1) Kedarnath Temple -
The Temple is located in Kedarnath, on the Gharwal Himalayan Range, in the district of Rudraprayag, Uttarakhand India. And is dedicated to Lord Shiv.
People visit the place between the months of April to November. And during the winter months the deity is carried to Ukhimath for 6 months so the worship can take place.
Kedarnath also is a part of the Chota Char Dham Yatra. It being one of the 12 Jyotirlinga of Shiv ji is visited by many devotees.
The word Kedarnath comes from Sanskrit words Kedara (field) and Natha (lord).
The story goes as.. The Pandavs wanted to apologize for the sins committed during the Kurukshetra War, so they left everything in search of lord Shiv to seek his blessings.
Shiv ji wanted to avoid Pandavs took the form of Nandi (bull). But Bhim found out that it was actually Shiv ji. The bull formed Shiv ji disappeared in into the ground. Later the parts reappeared with the hump of bull in Kedarnath. The face at Rudranath, the arms in Tungnath, the nabhi and stomach in Madhyamaheshwar and the hair in Kalpeshwar. So Pandavs built temples at all the places. And these five places are known as Panch Kedar.
How to reach -
By road, get to Delhi first. From Delhi, we can reach Dehradun by flight, train or bus. From Dehradun you will be heading towards Haridwar and from this sacred city you will be going for the path that leads to the Kedarnath trek. By train, the nearest railway station to Kedarnath is Haridwar Railway Station. From where you can take a taxi or bus. By plane Jolly Grant Airport Dehradun is the nearest airport, from where you can take a taxi to Gauri Kund and then trek to Kedarnath.
Where to stay -
There are many hotels, cottages and resorts available, with affordable rates to choose from. You can make online reservations prior to your visit.
Places to visit -
The places to visit in Kedarnath include The Kedarnath Temple, Bhairav Nath Temple, Gauri Kund, Sonprayag, Triyuginarayan, Chorabari Tal, Vasuki Tal, Ukhimath, Guptakashi, Rudraprayag and more.
2) Shree Jagannath Temple -
It is located in Puri, in the state of Odisha, India.
The temple is dedicated to Jagannath, a form of Lord Vishnu. And it is considered of great importance.
The Temple is famous for the Rath Yatra that happens annually. The worship is performed by Bhil Sabar tribal priests and as well as by priests of other communities in the temple. Image of Bhagwan Jagannath is made of wood and is replaced every 12 or 19 years by an exact replica. The temple is also famous because it's believed that Krishna's heart was placed here, and the material of the wooden image it is made from damages the heart, so they must change it every seven years.
The temple is sacred to all Hindus and many great Vaishnava saints were closely associated with the temple.
Entry is free and Jagannath temple darshan timings are from 05:00 am and 10:00 pm.
How to visit -
The nearest airport to Puri is the Biju Patnaik International Airport in Bhubaneswar which is the capital. Approximately 60 km away to the temple. Upon arrival at the airport, you can hire a taxi or take a pre-paid taxi service, you may also use services like Uber or Ola, available at the airport. The journey from the airport to Puri usually takes around 1.5 to 2 hours, it all depends on the traffic.
Puri Railway Station is one of the main railway hubs in Odisha. Trains from various major cities across India, including Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, and Kolkata, connect to Puri. If you like to travel by road Puri is well-connected. You have several options, either youdrive yourself to Puri in your own vehicle. Or take a bus, or taxi. Once you reach Puri by road, you it will be easy to reach the Jagannath Temple. It is located in the heart of the town.
Where to stay -
There are many options to stay in including hotels and resorts. Also there is a guest house adjacent to the temple where one can pre-book a stay.
Places to visit -
In Puri there are many tourist attractions, such as Shree Jagannath Temple, Konark Beach, Puri Beach, Golden Beach which has recently received the Blue flag certification. Chilika Lake, Raghurajpur Artist Village for the art lovers.
3) Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Temple -
Located in Katra, present in the state of Jammu and Kashmir, India. The Temple is dedicated to Mata Vaishno Devi.
It is one of the most popular Hindu pilgrimage sites in north India, with millions of devotees visiting the temple on annual basis.
Mahakali, Mahalakshmi and Mahasaraswati, all the images of Vaishno Devi are worshipped at the temple. The feet of the icons are washed by the water brought from the perennial flowing river Banganga. Navaratri and Diwali are the most prominent festival held at Vaishno Devi Temple and many devotees visit the temple to gain blessings.
How to reach -
The nearest railway station from Katra is the Udhampur Railway Station. Jammu Airport is the nearest airport to Katra. Then you can take a cab from Jammu airport to Katra. Buses operate to and from Jammu to Katra at regular intervals. Air-conditioned private deluxe buses and taxis are also available from Jammu to Katra. Taxi services are available from the railway station to Katra.
Where to stay -
Vaishno Devi Bhawan online room booking is managed by the Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, rooms can be booked on the website. These include Shakti Bhawan and Trikuta Bhawan in Katra. Hotels and lodges near the Vaishno Devi temple trek starting point are available. The dormitory in Katra can also be booked.
Places to Visit -
The places include, Mata Vaishno Devi Mandir, Bhairavnath Temple, Dera Baba Banda, Ardhkuwari cave, are few of the places that can be visited.
4) Somnath Temple -
It is located in Prabhas Patan, Veraval in Gujarat, India. Shree Somnath Mandir is first among the twelve Aadi Jyotirlingas of India. The Story is related with Chandrama, the release of Chandra from the curse of his father-in-law Daksha Prajapati. Moon was married to Twenty-Seven daughters of Daksha. But, he favored Rohini and neglected other queens. Daksha cursed Moon in anger and the Moon lost power of light. Lord Brahma advised, Moon to arrive at Prabhas Teerth and worship Lord Shiv. Shiv ji blessed him and relieved him from the curse of darkness. Bhagwan Shree Krishna is believed to have built the Somnath temple with Sandalwood.
On 11 May 1951, Rajendra Prasad, the first President of India performed the installation ceremony for the temple at the invitation of Munshi.
How to reach -
Somnath is the nearest railway station and is well connected to other major towns in Gujarat and India. Porbandar Airport is 120 km and Rajkot airport is 200 km away so taking a flight is also a great option.
Where to stay -
Many options for booking hotels are available, either choose online websites or call and discuss the rates. Somnath trust online booking is available too to guide for accommodation.
Places to visit -
Places include, Somnath Temple, Somnath Beach, Surya Mandir, Kamnath Mahadev Temple, Gita Mandir, Baan Stambh and more.
5) Badrinath Temple -
Dedicated to Lord Vishnu. It is situated in the town of Badrinath, on the banks of the Alaknanda river in Uttarakhand, India. Badarinath or Badarinarayan Temple is a Hindu temple. It is open for six months every year (between the end of April and the beginning of November) because of extreme weather conditions. It is among the four holy places or char dham, which are much revered by Hindus. According to Hindu Badarinath was re-established by Adi Shri Shankaracharya to revive the lost prestige of Hinduism. So, Adi Shankaracharya built temples in Himalayas for the Hindu Gods of Shiv and Vishnu.
How to reach-
Most people prefer to arrive at Haridwar Station as it has the greatest number of express trains while also being the most connected of the three. But you can take a train to one of the nearest stations including Rishikesh, Haridwar and Kot Adwar whichever you prefer. Jolly Grant International Airport in Dehradun is the nearest airport to Badrinath.
Where to stay -
Badrinath is at a high altitude. Pilgrims are suggested to stay at Joshi math. BKTC Guest Houses, Hotels and Dharmshala are available at Joshi math.
Places to visit -
Shri Badrinath Ji Temple, Bheem Pul, Vasundhra Falls, Vyas Gufa, Ganesh Gufa, are few of the places that can be visited.
6) Shri Laxmi Narayan Temple (Birla Mandir) -
The construction of the temple started in 1933.TAnd is situated, on the west of Connaught Place, on the Mandir Marg, in New Delhi. The main temple has statues of Narayan and Lakshmi. There are other small shrines dedicated to Shiv ji, Ganesh ji and Hanuman ji. There is also a shrine dedicated to Buddha. The left side temple dome houses Devi Durga, the goddess of Shakti, the power. The temple is built in the Nagara style of temple architecture. More than a hundred skilled artisans from Benares carved the icons of the temple. They were headed by Acharya Vishvanath Shastri. The Temple is built by Baldeo Das Birla and his son Jugal Kishore Birla of the Birla family, this is why the temple is also known as Birla Temple.
How to reach -
The temple is easily accessible from the city by local buses, auto-rickshaws and taxis. The nearest Delhi Metro station is R. K. Ashram Marg metro station and the nearest railway station is New Delhi Railway Station. Indira Gandhi International Airport is the nearest airport to Laxminarayan Temple.
Where to stay -
Make online reservations for the accommodation. Many options are available to stay including Birla Mandir Dharamshala, hotels and more.
Places to visit -
Birla Mandir Temple, Kali Bari Temple, Kali Bari Temple, Pracheen Bhagwan Valmiki Mandir, Ramakrishna Mission, Swedish Thai Spa - Karol Bagh, Rashtrapati Bhavan and many more places to visit.
7) Trambakeshwar Temple -
It is a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Shiv. Located in the town of Trimbak, in the Trambakeshwar tehsil, in Nashik District of Maharashtra, India. It is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas. The temple was rebuilt by Peshwa Balaji Baji Rao after it was destroyed by mughals.
The temple has three lingas representing Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma.
The temple tank is called Amrithavarshini. There are three other bodies of water, namely, Bilva Tirtha, Viswanan Tirtha and Mukunda Tirtha.
How to reach -
For reaching the Trambakeshwar Temple in Maharashtra, there are many transportation options available, including flights, buses, taxis, and even trekking. The nearest airport is Gandhinagar Airport (Nashik Airport). From the airport you can hire a taxi or take a bus to reach the Temple.
The nearest railway station is Nashik Road Railway Station.
Buses are a common mode of transportation to reach Trambakeshwar Temple. The temple is well-connected by a network of state and private buses from nearby cities. From Nashik to Triambakeshwar the journey takes about 1 to 1.5 hours by bus.
Where to stay -
Take a resort, hostel or make a reservation in the MTDC resort. There are several options available.
Places to visit -
Shri Trimbakeshwar Temple, Neel Parbat, Gorakhnath Gufa, Aahilya Dam, Gautam Lake, and many more places to visit.
8) Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple -
The temple is situated in the Tirumala hills at Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh, India. The temple is dedicated to Venkateswara, a form of Lord Vishnu. Also known by other names like Tirumala Temple, Tirupati Temple and Tirupati Balaji Temple. The temple is one of the Pancha Kshetram where Maha Lakshmi was born as Bhargavi, the daughter of Maharishi Bhrigu. Venkateswar is known by many names like Balaji, Govinda, and Srinivasa. Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams is the trust board that manages the Tirumala Venkateswara Temple.
How to reach-
The nearest airport to the temple is Tirupati Airport (TIR). Indian Railways operates a train from Chennai Central to Renigunta Junction every 4 hours. You can also take a bus from Bengaluru to Venkateswara Temple via Kempe Gowda Bus Station, Kempegowda, and Tirupathi in around 6h 11m.
Where to stay -
There are many accommodation options available. Book Budget friendly hotels to Luxury hotels near the temple.
Places to visit -
Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple, Swami Pushkarini, Talakona Waterfall, Akashaganga, ISKCON Temple, Tirupati, Tirumala Deer Park Reserve , Chandragiri Fort and more.
9) Shree Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir -
The temple is situated at Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, India. The temple was inaugurated on 22 January 2024. Dedicated to Lord Ram, an avatar of Vishnu. The temple is located at the site of Ram Janmabhoomi. The deity of the temple is supposed to be the infant form of Shree Ram, an avatar of Vishnu. The Ram Mandir was built with funds gained through huge fundraising drives, involving nearly two million volunteers.
How to reach -
Maharishi Valmiki International Airport, Lucknow (Chaudhary Charan Singh Airport) are the nearest airports. Ayodhya Railway Station has daily trains including Lucknow Express, Varanasi Doon Express, and Delhi Faizabad Express. Ayodhya is connected to all the major cities in Uttar Pradesh by a good road network, and one can book a cab or taxi from any city.
Where to stay -
Various Dharmshala, Hotels, Ayodhya-Shree Janki Mahal Trust and Ayodhya Hanuman Bagh Dharmshala can be considered for a stay, get all the information and make online room bookings to avoid on arrival stress, also few places such as Janki mahal provide free accommodation.
Places to visit -
Shree Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir, Shri Hanuman Garhi Mandir, Dashrath Bhawan, Kanak Bhawan, Ram Katha Park, Ram Ki Paidi are few of the many places that can be visited in Ayodhya.
10) Meenakshi Amman Temple -
Located on the southern bank of the Vaigai River in the temple city of Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India. Dedicated to Mata Parvati and Shiv ji, receives visitors from all over India. It is one of the oldest Hindu Temples in India and features over 33,000 scriptures and 14 gateways with 2 golden sculptures. It is considered one of the Shakti Peeth (shrines where body parts of the goddess Sati fell).
How to travel -
Madurai Airport is the nearest airport to the Meenakshi Temple. The Madurai Junction Railway Station is the closest railway station to the temple at 2 km. Madurai has a well-developed network of roads.
Where to stay -
Many hotels are present near the Temple, from low to high prices. You may make online room bookings and can choose a dharmshala as well.
Places to visit -
Meenakshi Amman Temple, Arulmigu Koodal Azhagar Temple, Samanar Jain Hills, Keelakuyilkudi, Vandiyur Mariamman Teppakulam, Thirumalai Nayakkar Palace, Yanai Malai Hill, Vaigai Dam are few of the places to visit in Madurai.
Have you visited any of the above temples? If not, which temple would you like to visit in 2024?
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