|
Temple Name |
Location |
Architectural Style |
Key Features |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Brihadeeswarar Temple |
Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu |
Dravidian (Chola) |
Built by Raja Raja Chola I; UNESCO site; granite structure; 1000+ yrs old |
|
Sun Temple |
Konark, Odisha |
Kalinga (Nagara) |
Shaped like a chariot; dedicated to Surya; UNESCO World Heritage Site |
|
Kashi Vishwanath |
Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh |
Nagara (North Indian) |
One of the 12 Jyotirlingas; sacred to Lord Shiva |
|
Meenakshi Temple |
Madurai, Tamil Nadu |
Dravidian |
Famous for towering gopurams; dedicated to Meenakshi (Parvati) and Sundareswarar (Shiva) |
|
Somnath Temple |
Veraval, Gujarat |
Māru-Gurjara (Chaulukya) |
First of the 12 Jyotirlingas; repeatedly destroyed & rebuilt |
|
Jagannath Temple |
Puri, Odisha |
Kalinga (Nagara) |
Famous for Rath Yatra; dedicated to Lord Jagannath |
|
Kedarnath Temple |
Uttarakhand (Himalayas) |
Nagara (North Himalayan) |
One of the Char Dham; located at high altitude; Jyotirlinga shrine |
|
Ramanathaswamy Temple |
Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu |
Dravidian |
Longest temple corridor in India; one of the Char Dhams |
|
Akshardham Temple |
Delhi |
Modern Hindu architecture |
Built in 2005; made of pink sandstone and marble; cultural complex |
|
Virupaksha Temple |
Hampi, Karnataka |
Dravidian (Vijayanagara) |
Oldest functioning temple in India; part of Hampi UNESCO site |
|
Lingaraja Temple |
Bhubaneswar, Odisha |
Kalinga (Rekha Deul) |
Blend of Shaivism and Vaishnavism; rich in stone carvings |
|
Amarnath Cave Temple |
Jammu & Kashmir |
Cave temple (natural formation) |
Ice Shiva Linga forms naturally every year; major pilgrimage |
|
Dilwara Temples |
Mount Abu, Rajasthan |
Māru-Gurjara (Jain) |
Famous for intricate marble carvings; Jain temples |
|
Golden Temple (Harmandir Sahib) |
Amritsar, Punjab |
Sikh architecture |
Holiest site in Sikhism; gold-plated sanctum |
|
Kailasa Temple |
Ellora, Maharashtra |
Rock-cut Dravidian |
Carved from a single rock; part of Ellora Caves; built by Rashtrakutas |
|
Mahabodhi Temple |
Bodh Gaya, Bihar |
Buddhist (Gupta style) |
Site of Buddha's enlightenment; UNESCO site |
|
Padmanabhaswamy Temple |
Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala |
Dravidian-Kerala hybrid |
Richest temple in the world; dedicated to Lord Vishnu |
|
Dwarkadhish Temple |
Dwarka, Gujarat |
Māru-Gurjara (Chaulukya) |
One of the Char Dhams; dedicated to Lord Krishna |
|
Khajuraho Temples |
Madhya Pradesh |
Nagara |
Famous for erotic sculptures and intricate carvings; UNESCO site |
|
Vaishno Devi Temple |
Jammu & Kashmir |
Cave temple (Shakti Peeth) |
Major pilgrimage site; located in Trikuta Hills |
Pro Tips for Competitive Exams:
UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Remember which temples are included (e.g., Konark, Brihadeeswarar, Ellora).
12 Jyotirlingas: Know the temples and locations.
Char Dham & Chota Char Dham: Key pilgrimage circuits.
Important Patrons: Remember rulers who built or rebuilt temples (e.g., Raja Raja Chola – Brihadeeswarar, Sardar Patel – Somnath).
Unique Features: Corridors, monoliths, cave temples, Rath Yatra, etc.