13 Must Visit Temples in Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu, the southernmost state and historical place in India, holds utmost importance due to its millions of years old history, land reigned by Pallavas and Cholas, current automobile service background, and beautifully designed temples. This state gathers a huge number of devotees from around the world, and the major reason is the Dravidian style temple architecture. It consists of Mandapa, Viraha, Gopupura, Parakram, and Grabgriha, with every part holding some significance. 

The state has a traditional vibe; testimony to this fact is the number of temples it has and the large belief in the Hindu religious system throughout its land. 

The state is unavoidable; whether you’re planning to spend a week or it is just a one day trip to Kanyakumari, you have to visit at least one temple. 

Many of the temples here are UNESCO heritage sites and have a beautiful history from ancient times. Let’s learn about some of those temples, their traditions, the story behind them, and a little about their construction. Also, if you are heading towards India’s southern temples, the information ahead will be helpful. Without further ado, let’s explore the majority of them.

List of 13 Important Temples in Tamil Nadu

Can you believe that Tamil Nadu has more than seventy thousand temples, obviously more than any other state in India? The ancient temples of Tamil Nadu are popular for their own architectural style and significance. So, if you are thinking about how to spend your 24 hours in Tamil Nadu, the list below names all the imminent temples to visit.

This temple is dedicated to the god Shiva and goddess Parvati who are incarnated as Lord Sundareswarar and Goddess Meenakshi, respectively. The temple is renowned in the state and is visited by many devotees every day. Being one of the prominent temples, the temple’s Dravidian architecture has a supreme aura, with up to 14 gopurams, thousands of pillar halls called Ayirakkal Mandapam, and beautiful sculptures.

The temple celebrates the “Meenakshi Thirukalyanam” festival, where the respective god and goddess are married with all gallantry. The idols are adorned with emeralds and jewelry, and they sit adjacent to each other. Interestingly, the pillars in the temple are designed in such a way that each carved pillar produces a different sound note when struck. 

This temple holds historical significance and is therefore included in Tamil literature too, plus the sculptures, paintings, and architecture add beauty to this place.

Another architectural splendor is located in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, one of the country’s largest temples. This temple has a place on the UNESCO world heritage site list because of its architecture and century-old history. It dates back to the 11th century and has a massive stone lingam of God Shiva. The temple attracts several tourists every year due to its enormous gopurams (towers) that carry an artistic grandeur. It is also called Rajarajeshwara Temple. 

The temple was built by the Cholas and therefore has frescoes and inscriptions depicting stories and emotions. It is spread over 28 acres of land and holds spiritual and historical importance.

One of the holiest places in the country, located on the Rameswaram island, Ramanathaswamy Temple is present on the state coast and connects with the country through the Pamban channel. Spread across 15 acres of land; the temple has decorated pillared halls, towers, and courtyards. It is one of the 12 jyotirlingas and is located close to Ram Setu (built by Lord Ram and Vanars to reach Sri Lanka). The temple is devoted to Lord Shiva and has a lingam. According to Hindu mythology, the temple was built by Lord Rama. 

There are thousands of pillars called “Aayiram Kaal Mandapam” plus holy water tanks called teertham. The water tanks are significant and known to purify pilgrimages. Several festivals are celebrated here with various devotees and travelers, specifically the Agni Ratham festival, where deities are taken out in decorated chariots. 

This famous temple of Lord Vishnu is spread across 156 acres and has exquisite artistic beauty on the walls, gopurams, and part of the temple complex. The temple is located in Srirangam and is therefore also called Srirangam Temple. It has the longest gopuram in Asia, with a length of up to 53m, and 11 tiers containing beautiful designs carved on its surface. Temples date back to the 7th century CE, with contributions by several dynasties like the Cholas, Vijayanagara Dynasty, Nayakas, and Pandayas. 

The sanctum has Vishnu deity over the servant Adishesha plus his consorts Bhudevi and Neeladevi on the side. One of the auspicious months celebrated here is December-January, a time when the Vaikunta Ekadasi festival is celebrated, also known as the chariot festival. 

An architectural marvel dedicated to Lord Shiva’s dancing cosmic body called Nataraja is one of the famous Shiva temples in India. The temple located in Chidambaram brings a profound spiritual experience due to the Dravidian architectural style and association of deities with the art form Bharatanatyam. The temple is spread across 48 acres of land, with artistic carving in all corners. 

The temple has a gold-plated roof over the sanctum. Inside the sanctum deity, Lord Nataraja is present in an Ananda Tandava pose, signifying creation, preservation, and destruction. The place where the idol deity is kept is known as Chidambara Rahasya. 

In the month of Masi(February-March), Natyanjali Dance Festival is held, where Bharatnatyam dancers from all over the world participate to pay homage to the Lord. The temple is also one of the Panch Statals, signifying Air.

This temple is located in an exotic location, situated on the Coromandel coast in the Kancheepuram district of Tamil Nadu, quite similar to the Konark Sun Temple in Odisha. Blessed with epic cravings in Dravidian architecture, it dates back to the 8th century. The Shore temple has three shrines, two dedicated to Lord Shiva and one to Lord Vishnu.

This temple is a UNESCO world heritage site because of its intricate paintings, and adjacent to the temple are the “five chariots.” This chariot is said to belong to the Pandavas from the Mahabharata, therefore, attracts a huge array of travelers and devotees all over the world. 

From January to February, a dedicated festival called “Mahabalipuram Dance Festival” is held, attracting classical professionals to showcase their performances.

Located in Madurai is a 15-acre land devoted to Lord Meenakshi and Lord Sundareswarar, incarnations of Lord Parvati and Lord Shiva, respectively. The temple’s architecture has an attractive grandeur with huge gopurams, musical pillar walls, golden Lotus tanks, and exquisite sculptures. 

The sanctum sanctorum houses Goddess Meenakshi, adorned in garments and jewelry, and Lord Sundareswarar beside her as a consort. The idol is said to be self-manifested, and together they give a picturesque experience. 

The temple celebrates the celestial wedding of both ideals annually in the Meenakshi Thirukalyanam festival, an attraction to various pilgrimages and travelers.

Temple got its name because it is situated on the hills of Arunachal Pradesh (at the foot) and contains Lord Shiva as a deity in the form of a lingam. It has an eye-pleasing architecture that’s spread with gopurams, carvings, sculptures, and paintings all over. The 66m Rajagopuram is the longest one in the entire state and therefore showcases the temple’s ethnicity. 

The “Girivalam ” popular circumambulation around the hills is one of the rituals performed here, with a circumference of up to 15 km. This is specially performed on auspicious days like the full moon. 

The most popular festival that is loved and joined by more than thousands of devotees and travelers is the Kathigai Deepam festival, where the top of the hill is lit with Maha Deepam (a Lamp) as a divine symbol.

One of the oldest temples in Tamil Nadu, with outstanding architectural style and scripture designs. It is one of the Lord Shiva temples located in Kanchipuram and is, therefore, also called the Kanchi Kailasanathar Temple of Kanchipuram. This temple is included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site under “the Great Chola Living Temple.”

The Dravidian architecture of the temple is filled with excellent carvings and scriptures depicting various stories, while several mandapas serve different purposes. The biggest Mandapa is called Mukha Mandapa and is supported by 58 pillars, similar to the vast auditorium of Sri Venkateswara temple in the Bridgewater locality of New Jersey. 

The most prominent festivals here are Shivaratri, Karthigai Deepam, and Arudra Darshanam, which attract people from far and wide.

Another historic and famous temple of Lord Shiva that’s built with Dravidian architecture and excellent craftsmanship. On the sanctum, the sanctorum deity is present as a lingam, worshiped by millions of devotees. The temple is spread out with beautifully carved manpasapas, gopurams, and shrines. There are thousands of mandapas, creating a spacious hall for different purposes. 

The temple contains a sacred tank called Shivanga and has a unique prasad called Pongal. The deity in the temple is called Ekambareswarar, or Ekambaranathar, and is present as Lord Shiva. The temple celebrates the annual Panguni Uthiram temple in the temple month of Panguni(March-April), which contains several cultures, rituals, and events.

Temple where Lord Murugan is worshiped on the sacred hills of Palani, which helps in fulfilling the desires of devotees after climbing the route, which is called Padi Veedu. The temple has a unique prasadam called Panchamirtham made of banana, jaggery, honey, cardamom, and ghee. In the auspicious Thai month of Tamil(January- February) devotees take part in processions and rituals. The Dravidian architecture of the temple is something to watch, with Rajagopuram( main gateway tower) as the major attraction.

A must-visit temple in the Mylapore neighborhood of Chennai, Tamil Nadu, built-in 7 CE by the Pallava dynasty and since then has undergone several reconstructions. Dedicated to Lord Shiva, this temple has outstanding architectural beauty, with gopurams, tanks, scriptures, and the main sanctum sanctorum is one of the best place to visit in April. The deity is prayed to in the form of Kapaleeshwarar with his consort, Karpagambal (Goddess Parvati). 

The most interesting part of this temple is the two gopurams present in the east and west directions, carved with mythological stories. The temple complex has a sacred complex called Kapalee Theertham, which some of the devotees consider purifying. The major temple festival event is celebrated in the Tamil month of Panguni (March-April) which is called the Arupathimoovar festival. This festival is celebrated annually and has cultural significance. The temple chariot is decorated and pulled out in the streets for everyone. 

Mylapore is a rich cultural heritage place where one can find traditional Tamil families and their way of life.

Kanchipuram, a city in Tamil Nadu, is said to be the home of thousands of temples. Some of the main temples it includes are Kamakshi Amman Temple(Shakti Peetha), Ekambareswarar Temple, and Varadharaja Perumal Temple. Among all of them Ekambareswarar is the largest, with an area of 25 acres and 58m high gopuram. It is cited as a heritage enriched place with pious people and ethnic atmosphere all around

The stunning architecture and massive towers with sanctum sanctorum have their own dedicated deities. Each of them has a cultural significance and has an epic history behind its construction and festival, which is why they are visited by a huge number of devotees, pilgrims, and tourists.

Closing Thoughts

The land of Tamil Nadu has a large number of temples, mostly of Lord Shiva and of Dravidian architecture. Being the best tourist destinations for people all around the world, these places are not just traditional but hold cultural significance too. There are large gopurams, sacred tanks, large Mandapas, and sanctum sanctorum, accounting for the beauty of the temple. Interestingly, all these temples have their own annual festivals, inviting a large crowd to be a part of the procession.