Must visit South India Temples - an enchanting experience for lifetime!

Owing to the spellbinding natural beauty and picturesque architectural and cultural marvels, the peninsular region of South India has been grabbing eyeballs of tourists since ages. Bordered by seas and ocean by three sides, South India is home to some of the most scenic beaches in the world. Aroma of spices and coffee plantation, exhilarating wildlife sanctuaries, pristine backwater beauty, are unarguably the hallmarks of the majestic South Indian peninsular region. But, above them all, the entities that distinguishes the region from the rest of the world are its splendid temples and sumptuous cultural sites. For those who have religious bend of mind, or eagerness to explore traditional Indian architectural styles and culture, temple tour to South India has lot to present to them.

While the hallowed land is filled with plethora of temples and shrines, there are some that should be enlisted in your itineraries to South India. These must-visit temples include:

• Shore Temple in Mahabalipuram: Overlooking the Bay of Bengal, Shore Temple has been the prime attraction for tourists on South India temple tour. Listed in the UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites, it’s a structural splendour built way back in 8th century. The temple includes an assortment of three shrines, two dedicated to Lord Shiva and one to Lord Vishnu.

• The Five Rathas in Mahabalipuram: The Five Rathas is actually a collection of five monolithic temples, each built in a distinct style. It’s also knows as Panch Pandavas Rathas - and four out of the five temples are supposed to have been carved out of the same rock.

• Meenakshi Temple in Madurai: Erected almost around 2000 years ago, Meenakshi Temple epitomizes the Dravidian architecture and art. The temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva, who is known as Sundareswara or Beautiful Lord here, and to her consort, Parvathy, also known as Meenakshi. It contains as many as 14 wonderful Gopurams, or towers, including two Gopurams for the main deities. 

• Kapleshwar Temple in Chennai: Dedicated to Lord Shiva, Kapleshwar Temple stands among the masterpieces of Dravidian architectural style. It also houses sixty three Saivite saint idols impeccably carved in Bronze. Constructed way back in the 8th century, it attracts thousands of pilgrimages and sannadhis every year. 

• Sri Parthsarthy Temple in Chennai: Located at Triplicane, Chennai, Sri Parthsarthy Temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. In fact, it is one among the 108 divyadesams, or holy abodes of Lord Vishnu. Built by the Pallavan king Narasimhvarman I in the 8th century, the temple houses idols of four of Lord Vishnu’s ten avatars.

• Brihadeeshwar Temple: Situated at Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, Brihadeeshwar temple is the world’s first complete granite temple. Listed in the UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites as a part of “Great Living Chola Temples”, it exemplifies the great heights achieved by Cholas in architectural skills and capabilities. It stands as the one of the India’s most-prized historical site.