Top 5 Temples to visit in India

The temples are the Hindu place of worship. In India there is a temple at every road and corner that you cross. There are so many different Gods that each of these temples can be dedicated to that you will need an address book to keep them all straight.

The regular day of a devoted Hindu will include a short and sweet visit to the temple near home. In fact the larger housing colonies have one inside the colony as well. These can become the center of great revelry during holiday season.

Here in this hub I picked five famous temples from India that you might like to visit.

Sai baba at Shirdi

The final resting place of Sai Baba of Shirdi is known as the Samadhi Mandir. The word mandir means temple. This is the famous shrine temple of a Saint who lived about sixty years in the village of Shirdi and worked his miracles on all the people who came to visit him.

In the photo you can see the marble statue of Sai baba and the garland on the ground lies on his grave. There are daily artis here that you can attend. Thursday is Sai Baba's day and there is a massive out pour of devotees who come to the temple on that day.

Bala ji at Tirupathi

Lord Venkateswara shrine at Tirupathi is a famous temple. The temple is also one of the oldest in India dating back to the 9th century. It is said that if you ask for a boon here, it will be granted. The Lord Venkateshwar is believed to be an avtaar of Lord Vishnu.

Many people shave their heads off as an offering of hair is considered auspicious here. Again the darshan of the lord is crowded and busy. You barely get to stay in the scared inner chamber for a few seconds before you get herded out again.

Akshadham at Delhi

Akshardham Temple has been constructed under the patronage of the Bochasanvasi Aksharpurushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS). It was inaugurated on November 7, 2005. So it is one of the newest temples in India. It is also one of the grandest in India.

It is built on the banks of the river Yamuna. Don't miss the boat ride down Indian history. The fountains look great at night. If you wish to get a crash course in Indian history this is a great place to go.

Siddhi Vinayak at Mumbai

Dedicated to the Lord Ganesh this is one of the most famous temples in the country. The temple has powerful politicians and famous film stars amongst its regular visitors. It has the richest temple trust in the country. One which is under scrutiny by the law regarding its functioning.

The temple has images of the eight manifestations of the Lord Ganesh known as the "Ashtavinayak". These eight huge statues of Lord Ganesh are placed in eight different locations all over Maharashtra. The Siddhi Vinayak Temple is also said to be a place to make your wishes come true.

ISKCON at Bangalore

The International Society for Krishna Consciousness built this temple on a site which was nothing more than a monolithic rock.On 31st May 1997, Dr. Shankar Dayal Sharma who was the then President of India inaugurated the Sri Radha Krishna Chandra Temple and Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu Cultural Complex.

The chants of "hare rama hare krishna" which fill the temple complex are infectious. You will be singing the mantra without even realizing that you are. Artis are held per schedule and you should attend one of them to get a true feel of the temple.