India, the cradle of Hinduism, hosts thousands of temples that embody architectural splendor, spiritual depth, and cultural heritage. From ancient rock-cut shrines to opulent modern marvels, these sacred sites draw millions of devotees and tourists annually. This curated list of the top 65 Hindu temples is ranked by a combination of historical significance, architectural uniqueness, pilgrimage importance (e.g., Char Dham, 12 Jyotirlingas, 51 Shakti Peethas), visitor footfall (data from Ministry of Tourism and state records up to 2024), and UNESCO recognition. Temples are grouped by region for easier navigation, with key facts in tables.
Northern India (Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir)
| Rank | Temple Name | Location | Dedicated To | Key Highlights | Annual Visitors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Badrinath Temple (Char Dham) | Badrinath, Uttarakhand | Vishnu (Badri Narayan) | One of four Char Dhams; opens May–Nov; part of UNESCO tentative list. | 12 lakh |
| 2 | Kedarnath Temple (12 Jyotirlingas, Char Dham) | Kedarnath, Uttarakhand | Shiva | Survived 2013 floods; helicopter access; 2,000+ years old. | 10 lakh |
| 3 | Varanasi Kashi Vishwanath(12 Jyotirlingas) | Varanasi, UP | Shiva | Corridor renovated 2022; Ganga Aarti daily. | 80 lakh |
| 4 | Vaishno Devi Mandir | Katra, J&K | Vaishno Devi (Durga) | 12 km trek; cave shrine; helicopter option. | 80 lakh |
| 5 | Har Ki Pauri (Gangadwar) | Haridwar, Uttarakhand | Vishnu’s footprint | Ganga Aarti; Kumbh Mela site (next: 2027). | 1 Crore |
| 6 | Yamunotri Temple (Char Dham) | Uttarkashi, UK | Yamuna River | Source of Yamuna; hot springs nearby. | 500,000 |
| 7 | Gangotri Temple (Char Dham) | Uttarkashi, UK | Ganga River | Glacier origin; opens Akshaya Tritiya. | 600,000 |
| 8 | Jwalamukhi Temple (51 Shakti Peethas) | Kangra, HP | Jwala Devi (flame) | Eternal flames; no idol. | 15 Lakh |
| 9 | Baijnath Temple | Baijnath, HP | Shiva (Vaidyanath) | 13th-century Nagara style; 12 Jyotirlinga legend. | 300,000 |
| 10 | Mansa Devi Temple | Haridwar, UK | Mansa Devi | Cable car; wish-fulfilling goddess. | 30 lakh |
Western India (Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra)
| Rank | Temple Name | Location | Dedicated To | Key Highlights | Annual Visitors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Somnath Temple (12 Jyotirlingas) | Prabhas Patan, Gujarat | Shiva | First Jyotirlinga; rebuilt 1951 after invasions. | 1 Crore |
| 12 | Dwarkadhish Temple (Char Dham) | Dwarka, Gujarat | Krishna | Ancient city submerged legend; flag changed 5x daily. | 20 lakh |
| 13 | Siddhivinayak Temple | Mumbai, Maharashtra | Ganesha | Tuesday aarti famous; gold-plated dome. | 2 Crore |
| 14 | Ambaji Temple (51 Shakti Peethas) | Banaskantha, Gujarat | Amba Mata | No idol; yantra worship; Navratri fair. | 50 lakh |
| 15 | Ranakpur Jain Temple(often visited with Hindu sites) | Pali, Rajasthan | Adinath (Jain, but architectural overlap) | 1,444 pillars; marble marvel (note: Jain but included for Western circuit). | 10 lakh |
| 16 | Eklingji Temple | Udaipur, Rajasthan | Shiva | 108 temples complex; Mewar rulers’ deity. | 800,000 |
| 17 | Mahakaleshwar (12 Jyotirlingas) | Ujjain, MP | Shiva | Bhasma Aarti at 4 AM; one of three self-manifested. | 50 lakh |
| 18 | Omkareshwar (12 Jyotirlingas) | Khandwa, MP | Shiva | Island shaped like ‘Om’; Parikrama route. | 20 lakh |
| 19 | Trimbakeshwar (12 Jyotirlingas) | Nashik, Maharashtra | Shiva | Godavari origin; Kumbh Mela (next: 2027). | 30 lakh |
| 20 | Shirdi Sai Baba Temple | Shirdi, Maharashtra | Sai Baba | Thursday darshan peak; universal faith site. | 2 Crore 50 lakh |
Southern India (Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh)
| Rank | Temple Name | Location | Dedicated To | Key Highlights | Annual Visitors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | Tirupati Balaji (Venkateswara) | Tirumala, AP | Vishnu | Richest temple (₹1,200 crore donations); 7 hills trek. | 3 Crore |
| 22 | Meenakshi Temple | Madurai, TN | Meenakshi (Parvati) & Sundareswarar | 14 gopurams; 33,000 sculptures; UNESCO tentative. | 1 Cr 50 lakh |
| 23 | Rameswaram Ramanathaswamy(12 Jyotirlingas, Char Dham) | Rameswaram, TN | Shiva | 22 theerthams; longest corridor (1,200m). | 60 lakh |
| 24 | Padmanabhaswamy Temple | Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala | Vishnu | Richest (₹1.2 lakh crore vaults); Anantha Shayana pose. | 50 lakh |
| 25 | Brihadeeswarar Temple(UNESCO) | Thanjavur, TN | Shiva | Chola granite marvel; 216 ft vimana; no mortar. | 20 lakh |
| 26 | Sabarimala Ayyappa | Pathanamthitta, Kerala | Ayyappa | 41-day vratham; women 10–50 restricted. | 2 crore |
| 27 | Guruvayur Temple | Guruvayur, Kerala | Krishna | Elephant sanctuary; only Hindus entry. | 1 crore |
| 28 | Virupaksha Temple (UNESCO) | Hampi, Karnataka | Shiva | Vijayanagara ruins; active since 7th century. | 30 lakh |
| 29 | Sringeri Sharada Peetham | Sringeri, Karnataka | Sharada (Saraswati) | Adi Shankara matha; Vidyashankara temple. | 10 lakh |
| 30 | Kanchipuram Kailasanathar | Kanchipuram, TN | Shiva | Pallava sandstone; 58 devakulikas. | 10 lakh |
Eastern India (Odisha, West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand)
| Rank | Temple Name | Location | Dedicated To | Key Highlights | Annual Visitors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 51 | Jagannath Temple | Puri, Odisha | Jagannath (Krishna) | Rath Yatra (next: July 2026); kitchen feeds 100,000 daily. | 2 crore |
| 52 | Konark Sun Temple(UNESCO) | Konark, Odisha | Surya | 13th-century chariot; erotic sculptures. | 25 lakh |
| 53 | Lingaraj Temple | Bhubaneswar, Odisha | Shiva | Kalinga architecture; 150+ shrines. | 30 lakh |
| 54 | Kalighat Kali Temple(51 Shakti Peethas) | Kolkata, WB | Kali | Goat sacrifice; one of four main Shakti Peethas. | 50 lakh |
| 55 | Dakshineswar Kali | Kolkata, WB | Bhavatarini Kali | Ramakrishna’s residence; 13 temples. | 70 lakh |
| 56 | Baidyanath Temple (12 Jyotirlingas) | Deoghar, Jharkhand | Shiva | Shravan Mela; Kanwar Yatra. | 80 lakh |
| 57 | Tara Tarini Temple(Shakti Peetha) | Ganjam, Odisha | Tara & Tarini | Breast shrine; hilltop cable car. | 20 lakh |
| 58 | Kamakhya Temple (51 Shakti Peethas) | Guwahati, Assam | Kamakhya | Tantric; Ambubachi Mela (no idol during menstruation festival). | 30 lakh |
| 59 | Bihar Sharif (Vishwa Shanti Stupa) | Nalanda, Bihar | Buddha (but Hindu-Buddhist overlap) | Ancient university ruins nearby. | 10 lakh |
| 60 | Mundeshwari Temple | Kaimur, Bihar | Durga & Shiva | Oldest functional; octagonal; ASI protected. | 200,000 |
Central & Other Regions
| Rank | Temple Name | Location | Dedicated To | Key Highlights | Annual Visitors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 61 | Khajuraho Group(UNESCO) | Chhatarpur, MP | Multiple (Jain-Hindu) | Erotic sculptures; 10th-century Chandela. | 10 lakh |
| 62 | Amarnath Cave | Anantnag, J&K | Shiva (ice lingam) | 3,800m altitude; melts by August. | 500,000 |
| 63 | Akshardham Delhi | New Delhi | Swaminarayan | Modern (2005); 234 pillars; light show. | 10 lakh |
| 64 | Iskcon Temple Bangalore | Bangalore, Karnataka | Krishna | Hare Krishna hub; cultural complex. | 50 lakh |
| 65 | Golden Temple (Harmandir Sahib) | Amritsar, Punjab | Sikh (but visited with Hindu circuits) | Note: Sikh, but included for North circuit. | 3 crore |
Key Pilgrimage Circuits
- 12 Jyotirlingas: Somnath, Mallikarjuna, Mahakaleshwar, Omkareshwar, Kedarnath, Bhimashankar, Kashi Vishwanath, Trimbakeshwar, Vaidyanath, Nageshwar, Rameswaram, Grishneshwar.
- 51 Shakti Peethas: Key ones: Kamakhya, Kalighat, Vaishno Devi, Jwalamukhi, Ambaji.
- Char Dham: Badrinath, Rameswaram, Puri, Dwarka.
- Sapta Puri: Ayodhya, Mathura, Haridwar, Varanasi, Kanchi, Ujjain, Dwarka.
Travel Tips (2025)
- Best Time: Oct–Mar (avoid monsoons in South/West).
- Dress Code: Traditional attire; remove shoes.
- Crowd Management: Book VIP darshan online (Contact Us).
- Sustainability: Many temples ban single-use plastic (e.g., Vaishno Devi).
This list evolves with new archaeological finds and tourism data. For real-time updates, we hope to see you India in your next pilgrimage trip with Vardhman Vacations. Namaste! 🛕
