Lesser-known temple towns in India

Temple tourism in India is not only great, it is also very big. India has so many ethnicities and religions that it is not possible to keep a track of each and every important religious place. When we talk of temple towns in India, instantaneously we think of Varanasi, Rishikesh, Haridwar and the likes. But what about the lesser-known ones? Well, these temple towns are not lesser-known as such, but they do tend to get shadowed by the aforementioned big names.

Here we bring you a list of lesser-known yet important temple towns in India.

The old town of Amritsar is home to the very famous Golden Temple. Also known as Sri Harmandir Sahib, it is the holiest gurdwara for the Sikhs. Sri Harmandir Sahib houses the holy book Adi Granth, also known as the Guru Granth Sahib. Amritsar gets its name from Amrit Sarovar, the sacred man-made lake or pool that surrounds the beautiful temple. Sri Harmandir Sahib is open to all, and everything here is voluntary, from maintenance to kitchen (langar).

The quaint town of Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh is home to the Sri Venkateswara Temple. The temple is located on top of one of the seven peaks of Tirumala Hills. Sri Venkateswara Temple is one of the most prominent Vaishnavite temples in India. The main temple deity is Lord Venkateswara, an incarnation of Vishnu. Not too far away is Sri Kapileswara Swamy Temple, dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva.

Belur, located in Hassan district in Karnataka, is where the famous Chennakeshava Temple is located. The temple is dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu. For those who follow Vaishnavism, the temple town is one of the most important places and the temple an important centre of pilgrimage. Not yet a UNESCO World Heritage Site, but it has been proposed. And the reason being, it is undoubtedly one of the finest and largest reminders of the great Hoysala dynasty.

The small village of Modhera in Mehsana district, Gujarat, is home to the Modhera Sun Temple. It is one of the only two sun temples in India, the other one being the Konark Sun Temple in Odisha. It is dedicated to Surya, the sun god. This ancient temple was built during the reign of Bhima I of the Chalukya dynasty, somewhere in 1026-27 CE. Even though prayer rituals are no longer performed at this temple, one can still visit the temple. The temple is a protected monument under ASI (Archaeological Survey of India).

Did you know that Pushkar is an important pilgrimage site for both Hindus and Sikhs? Pushkar, located in the Ajmer district in Rajasthan, has the only temple in the world dedicated to Lord Brahma. Right in the middle of the town is Pushkar Lake, a holy lake where the pilgrims take a holy dip. As for the Sikh community, the town has many important gurudwaras dedicated to Guru Nanak and Guru Gobind Singh.

The very famous 11th-century Brihadeeswarar Temple from the Chola dynasty is right here in Thanjavur (erstwhile known as Tanjore). The temple town’s star attraction, the Brihadeeswarar Temple is a Hindu Dravidian-style temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. The temple is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site, one of the "Great Living Chola Temples".

Located on top of the Nilachal Hill in Guwahati, Kamakhya temple is one of the most important Shakti peethas in India. The holy temple is also one of the most famous centres for tantric practices in India. The Kulachara Tantra Marga to be precise. Thousands of pilgrims throng the temple town of Guwahati during the Ambubachi Mela where the devotees celebrate the menstruating goddess Kamakhya, an avatar of goddess Durga.