Hindu Temple - South Indian Temples

South Indian Temples

A Saivate temple in Murudeswar, Karnataka.

Most of the largest Hindu Temples are found in South India, mostly in Tamil Nadu. Many large bannabs (grand stone temples) still stand in South India. Ritual tends to be orthodox and elaborate especially in the large vedic brahmincal temples, which follow the pan-Indian Sanskrit agama scriptural traditions. Apart from the main fixed stone deities, processional deities made of panchaloha (an alloy of gold, silver, copper, zinc and tin) are bathed, dressed, decorated with valuables and taken out in processions for festivals throughout the year. The richer the temple, the more elaborate the festivals. However, many ancient temples in small villages with great architectural and historical heritage value languish for lack of funds for maintenance.

Famous South Indian temples are :

  • Lord Sri Venkateshwara Temple, Tirumala Tirupati temple, Andhra
  • Mookambika temple, Kollur, Karnataka
  • Chennakesava temple, Belur (Karnataka)
  • Sri Vaikkom Mahadeva Temple, Ettumanoor Mahadeva Temple, Kaduthuruty Shiva Temple, Sreekanteswara Temple, Mannarsala Naga Temple, Ochira Parabrahma Temple, Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple, Thiruvanathapuram Kerala
  • Sreevallabha Temple, Thiruvalla, Kerala; Sabarimala temple, Kerala
  • Guruvayur temple, Kerala
  • Kodungallor temple, Kerala
  • anikkattilammakshethramAnicadu,Mallappally,Pathanamthitta.
  • Malayalapuzha Devi Temple pathanamthitta kerala
  • Kanyakumari temple, Tamil Nadu (TN)
  • Madurai Meenakshi Amman Temple, Tamil Nadu
  • Srirangam Ranganathar temple and Thiruvanaikaval temple of Tiruchi, Shri Bhaktha Anjaneyar, Vedasandur, Dindigul, Tamil Nadu. TN
  • Golden Temple of Sripuram, TN
  • Brihadeshwara temple (Rajarajeswaram), Thanjavur, TN
  • oldest temples such as Kailasanathar temple, Varatharajaperumal temple, Kamakshi temple and Ekambareshwarar temple of Kanchipuram, TN
  • Thirukadiyur Abirami temple, TN
  • Andal temple, Srivilliputhur, TN
  • Natarajar temple, Chidambaram, TN
  • Kumbeshwara, Kumbakonam, TN
  • Thiruvannaamalai temple, Tamil Nadu
  • Palani temple, Tamil Nadu
  • Kodungallor temple, Kerala
  • Chettikulangara Devi temple, Kerala
  • Aranmula Parthasarathy temple, Kerala
  • Tripunithura sree Poornathrayesa, Kerala.

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