India is famous for its temples, which are beautiful, serene places of worship as well as important religious and historical landmarks. For devotees and anyone with an interest in history and architecture, these ancient, intricately designed, and meticulously maintained places of worship are a must-see. Here are the top 15 biggest Indian temples:
Also read: 15 Most Famous Hindu Temples Outside India
1. Srirangam Temple
The Srirangam Temple in Tamil Nadu covers 156 acres and has a perimeter of 4,116 meters, making it India’s largest temple and one of the world’s largest religious complexes. Seven concentric walls surround the temple, totaling 32,592 feet or over six miles in length. There are 21 Gopurams that surround these walls. The Ranganathanswamy Temple complex, which contains 49 shrines dedicated to Lord Vishnu, is so large that it could be considered a city in and of itself. The entire temple, however, is not used for religious purposes.
Source: Wikipedia
2. Chhatarpur Temple
Baba Sant Nagpal Ji, who died in 1998, founded the Chhatarpur Temple in 1974. Within the temple complex, his samadhi shrine is located in the Shiv-Gauri Nageshwar Mandir. Before the Akshardham Temple was built in Delhi in 2005, this temple was one of the biggest Indian temples. It was also the second-largest temple in the world. This temple is entirely made of marble, with jaali (perforated stone or latticed screen) working on all of its facets. It belongs to the vesara architectural style.
Source: Wikimedia Commons
3. Akshardham
In the Indian capital of Delhi, Akshardham is a Hindu temple complex. The complex, also known as Delhi Akshardham or Swaminarayan Akshardham, exhibits centuries of traditional Indian and Hindu culture, spirituality, and architecture. Pramukh Swami Maharaj, the spiritual head of the Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha, inspired and oversaw the construction of Akshardham, which was built with the help of 3,000 volunteers and 7,000 artisans.
Source: Flickr
Also read: The 15 Most Beautiful Indian Temples That Everyone Must Visit!
4. Ramakrishna Math
The Ramakrishna Math and Mission, founded by Swami Vivekananda, a chief disciple of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, is headquartered in Belr Mah or Belur Mutt. It is one of Calcutta’s most important institutions, located on the west bank of the Hooghly River in Belur, West Bengal, India. The Ramakrishna Movement is centered in this temple. The temple’s architecture is notable for fusing Hindu, Christian, and Islamic motifs as a symbol of all religions’ unity.
Source: Wikimedia Commons
5. Thillai Nataraja Temple
The Chidambaram Thillai Natarajar-Koothan Kovil, also known as the Chidambaram Temple, is a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Shiva in Chidambaram, Tamil Nadu, in east-central South India. Chidambaram is a 40-acre (160,000-m2) temple complex in the heart of the city. It is one of the biggest Indian temples that is solely used for religious purposes. Lord Shiva Nataraja’s main complex also includes shrines to Sivakami Amman, Ganesh, Murugan, and Vishnu in the form of Govindaraja Perumal.
Source: Flickr
6. Brihadeeswarar Temple
The Brihadeeswarar Temple, also known as the Big Temple, was dedicated to Shiva and built by Raja Raja Chola I in 1010 CE. With its majestic vimana, sculptures, architecture, and frescoes, the Big Temple is not only a magnificent structure, but it also contains a wealth and diversity of Tamil inscriptions engraved on stone in superb calligraphy. The temple has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Given the amount of stone and soil to be moved and the lack of power machinery available at the time, one might wonder how such a large temple could be built in such a short period of time.
Source: Wikimedia Commons
7. Annamalaiyar Temple
The Annamalaiyar Temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva, is one of the biggest Indian temples in the world. It has four stately towers on each of its four sides, as well as four high stone walls that resemble fort ramparts. The Rajagopuram is the 11-tiered highest Eastern Tower. The fortified walls, pierced by four gopura entrances, give this vast complex a formidable appearance.
Source: Wikimedia Commons
8. Dakshineswar Kali Temple
The Dakshineswar Kali Temple is located in suburban Kolkata on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River (a Ganga River distributary). Bhavatarini, an aspect of Goddess Kali, is the temple’s presiding deity, and her name means ‘She who liberates Her devotees from the ocean of existence, i.e. Sasra.’ Rani Rashmoni, a philanthropist and Kali devotee, built the temple in 1855. The temple complex covers 25 acres (101,171 m2), making it one of Bengal’s largest temples.
Source: Wikimedia Commons
9. Rajagopalaswamy Temple
In the town of Mannargudi, Tamil Nadu, India, the Rajagopalaswamy Temple is a Vaishnavite shrine. The Front Temple’s tower rises to a height of 156 feet. Rajagopalaswamy, a form of Lord Krishna, is the presiding deity. The temple is spread over 23 acres, and the temple tank, known as Haridra Nadhi, is 1,158 feet long and 837 feet wide. It is one of India’s most important Vaishnavite shrines. Hindus refer to the temple as Dakshina Dwarka (Southern Dwarka) and Guruvayoor. The temple is also 23 acres, and the Haridra Nadhi Temple Tank is also 23 acres, making it one of India’s largest temple tanks.
Source: Wikimedia Commons
10. Ekambareswarar Temple
The Ekambareswarar Temple is a Hindu temple in Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu, India, dedicated to Lord Shiva. It is one of the biggest Indian temples built for Lord Shiva, or Pancha Bootha Sthalams, that represents the element Earth.
Source: Wikimedia Commons
11. Vadakkumnathan Temple
The Vadakkumnathan Temple is an ancient Hindu temple in the city of Thrissur, Kerala, India, dedicated to Shiva. Thekkinkadu Maidan, where Vadakkunnathan Temple is located, is 65 acres in size.
Source: Wikimedia Commons
12. Varadharaja Perumal Temple
Lord Vishnu is honored at the Varadharaja Perumal Temple, which is located in Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu, India. It is one of the 108 Vishnu temples known as the Divya Desams, which are said to have been visited by the 12 poet saints known as Alwars. It’s in the Vishnu Kanchi neighborhood of Kanchipuram, which is home to a number of well-known Lord Shri Vishnu temples. Ramanuja is said to have lived in this temple and was one of the greatest Hindu scholars of Vaishnava VisishtAdvaita philosophy.
Source: Wikimedia Commons
13. Sri Thyagaraja Temple
The ancient Sri Thyagaraja Temple in Tiruvarur honors Shiva’s Somaskanda aspect. The temple complex, which spans over 20 acres, includes shrines dedicated to Vanmikanathar, Tyagarajar, and the Kamalaamba. The Kamalalayam temple tank is one of the country’s largest, covering approximately 16 acres. The temple chariot is Tamil Nadu’s largest of its kind.
Source: Wikimedia Commons
14. Thiruvanaikaval
Thiruvanaikaval (also Thiruvanaikal) is a Shiva temple in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Around 1,800 years ago, Kocengannan (Kochenga Chola), one of the Early Cholas, built the temple.
Source: Wikimedia Commons
15. Nellaiappar Temple
The Shiva-dedicated Nellaiappar Temple was constructed between 2500 and 3000 years ago. The river Tamirabharani, dubbed “Porunai” by poets, circles the city. One of the biggest Indian temples, steeped in tradition and history and notable for its musical pillars and other sculptural splendor. Muluthukanda Rama Pandiyan constructed the temples. The musical pillars in the Mani Mandapam, which produce sound in various pitches when struck, the Somavara Mandapam, the 1000 pillared hall, and the Tamra sabha with intricate woodwork, and the Vasantha Mandapam are just a few of the temple’s highlights.
Source: Wikimedia Commons
With this, we have come to the end of our list of the biggest Indian temples. There are many Hindu temples around the world. They are some of the most famous architectural pieces ever built. Comment down below which one of these temples’ architecture impressed you the most.