Situated in the small town of Kancheepuram in the state of Tamil Nadu lies a beautiful place called Mahabalipuram. This is the place which was earlier a port during the reign of the Pallavas. It lies around 60 km from the city of Chennai. Mammalapuram was the name it had earlier and today it is known as Mahabalipuram. It is said that it was king Narasimhavarman I who gave it the name of Mahabalipuram after the epithet Maha Malla meaning the great wrestler. Wrestling was the favourite Pallavas sport. Today it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There are many burial urns, jars and cairn circles that have been found near this place. There are Chinese coins and coins from Rome that have been found here revealing a past trade activity here. There are two Pallava coins reading Srihari and Srinidhi.  Mahabalipuram actually signifies the city of Bali.  [...] 

Go to the hills of Karnataka and visit the Malnad forest and along the banks of the River Nethravati you will find the Shiva temple of Sri Manjunathaswamy – Dharmasthala. This temple with its lingam made of gold attracts the tourists from afar and devotees feel blessed and divine here. The main point in Dharmasthala, is charity. This charity is the mainstay of this place situated in the Beltangady Taluk in the district of Kanara which lies around 75 km from the city of Mangalore. Initially called Kuduma, today Dharmasthala dates back to around 800 years. Mythological legends say that angels disguised as men came to Barman Heggade. This family was very generous and the angels came in his dreams promising to live in this place called Kuduma. Barmana is believed to have built temples to fulfil this wish of the angels. He built it at Kalarkai,  [...] 

Once you feel the power of God or the Supreme or anything that you call rules all of us, then you would certainly believe in the call of the divine. This is what the feeling is when you visit the land of Goddess Meenakshi – Madurai. In the lovely surroundings of Tamil Nadu lies a pristine and divine place Madurai. This is where it is believed that Parvati the consort of the Indian God Shiva rests. It is the mainstay of the city of Madurai. Madurai is the place where people go to feel the power of the Supreme. With no exaggeration this is one place where you will feel that God is alive, as a human being and is one of us. There is something to this place that makes a person very emotional and the feeling is beyond description. It is said that Malyadwaja as the second king of the Pandyas. He prayed with his wife Kanchanamalai for a child and  [...] 

In the hills of the Himalayas in the land of ice in the subcontinent of India lies the popular pilgrim spot in then northern side. Amongst the pilgrim places of India, Badrinath occupies a great position as it is one of the four Char Dham sites of Indian pilgrimage. The lofty hills, and the landscapes, and the terrain, along with the cliffs, and the mountains lend a lot of serenity to the entire place. This could be one of the most beautiful places ever seen. The temple is believed to be the seat of the Indian God Lord Vishnu, and the route to this place is considered to be very difficult. The temple was believed to be built by the Garhwal Kings some two hundred years back. The temple has three different sections. There is the main sanctum or the Garbhagriha then there is the Sabha Mandap and the Darshan Mandap. The main sanctum has the deity  [...] 

If you ever want to be touched by God and feel passionate about your devotion to Him then just pause in the land of five rivers – Punjab. This is where is located the Golden Temple of Amritsar in this part of India. This main pilgrim spot of the Sikhs in general and everyone in particular is the place that was started by the fourth leader of the Sikhs Guru Ram Das. When Guru Arjan Dev completed the holy book of the Sikhs The Adi Granth in the year 1604, he installed it in the Gurudwara started by Guru Ram Das. In the year 1634, Guru Hargobind went to the hills of the Shivalik range from Amritsar. Then the Gurudwara came under the hands of other groups. In the 18th century, the Golden Temple or the Harmandir Sahib saw a lot of feuds between the Mughals and the Sikhs. Then it was Maharana Ranjit Singh who got it back from the Mughals and gave  [...] 

Hare Krishna! The Chant gives you a lot of peace and tranquility. It immediately transfers you to a land of meditation and devotion. Right in North India, in the state of Uttar Pradesh, a little away from Agra, you would find a place which is drowned in this chant of Hare Krishna. Mathura – The Land of Krishna and the birthplace of this popular Indian God Lord Krishna. Also called the Sri Krishna Janmabhoomi meaning the birthplace of Lord Krishna, Mathura is thronged by devotees who wish to have a glimpse of their favourite god. Mathura, an erstwhile economic centre of ancient times is replete with stories of the Indian epics Mahabharata and the Bhagavat Purana. One who comes to Mathura would have to see the following places for sure. Mathura is the land of Braj which is the place where Lord Krishna has had his childhood and his pranks  [...] 

Situated in the district of Chittoor in the state of Andhra Pradesh in India, lies a temple which is very sacred for the Hindu religion. Nestled in the hills of the Tirumala, this temple at the height of 3200 feet is on one of the seven hills of the Tirumala. Believed to be the seven heads of the Lord Adishesha, the temple of Tirupati is found on the Venkatdri Hill or the Venkata Hill. Very near to Chennai, Hyderabad and Bangalore, the Tirupati temple has a traditional building for the main temple and the number of pilgrims and devotees coming here are in millions. Today, Tirupati is the richest Indian pilgrim spot and is frequented by anyone who wants to go through this ecstatic experience. Tirupati is visited by almost every Indian and Hindu and is the most visited pilgrimage centre. There are occassions in Tirupati which attract all the  [...] 

The three main categories which are devoted to lord Shiva, in India are as follows:- The Jyotir Lingams The Bhuta Lingams The Svayambhu Lingums It is stated that Lord Shiva had marked his presence in the five south Indian temples. The places were Lord Shiva was present as any normal elements are known to be the Bhuta Lingams. The five south Indian temples and the particular elements are given below Sri Kalahasti – wind Chidambaram – air and the heart. Kanchipuram – earth Tiruvanaikka/Jambunath – water and the stomach. Tiruvannamalai – fire and the chest. Legend behind the Temple: Alan Morinis in one of the pilgrimage books that was related to the Hindu customs and tradition narrated a very appealing story. The story provides information regarding a blessed hill located in Arunachala, which came in the contact  [...] 

Location: Khajuraho is a small village located in the Madhya Pradesh state of India. The village is famous for the various temples located in the village. It is located at a distance of around 626 km to the east of the Delhi city. The temples of Khajuraho took around hundred yeas from 950-1050 AD for its construction. The temples were constructed during Chandela reign. The temple’s exterior are carved with the sculptures depicting the physical splendor of woman and man. The demonstrations of the pure poetries that are derivatives of the thought are found nowhere apart from the Khajuraho temples. The most flourishing capital of the reign, Khajuraho was the most glorious place between the 10th and the 12th century. The beautifully carved temples of Khajuraho are the major tourist attractions. Orginally there were around 80 temples but till  [...] 

Location: Numerous Buddhist memorials that belong to early third century and up to the late thirteen century are located at Sanchi, India. These memorials includes a number of monasteries as well as stupas also pillars and temples. Stupas are nothing but huge dome which are semicircular in the shape. The stupas have rooms located in its interior. In the rooms that are situated in the center of the room, the remnants of the Lord Buddha are kept. The Stupa is permeated with many representative values. One of the most famous Emperors, Ashoka Priyadasi had got converted to Buddhism. He ordered to create a Stupa in Sanchi as to celebrate his conversion. Located near the flourishing settlement of Vidisa, Sanchi is more of a thoughtful place. Since the Stupa was located very close to Vidisa, the monks were able to fulfill their spiritual task of  [...]