Temples of Tamil Nadu
Heart of Dravidian temple architecture, home to towering gopurams and living temple traditions that span over a thousand years.
Temples by Deity in Tamil Nadu
All Temples in Tamil Nadu (13)
Thiruchendur
Arulmigu Subramaniaswamy Temple, Thiruchendur
Arulmigu Subramaniaswamy Temple in Thiruchendur, Tamil Nadu, is one of Murugan's six Arupadaiveedu abodes, uniquely coastal, marking his defeat of Surapadman.
Tiruvannamalai
Arunachaleswarar Temple
Agni (fire) Pancha Bhoota Sthalam at the foot of the Arunachala hill, itself worshipped as a form of Shiva. Ramana Maharshi lived on this hill for over 50 years.
Thanjavur
Brihadisvara Temple
UNESCO World Heritage Chola masterpiece, built entirely of granite. Its 66-metre vimana was the tallest in the world at the time of its consecration.
Kanchipuram
Ekambareswarar Temple
Prithvi (earth) Pancha Bhoota Sthalam. Its 3,500-year-old mango tree in the outer prakara is said to bear four different varieties on its four branches.
Srirangam
Jambukeswarar Temple
Appu (water) Pancha Bhoota Sthalam, adjacent to Srirangam. The sanctum holds a natural underground spring that irrigates the base of the lingam.
Kanchipuram
Kailasanathar Temple
Kailasanathar Temple in Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu, is the city's oldest surviving structural shrine, built of sandstone with rare early Pallava wall paintings.
Coimbatore
Marudhamalai Murugan Temple
Hilltop Murugan temple on the Western Ghats, one of the many Padai Veedu-associated shrines dedicated to Kartikeya.
Madurai
Meenakshi Amman Temple
Meenakshi Amman Temple, the living heart of Madurai, honours Meenakshi and Sundareshwarar beneath fourteen gopurams covered in painted stucco figures.
Chidambaram
Nataraja Temple
Nataraja Temple, Chidambaram, Tamil Nadu, is the Akasha Pancha Bhoota sthalam - the only shrine where Shiva is worshipped as Nataraja, the cosmic dancer.
Palani
Palani Murugan Temple
The third and most important of the six Padai Veedu (military encampments) of Murugan. Idol is made of Navapashanam, a mysterious alloy of nine poisons.
Rameshwaram
Ramanathaswamy Temple
One of the twelve Jyotirlingas and part of the Char Dham. Famed for the longest temple corridor in India, running nearly 1,200 metres.
Vellore
Sri Lakshmi Narayani Golden Temple
Sri Lakshmi Narayani Golden Temple in Vellore, Tamil Nadu, is clad in 1.5 tons of gold foil, reached via a 1.8 km star-shaped Sri Chakra path open to all.
Srirangam
Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple
Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple in Srirangam, Tamil Nadu, is the world's largest Hindu temple complex, spanning 156 acres and foremost of the 108 Divya Desams.
Temple Cities in Tamil Nadu
Chidambaram
Home to the Nataraja temple, where Shiva performs the cosmic dance representing the element of ether.
Coimbatore
Manchester of South India and gateway to the Nilgiris; home to the Marudhamalai Murugan temple.
Kanchipuram
The city of a thousand temples, one of the seven sacred cities of Hinduism.
Madurai
The ancient temple city, capital of the Pandya kingdom, built around the Meenakshi Amman temple.
Palani
Hill town of Dhandayuthapani Murugan, third of the six Padai Veedu.
Rameshwaram
The southern jewel of the Char Dham, an island temple town where Rama is said to have worshipped Shiva.
Srirangam
Sacred island in the Kaveri, home to the largest functioning Hindu temple complex in the world.
Thanjavur
The Chola capital, home to the granite Brihadisvara temple and the classical bronze-casting tradition.
Thiruchendur
Coastal temple town in Thoothukudi district; second of the six Padai Veedu of Lord Murugan and the only one on the seashore.
Tirunelveli
Ancient temple town on the banks of the Thamirabarani river.
Tiruvannamalai
Home of Arunachala hill, worshipped as a form of Shiva; lifelong seat of Ramana Maharshi.
Vellore
Fort city of the Vijayanagara and Carnatic Nawabs, home to the Sripuram Sri Lakshmi Narayani Golden Temple.