India is famous globally for her spiritual beauty and its evidence lies in the hundreds of beautiful temples, churches and mosques that line her entire geography. The scared soil of India bears the weight of temples whose magnificence has drawn millions of tourists across the world for a niche tourism segment called “religious tourism”. With so much beauty and spiritual significance to choose from it becomes difficult to select the best Indian temples for Pilgrimage tour but this list will definitely help you choose.
The Sun Temple in Konark
The Sun Temple is the epitome of examples that are cited to demonstrate ancient Indian architecture. The humongous size of the temple and the wonderful depiction that shows the Sun God sitting in his fiery chariot is the depiction of the victory of Raja Narsimhadeva. The 12 carved wheels, huge carved roof and sculpture depicting intense erotic scenes has inspired art lovers, photographers and religious enthusiasts across the world. The Konark temple is a must visit destination in any Incredible India tour.
Badrinath temple in Uttarkhand
Anybody remotely interested in the Hindu religion must have heard of the Char Dham yatra in India. Well, Badrinath temple is one of the most famous members of the 4 dhams and arguably is the most beautiful dham. The magnificent Badrinath temple is one of the 108 temples that are dedicated to Lord Vishnu. Interestingly the temple can only be visited between April to November as the rest of the months see extreme weather and harsh snowfall. Two famous festivals associated with this temple are Mata ke Murti ka Mela and Kedar Badri Festival. These festivals included in the Incredible India tour present a great opportunity to experience the confluence of culture, art and religion.
Kedarnath temple in Uttarkhand
The Kedarnath temple (another illustrious member of the Char Dhams) is one of the most famous Shiva temples in the whole world. The Pandavas are said to have built this temple as an atonement for their sins in the battle of Kurukshetra. However, it was Adi Shankaracharya who restored this temple in the 8th Century. The pristine Kavanagh temple stands at an altitude of 3583 meter and remains closed during winters due to the harsh winds and snowfall. It is only possible to visit this temple between the months of April to November. A Bespoke travel company can arrange a tour to Uttarkhand.
Siddhvinayaka Temple in Mumbai
The Siddhivinayak temple is one of those temples which do not require the pilgrim to climb mountains or walk many miles before seeking the blessings of almighty. Siddhivinayak or Lord Ganesha is the reigning deity of this temple and it is custom to pray here before starting off new work. 8 marvellous impressions of Lord Ganesh or the Ashtavinayaka adorn the walls of the temple. On Tuesdays there is a huge crowd thronging the gates of the temple. It is said that a visit to this temple promotes good luck.
Jagannath Temple in Puri
The 12th century Jagannath temple can rightfully claim the title of one of the most famous religious destinations and hotspot for Temples tour India. In fact, the bustling town of Puri has been named Jagganath Puri after the deity. The temple is dedicated to one of the manifestations of Krishna (Jagganath) and his brother Balaram along with Sister Subhadra. The world famous Rath Yatra at Puri draws millions of people across the world through Bespoke travel companies and is a highly documented event. The image of thousands of devotees pulling the glorious chariots containing the deities is indeed a breath-taking site
Meenakshi Temple in Madurai
Temple architecture reached its pinnacle with the construction of the architecturally brilliant Meenakshi temple in Madurai. The temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. It is recommended to take a dip in the fragrant Lotus tank before stepping in the main temple. The temple hall has 885 pillars each of whom is differently carved. This wondrous temple was named to be one of the nominees of “new 7 wonders of the world”.
Vaishno Devi in J & K
Scores of songs, hymns and popular Bollywood references have been composed in the name of Mata Vaishno Devi and it is not an exaggeration to say that the Vaishno Devi temple is the most famous temple in India. The temple is situated in the cold picturesque climes of Jammu and one has to take on a difficult trek that lead to dark mysterious caves where the deity stays. This Vaishno Devi Pilgrimage tour has lots of adventure and natural beauty in it so even if you are not a religious tourist…you will enjoy it.
Choosing to go on a Temples tour India will be one of the best decisions of your life as your eyes will be opened to new vistas of spirituality, mysticism and beauty.
