Famous Temples in India GK: Complete Details

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The article “Famous temples in India GK” discusses the famous and ancient temples in IndiaTemples of India play an essential role in the General Awareness section of various competitive exams, like SSC, RRB, Bank, UPSC, etc.

Discover some of India’s most iconic temples with our comprehensive GK notes. From the Mahabodhi Temple in Bihar to the Golden Temple in Punjab, learn about these famous landmarks’ various kingdoms, deities, and historical significance. Expand your knowledge of Indian culture and religion with our guide to India’s famous temples.

Aspirants must go through the article on “Famous temples in India GK” in detail, as general knowledge is a part of almost all examinations.

List of Famous temples in India GK

TemplesStateWorshipped deity
Venkateswara TempleAndhra PradeshVenkateswara (Vishnu)
Tirupati Balaji TempleAndhra PradeshVishnu
Kakatiya Rudreshwara (Ramappa) TempleTelanganaRamalingeswara Swam
Mahabodhi TempleBiharLord Buddha
Somnath TempleGujaratLord Shiva
Dwarkadhish TempleGujaratDwarkadheesh Krishna
Vaishno Devi TempleJammu & KashmirVaishno Devi
Amarnath TempleJammu & KashmirLord Shiva
Virupaksha TempleKarnatakaPampa pathi or Virupaksha (Shiva)
Vijaya Vitthala TempleKarnatakaLord Vitthala
Gomateshwara TempleKarnatakaBahubali
Padmanabhaswamy TempleKeralaMaha Vishnu
Sabrimala TempleKeralaLord Ayyappa
Kamakhya TempleAssamKamakhya (Also identified as Goddess Kali)
Khajuraho TempleMadhya PradeshShiva , Vishnu, Brahma, Ganesha
Siddhivinayak TempleMaharashtraGanesha
Konark Sun TempleOdishaSurya (Sun)
Jagannath TempleOdishaJagannath
Lingaraja TempleOdishaLord Shiva
Golden TemplePunjabHoly book of Sikh Guru Granth Sahib
Ramanathaswamy TempleTamil NaduRamanadhaswamy (Shiva)
Parvatavardini (Parvati)
Meenakshi TempleTamil NaduMeenakshi (Parvati)
Sundareswarar/Chokkanathar (Shiva)
Ranganathaswamy TempleTamil NaduRanganathar (Perumal /Vishnu)
Ranganayaki Thayar (Lakshmi)
Brihadeeswarar TempleTamil NaduLord Shiva
Rajagopalaswamy TempleTamil NaduLord Krishna
Nataraja TempleTamil NaduLord Shiva
Airavatesvara TempleTamil NaduLord Shiva
Kashi Vishwanath TempleUttar PradeshLord Shiva
Ram TempleAyodhya, Uttar PradeshLord Rama
Badrinath TempleUttarakhandBadrinath (Vishnu)
Yamunotri TempleUttarakhandGoddess Yamuna
Gangotri TempleUttarakhandGoddess Ganga
KedarnathUttarakhandLord of Kedarkhand (Shiva)
RajasthanDilwara TempleRishabhanatha, Neminatha, Parshvanatha & Mahavira
DakshineshwarWest BengalGoddess Kali

Famous Temples in India Map

Ram Temple

  • The Ram Mandir, located in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, India, is a Hindu temple complex many Hindus believe to be situated at the birthplace of Lord Rama.
  • Inaugurated on January 22, 2024, after a consecration ceremony, the temple’s construction has been a subject of communal tensions between Hindus and Muslims due to its former location being the Babri Masjid mosque, demolished in 1992.
  • The Supreme Court of India’s 2019 verdict granted the disputed land to Hindus for temple construction and allocated nearby land in Dhannipur for Muslims to construct a mosque.
  • The temple’s construction began with a groundbreaking ceremony on August 5, 2020, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
  • Supervised by the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, the temple complex is being constructed.
  • Modi served as the chief patron of rituals and performed the consecration ceremony on January 22, 2024.
  • The temple project has faced controversies, including allegations of donation misuse, sidelining of activists, and politicization by the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Famous Temples in India: Brief Description

Venkateswara Temple

▪ The temple is in the Hill town of Tirumala at Tirupati in the Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh, India. 

▪ The Temple is dedicated to Venkateswara, a form of Vishnu.

▪ The other temple names are Tirumala Temple, Tirupati Temple, and Tirupati Balaji Temple.

▪ Lord Venkateswara is known by many other names: Balaji, Govinda, and Srinivasa.

▪ The temple is based on Dravidian architecture.

Kakatiya Rudreshwara (Ramappa) Temple

▪ Ramappa Temple, also known as the Rudreshwara temple, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Telangana, India.

▪ The temple is dedicated to Lord Ramalingeswara. 

▪ The construction of the Ramappa temple was started in the year 1213 CE.

▪ Recharla Rudra, a General of Kakatiya ruler Ganapati Deva, built the temple.

▪ The temple is named after its designer and architect of the temple Ramappa.

▪ Marco Polo, during his visit to the Kakatiya empire, allegedly called the temple “the brightest star in the galaxy of temples.”

▪ The temple is in Kakatiya style, Bhumija/Vesara style.

Mahabodhi Temple 

▪ The Mahabodhi Temple is in Gaya district ( Bodh Gaya) Patna, Bihar, India.

▪ This temple is dedicated to Lord Buddha. It is said that the Buddha attained enlightenment in this place of Bodh Gaya.

▪ The word Mahabodhi means “Great Awakening “.

▪ The Mahabodhi Buddhist temple is designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

▪ The site contains a descendant of the Bodhi Tree under which Buddha gained enlightenment.

▪ The Mahabodhi Temple is made of brick and is one of eastern India’s oldest surviving brick structures. It is considered an excellent example of Indian brickwork.

Somnath Temple

▪ The Somnath Temple is located at Prabhas Patan, Veraval, in Gujarat, India.

▪ This Temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva. 

▪ It is said that this is the first of the twelve Jyotirlingas of Shiva.

▪ The Adi Somnath temple has been destroyed many times by various Muslim rulers, the most brutal of which is Sultan Mahmud.

▪ The present temples are rebuilt in the Maru-Gurjara style of Hindu architecture.

▪ Presently, the PM of India, Narendra Modi, is the chairman of Shree Somnath Mandir Trust.

Dwarkadhish Temple

▪ The Dwarkadhish temple is located in Dwarka city of Gujarat, India.

▪ It is a Hindu temple dedicated to the god Krishna, worshipped here as Dwarkadhish or ‘ King of Dwarka.

▪ The Dwarkadhish temple, also known as the Jagat Mandir.

▪ It is one of the destinations of Char Dham, a Hindu pilgrimage circuit.

▪ As a Pustimarga temple, it follows the guidelines and rituals made by Vallabhacharya and Bithaleshnath.

▪ The original temple was believed to have been built by Krishna’s grandson Vajranava.

▪ The original structure was destroyed in 1472 by Mahmud Begada, also known as Mahmud Shah I.

Vaishno Devi Temple

▪ The Vaishno Devi Temple is located at Katra in the Trikuta Mountains in the Indian Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

▪ It is an important Hindu temple dedicated to Vaishno Devi.

▪ Vaishno Devi, also known as Mata Rani, Trikuta, Ambe, and Vaishnavi.

▪ It is believed that the Vaishnavi was formed from the combined energies of Parvati, Lakshmi, and Saraswati.

Amarnath Temple

▪ Amarnath Temple is a Hindu shrine in Jammu and Kashmir, India. The cave is situated at 3,888 m (12,756 ft), about 141 km (88 mi) from Srinagar.

▪ The deity worshipped here is Lord Shiva.

▪ The Amarnath Cave Temple is one of the 51 Shakti Peethas temples throughout South Asia that commemorate the location of a fallen body part of the Hindu deity Sati.

▪ According to legend, Sage Bhrigu was the first to have discovered Amarnath.

Virupaksha Temple

▪ Virupaksha Temple is located in Hampi in the Ballari district of Karnataka, India.

▪ The temple is dedicated to Lord Virupaksha, a form of Shiva.

▪ It is a part of the Group of Monuments at Hampi, designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

▪ The temple was built by Lakkan Dandesha, a nayaka (chieftain) under the ruler Deva Raya II, also known as Prauda Deva Raya of the Vijayanagara Empire.

Gomateshwara Temple

▪ The Gommateshwara Temple is located in Shravanbelagola in the Indian state of Karnataka.

▪ The Gommateshwara statue is dedicated to the Jain figure Bahubali.

▪ This temple is built by carving a single block of granite.

▪ It is the tallest monolithic and most giant freestanding statue in the World.

▪ It was built around 983 CE during the Western Ganga dynasty.

Padmanabhaswamy Temple

▪ The Padmanabhaswamy temple is located in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India.

▪ Lord Vishnu is worshipped in the Padmanabhaswamy temple.

▪ It is considered the richest place of worship in the World.

▪ In Malayalam, the city of Thiruvananthapuram means “the city of Lord Ananta” (the city of Lord Vishnu)

▪ The temple is built in an intricate fusion of the Chera style and the Dravidian style of architecture.

Kamakhya Temple

▪ Kamakhya Temple is Situated on Nilachal Hill in the western part of Guwahati city in Assam, India.

▪ The Kamakhya Temple is a Sakta temple dedicated to the mother goddess Kamakhya.

▪ It is one of the oldest of the 51 Shakti Pithas.

▪ The main temple in a complex of individual temples dedicated to the ten Mahavidyas of Saktism, namely, Kali, Tara, Tripura Sundari, Bhuvaneshwari, Bhairavi, Chhinnamasta, Dhumavati, Bagalamukhi, Matangi and Kamalatmika.

▪ This temple is built in the Nilachal architectural style.

Siddhivinayak Temple

▪ The temple is located in Prabhadevi, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India.

▪ It is a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Shri Ganesh.

▪ Laxman Vithu and Deubai Patil originally built it on 19 November 1801.

Konark Sun Temple

▪ Konark Sun Temple is located in the Puri district in the Indian state of Odisha.

▪ The temple is dedicated to the Hindu Sun God Surya.

▪ The Sun temple was built in 1250 CE by King Narasimhadeva I of the Eastern Ganga dynasty.

▪ The Sun Temple is based on the Kalinga architectural style.

Golden Temple

▪ The Golden Temple is a Gurdwara in Amritsar, Punjab, India.

▪ The Golden Temple is dedicated to the Guru Granth Sahib, the holy book of Sikhs.

▪ The Golden Temple is the Harmandir Sahib or “abode of God.”

▪ It is the leading spiritual site of Sikhism.

▪ The construction of the Gurdwara was completed by the fourth Sikh Guru, Guru Ram Das, in 1577.

▪ Guru Ram Das founded the city of Amritsar.

Meenakshi Temple

▪ The Meenakshi Temple is located on the southern bank of the Vaigai River in the temple city of Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India

▪ The temple is dedicated to the goddess Meenakshi and Sundareshwar. Here, ‘Meenakshi’ is a form of Parvati; similarly, ‘Sundareshwar’ is a form of Shiva.

▪ According to Tamil Sangam literature, the temple is in the center of the ancient temple town of Madurai.

▪ This temple is one of the Paadal Petra Sthalam.

▪ The Paadal Petra Sthalam are 275 temples of Lord Shiva that are revered in the verses of the Tamil Saiva Nayanars.

▪ The temple is based on Vijayanagara, Dravidian architecture.

Ranganathaswamy Temple

▪ The Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple is in Srirangam, Tiruchirapalli, Tamil Nadu, India.

▪ It is a Hindu temple dedicated to Ranganatha, a form of Vishnu.

▪ The temple was constructed in the Dravidian architectural style.

▪ It is one of the most important of the 108 (Divya Desam )Vishnu Temples

▪ It is the first temple to be awarded by the UN Body for protecting and conserving cultural heritage.

Kashi Vishwanath Temple

▪ It is located in India’s Vishwanath Gali of Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh.

▪ The temple dedicated to Lord Shiva.

▪ The Temple is situated on the western bank of the holy river Ganga.

▪ It is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas, or Jyotirlingams, the holiest Shiva Temples.

▪ The Temple stands on the western bank of the holy river Ganga and is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas, or Jyotirlingams, the holiest of Shiva Temples.

▪ Varanasi city was called Kashi in ancient times, so the temple is popularly called Kashi Vishwanath Temple.

Badrinath Temple

▪ Badrinath or Badrinarayana Temple is situated in Badrinath in Uttarakhand, India.

▪ It is a Hindu temple dedicated to Vishnu.

▪ The temple is also one of the 108 Divya Desams dedicated to Vishnu.

▪ People following the Jain religion worship the temple and idol belonging to Rishbhdev (Rishabhanatha) or Adinath, the first Tirthankar of Jainism.

▪ The temple is mentioned in ancient religious texts like Vishnu Purana and Skanda Purana.

Yamunotri Temple

▪ Yamunotri Temple is situated in the western region of the Garhwal Himalayas at an altitude of 3,291 meters (10,797 ft) in Uttarkashi district, Uttarakhand.

▪ The temple is dedicated to Goddess Yamuna.

Gangotri Temple

▪ The Gangotri temple is situated on the left bank of the Bhagirathi river in the Uttarkashi districts of Uttarakhand.

▪ The Gangotri temple is dedicated to Goddess Ganga.

▪ The Gorkha General Amar Singh Thapa built the Gangotri temple.

▪ It lies close to the holy rock or the Bhagirath Shila, where King Bhagirath worshipped Lord Shiva.

Kedarnath Temple

  • The temple is located in Uttarakhand, India, in the Garhwal Himalayan range near the Mandakini River.
  • Dedicated to the Hindu God Shiva.
  • According to Hindu legends, the temple was initially built by Pandavas and is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas, the holiest Hindu shrines of Shiva.
  • The temple is based on North Indian Himalayan Architecture.

Dilwara Temples

The Dilwara Temples, located in the Sirohi District of Rajasthan, are a group of exquisite Svetambara Jain temples renowned for their intricate architecture and artistic beauty. Dedicated to Jain Tirthankaras (spiritual leaders), these temples stand as a testament to the rich heritage of Jainism.

  • The Tirthankaras:
    • Rishabhanatha: The first Tirthankara of Jainism.
    • Neminatha: Also known as Nemi and Arishtanemi, the twenty-second Tirthankara.
    • Parshvanatha: The twenty-third Tirthankara.
    • Mahavira: The last Tirthankara, also known as Vardhamana.

Architectural Marvels

Built in the ‘Maru-Gurjara’ architectural style, the Dilwara temple complex comprises five distinct temples:

  • Vimal Vasahi: Dedicated to Adinatha, the first Jain Tirthankara.
  • Luna Vasahi: Dedicated to Neminatha, the twenty-second Tirthankara.
  • Parshvanath: Dedicated to Parshvanatha, the twenty-third Tirthankara.
  • Mahavir Swami: Dedicated to Mahavira, the last Jain Tirthankara.

Dakshineswar Kali Temple

▪ Dakshineswar Kali Temple is located on the east bank of the Hooghly River in Dakshineswar, in the Indian state of West Bengal.

▪ The temple’s main deity is Bhavatarini, a form of Parashakti Adya Kali, otherwise known as Adishakti Kalika.

▪ The temple was built in 1855 by Rani Rashmoni, a social worker and devotee of Kali.

▪ The temple is well known for its association with Ramakrishna and Ma Sarada Devi, mystics of 19th Century Bengal.

One-liner Questions Based on the Previous Year’s Questions

Q1. Where is Brihadeeswara Temple situated? (SSC CGL l Prelim 2002)

 ▪ Answer: Tanjore

Q2. Which rulers built the Ellora temples? (SSC CGL Prelim 2003)

  Answer: Rashtrakuta

Q3. The famous rock-cut temple of Kailasa is at __ (SSC CPO Sub-Inspector 2003)

  Answer: Ellora

Q4. Most of the Chola temples were dedicated to __ (SSC CPO Sub-Inspector 2006)

  Answer: Shiva

Q5. Where do you find the temple of Angkor Wat? (SSC Section Officer (Audit) 2006)

  Answer: Cambodia

Q6. The caves and rock-cut temples at Ellora are: (SSC CGL Prelim 2008)

  Answer: Hindu, Buddhist and Jain

Q7. The famous Kailasanath Temple at Kanchi was built by— (SSC CML (PRE) 1999)

  Answer: Narasimhavarman II

Q8. Where is the Lingaraja Temple located? (SSC CML (PRE) 2000)

  Answer: Bhubaneswar

Q9. Which Rashtrakuta ruler built the famous Kailasha temple of Siva at Ellora? (SSC CML (PRE) 2000)

  Answer: Krishan-I

Q10. The Virupaksha Temple was built by the: (SSC CML (PRE) 2000)

  Answer: Chalukyas

Q11. Who built the Brihadeeswara Temple at Tanjore? (SSC CML (PRE) 2002 Eastern Zone, Guwahati)

  Answer: Raja Raja Chola

Q12. The famous Kailasa temple cut out of the solid rock at Ellora was built under the patronage of the_ (SSC C ML (PRE) 2002

  Answer: Rashtrakuta

Q13. Rath temples at Mahabalipuram were built in the reign of which Pallava ruler? (SSC CML (PRE) 2008)

  Answer: Narasimhavarman I

Q14. Most of the Chola temples were dedicated to _ (SSC Data Entry Operator 2008)

  Answer: Shiva

Q15. The seashore temple at Mahabalipuram was built by_____ (SSC 10+2 Level Data Entry Operator & LDC 2012)

  Answer: Narasimha Varman II

Q16. Who built the Kailasanatha Temple at Ellora? (SSC CGL Tier-I 2014)

  Answer: Krishna I

Q17. Who built the famous Vaikunta Perumal temple at Kanchipuram? (SSC CHSL 10+2) DEO & LDC 2014)

  Answer: Nandi Varman II

Q18. Chalukya temples (Jain temples) at Dilwara are situated in________(SSC CGL Tier-I (CBE) 2016)

 ▪ Answer: Rajasthan 

Q19. Where is the Brihadeeswara temple, built during the Chola period, located? (SSC CGL Tier-I (CBE) 2016)

  Answer: Kanyakumari

Q20. The Dilwara temple at Mount Abu in Rajasthan was built by the Followers of _ (SSC Section Officer (Audit) 2001)

  Answer: Jainism

Q21. Who built the Khajuraho temples? (SSC CGL Prelim 2002)

  Answer: Chandela Rajputs

Q22. The temple was built in 1 100 A. D. and dominating all other temples in Bhubaneshwar is (SSC Combined Matric Level (PRE) 2001)

  Answer: Tribhuvaneswara Lingaraja

Q23. Which is the tallest of all Medieval Indian temples? (SSC Combined Matric Level (PRE) 2006)

  Answer: Brihadeswara Temple at Tanjore

Q24. Krishnadevaraya built the Krishnaswami temple in Hampi, which is situated in the present State of: (SSC 10+2 Data Entry Operator & LDC 2012)

  Answer: Karnataka

Q25. Who among the following attacked the Somnath temple? (SSC Delhi Police Sub-Inspector 2012)

  Answer: Mahmud of Ghazni

Q26. The ‘Sun Temple of Konark is in the State of __ (SI Exam 2012 )

  Answer: Odisha

Famous Shiva Temples in India: 12 Jyotirlinga

 Jyotirlingas are sacred symbols representing Lord Shiva in various forms. There are 12 Jyotirlingas in India, which hold great significance for devotees of Lord Shiva.

 The Somnath temple is considered one of the world’s most famous and revered temples dedicated to Shiva. According to Hindu mythology, it is regarded as the first of the twelve Jyotirlingas, which holds immense significance among devotees of Lord Shiva.

List of 12 Jyotirlinga Name and Place

The table below provides detailed information about each of the 12 Jyotirlingas and their respective locations/States.

S. No.TemplesLocation
1Somnath TempleVeraval, Gujarat
2Mallikarjuna TempleSrisailam, Andhra Pradesh
3Mahakaleshwar TempleUjjain, Madhya Pradesh
4Omkareshwar Temple and Mamleshwar TempleKhandwa & Brahmpuri, Madhya Pradesh
5Baidyanath DhamDeoghar, Jharkhand
6Bhimashankar TemplePune, Maharashtra
7Ramanathaswamy TempleRameshwaram, Tamil Nadu
8Nageshwar TempleDwarka, Gujarat
9Kashi Vishwanath TempleVaranasi, Uttar Pradesh
10Trimbakeshwar TempleTrimbak, Maharashtra
11Kedarnath TempleKedarnath, Uttarakhand
12Grishneshwar TempleEllora, Maharashtra

 Jyotirlinga Images with Names and Places Map

Famous Temples in North India

Temple NameLocationDeity WorshippedHighlights
Kashi VishwanathVaranasi, Uttar PradeshLord ShivaOne of the 12 Jyotirlingas; located on the banks of the Ganges
Ram TempleAyodhya, Uttar PradeshLord RamaWorld’s third largest Hindu temple
Vaishno DeviKatra, Jammu & KashmirGoddess Durga It is located in Katra, Reasi on the slopes of Trikuta Hills within the union territory of Jammu & Kashmir in India.
Golden TempleAmritsar, PunjabGuru Granth SahibThe holiest shrine of Sikhism; made of gold and marble
Mahabodhi TempleGaya, BiharLord BuddhaUNESCO World Heritage Site. It is said that the Buddha attained enlightenment in this place of Bodh Gaya.
Swaminarayan AkshardhamDelhiVarious deitiesHuge complex with stunning architecture and a water show
Kamakhya TempleGuwahati, AssamKamakhya TempleIt is one of the oldest of the 51 Shakti Pithas.
KedarnathUttarakhandLord ShivaOne of the 12 Jyotirlingas; located in the Himalayas
BadrinathUttarakhandLord VishnuOne of the Char Dham; located in the Himalayas
DwarkadhishDwarka, GujaratLord KrishnaOne of the Char Dham; is believed to have been built by Krishna
AmarnathJammu & KashmirJammu & KashmirAccording to legend, Sage Bhrigu was the first to have discovered Amarnath.

Famous Temples in South India

Temple NameLocationDeity WorshippedFeatures
Sri Ranganathaswamy TempleSrirangam, Tamil NaduLord Vishnu as RanganathaIt is one of the most important of the 108 (Divya Desam )Vishnu Temples
Meenakshi TempleMadurai, Tamil NaduGoddess Meenakshi (an incarnation of Parvati) and Lord Sundareswarar (an incarnation of Shiva) The temple is based on Vijayanagara, Dravidian architecture.
Brihadeeswarar TempleThanjavur, Tamil NaduLord ShivaA UNESCO World Heritage Site; has a towering 66-metre-high vimana (temple tower)
Padmanabhaswamy TempleThiruvananthapuram, KeralaLord Vishnu as PadmanabhaFamous for its immense wealth and treasures; one of the richest temples in the world
Guruvayur TempleGuruvayur, KeralaGuruvayurappan as Lord KrishnaThe central icon is a four-armed standing Vishnu carrying the conch Panchajanya, the discus Sudarshana, the mace Kaumodaki, and a lotus with a tulasi garland.
Tirumala Venkateswara TempleTirupati, Andhra PradeshLord Vishnu as Venkateswara The temple is based on Dravidian architecture.
Sri Kalahasti TempleSrikalahasti, Andhra PradeshLord Shiva as VayulingaThe temple is revered as one of the Pancha Bhoota Stalam where the presiding deity is worshipped as Vayu linga (air). 
Mahabalipuram Shore TempleMahabalipuram, Tamil NaduDedicated to Lord ShivaA UNESCO World Heritage Site; known for its stunning architecture and seaside location
Virupaksha TempleHampi, KarnatakaLord ShivaA UNESCO World Heritage Site; known for its intricate carvings and sculptures
Kanchi Kailasanathar TempleKanchipuram, Tamil NaduLord ShivaOne of the oldest temples in Kanchipuram; known for its intricate carvings and sculptures
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