• Meenakshi Amman Temple, Madurai

Dedicated to Goddess Parvati in the form of Meenakshi and her consort, Lord Shiva in the form of Lord Sundareshwarar, the ‘Meenakshi Amman Temple’ is one of the most ancient and famous temples not only in Tamil Nadu but, in entire India. According to historical and archaeological records, the temple was originally built around 6th century AD and the major portion of it was damaged in 14th century by the Muslim invaders in India. The present structure of the temple dates back to 16th century when it was again restored to its pristine glory by the Nayak rulers.

The temple is a masterpiece of the Dravidian architecture. The richly sculptured and decorated ‘Gopurams’ of the temple are its major highlight that can be seen from even a far-off distance. Adorned with thousands of figures of gods, goddesses and demons, the Meenakshi Amman Temple is no less than an architectural marvel. Besides gopurams, intricately carved figures and scenes depicted from Indian mythology in the halls add to the artistic charm of the temple. Scenes of ocean of milk being churned by devas and asuras, nine heads Ravana playing veena, Rishi Markandya hugging Shivlingam and wedding ceremony of Sundareshwarar & Meenakshi; are few of the sculptures worth noticing when you are inside the temple premises.

•   Brihadeeswarar Temple, Thanjavur

One of the largest temples in India, the ‘Brihadeeswarar Temple’ is dedicated to Lord Shiva and is located in the Thanjavur district of Tamil Nadu. Built under the reign of the Chola dynasty in 11th century AD, the temple stands tall as a testimony to the opulence and grandeur of the Chola rulers. Today, the temple enjoys the status of a UNESCO World Heritage Site under the list of ‘Great Living Chola Temples’ and is visited by hundreds of thousands of devotees and tourists every year. The greatest attraction of the temple is its 216 ft. Tall

‘Vimana’ or tower that is also claimed to be the tallest in the world. The ‘Kumbam’ or the apex structure on top of the Vimana, weighing 80 tonnes and carved from a single granite, just adds to the magnificence of the entire structure. Also, the Brihadeeswarar Temple has another feather to it with an acclaim of being the world’s first temple completely built from granite. With no granite quarry within 100 km. radius of the temple, a visit to this temple definitely makes one wonder about the logistics and efforts that must have been required to transport tonnes of granite to this site. Not only transportation, just imagine how such a heavy rock must have been first carved owing to the fact that granite is one of the hardest stones to be cut, and then later on embellished on top of a 216 ft. tall Vimana during the times when the technology was just in its early stages? Well! the answers to these questions can only be given by expert architects and engineers but, for ordinary people like us, the structure of the Brihadeeswarar Temple and its grandeur today, definitely leaves us awed with the extra-ordinarily brilliant engineering skills of the then engineers, architects and artisans.

•  Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple, Srirangam

Dedicated to Lord Vishnu, the ‘Ranganathaswamy Temple’ located on the Srirangam Island of the Tiruchirappalli city in Tamilnadu, is another masterpiece of the Dravidian architecture. Spread across an area of over 150 acres, the temple has 49 sub-shrines and is dotted with 21 brilliantly carved Gopurams (tower gateways) with the main or the ‘Raja Gopuram’ standing tall at 236 ft. making it the tallest in Asia. It is also only one of its kind shrine where you will find a unique mix of a temple and township co-existing; a part of the temple is actually dedicated to temple activities whereas the remaining portion serves as a township for human. The temple also has 7 prakaras or enclosures with the presiding deity of Lord Vishnu in the form of Lord Ranganathaswamy reclining on five-headed serpent, enshrined in the innermost prakara. The tower above the innermost prakara is in the shape of ‘Om’ and is completely plated in Gold. Counted as the first amongst the 108 ‘Divya Desams’ or holy abodes of Lord Vishnu, the temple draws uncountable pilgrims and tourists every year. The exact date of temple’s consecration is still not known but, according to archaeological records, the original structure of the temple dates back to 10th century when the region was under the rule of Chola dynasty. In the 14th century, the temple was plundered of its wealth by Muslim invaders and was again restored to its original grandeur by the Vijayanagara and Nayaka rulers in late 16th century. Magnificent architecture, delicate carvings, exquisite sculptures and brilliant frescoes of the temple, even today give you a deep insight into the superb skills of the then architects, sculptors and artisans. During your visit to the temple, you just cannot miss the thousand-pillared hall that can leave anyone awed with its artistic brilliance; the exquisitely carved figures of horses standing on their rear legs depicting war scenes on the base of these pillars offer a true spectacle.

·        Jambukeswarar Temple, Thiruvanaikaval

Another famous temple located on the Srirangam Island of Tamilnadu is the ‘Jambukeswara Temple’ dedicated to Lord Shiva. Dating back to the Chola era, the temple again represents a Dravidian style of architecture with 7 tiered gopuram adorned with delicate carvings. There are 5 enclosures inside the temple with the innermost being the main sanctum housing the Shivlinga in the form of Appu Lingam (water Lingam). There is an underground stream flowing underneath the Shivlinga from which water continuously flows out.

According to mythological legends, Goddess Parvati in the form of Akilandeswari performed a great penance under the ‘Jambu Tree’ that is believed to have grown from the head of a meditating saint. To perform the Pooja, she made a lingam from the water of River Cauvery flowing by. Impressed with the devotion of Parvati, Shiva gave her darshans and taught her Shiva Gnana.

·        Kanchi Kailasanthar Temple, Kanchipuram

Located in Kanchipuram district of Tamilnadu, the ‘Kanchi Kailasanthar Temple’ is another one of the most famous pilgrim centres in South India. Dating back to late 7th century- early 8th century, the temple is believed to have been built under the reign of the Pallava Dynasty. Carved entirely out of sandstone, the temple is the oldest temple in Tamil Nadu dedicated to Lord Shiva with its main sanctum enshrining a 16 sided Shivlinga made of a black granite. The architecture of the temple again showcases a brilliant Dravidian style with a delicately carved pyramidal shape tower on the main sanctum and 58 small Shiva shrines enclosed inside the complex. Prominent highlight of the temple are undoubtedly, the beautifully carved sculptures of Lord Shiva and his consort, Goddess Parvati in different dance postures that can be seen adorning the inner walls. Standing tall as a symbol of grandeur of the Pallava kings, the ‘Kanchi Kailasanthar Temple’ today, attracts hordes of pilgrims from different parts of the country, especially on the occasion of Maha Shivratri when devotees throng here to seek the blessings of the God.

·        Ekambareswarar Temple, Kanchipuram

Yet another beautiful and famous temples in Tamil Nadu, the ‘Ekambareswarar Temple’ attracts thousands of pilgrims and other tourists from different parts of India and abroad. Counted amongst five ‘Panch Bootha Sthalas’ (five elements of the universe), the temple is dedicated to the element, Earth and holds a great religious significance for devotees of Lord Shiva. As per mythological beliefs, Goddess Parvati performed a penance here under a sacred mango tree, for Lord Shiva with a Shivlinga made of sand. Pleased with her devotion, Shiva appeared before her and came to be known as Ekambareswarar or the ‘Lord of Mango Tree’.

The temple is believed to have been existing since 600 AD but, the present structure is said to be dating back to 11th-12th centuries. The architecture of the temple showcases a signature Shaivite structure with a lofty gopuram, 5 prakrams or concentric circumambulatory enclosures. The 1000 pillared hall adorning carvings of 1008 Shivlingas is believed to be added by the Vijayanagara kings during 15th century. The inner sanctum houses the Prithvi Lingam. Also, the sacred mango tree, believed to be more than 3000 years old, can be seen in the temple premises. The speciality of the tree is that it bears four different types of Mangoes in four different seasons in the year.

For anyone on a pilgrimage tour in South India, a visit to the Ekambareswara Temple provides for a great spiritual experience.

·        Ramanathaswamy Temple, Rameswaram

One of the four primary pilgrimage destinations (‘Char Dhams’) for all Hindus across the world, the ‘Ramanathaswamy Temple’ is swarmed by hordes of pilgrims every day. Besides being one of the holy ‘Char Dhams’, the temple is also counted amongst the 12 sacred Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva. According to mythological legends, the story associated with the Shivlinga enshrined in the main sanctum of the temple goes back to the times of Ramayana. It is believed that after returning from Lanka, Lord Rama wanted to absolve his sins of killing the demon Ravana who was also a great Brahmin and scholar. In order to do so, he decided to worship Lord Shiva and asked Lord Hanuman to get the biggest Shivlinga from Himalayas. As it took very long for Hanuman to get the Shivlinga, and seeing the auspicious time for prayers being run out, Rama’s wife, Goddess Sita built a Shivlinga from sand. The same Shivlinga, known as ‘Ramalinga’ is believed to have been residing in the sanctum of the Ramanathaswamy Temple for centuries. Enshrined next to Ramalinga is the ‘Vishwalinga’, the Shivlinga that was brought by Hanuman. As per the legends, Lord Rama seeing Hanuman disappointed, ordained that for any devotee visiting Rameswaram, the holy yatra would be successful only if he first pays his obeisance to Vishwalinga and since then, all the rituals are first made at Vishwalinga and then at Ramalinga.

Located on the serene island of Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu, the structure of this temple is believed to have been built during 12th century CE by the Pandya rulers. The tallest of its 4 gopurams stands at the height of 126 feet metres and is built in typical Dravidian style. The temple is also acknowledged for housing longest corridor hall in India made of almost 1000 intricately carved granite pillars. A colossal statue of Nandi 6 metres tall also grabs attention of many.

·        Kapaleeshwarar Temple, Chennai

Located in Mylapore district of Chennai, the ‘Kapaleeshwarar Temple’ was built under the reign of the Pallava Kings during 7th century CE. However, the temple structure that stands today dates back to 16th century CE owing to the fact that the original structure was devastated by the Portuguese and it was in 16th century that the Vijayanagara Kings brought the temple back to its pristine splendour. Dedicated to Lord Shiva who is revered here in the form of Kapaleeshwarar, the temple is one of the significant pilgrimage sites in Tamil Nadu for the Shaivites attracting hordes of devotees every day. Adorned with a huge rainbow-coloured Gopuram, pillared halls and a water body; Kapaleeshwarar Temple presents a fine example of a true Dravidian style of architecture.

According to mythological legends, Goddess Parvati in the form of peahen or ‘Mayil’ as said in Tamil, performed a huge penance for Lord Shiva at this pious site. That is the reason, a small shrine of Goddess Parvati who is revered here in the form of Karpagambal is also present in the temple complex besides the main sanctum of Lord Shiva who is enshrined in the form of Shivlinga. The Karpagambal shrine attracts huge crowds on Fridays when the presiding deity is bedecked with a garland of gold coins. Another interesting site of the temple is a small shrine under the old Punnai Tree in the courtyard that depicts the story of Goddess Parvati in the form of peahen worshipping the Shivlinga.

·        Monolithic Rock Temples, Mahabalipuram

Known as the ancient temple town, Mahabalipuram is a UNESCO World Heritage site that dates back to 7th century and is believed to have been built under the reign of Pallava dynasty. The town today, stands as a testimony to some of India’s greatest architectural and sculptural achievements. The main highlight of this temple town is its five monolithic rock-cut temples in the form of ‘Panch Rathas’ or chariots. Each ratha is believed to have been dedicated to a Pandava brother from the times of Mahabharata. With every ratha carved in different shape and size, adorning captivating sculptures of animals, humans and gods; the architecture of these structures provide you with a deep insight into the architectural skills of the sculptors during the Pallava rule.

Another great attraction of the town is the beautiful ‘Shore Temple’ embellished with intricate carvings and sculptures. Unlike other temples of the region that have been carved out of monolithic rocks, this temple was made from granite blocks and stands as one of the earliest examples of stone built temples in South India. The inner sanctum of the temple enshrines a Shivlinga. Also, a shrine dedicated to Lord Vishnu with an image of him reclining on the Sheshnag can be seen adorning the inner walls. The outer courtyard of the temple is decorated with multiple sculptures of Nandi bull. Located on the shores of Bay of Bengal overlooking the azure waters of the never ending ocean, the temple not only showcases the artistic brilliance of the artisans of the bygone times but, also the royal taste of the Pallava kings. Withstanding the atrocities of wind and sea, the temple even today stands tall in its pristine glory and serves as a stunning backdrop for the annual Mahabalipuram Dance Festival.

·        Kumari Amman Temple, Kanyakumari

Located on the peninsula of Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu, the ‘Kumari Amman Temple’ is dedicated to the virgin Goddess Kanya Kumari, an avatar of Goddess Shakti. Dating back to 3000 years, the temple sits on the serene confluence of Arabian Sea, Indian Ocean and Bay of Bengal. The idol of the presiding deity is in the form of a charming young girl with rosary in her right hand.

As per mythological beliefs, in Puranic times, the demon king, Banasura obtained a boon from Lord Shiva that he could only be vanquished by a virgin. With this boon in hand, he caused great agony to Devas who in turn worshipped Goddess Parvati to get them relieved from the harassment of the demon king. As an answer to the prayers of Devas, Goddess Parvati appeared in the form of a young girl and performed a penance for Lord Shiva on the confluence of these three oceans to kill Banasura. Enchanted with the beauty of Kanya Kumari, Banasura tried to force her in marriage that resulted in a fierce battle ending in his death.

Relieved of the atrocities of Banasura, a temple was built here dedicated to Devi Kanya Kumari by Lord Parshuram. The idol of the deity is believed to be the same that was installed by Parshuram. The nose ring adorned by the deity has another story associated; it is believed that the diamonds of the nose ring are so bright that in the past, few ships sailing in the sea mistook the brilliance of these diamond as light from a lighthouse resulting in their wreckage upon the nearby rocks. Since those accidents, the eastern door (sea facing) of the temple remains closed.

One of the famous pilgrim destinations in Tamil Nadu, a visit to this temple is sure to leave you blessed with peace and prosperity.

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