This is a dynamic list. For example, Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (self-described as “the world’s richest temple trust”) has an ongoing campaign to build a replica of the iconic Lord Venkateswara Swamy temple in Tirupati in every Indian state and union territory that does not yet have one. The trust has developed 58 temples since 1933, mostly in the South Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Tamil Nadu. It most recently opened a temple Jammu in June 2023. It also plans to construct “smaller temples in remote and backward villages in South Indian states.”^[

From Kashmir to Kanyakumari and Cambodia to Nepal to Malaysia, Indonesia and Egypt, there is a long list of famous temples. We are familiar with most of these temples and try to visit them during our lifetime. But apart from these, there are many such temples in the country which are equipped with the excellence of Indian architecture and are full of importance and mythology, but are blurred from the national horizon. There are many who are in a dilapidated condition, there are many that people have not even been familiar with.

Now take the temple of Mundeshwari Devi located in Kaimur district of Bihar. Who knows that it is the oldest temple in India. Very few people know that there is also a historic Martand Sun Temple built in the eighth century in the Kashmir Valley. There are millions of Dravidian style temples in South India. Some of the best examples of temples of this style are in Tamil Nadu. One of these is the Brihadeeswarar Temple in Thanjavur, built by the powerful king of the Chola Empire, RajarajA I, which is known for its grandeur and extraordinary architectural features. Similarly, sharavu Mahaganapati temple is located in the heart of Mangalore city of Karnataka. It is said about this temple that this temple is more than 800 years old.

Temples are not just places of prayer or worship. They are always centers of spiritual energy. They are power centres to spread spiritual energy to all mankind. Our sages and sages thought of temples for this purpose. They wanted ordinary people to go to it and develop and renew their daily spiritual energy.
According to Agam Shastra, every temple is a sacred place. It has a unique spiritual dimension. We often visit millions of such temples. We worship and move forward by offering puja with the hopes of fulfilling their wishes. But never do we try to know what is the history of the temple we went to, what is the story of its construction and what is its significance. There is a great story behind every temple. Each of them also has a “Sthala Purana” and “Sthala Bhava” attached to it. It is also part of the life span of the local people.
There are many temples or places of worship which have a centuries-old history of Indian civilization and culture from the Indus Valley to the Vedic period and from the Magadha period to the Mauryan and Gupta periods. From Muhammad bin Qasim and Mahmud Ghaznavi to Babur and Aurangzeb and then the British, they left no stone unturned to erase these identities of our civilization and culture. But all these nefarious plans proved to be unsuccessful. The larger reason for this was the faith of us Indians in spirituality and religion. At the heart of this faith, our Sanatan culture, which our temples played an important role in preserving.
Today, whichever corner of India we go to, we will definitely find a temple on every nook and corner, which also confirms this.
The way Indian culture is moving towards modernization today, it is also a major reason why we are leaving behind this ancient importance. We are presenting the story of such temples in front of you here. They are not only very ancient but have a unique character in the area where they exist. It has a history of its own. Our goal is to make the new generation aware of the importance of millions of such unique temples and inspire them to connect with the ancient spiritual centers of India.

“Spirit of Lord” is used in the Old Testament to signify “God’s breath“. Just as the ancient Israelites spoke anthropomorphically of God’s arm, hand, and face, so they also spoke of His breath, i.e., His vital power or spirit, which was as active and as efficacious as God Himself.

You will want to look and feel your best when you go to visit the temple, God’s home. Prepare yourself by bathing and putting on clean clothing. Traditional dress is best – saris or long dresses for ladies; long dresses for girls, vethis (dhotis) for men and boys. But any nice, modest clothing suitable for sitting on the floor is OK. Prepare your mind, too, by thinking about God in anticipation of your visit. Bring a gift for the temple, such as fruits and flowers. Remove your shoes before entering the temple. Greet the deities one after the other at their shrines, starting with Ganesha, by pressing your hands together in namaskara and offering each a flower or fruit. Feel the sannidhya – the overwhelming divine presence of God in the temple.

Hindu temples are known by many different names, varying on region and language, including Alayam, Mandir, Mandira, Ambalam, Gudi, Kavu, Koil, Kovil, Déul, Raul, Devasthana, Devalaya, Devayatan, Devakula, Devagiriha, Degul, Deva Mandiraya, and Devalayam. Hindu temple architecture is mainly divided into the Dravidian style of the south and the Nagara style of the north, with other regional styles.