10 Devotional Places to Explore in Tamil Nadu

Tamilnadu is one of the states in India that is known for housing some of the most ancient temples in the country. You can find more than 33,000 ancient temples here and the Dravidian-style architecture of most of them is worth appreciating. The state in fact is called the Land of Temples. Whether you are a religious person or not; visiting this state and the many temples will surely bring you peace. Apart from religious people, the temples here also attract a lot of history buffs. So, if you want to see the popular religious sites in Tamilnadu, you can plan road trips to this beautiful state.

The best time to travel to Tamilnadu is between November and March. This is the time of the year when you will find the weather pleasant and apt for traveling around the state. Apart from visiting the temples, you can also indulge in various things to do such as exploring the beaches, trekking, camping, visiting tea gardens, etc. So, as you plan your road trips, let us help you with some options for religious places in Tamilnadu.

10 Famous Temples in Tamil Nadu 

• Meenakshi Temple
• Chidambaram Kapaleeswarar
• Madurai Murugan Temple
• Rameshwaram Temple
• Kanyakumari Temple
• Sivagiri Balasubramania Swamy Temple
• Kumbeswarar Temple
• Chayavaneashwara Temple
• Nageswaraswamy Temple
• Airavatesvara Temple

1. Meenakshi Temple

Meenakshi temple is the oldest temple in Madurai which is older than 2500 years. Located on the bank of River Vaigai, the temple is dedicated to Goddess Meenakshi, who is an avatar of Goddess Parvati. It is considered one of the most famous temples in Tamilnadu not only because it is ancient but also for its unique architecture.

2. Chidambaram Kapaleeswarar

One of the unique places to visit in Tamilnadu is the Chidambaram Kapaleeswarar temple. Also known as Kapaleeswarar temple, it is located in Chennai. The temple is famous for its intricate design and Dravidian style of architecture. You can find gopurams, vahanas, a golden chariot, etc. in the temple. The main deities who are worshipped here are Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. Goddess Parvati is worshipped in the form of Karpagambal.

3. Madurai Murugan Temple

Popularly called Thirupparamkunram Murugan temple, it is one of the holy places in Tamilnadu. The temple was built in the 6th century by the Pandyas and is one of the finest examples of the Dravidian style of architecture. The temple is dedicated to Lord Muruga, the God of War and Victory.

4. Rameshwaram Temple

If you are considering pilgrimage places in Tamilnadu, you can include the Rameshwaram temple in your bucket list. It is also one of the Char Dham sites of the Hindu community in India. The holy site of Vaishnavites, Shaivites, and Smarthas was built around the 12th century by the Pandya Dynasty. Apart from the beautiful Dravidian-style architecture, the temple is also famous for its finely crafted high compound walls, long corridors, and gopurams.

5. Kanyakumari Temple

Arulmigu Bhagavathyamman Temple is one of the temples in Tamilnadu where you will find absolute peace. The main deity worshipped here is Goddess Shree Bhagavathy, who is worshipped as a virgin girl child in this temple. The temple is more than 3000 years old. You can enjoy a wonderful view from this temple.

6. Sivagiri Balasubramania Swamy Temple

Sivagiri Balasubramania Swamy temple is one of the hill temples in Tamilnadu that you must visit. The temple is located on the top of a small hill. According to legends, Lord Muruga was coming back after destroying Soorapanma to marry Mother Devanai. He met the sage Agasthya who was performing penance at the site of this temple, and that is when Lord Muruga stayed there for a while. Ages later, the Sivagiri Balasubramania Swamy temple was built here.

7. Kumbeswarar Temple

This temple is also called Adi Kumbeswarar. The deity worshipped in this temple is Lord Shiva in the form of Adi Kumbeswarar. The deity is placed in the center of this beautiful temple in the form of a lingam. This temple is very popular for its excellent architecture.  The temple was built around the 7th century and was expanded between the 15th and 17th centuries by Nayaks. Something worth noticing here is the sixteen pillared hall which is decorated with a unique stone that has 12 zodiac signs and 27 stars engraved in it.

8. Chayavaneashwara Temple

You can find many people visiting this temple almost all through the year. Located in the city of Trichy, the temple is placed at the conflux of River Kaveri. This temple is mostly visited by devotees as they take a holy dip in the water to rinse off all their sins.

9. Nageswaraswamy Temple

If the architecture of temples interests you, this is one of the temples you must visit. The Nageswaraswamy temple was built in the 9th century by Aditya Chola and is an example of Chola architecture. The temple has three gopurams, in three directions, such as East, West, and South.

10. Airavatesvara Temple

Named after the legend of Airavata, the white elephant, this temple was built in the medieval era. It is one of the Chola temples, which is now one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites.  This temple is devoted to Lord Shiva.

So, if you are planning your weekend trips in Tamilnadu, you can definitely take your road trips to these temples and enjoy some religious time, along with appreciating the architecture of the temples. If you are traveling with your family or friends, you can even consider car rental from Revv in Tamilnadu. The self-drive car rental option will give you the space to plan the trip the way you want. To take the service, you can visit the website of Revv or install Revv app from Google Play Store or iOS App Store.