About 6 km from Alappuzha and accessible only by boat, is Chavara Bhavan, the ancestral home of the blessed Kuriakose Elias Chavara. It is now a holy shrine and spiritual resort where thousands of devotees gather for benediction.

Arthunkal is 22 km north of Alappuzha. The St. Sebastian’s Church here is an important Christian pilgrim centre. The Edatva Church, 24 km from Alappuzha on the road to Tiruvalla is dedicated to St. George. During the annual festival in May, pilgrims from all parts of South India, irrespective of caste and creed, visit the Church and seek the blessings of the saint.

About 2 km from Kottayam town, are the Valiyapalli Church and the Cheryapalli Church. The Valiyapalli Church is known for its Persian Cross and Phalavi inscriptions on it. The Cheryapalli Church has some of the most exquisite murals and paintings.

The important pilgrim Christian pilgrim centre of Bharananganam, has a church which houses the moral remains of Sister Alphonsa. The ancient church contains an attractive Grotto of Virgin Mary.

St. Francis Church in Fort Cochin was constructed in 1503 by Portuguese Franciscan friars. It is believed to be India’s oldest European-built Church. Also in the vicinity is the Santa Cruz Cathedral.

Malayattoor Church, 52 km from Kochi is built on top of a hill. Accessible only by foot, this church is believed to have been blessed by St. Thomas, one of the Apostles of Christ. The Jewish Synagogue in Kochi was originally constructed in 1568. It was destroyed by the Portuguese in 1662 and rebuilt two years later when the Dutch took over Kochi. And the area around it is known as Jew Town.

There is a mosque in Kanjiramattom about 30 km from Kochi and is believed to be erected over the mortal remains of a Muslim saint, Sheikh Parid. The annual Kodikuthu Festival is held here in December-January.

About 22 km from Cannanore is the ancient Madayi Mosque. It was originally built in 1124 AD by Malik Ibn Dinar, a Muslim preacher. A block of white marble in the mosque is believed to have been brought from Mecca by its founder, who came to India to spread the world of the Prophet Mohammed.

Pazhayangadi Mosque, 18 km east of Manjeri, at Kondotty on the Malappuram-Kozhikode route is associated with the Muslim Saint Mohammed Shah, popularly known as Kondotty Thangal.

The Sri Anantha Padmanabhaswamy Temple dominates Thriruvananthapuram, the capital city of Kerala. It is one of the grandest temples in Kerala and is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. It demonstrates a splendid example of Dravidian architecture. It consist a seven-storey Gopuram, exquisite stone carvings and pavilions and beautifully sculpted pillars. The image of Lord Padmanabha reclining on Anantha is viewed through three doors opening on the sanctum. It is one of the Divya Desam shrines of Kerala.

Varkala, another pilgrim centre, housing the Janardhana Temple is about 55 km north of Thiruvananthapuram. Chengannur Mahadeva Temple in Chengannur, also known as the Chengannur Bhagwati Temple has a circular sanctum. The western side of the sanctum enshrines Shiva, while the eastern side enshrines Parvati. The Shivalingam is gold plated, bearing an image of Ardhanareeswara.

Another very popular pilgrim centres in South India; Sabarimalai enshrines Sastha or Lord Ayyappan. North of Kollam is Haripad, home to the Subramanya Temple. The imposing image of Subramanya at this temple is said to have been worshiped by Parasuram. Near Haripad, Mannarsaala Temple is a centre of snake worship and is dedicated to Naga Devatas.

The Ambalapuzha Temple, a well known Krishna temple in Kerala is located south of Alappuzha. Lord Krishna is worshiped here as Unnikrishna or the infant Krishna, although the image enshrined here is that of Parthasarathi.

The Tirunakkara Mahadeva Temple in Kottayam is built in typical Kerala style. The Ettumanur Mahadevar Temple, one of the most celebrated Shiva Temples in Kerala is about 12 km from Kottayam. It has a circular sanctum covered with a conical with a conical copper-plated roof, crowned with a kalasam. It has some exquisite murals.

Near Kottayam, Kumaranallur is home to a Bhagwati Temple, with elements of Dravidian architecture. The city of Ernakulam is home to the Mahadeva-Shiva Temple and near to it the town of Chottanikkara. The temple here enshrines Bhagawati- the mother Goddess, one of the most popular deities in Kerala. Also in the vicinity is the Poornatrayesa Temple at Tripunittura.

About 33 km south to Ernakulam is Vaikom. The Vaikom Mahadevar Temple here is dedicated to Lord Shiva and has an elliptical sanctum here is covered with a copper plated roof, crowned with a golden kalasam. The mukhamandapam in front of the sanctum houses Nandi.

Udayanapuram, near Vaikom, enshrines Subramanya and is closely associated with the Vaikom Mahadevar Temple and the Kumaranallur Bhagawati Temple. Another prominent temple of Kerala, Kodunggallur is home to the Bhagwati Temple. Near to Kodunggallur is Thiruvanchikkalam, the only Shivastalam in Kerala which has been mentioned in the hymns of Nayanmars. It has an image of Nataraj.

Triprayar, near to Irinjalakuda is a magnificent temple dedicated to Lord Rama. This temple is closely associated with the temple dedicated to Lakshmana at Moozhikkalam, near Alwaye, Bharata at Irinjalakuda and to Satrugna at Payammel.

About 14 km north east of Irinjalakuda, is Tirukkaatkarai, home to the ancient Vamanamurthy Temple. This is one of the Divya Desams.

Vadakkunnathar Temple, one of the most prominent landmarks of Thrissur has three shrines, dedicated to Lord Shiva, Lord Rama and Lord Sankaranarayana. The massive Koottambalam or theatre hall here is said to be a one of its kind masterpiece, crowned with three kalasams.

About 16 km to Shoranur, en route to Guruvayur, is Tiruvinjikode. This is one of the Divya Dasams and is dedicated to Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu. It is believed that the four images of Lord Vishnu in this temple were installed by the Pandavas.

Guruvayur, near Thrissur enshrines the youthful form of Lord Krishna. It also has shrines of Durga and Sastha.It is one of the most popular pilgrim destinations of South India.

North to Thrissur is Tiruvilvamala, dedicated to Lord Rama and Lakshamana. To the east of the Temple is the Punarjanani Cave. About half a mile north is River Bharatapuzha, considered to be the Ganges of Kerala. On the bank of river Bharatapuzha, Tirunavaya Temple is considered as important as Varanasi. The presiding divinity here is Navamukundan. There are sub shrines to Ganapati and Bhagavati. Across the river are shrines to Lord Shiva and Lord Brahma.

The ancient temple in Kozhikode is dedicates to Lord Shiva. North to Kozhikode, Tellicherry is home to the fortress-like TIruvangad Rama Temple. In this temple, an image bearing the attribute of Vishnu is considered to be Rama.

The Kanjiragat Shiva – Vaidyanatha Temple, at Taliparamba, near Cannanore is dedicated to Lord Shiva. It regards Shiva as the divine physician or Vaidya and the water from the abhishekam ceremony, offered as prasadam, is believed to have medicinal properties.

The Rajarajeshwara Temple is also locates at Taliparamba. It is believed that Lord Rama, during his victorious return to Ayodhya from Lanka, stopped here to worship Shiva.

The Trichambaram Krishna Temple, located near Taliparamba is dedicated to Lord Krishna. It consist of a two storeyed sanctum of this small temple has beautiful murals and carvings from the 15th and the 16th centuries. You can visit all these temples with Hindu Pilgrimage Tour Packages.

The most important pilgrimage centre in Andhra Pradesh is the Lord Venkateshwara Temple, at Tirumala, Tirupati Lord Vishnu, the presiding deity of this ancient temple is known as Venkateshwara, Balaji or Srinivasa. It is said to be one of the richest temples in the world and is visited by thousands of devotees all through the year.

About 60 km south of Tirupati, Tiruttani is a hill shrine of great antiquity dedicated to Lord Murugan and about 60 km east is Sri Kalahasti is another pilgrim centre dedicated to Lord Shiva and is one of the Pancha Bhoota Stalams. This temple is also associated with Rahu and Ketu.

In the south-western corner of Andhra Pradesh is Puttaparti, the main Ashram of Sri Sathya Sai Baba: Prashanti Nilayam, the Adobe of Highest Peace. Mantralayam, the sacred adobe of Sri Raghavendra Swamy, is located on the bank of the Madhwa Saint, who attainted his Samadhi here about 300 years ago, attracts thousands of devotees all through the year.

Birla Mandir in Hyderabad is a modern temple, consecrated in 1976. The presiding deity is Lord Venkateshwara. Kurnool is a convenient base to visit the major pilgrim centre of Srisailam and several other important temples in the vicinity. Srisailam is one of the greatest Shaivaite Shrines in India and constitutes one of the 12 Jyotirlinga Shrines of Lord Shiva.

The western gateway of Sreesailam is considered to be Alampur. The southern, eastern and the northern gateways are Siddavatam in Cuddapah District and Tripurantakam and Umamaheswaram in Mahboobnagar District. Other temples in the vicinity of Srisailam include: Paladhara Panchadhara, the spot where Adi Shankaracharya is said to have meditated, Hatakeswaram, near Paladhara Panchadhara, a Shiva Temple where the Lingam was originally made of gold, Shakthi Ganapathi Temple, an important temple to visit before going to Srisailam, Kailasa Dwaram, the main entrance to Srisailam for those trekking to the temple, Shikharam, a hill temple dedicated to Shiva, Patalaganga, the bathing ghats associated with Srisailam.

Near Kurnool, the nine temples of Alampur, known as Navabrahma Temples are dedicated to Shiva. These are: Taraka Brahma, Swarga Brahma, Padma Brahma, Bala Brahma, Garuda Brahma, Kumara Brahma, Arka Brahma, Veera Brahma and the Vishwa Brahma. These Temples are all enclosed in a courtyard on the left bank of River Tungabhadra.

Ahobilam, near Kurnool, consist of complex of temples enshrining the nine images of Lord Narasimha. Ahobilam is also the seat of the Ahobila Mutt.

There are three distinctive temples in Vijayawada: the Kanakadurga Temple, the Malleshwara Temple and the Vijayeshwara Temple. About 12 km south of Vijaywada, Mangalagiri consist of two temples: one at the foothills dedicated to Lakshmi Narasimha and the other on the hill, dedicated to Pankala Narasimha.

Akiripalli, near Vijayawada, beautiful hill temple has a cave shrine dedicated to Vyagra Narasimha and a temple dedicated to Malleshwara Shiva. There are also shrine to Rajyalakshmi and to all the Alwar Saints of Tamil Nadu.

About 200 km from Vijayawada is Bhadrachalam, dedicated to Lord Rama, is built at a spot believed to be where Rama crossed River Godavari, as he proceeded southwards in search of Sita.

North-east of Hyderabad in the Telangana region is Warangal, where the Thousand Pillared Temple is situated on the slope of the Hanumakonda hill. The temple consists of three separate richly decorated shrines, dedicated to Radreshwara (Lord Shiva), Vasudeva (Lord Vishnu) and Surya (Lord Sun).

Palampet, 77 km from Warangal is home to the Ramappa Temple. Yadarigutta, near Bhongir on the Secunderabad – Warangal rail line, has a hill temple enshrining the Narasimha incarnation of Lord Vishnu as Laksmi Narasimha. At a distance of 18 km from the coastal town of Visakhapatnam is the hill temple of Simhachalam. The presiding deity here is Varaha Lakshminarasimha.

Mecca Masjid, Hyderabad

In the bustling and colorful area surrounding the Charminar, in Hyderabad, stands the majestic Mecca Masjid, one of the largest and most impressive mosques in India. Its vast hall can accommodate up to 10,000 worshippers. Also in the vicinity of Charminar is the Jama Masjid, the oldest mosque in Hyderabad. The Chote Hazrat ki Dargah, at Devan Devadi, was built in memory of Prophet Mohammed. The Dargah attracts devotees from all over the country.

Nagarjuna Sagar, 150 km from Hyderabad, is the most important Buddhist centre in South India. Excavations carried out at nearby Amaravati, Bhattiprola, Goli, Ghantasala and several other places have also unearthed Buddhist settlements.

Khwaza Bande Nawaz Dargah, probably the most important monument in Gulbarga, is the tomb of the great Sufi saint, Khwaza Syed Mohammed Gesu Daraz, popularly known as Khwaza Bande Nawaz. The highly-venerated Dargah is the venue of an annual ‘Urs’, which is attended by both Hindus and Muslims.

The Solah Masjid or the Zenani masjid, built in 1423 AD by Prince Mohammed, is the oldest Muslim building in Bidar, and among the largest in India.

Lord Bahubali statues are also found in Karkala (20 km north of Moodabidri), Venur (50 km north-east of Mangalore) and Dharmasthala (75 km east of Mangalore).

The Bull Temple of Bangalore was built by Kempegowda. About 60 km north of Bangalore, the Nandi Hills, are two ancient temples: the Bhoganandeeshwara Temple at the foothills and the Yoganandeeshwara hill temple.

Ranganathaswamy Temple is situated in Shrirangapatna, where Lord Vishnu is worshiped as Ranganatha. Chamundeshwari Temple with 40 km high, seven storey gopuram lies on Chamundi Hill, just south of the imperical city of Mysore.

About 50 km south-east of Mysore is Talakad, a historic site and once home to over 30 temples. But it is now largely buried under sand. The Vaidyeshwara Temple, along with four others – Arkeshwara, Vasukeshwara or Pataleshwara, Saikateshwara or Maraleshwara and Mallikarjuna constitute the Panchalingams. It is said that these five Lingams represents five faces of Lord Shiva. The Panchalinga Darshan is a rare pilgrimage that occurs once in 12 years, when the temple emerges from the sand dunes.

Near to Mysore is also Nanjangud, with an ancient temple dedicated to Shiva-Nanjundeshwara or Srikanteshwara. It has an imposing Rajagopuram and an array of sculptural work depicting mythological scenes.

Hassan is a suitable base from which to explore the Temples of Belur and Halebid and the Jain pilgrim centre of Shravanabelagola. About 50 km from Hassan is Belur, and has been extensively decorated with intricate sculptures, friezes and angled bracket figures. Gods and goddesses in various incarnations, sages, events from the Hindu epics, life in the Hoysala period… everything is depicted in a superb fashion. Every sculpture is different from other one. It is also said every major Hindu deity is depicted here.

Halebid, 16 km from Belur is Hoysaleshwara Temple, one of the most outstanding examples of Hoysala art. The interior as well as the outside walls are covered with an amazing variety of Hindu deities, sages, stylized animals and birds and spectacular friezes depicting the life of the Hoysala rulers.

About 58 km north of Mangalore, Udupi is an important Vaishnavite pilgrim centre. The Lord Krishna Temple is a magnificent point that draws pilgrims. Sringeri, 100 km north-east of Mangalore is Vidyashankar Temple that has zodiac pillars and a paved courtyard. Also in Sringeri are the Shri Sharadamba Temple and one of the mutts established by Adi Shankaracharya.

About 75 km east of Mangalore, Dharmasthala is regarded as the home of Dharma or righteousness. The temple complex houses a shrine to Lord Manjunatha and the Dharma Devathas.

Moodabidri, 35 km north-east of Mangalore consist 18 bastis (Jain Temples) and the oldest of them is the 15th century Chandranatha Temple.

About 50 km south of Karwar, Gokarna is home to several famous temples, including the Mahabaleshwara Temple, the Ganpati Temple and the Venkataramana Temple. Hampi, the most evocative of ruins in India, built as a showcase of imperial significance, reveals the love for art and architecture of the king of Vijaynagar. The Virupaksha Temple, dedicated to Virupaksha (Lord Shiva) has a massive 50 metre high gateway, finely carved columns and a ceiling painted with scenes from mythology.

The Vittala Temple, despite its ruined state is a World Heritage Monument and represents the highest achievement of art. Here, the 56 Musical Pillars echo with different notes of music, when tapped.

Some of the earliest and finest examples of Dravidian temples and rock-cut caves are Badami, Aihole and Pattadakal in North Karnataka. Once the capital of the Chalukyas, Badami is best known for its beautiful cave temples. Out of the four caves, Cave One, the oldest one is dedicated to Lord Shiva and consists of beautiful image of Nataraja striking 81 dance poses, a large image of Harihara and a huge figure of Ardhanareeshvara. Cave Two and Three are dedicated to Lord Vishnu and Cave Four is dedicated to Jainism with an image of the 7th Jain Thirthankara.

The village of Banashankari, 5 km south-east of Badami is home to an attractive Temple with a huge tank. Another early Chalukyan Temple repository, Mahakoota, about 10 km east of Badami was made sacred by the presence of Saint Agastya.

Pattadakal, 20 km from Badami, Known as the Cradle of Temple Architecture. The temples of Pattadakal represent the climax of Chalukyan architecture. The oldest temple here is the Sanghameswara Temple. The Mallikarjuna Temple is an ancient one. And the largest temple here, Virupaksha Temple has beautiful sculptures and panels depicting scenes from the Mahabharata and Ramayana.

On the banks of the River Malaprabha, Aihole has about 125 temples divided into 22 groups. Most of the temples were built between the 6th and 8th centuries. The Durga Temple is the largest and the most elaborately decorated temple. The Lad Khan Temple, the adobe of a Muslim prince, is one of the earliest temples belonging to the 5th century. There is a shrine bearing Vishnu and Surya on its walls.

Near to the Golden Temple in Amritsar is the Durgiana Temple, with a golden dome and silver portals. This temple is dedicated to goddess Durga and is an important place of pilgrimage for Hindus. Close to it is a larger temple, in the centre of the pool and is dedicated to Lakshmi and Narayan.

In Haryana, Kurukshetra is held in great reverence by Hindus. Thousands of devotees converge to have holy dip in the Sarovar here on the on the occasion of festivals and other auspicious days.

15-16 AD primordial holy churches are also most loved historical constructions for religious followers. All age group of visitors come to watch these beautifully carved ethnic Churches. Basillica Bom Jesus, Marry immaculate Conception, Reis Magos, De Cathadral and St Paul are some of the visitor’s favorites. Goa carnival usually held in mid of the February and lasts for a week time. Goa is most probably the only place in India known for its glorious carnival festival. To watch glimpse of various country’s history is a remarkable experience in its own during this carnival. Historical building lovers can not miss to have a look at amazingly constructed Goan forts. Aguada, Chapora, Khorjum and Tiracol Forts will make your Goa visit really memorable.

Some Important Temples of Himachal Pradesh

Mashobra, dedicated to lord Shiva, is a wooden temple and is 11 km from Shimla. Another temple Mahunag Mandir, situated in Naldhera village is 15 km north of Mashobra.

There are also several interesting temples including the ancient Raghunath Temple. Some other important temples are the Purohit Mandir and the Sri Sat Narain Temple.

Bhimakali Temple, situated in Sarahan, is an ancient temple and is regarded as one of the finest examples of Himachal architecture. The two main temples are built in the form of towers, with lavishly carved overhanging upper storeys.

Kalpa, the fabulous mountain village, is the legendry winter home of Lord Shiva. It offers breathtaking views of Mt. Kinnaur Kailash. Here, the Narayan-Nagin Temple Complex includes shrines of Hindu, Buddhist and local deities.

Temple of Bajreshwari, situated in Kangra, is said that the legendary wealth of this temple, tempted dozens of invaders. The temple of Jwalamukhi, known as the goddess of light is situated 34 km south of Kangra. This is one of the most sacred sites in the Kangra Valley and is topped by a golden dome and spire.

About 46 km south-east of Dharamsala, is an important pilgrim centre, Baijnath. Baijnath Temple here is dedicated to Lord Shiva in his incarnation as Vaidyanath, Lord of the Physicians. This is one of the 12 Jyotirlingas of India.

Chamba, 56 km from Dalhousie, is a picturesque village with narrow streets and ancient temples. The six shikara-style temples in the Lakshmi Narayan Complex feature exquisite sculptures. And the oldest temple in this group is of Lakshmi Narayan (Vishnu).

The Gauri Shankar Temple here is dedicated to Lord Shiva and has fine stone carvings of the Ganges and Yamuna Rivers personified as goddesses on either side of the door frame. Other important temples are Chamundi Devi Temple, Bajreshwari Devi Temple, Harirai Temple, Radha Krishna Temple and the Sitaram Temple.

Mandi with more than 80 temples of varying ages, scattered around the hillside is known as the Gateway to the Kullu Valley. Some important of them are: Bhutnath Temple, the 17th centuary Syamkali Temple (also called the Tarna Devi Temple), the Trilokinath and the Panjvaktra Temples.

Rewalsar Lake, 24 km south-west of Mandi, is of religious significance to Buddhists, Sikhs and Hindus. Basheshar Mahadev, the largest stone temple in the Kullu Valley is in the village of Bajaura about 15 km south of Kullu. It has fine carving and sculptures.

The Raghunath Temple in Kullu is dedicated to the principal god in the valley. Mannikaran, means ‘jewel from the ear’ is famous for its hot springs. It is a place revered by both Hindus and Sikhs. There is a monumental Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji Gurudwara here.

Naggar, known for its ancient temples, is a lovely little village and includes the Temple of Gauri Shankar, dedicated to Lord Shiva, the Chatur Bhuj Temple dedicated to Vishnu, the pagoda-like Tripura Sundari Devi Temple with its ornate carvings and the Muralidhar Krishna Temple.