National Temple of India | Symbols of India
India is famous for its beautiful temples, serene places of worship, significant religious and historic landmarks. The various religions, languages, dialects, traditions, and customs provide many facets of the majestic country called India. The geographic land of India has several marks of faith spread all across its length and breadth. Certain structures have several centuries of devotion backing them, granting more authenticity and reverence.
Temples In India
1. Badrinath Temple, Uttarakhand
Badrinath Temple is in the Uttarakhand area in the Himalayas. It is one of the most famous temples in India. Its stone fascia and shimmering gilded roof make it one of the most recognizable temples in India. Now, the temple sits, a whopping, 10,248 feet (3,133 m) above sea level and can only be accessed in the summer months, when the weather is more tolerable and less chilly.
2. Meenakshi Temple, Madurai
The Meenakshi Temple took its current, grandiose form in the 12-13th century, but it has been a place of worship for much longer than that. This architectural wonder is in Madurai (Tamil Nadu). The temple has a hall, which consists of 985 pillars; each pillar is differently and intricately carved.
3. Virupaksha Temple, Hampi
Virupaksha Temple is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, along with many of the other buildings in Hampi. The temple is dedicated to Lord Virupaksha, an avatar of Lord Shiva, and dates to the 7th century. One of its most significant elements is its nine-story gopuram which is nearly 165 feet in height.
4. Jagannath Temple, Puri
One of the oldest temples on this list, Jagannath Puri dates to the 12th century and is a temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu. Jagannath represents the East, which is appropriate since it looks east out over the Bay of Bengal. Non-Hindu visitors can still view one of the most famous temples in India from nearby.
5. Amarnath Cave Temple
The holy cave of Amarnath is located at an altitude of 3,888 meters in the state of Jammu and Kashmir. The cave is about 5,000 years old, and pilgrimages to the temple are 40 miles (64 km) long and usually takes five whole days. As per a popular legend, Buta Malik (a Muslim shepherd) met a holy man who handed him a bag full of coal. On reaching home, he found that the coal has got converted into gold. Moved by the miracle the shepherd went in search of the saintly man and instead found the sacred abode of Lord Shiva.