Hindu Temples!

Hindu temple is a place where Hindu people worship their god. It is a building or a separate structure designed to bring people and god together to express the ideas and beliefs of Hinduism. All the temples are featured with the presence of “murtis” of the Hindu deity to whom the temple is dedicated. All the temples are built with one primary deity and associated with other subordinate deities. Temple is also called as “Mandir”, “Gudi”, “Devalayam”, “Kovil”, ”Kshetram” etc. In India temple construction were started nearly 2000 years ago. First they were built with brick and built according to Vedic traditions. Hindu temples are in different styles , located in many locations and are constructed differently with different deities and regional beliefs. But all have same symbolism. South Indian temples are different from North Indian temples. In North India hundreds of ancient temples were destroyed by muslim invaders during the Islamic rule in India between 1200 CE and 1700 CE. During the ritual consecration of a temple, only brahmin is allowed into the main stone deity of the temple through ritual, thereby making the deity and the temple sacred and divine.

North Indian Temples

North Indian temples tend to be less orthodox and in many cases all are permitted to enter the innermost sanctum of the deity and worship the deity personally. In such cases, the deity will not be adorned with valuable jewellery. The innermost heart of the temple is the sanctum where the deity (usually of fixed stone) is present, followed by a large hall for lay worshippers to stand in and obtain "darshan" or divine audience. There may or may not be many more surrounding corridors, halls, etc. However there will be space for devotees to go around the temple in clock wise fashion as a mark of respect. In North Indian temples, the tallest towers are built over the sanctum sanctorum.

South Indian Temples

Southern India is a heavenly abode of magnificent monuments, standing majestically from ages. The architecture of the South Indian monuments is breathtakingly beautiful and grand. From Dravidian architecture to to Vijayanagara style of architecture, from elaborate pillars of Chalukyas to minute stone carvings by Krishnadevaraya, each monument has a different tale to tell.From tall, intricately carved gopurams to majestic pillars and life-sized shrines, these South Indian temples are rich in legend and stunning in their grandeur. Considering the novelty and grandeur of these temples, we’ve compiled a list of 10 South Indian Temples that should be visited, no matter what!

Temples in USA