with Tirupati is shaving one’s hair as an offering to God; portraying disowning of ego.
A normal day at Balaji starts with suprabhata darsham and ends with ekanta seva. Brahmostsav is one of the most important festivals celebrated at Balaji. It is a nine day celebration celebrated during September/October.
Hanumakonda Thousand Pillar Temple
Location: 4 kms from Hanumakonda, Warangal Distt
Architecture: Kakatiya style
Dedication: Lord Shiva, Surya and Vishnu
Nearest airport: Hyderabad, 157 kms away
Best time to visit: October and May
A magnificent example of detailed craftsmanship and carvings, this temple was built in 1163 by king Rudra belonging to Kakatiya Dynasty. The temple is designed in the shape of star and has three shines dedicated one to Lord Shiva, Lord Vishnu and Lord Surya. The exclusive feature of the temple is the black basalt Nandi bull carved out of a single stone and a thousand pillared hall. There is also present a large number of lingams surrounding a beautiful garden.
Temples in Karnataka:
Being the eight largest states in India, Karnataka is blessed with eye capturing landscapes along with excellent sculptures and temples. Karnataka reflects both, the IT culture as well as religious and cultural charm. Some of the major temples in Karnataka are:
Badami Cave Temples:
Location: Badami, 500kms from Bangalore
Important Feature: Cave Temples
Dedication: Three Hindu and one Jain temple
Architecture: North Indian Nagara and South Indian Dravidian.
Best time to visit: November to March
Nearest airport: Belgaum
In the past, Badami served as a capital city to the Chalukas. It is situated at the mouth of a ravine between two hills. The exclusive feature of the Badami temple is its four caves dating back to six hundred and seven hundred BC. All the four caves are dedicated to different deities. The first two are dedicated to Lord Vishnu, the third one to Lord Shiva and the last one is dedicated to Jainism. Badami also has an artificial lake and some interesting museums. The caves are carved out of the sandstone hills. The caves feature wonderful paintings, carvings and breathe taking sculptures.
A place with peaceful and pious surroundings, it can efficiently bring man close to nature prior to getting closer to God.
Somnathpur Temple:
Location: South west of Bangalore
Architecture: Hoysala temple architecture
Dedication: Lord Keshava
Nearest airport: Bangalore, 140 kms away
Best time to visit: November to February
Lying deeply buried in the history, Somnathpur reflects a typical village of ancient India. The village is situated on the banks of river Kaveri. The year in which this temple was built was when the golden era of Hoysala kings had completed 260 years. There had been various other temples carved out in Karnataka, which represent the prosperity of this dynasty.
The Somnathpur temple was not built by the king himself, but one of his commanders named Somnath. He urged the king to provide him means to construct a temple at Somnathpur, to glorify the Hoysala dynasty. Not only was the permission granted, but 3000 gold coins were provided to Somanth every year for the upkeep of the temple. All historic information about this temple is engraved on the slab at the entrance of the temple.
The temple is known for its perfect symmetry, stone carvings and unique style. The star shaped temples have amazingly carved pinnacles and a common Navranga. The temple also has a number of star shaped folds and 16 different ceiling
The grandeur of the temple attracts a large number of foreign tourists every year. The architecture supremacy of the temple makes it a must visit destination in Karnataka.
Temples in Tamil Nadu:
Tamil Nadu is rightly a godly land where around 30,000 temples have been residing in peace since centuries. Many dynasties have ruled this Tamil land, as a result of which their epitome of glory has been left in the form of huge structures depicting excellence in carving, sculptures and craftsmanship.
Tamilains are deeply religious people backed by their centuries old civilization. Interestingly, according to researches, they are the first major occupants of the country.
Meenakshi Temple:
Location: Madurai, Tamil Nadu
Nearest air port: Madurai, served by regular flights from Bangalore, Mumbai and Chennai, which are international
airports as well.
Best time to visit: in winters between October to March, when the weather is less hot.
Dedication: Incarnation of lord Shiva and Parvati.
It will not be wrong to say that the grand Meenakshi Temples speaks volumes of the incredible and amazing craftsmanship of the sculptors of that period. This temple is renowned not only in India but through out the world for its magnificent style and aura of transcendence.
No words can describe the grandeur of the temple. It’s the Gods, who themselves need to explain its mightiness.
According to a legend, it was the Meenakshi temple where the marriage of Lord Somasundara, incarnation of lord Shiva and Goddesses Meenakshi, incarnation of Goddesses Parvati took place. Another legend says that the temple was made by Lord Indra after he found ‘Shiva linga’ at this place.
No one knows how old the temple is but the structure standing there goes back to twelfth century B.C. The temple consists of twelve towers, each having nine storeys and thousands of sudhai figures on them. The temple also consists of a number of historic shrines, Mandapas, Golden Lily tank, museums and painted wooden panels.
The major festival celebrated at Meenakshi temple is Meenakshi kalyanam festival. This is a twelve day long festival celebrated between the months of April and May. The major attraction of the festival is the carnival of decorated Gods and Goddesses with colorful umbrellas, fans and traditional instrumental music.
Kanyakumari Temple:
Location: Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu
Nearest airport: Thiruvanathapuram, 93 kms away from Kanyakumari
Striking feature: Southern most point of India
Dedication: Goddesses Kanyakumari
Kanyakumari is located on the Southern most tip of India. This place was named Cape Commorin by British. Also called the Alexandria of the east it is a beautiful place and a great center for art, culture and literature.
The legend involved with the temple is that, at this place Kanya Devi had to marry Lord Shiva. But Lord Shiva never turned up and all the rice and the uncooked cereals kept for the marriage got wasted. Here, one can buy rocks in the shape of rice even today.
Kanyakumari is also famous for Vivekananda rock and Sangam.
Sangam is a beautiful meeting joint of Bay of Bengal, Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean.
Vivekananda Rock is a huge stone coming out of the Arabian Sea where Swami Vivekananda has said to meditate.
The Kanyakumari beach is known for its eye capturing sun sets and sun rise. It has multi colored sand which makes it an ideal place for sunbathing.
Kanyakumari is a splendid experience in itself, a place to enjoy every minute beauty of nature.
Temples in Kerala
Kerala can rightly be called a divine gift of Arabian Sea. Due to its exotic location, green backwaters, marvelous flora and fauna, breath taking sights and ayurvedic massage, it is amongst the most favorite places of people residing outside India. One more remarkable feature of Kerala, which makes it famous is its ancient temples, dedicated to religion thriving here since past.
Some of the famous temples in Kerala are:
Guruvayoor Temple:
Location: 29 kms North West of Thrissur, Kerala
Nearest airport: Nedumbassery (87 km)
Also known as: Dwarka of the South
Dedication: Lord Krishna
Striking feature: Most important hindu pilgrimage center in Kerala.
The Guruvayoor temple is also known as “Bhooloka Vaikuntha” and is believed to be 5000 years old. There are not much historical facts known about the temple, but it is said that the temple was created by ‘Guru’ and ‘Vayu’. Probably this is the only temple which holds the maximum number of marriages and rice feeding ceremony in India.
The remarkable feature of the architecture of the temple includes an outer exposure, a gold plated flag post, 7m high pillar of lamps and a sacred sanctorum. Mural paintings and carvings adorn the walls of this Krishna temple.
Hindu devotes around the world never miss a chance of visiting this amazing site.
Sabrimala temple:
Location: Western Ghats, Kerala
Dedication: Lord Ayyapa
Best time to visit: November to January
Nearest airport: Thrivananthapuram
Situated at an altitude of 914 meters above sea level, Sabrimala is an enchanting example of powerful religious essence and fascinating artistic example. Thousands of people pay homage to this temple, regardless of their caste, creed and religion. The village is named after Shabari, an intense devotee of Lord Rama.
But one should remember that reaching this temple is not an easy task. The temple is situated on the top of the Neeli hill and the pilgrims have to climb the tough mountain bare footed, wearing only dhotis. Also before starting for this temple, pilgrims have to go through a phase of rigorous penance which includes fasting, sleeping on floor and so on.
Opposite to this temple there is a smaller temple dedicated to the Muslim God, Wavar.
