Sacred Temples of Bharat
1000+ Hindu temples across India with history, significance and travel guide.
Dakshineswar Kali Temple
The Dakshineswar Kali Temple on the banks of the Hooghly River near Kolkata, West Bengal, is one of the most significant Kali shrines in India, globally renowned for its deep association with the 19th-century mystic saint Ramakrishna Paramahamsa.
Kalighat Kali Temple
The Kalighat Kali Temple in Kolkata, West Bengal, is one of the 51 Shakti Peethas and one of the most significant Kali shrines in India, believed to have given the city of Kolkata (Calcutta) its very name.
Tarapith Temple
Tarapith Temple in Birbhum district, West Bengal, dedicated to Goddess Tara, is one of the most significant centers of Tantric Hindu worship in India, renowned for its deep association with cremation ground rituals and powerful Shakta-Tantric tradition.
Belur Math
Belur Math in Howrah, West Bengal, is the headquarters of the Ramakrishna Mission, founded by Swami Vivekananda, and stands as a striking architectural symbol of religious universalism, blending Hindu, Christian, and Islamic architectural elements in a single temple structure.
Mahabodhi Temple, Bodh Gaya
The Mahabodhi Temple in Bodh Gaya, Bihar, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site marking the exact location where Siddhartha Gautama attained enlightenment to become the Buddha, making it one of the four most sacred sites in Buddhism worldwide.
Vishnupad Temple, Gaya
The Vishnupad Temple in Gaya, Bihar, is dedicated to Lord Vishnu and is uniquely significant for housing a footprint impression believed to be that of Vishnu himself, making it one of the most important sites for ancestral rites (Pind Daan) in Hinduism.
Gangotri Temple
Gangotri Temple in Uttarakhand, dedicated to Goddess Ganga, marks the origin point of the sacred Ganges River and is one of the four sites in the Chota Char Dham Himalayan pilgrimage circuit.
Yamunotri Temple
Yamunotri Temple in Uttarakhand, dedicated to Goddess Yamuna, marks the source of the sacred Yamuna River and traditionally serves as the starting point of the Chota Char Dham Himalayan pilgrimage circuit.
Karni Mata Temple, Deshnoke
The Karni Mata Temple near Bikaner, Rajasthan, dedicated to the 14th-century mystic Karni Mata (worshipped as an incarnation of Durga), is globally famous as the "Temple of Rats," home to approximately 25,000 sacred black rats considered holy by devotees.
Eklingji Temple
The Eklingji Temple near Udaipur, Rajasthan, dedicated to Lord Eklingji (a form of Shiva), is the traditional royal family deity of the Mewar dynasty, with Mewar rulers historically considering themselves mere regents (Diwans) ruling on the deity's behalf.
Swaminarayan Akshardham, Delhi
Swaminarayan Akshardham in New Delhi is a modern Hindu temple complex built by the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha, renowned globally for its intricate stone carving achieved entirely without steel reinforcement and recognized by the Guinness World Records as the world's largest comprehensive Hindu temple.
Nageshwar Jyotirlinga Temple
Nageshwar Temple near Dwarka, Gujarat, one of the twelve Jyotirlingas, is dedicated to Lord Shiva in his form as "Lord of Serpents," with the site holding deep mythological connections to serpent worship and protection from poison.
Mansa Devi Temple, Haridwar
Mansa Devi Temple atop Bilwa Parvat hill in Haridwar, Uttarakhand, is one of the Siddhi Peethas dedicated to Goddess Mansa Devi, believed to be born from the mind of sage Kashyapa and capable of fulfilling devotees' wishes.
Chandi Devi Temple, Haridwar
Chandi Devi Temple atop Neel Parvat hill in Haridwar, on the eastern bank of the Ganges, is dedicated to Goddess Chandi, commemorating her victory over the demons Shumbha and Nishumbha as described in the Devi Mahatmya.
Har Ki Pauri, Haridwar
Har Ki Pauri is the most sacred ghat (riverbank steps) in Haridwar, Uttarakhand, on the banks of the Ganges, believed to be the exact spot where the river first touches the plains after descending from the Himalayas, and the principal site of the Kumbh Mela.
Naina Devi Temple, Bilaspur
Naina Devi Temple atop a hill in Bilaspur district, Himachal Pradesh, is one of the 51 Shakti Peethas, dedicated to Goddess Naina Devi, where the eyes of Sati are believed to have fallen.
Jwala Ji Temple, Kangra
Jwala Ji Temple in the Kangra Valley, Himachal Pradesh, is a unique Shakti Peetha where the goddess is worshipped not through an idol but through naturally occurring eternal flames emerging from the rock, believed to be a manifestation of Sati's tongue.
Chintpurni Temple
Chintpurni Temple in Una district, Himachal Pradesh, is one of the most visited Shakti Peethas in North India, dedicated to Goddess Chintpurni (Chhinnamastika), believed to relieve devotees of their worries and anxieties (chinta).
Brahma Temple, Pushkar
The Brahma Temple in Pushkar, Rajasthan, is one of the very few temples in the world dedicated to Lord Brahma, the creator god of the Hindu trinity, making it a uniquely significant pilgrimage destination despite Brahma's otherwise limited direct temple worship across India.
Ranakpur Jain Temple
The Ranakpur Jain Temple in Rajasthan, dedicated to the first Jain Tirthankara Adinatha (Rishabhanatha), is renowned as one of the largest and most architecturally spectacular Jain temples in India, famous for its 1,444 uniquely carved marble pillars.
Dilwara Temples, Mount Abu
The Dilwara Temples near Mount Abu, Rajasthan, are a complex of five Jain temples renowned worldwide for their extraordinarily intricate marble carving, widely considered among the finest examples of decorative stone artistry anywhere in the world.
Parli Vaijnath Jyotirlinga Temple
Parli Vaijnath Temple in Maharashtra is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas dedicated to Lord Shiva, with this site being one of two locations (alongside Deoghar in Jharkhand) historically claimed as the authentic Vaidyanath Jyotirlinga, reflecting an interesting historical theological debate.
Tulja Bhavani Temple, Tuljapur
Tulja Bhavani Temple in Tuljapur, Maharashtra, is one of the most significant Shakti shrines in the state, famously revered as the family deity (Kuldevi) of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the founder of the Maratha Empire.
Khandoba Temple, Jejuri
The Khandoba Temple in Jejuri, Maharashtra, dedicated to Lord Khandoba (a regional folk deity considered a form of Shiva), is famous for its distinctive tradition of devotees and visitors being showered with turmeric powder (bhandara), creating the temple's iconic golden-yellow visual identity.