1.
Padmanabhaswamy Temple – Trivandrum
The Padmanabhaswamy Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated
to Vishnu in Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of the state of Kerala, India. It is one
of the 108 Divya Desams which are considered the sacred abodes of Vishnu in
the Sri Vaishnava tradition. The name of the city of 'Thiruvananthapuram'
in Malayalam and Tamil translates to "The City of Ananta" (Ananta being a form of
Vishnu) The temple is built in an intricate fusion of the Kerala style and
the Dravidian style of architecture, featuring high walls, and a 16th-
century gopuram.
The principal deity is Padmanabhaswamy, a form of Vishnu enshrined in the
"Anantashayana" posture, engaged in eternal yogic sleep on his serpent
mount, Shesha. Padmanabhaswamy is the tutelary deity of the Travancore royal
family.
2. Ramanathaswamy Temple – Rameshwaram
The Ramanathaswamy Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to
the Hindu god Shiva located on Rameswaram island in the state of Tamil Nadu,
India. It is one of the twelve Jyotirlinga temples. According to tradition,
the lingam (an aniconic form of Shiva) of the Ramanathaswamy Temple was
established and worshipped by Rama before he crossed the bridge called Rama
Setu to the island kingdom of Lanka, identified with Sri Lanka. It is one of the Char
Dham pilgrimage sites. The temple was expanded during the 12th century by
the Pandya Dynasty. The temple has the longest corridor among all the Hindu
temples of India. It was built by King Muthuramalinga Sethupathy. The temple is
considered a pilgrimage site for Shaivites, Vaishnavites, and Smartas.
3. Murudeshwara Temple – Murdeshwar
Lord Shiva is one of the most revered deities in Hinduism, and his temples are found
all over India and beyond. One of the most spectacular and unique temples
dedicated to him is the Murudeshwar Temple, located in the coastal town of
Murudeshwar in Karnataka. This temple is not only a place of worship, but also a
tourist attraction that offers a stunning view of the Arabian Sea and the surrounding
landscape.
The Murudeshwar Temple features a colossal statue of Lord Shiva that stands at 123
feet (37 meters) tall, making it the second-tallest Shiva statue in the world after the
Kailashnath Mahadev Statue in Nepal. The statue was built by a businessman and
philanthropist named R.N. Shetty in 2006, and is designed to face the sun, so that
the first rays of the morning light up his face. The statue is also visible from a long
distance, and can be seen from the nearby beach and the highway.
