Rekindle Your Faith with the South Indian Temple Trail

The devout believe God is everywhere, and in South India, the Almighty may well affirm this with an "Amen"! Chennai’s neighbourhoods bristle with temples, big and small, whereas tech-smart Bengaluru has a rich religious landscape as well. Hyderabad and Thiruvananthapuram are richly endowed with sacred places too.  Travel through the region, and you'll discover stunning, centuries-old temples in even the smallest towns, where the faithful continue to gather in ever-increasing numbers.

Tamil Nadu

To reach Kapaleeswarar Temple in Chennai’s historic Mylapore district, walk down one of three surrounding ‘Mada’ streets, inhaling the mingled scents of jasmine, camphor and vehicle exhaust. Turn the corner into a quiet square and you come up against the temple’s towering gopuram, a 40 metre-high edifice with elaborate sculptures picked out in fluorescent candy colours. The temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva, dates back several centuries. Behind the shrine is a picturesque bathing tank. Before leaving, sit yourself down near the entrance and study the fabulous gopuram for its depictions of familiar Hindu myths.

Lord Muruga, guardian deity of the Tamils, has six sacred abodes. One of them, Tiruchendur Senthilandavan Temple lies on the shores of the Bay of Bengal – the view alone is worth your journey. The temple’s white, sculpted gopuram soars nine storeys high, crowned by nine copper vessels (kalasam). Inside the complex, look out for the dwajasthambh or copper-plated flagstaff; peek through a hole in the wall opposite and you’ll see the foaming sea beyond. Place your ear upon the hole and you’ll hear the sound of the universe – Ommmmm!

Read More: Unravelled: The Most Beautiful Temples of Tamil Nadu

Andhra Pradesh

The sprawling hill temple complex of Tirupati, dedicated to Sri Venkateswara (an incarnation of Vishnu) is virtually an industry unto itself, with allied activities in education, social welfare and healthcare.

Tirupati’s origins are unclear; what we do know is that beginning with the Cholas, every ruling southern dynasty has endowed the temple handsomely with gold and jewellery. In 1517, Vijayanagara ruler Krishnadevaraya donated the gold required to plate the inner shrine’s cupola – a glittering vision that still staggers visitors.

Why does Tirupati attract so much wealth? Because Sri Venkateswara is paying off the interest on his huge loan from Kubera, the divine cashier who funded the Lord’s wedding expenses. Devotees who help the Lord repay His debt are granted all their wishes. On their way downhill, pilgrims pay their respects to His consort Padmavathi (an incarnation of goddess Lakshmi), who has her own shrine.

From the distribution of huge laddoos as prasadam to the spectacle of priests sorting millions of coins and devotees getting their heads shaved, Tirupati has plenty to see – you want at least a day to take in this huge operation.

Hanamkonda or Hanumakonda derives its name from Hanuman. Mythology says that Hanuman, while flying to Lanka with the Sanjeevini Mountain, dropped a few stones along the way – they are the hills where Hanamkonda now stands. In the 12^th century, the Kakatiya rulers raised a magnificent, thousand-pillared temple dedicated to Vishnu, Shiva and Surya. Rock sculptures of elephants, elegant pillars and intricately carved screens arise on the slopes of the hillsides. Birdsong and the tinkling of temple bells are balm for the stressed soul. A larger-than-life Nandi, made of black basalt, gleams in solitary splendour, as though sculpted only yesterday.

Karnataka

Some temples are known more for their legends than architectural grandeur. The idol of Ganesha in Bengaluru’s Dodda Ganesha Temple is said to grow in size each year!

While the temple is a modern construction, the idol, carved from a single rock was commissioned by Bengaluru’s 16^th century founder-chieftain, Kempegowda. The 18-feet high and 16-feet wide Shakti Ganapati is coated in 100 kilograms of butter. He wears brightly coloured garments, ornamented with lace and buttons. The laborious decoration begins after temple closing hours in the evening and ends in the wee hours of the next day. Regulars at the temple swear that Ganapati’s right side has increased in girth over time.

A short flight from Belgaum brings you to the ruggedly beautiful environs of the Badami Cave Temples in north Karnataka, worth a whole day’s exploration. Built between the 6^th and 8^th centuries, they are a testament to the Chalukya dynasty’s legacy of religious tolerance.

Crawl into a Buddhist cave, trek uphill to Badami Fort and visit the dargah on its southern side. Of the four main cave temples, three are dedicated to Shiva and Vishnu while the last has stone reliefs of Jain tirthankaras. Sanskrit inscriptions in the caves offer valuable historical data and insight into the civilisation of the time. The Bhutanatha temples present a tranquil sight , surrounded on three sides by the Agastya reservoir.

Religion apart, Badami’s craggy outcrops are popular for climbing and bouldering. The salubrious climate attracts hordes of monkeys. When you’re done with the gods, relax inside a ‘Glass Barista’, an enclosure within the trees from where you can indulge in monkey-watching.

You may also like to read: The Most Bizzare Temples in India

Kerala

Ambalapuzha Sri Krishna and Irum Kulangara Durga Devi. Koodalmanikyam and Ananthapadmanabhaswamy....what lovely, tongue-rolling names! From dress codes for worshippers to elegant, eco-friendly architecture and spotless environs, there’s something different about Kerala’s temples.

Ambalapuzha Sri Krishna Temple dates back to AD 790 and was perhaps built by a local chieftain with a rather elaborate name – Chembakasserry Pooradam Thirunal-Devanarayanan Thampuran!

The temple features typically red tiled, sloping roofs and simple, whitewashed walls; one side leads down to a lovely bathing tank. Ambalapuzha payasam, a delicious kheer, is the temple’s renowned speciality.

Koodalmanikyam Temple in Thrissur district is the only Indian temple dedicated to Bharata, younger brother of Lord Ram. Uniquely, he is the sole deity in the temple. Four, large sacred ponds surround the temple’s slope-roofed buildings.  During the annual festival in April/May, 17 gaily caparisoned elephants with gold headdresses escort the deity in a grand procession.

Dotting the Kerala landscape are innumerable shrines dedicated to Bhagavati Devi, the Mother Goddess. To reach the Moncompu Bhagavati temple in the Kuttanad backwaters, visitors cross the Pamba River by boat to the tiny farming village of Moncompu surrounded by canals – a near spiritual experience in itself. Locals will inform you proudly that this island is the birthplace of M.S.Swaminathan, India’s renowned agricultural scientist. The temple’s specialty is saisyam – hand-pounded rice and green gram dal, sweetened with coconut milk, bananas and jaggery.

From vast, crowded complexes to quiet little shrines, the South Indian temple trail offers the fascinating experience of a rich, living culture. To walk this path is to understand what belief is all about.

So what are you waiting for? Pack your bags and rekindle your faith. 

Book Your South India Holiday Today!