Heritage temples of India are scattered throughout the length and breadth of India and include the temples in Northern India, Southern India, Western India, Eastern India and Central India. Every year, millions of tourists throng to these religious places to offer their prayers. Several Indian temples have been termed as `heritage temples` by the UNESCO Heritage Centre and are immensely popular even among foreign tourists. Vaishnodevi Temple, Akshardham Temple, Kedarnath Temple, ISKCON Temple, Kalighat Temple, Aru Padai Veedu and thousands of other famous temples are considered rich pilgrimage spots in the country.
Heritage Temples of Northern India
The states of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Delhi and Punjab possess some beautiful heritage temples. Amarnath Temple, Mata Vaishno Devi Temple, Shankaracharya Temple, Chatti Padshahi Gurudwara, Martand Temple, Shey Palace and Monastery and Thiksey Monastery are some heritage temples located in Jammu and Kashmir. Champavati Temple, Chamunda Devi Temple, Himachal Pradesh, Kedarnath and Badrinath Temples, Uttarakhand and the Golden Temple, Amritsar, Punjab are a few of the reputed heritage temples in Northern India.
Heritage Temples of Southern India
The Tirupati Temple and Sri Sailam Temple, Andhra Pradesh, Airavateshwara Temple, Mahalingam Temple, Ramaswamy Temple and Annamalaiyar Temple, Tamil Nadu, temples at Dharmasthala, Kukke Subramanya Temple, Mysore Chamundeshwari Temple, Udupi Krishna Temple, Karnataka, etc are a few of the magnificent heritage temples of Southern India.
Heritage Temples of Western India
Kowpeeneswara Swamy Temple, Maharashtra, Jag Mandir Temple, Eklingji Temple, Dilwara Jain Temples and Birla Mandir of Rajasthan, Akshardham Temple, Somnath Temple, Parsi Fire Temples, Gangeshwar Temple and Bhrigu Rishi Temple are amongst the many heritage temples situated in the western parts of the nation.
Heritage Temples of Eastern India
Dakshineshwar Temple, Kalighat Kali Temple, and Parshvanath Temple, West Bengal, Konark Sun Temple, Orissa, Mahabodi Temple, Bihar and several other heritage temples are present in Eastern India.
Heritage Temples of Central India
The Khajuraho Temples, Udaigiri and Khandagiri Cave Temples and Indore Omkareshwara Temple, etc are amongst the numerous heritage temples located in Central India. Other temples situated here include Bambleshwari Temple, Bhoramdeo Temple, Amarkantak Temple and many others which have been categorized as heritage temples.
There are thousands of other important heritage temples in India, which are quite reputable, ancient and extremely popular.