KarmaVaani
A searchable directory of major Hindu temples, filter by region, tradition, or deity, and browse the landmarks that anchor India's spiritual life.
Pan and zoom across Bharat. Tap any pin for the temple's deity, tradition, and story.
Filter by region, tradition, or search for temples, cities, or deities, 40+ sacred sites with deity focus, tradition, and pilgrimage circuit noted for each entry.
Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh
One of the twelve Jyotirlingas, rising above the sacred ghats of the Ganga in Varanasi, the oldest continuously living city in the world. Devotees believe a darshan here grants liberation, and the shrine has stood at the spiritual heart of Sanatana Dharma through centuries of destruction and rebuilding. Its present golden-spired form was reconstructed by Maharani Ahilyabai Holkar in 1780.
Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh
The grand temple at the birthplace of Bhagavan Sri Rama, consecrated in 2024 after a long history of devotion and contention. Built in the traditional Nagara style, it marks the spiritual centre of the Ramayana tradition and has quickly become one of India's most visited pilgrimage sites. The deity of Ram Lalla, Rama as a child, is worshipped in the sanctum.
Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh
A bhakti-rich temple in Vrindavan where Krishna is adored as Banke Bihari, the one who stands in a graceful threefold bend. Established in 1864 by the saint-musician Swami Haridas, its darshan is unusually intimate, with a curtain drawn at intervals so the Lord's playful gaze never overwhelms the devotee. It remains the beating heart of Braj's Krishna devotion.
Rudraprayag, Uttarakhand
A Himalayan Jyotirlinga set at 3,580 metres against the Garhwal peaks, among the most arduous and revered of all Shaiva pilgrimages. Re-established by Adi Shankaracharya in the 8th century, it forms a key node of both the twelve Jyotirlingas and the Chota Char Dham circuit. The shrine closes through the deep winter and reopens each spring with great ceremony.
Chamoli, Uttarakhand
A Char Dham shrine on the banks of the Alaknanda, where Vishnu is worshipped as Badrinarayan in a black saligrama form. Sacred to the Vaishnava tradition and revered since Vedic times, it sits between the Nara and Narayana ranges near the Neelkanth peak. Pilgrims bathe in the hot springs of Tapt Kund before entering the temple.
Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand
The source shrine of the river Ganga in the Garhwal Himalayas, dedicated to the goddess Ganga who descended to earth through the locks of Shiva. The white granite temple was built in the early 18th century near the sacred Bhagirath Shila. It anchors the Chota Char Dham circuit and opens seasonally with the melting of the high snows.
Katra, Jammu and Kashmir
A cave shrine of the Mother Goddess in the Trikuta hills near Katra, where the Devi is worshipped as three natural rock pindis representing Mahakali, Mahalakshmi, and Mahasaraswati. Reached by a steep trek of around thirteen kilometres, it draws millions of pilgrims each year. It is among the most visited Shakta sites in all of India.
Veraval, Gujarat
The first of the twelve Jyotirlingas, standing on the Arabian Sea coast of Gujarat at the meeting of three rivers. Destroyed and rebuilt many times across history, its present form was raised after Independence as a symbol of resilience and faith. The temple is celebrated in the Puranas as the eternal shrine of Shiva, the Lord of the Moon.
Dwarka, Gujarat
The chief temple of Dwarka, one of the Char Dham and Sapta Puri, honouring Krishna as the king of his island kingdom. The towering five-storey shrine, crowned by a great flag changed several times daily, dates in parts to the 16th century over far older foundations. It marks the western point of the four cardinal pilgrimages.
Mumbai, Maharashtra
A beloved Ganesha temple in Mumbai, famed for a self-manifest idol whose trunk turns to the right, considered especially powerful. Built in 1801 and expanded into its golden-domed modern form, it draws vast crowds on Tuesdays and during Ganesh Chaturthi. It is among the most prosperous and visited shrines in Maharashtra.
Nashik, Maharashtra
A Jyotirlinga near Nashik at the source of the Godavari, set below the Brahmagiri hills. Uniquely, its linga bears three faces representing Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. The black stone temple in the Nagara style was built in the 18th century by Peshwa Balaji Baji Rao.
Aurangabad, Maharashtra
Regarded as the last of the twelve Jyotirlingas, located near the Ellora caves in Maharashtra. The red volcanic-rock temple was rebuilt in the 18th century by Maharani Ahilyabai Holkar and is rich in carved Shaiva imagery. Its name recalls the devotee Ghushma, whose unwavering faith is said to have called Shiva to dwell here.
Nathdwara, Rajasthan
The principal shrine of the Pushtimarg tradition founded by Vallabhacharya, where Krishna is worshipped as Shrinathji lifting Mount Govardhan on a single finger. The deity was brought to Nathdwara in Rajasthan in the late 17th century for safekeeping, and the temple is run as the Lord's living household. It is the centre of the Vaishnava haveli style of devotion and art.
Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh
The hill shrine of Vishnu as Venkateswara at Tirupati, widely held to be the most visited and richest temple in the world. Set in the seven Tirumala hills, its Dravidian sanctum has drawn pilgrims for over a thousand years, many offering their hair in vows. The deity is revered as the refuge of all who seek him in the age of Kali.
Madurai, Tamil Nadu
A vast temple city in Madurai dedicated to the goddess Meenakshi and her consort Sundareswarar, a form of Shiva. Famed for its towering gopurams covered in thousands of vivid sculptures and its hall of a thousand pillars, the present structure dates largely to the 16th and 17th centuries under the Nayak rulers. It remains one of the great living centres of Tamil worship.
Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu
A Char Dham and Jyotirlinga shrine on Rameswaram island, linked in the Ramayana to Sri Rama, who worshipped Shiva here before crossing to Lanka. It is renowned for the longest temple corridor in India, lined with ornately carved pillars. Pilgrims bathe in its twenty-two sacred wells before darshan.
Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu
A masterpiece of Chola architecture in Thanjavur, built by Raja Raja Chola I around 1010 CE and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its granite vimana rises over sixty metres, crowned by a single massive capstone, above a colossal Shiva linga. The temple stands as a peak achievement of Tamil engineering, sculpture, and Shaiva devotion.
Srirangam, Tamil Nadu
The foremost of the 108 Divya Desams, sacred to Vishnu reclining as Ranganatha on the serpent Adishesha, set on an island in the Kaveri. Enclosed by seven concentric walls and twenty-one gopurams, it is often called the largest functioning Hindu temple complex in the world. It is the spiritual centre of Sri Vaishnavism.
Chidambaram, Tamil Nadu
The temple of Shiva as Nataraja, the cosmic dancer, in Chidambaram, where the Lord is also worshipped as formless space, the Akasha linga. Its golden-roofed sanctum and the mystery of the Chidambara Rahasya have drawn philosophers and devotees for centuries. The site is central to the Tamil Shaiva tradition and the iconography of the dancing Shiva.
Guruvayur, Kerala
A celebrated Krishna temple in Kerala, often called the Dwarka of the South, where the Lord is worshipped as the enchanting child Guruvayurappan. Renowned for its strict rituals and elephant processions, it is among the most important Vaishnava centres in the region. Devotees believe the idol was once worshipped by Krishna's own parents.
Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala
An ancient Vaishnava temple in Thiruvananthapuram where Vishnu reclines as Anantha Padmanabha upon the serpent Adishesha. Blending Kerala and Dravidian styles, it became famous worldwide for the immense treasures discovered in its vaults. The royal family of Travancore has served as its hereditary custodians, ruling in the deity's name.
Udupi, Karnataka
The Krishna temple founded by the philosopher Madhvacharya in the 13th century, the seat of the Dvaita school of Vedanta. The deity is worshipped only through a silver-plated window of nine holes called the Navagraha Kindi. Its eight matha houses run the worship in rotation, and the town is famed for its temple cuisine.
Puri, Odisha
A Char Dham shrine on the Odisha coast where Krishna is worshipped as Jagannath, Lord of the Universe, alongside his siblings Balabhadra and Subhadra. Its annual Rath Yatra, when the deities ride colossal chariots through the streets, is one of the grandest festivals on earth. The temple kitchen is among the largest in the world.
Bhubaneswar, Odisha
The largest temple in Bhubaneswar, the city of a thousand shrines, dedicated to Shiva as Harihara, who unites Shiva and Vishnu. Built mainly in the 11th century, its towering deul is a high point of Kalinga temple architecture. The sacred Bindusagar tank beside it is said to hold water from every holy river.
Konark, Odisha
A 13th-century UNESCO World Heritage temple conceived as the colossal chariot of Surya, the sun god, drawn by seven horses on twelve pairs of intricately carved stone wheels. Built by King Narasimhadeva I of the Eastern Ganga dynasty, it is a summit of Odishan art. Though its main tower has fallen, the sculpted grandeur still astonishes.
Kolkata, West Bengal
One of the fifty-one Shakti Pithas, in the heart of Kolkata, where the goddess Kali is worshipped in a fierce and beloved form. Tradition holds that a toe of the goddess Sati fell here, sanctifying the site. The present temple dates to the early 19th century and gives the city of Calcutta its name.
Kolkata, West Bengal
A 19th-century temple on the Hooghly built by Rani Rashmoni, dedicated to Kali as Bhavatarini, the saviour of the world. It is forever linked with the mystic Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, who served here as priest and realised the Divine Mother. The riverside complex includes twelve Shiva shrines along its terrace.
Guwahati, Assam
A pre-eminent Shakti Pitha atop Nilachal hill in Guwahati, where the goddess is worshipped not as an image but as a natural cleft in the rock, a form of creative power. It is the centre of Tantric worship in eastern India and hosts the Ambubachi Mela marking the Devi's annual cycle. The temple fuses ancient Shakta and Tantric traditions.
Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh
A Jyotirlinga in the ancient city of Ujjain, the only one facing south, where Shiva is revered as Mahakala, the lord of time and death. Its famous Bhasma Aarti at dawn, performed with sacred ash, is unique among Indian temples. Ujjain is also one of the four cities that host the Kumbh Mela.
Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh
A Jyotirlinga on a sacred island in the Narmada shaped like the syllable Om. Pilgrims circumambulate the whole island as part of the parikrama, and the site holds two revered Shiva shrines. The Narmada is herself worshipped as a goddess, and her banks here are lined with ghats and ashrams.
Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh
A UNESCO World Heritage group of temples built by the Chandela dynasty between the 9th and 11th centuries, celebrated worldwide for their exquisite and exuberant sculpture. Dedicated to both Hindu deities and Jain Tirthankaras, they depict the full sweep of life as a path toward the divine. The Kandariya Mahadeva temple is their crowning achievement.
Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu
A vast Shiva temple at the foot of the sacred Arunachala hill in Tiruvannamalai, honouring Shiva as Agni, the element of fire. Its annual Karthigai Deepam, when a great flame is lit atop the hill, draws enormous crowds. The mountain itself is circumambulated by devotees as a living form of the Lord.
Pune, Maharashtra
A Jyotirlinga set in the dense Sahyadri forests of the Western Ghats, near the source of the Bhima river. The Nagara-style shrine is surrounded by a wildlife sanctuary that shelters the rare Indian giant squirrel. Tradition links it to Shiva's slaying of the demon Tripurasura.
Dwarka, Gujarat
A Jyotirlinga near Dwarka in Gujarat, honouring Shiva as Nagesha, lord of serpents and protector against poison and fear. The site is marked by a towering seated statue of Shiva visible from afar. Tradition tells of the devotee Supriya, saved here by the Lord from the demon Daruka.
Srisailam, Andhra Pradesh
A rare site that is both a Jyotirlinga and a Shakti Pitha, set on the Nallamala hills above the Krishna river in Andhra Pradesh. Shiva is worshipped here as Mallikarjuna alongside the goddess Bhramaramba. Revered since ancient times, it is praised in the hymns of Adi Shankaracharya.
Kangra, Himachal Pradesh
A Shakti Pitha in the Kangra valley of Himachal Pradesh, where the goddess is worshipped as eternal natural flames that burn from the rock without fuel. Pilgrims regard the everlasting fire as the living presence of the Devi. The temple's golden dome is attributed to the gift of Maharaja Ranjit Singh.
Birbhum, West Bengal
A renowned Shakta and Tantric shrine in the Birbhum district of Bengal, where the goddess is worshipped as Tara, a form at once fierce and motherly. It is famed for its association with the saint Bamakhepa and for the cremation ground beside it, a centre of Tantric sadhana. Devotees come seeking the Mother's direct grace.
Udaipur, Tripura
A Shakti Pitha in Udaipur, Tripura, also called Matabari, where the goddess is worshipped as Tripura Sundari, the beautiful one of the three worlds. The temple's distinctive form resembles the hump of a tortoise, giving the area its name, Kurma Pith. It is the foremost Shakta shrine of the northeast.
Subrahmanya, Karnataka
A temple in the forested hills of coastal Karnataka dedicated to Kartikeya as Subrahmanya, the lord of serpents. Devotees seeking relief from afflictions linked to serpents, the Sarpa and Naga doshas, come here to perform special rites. The shrine sits beside the river Kumaradhara amid the Western Ghats.
Shirdi, Maharashtra
The samadhi shrine of Sai Baba of Shirdi, the saint of the 19th and early 20th centuries revered across faiths for his teaching of Shraddha and Saburi, faith and patience. The Maharashtra complex draws millions who seek his blessing and grace. His message of unity beyond creed continues to inspire devotees worldwide.
Aligning your temple visit with the sacred calendar deepens every darshan. These are approximate Gregorian dates, confirm with your regional panchang.
Celebrates the birth of Bhagavan Shri Rama, observed with Ramayan readings, bhajan, and temple utsavs.
An auspicious day of undiminishing merit, marking Parashurama Jayanti and the opening of Badrinath.
Honoring the lineage of gurus beginning with Veda Vyasa, a day of reverence and svadhyaya.
The birth of Shri Krishna at midnight in Mathura, observed with fasting, kirtan, and jhulan.
Nine nights of the Divine Mother, worship of nine forms of Durga and the victory over ignorance.
The festival of lights, marking Rama's return to Ayodhya and the worship of Mahalakshmi.