Top 20 Famous Shiva Temples in India

Lord Shiva is a Hindu god who is also the creator of the universe. He is part of the three main Hindu gods. India has many temples which are dedicated to Lord Shiva. These temples are spread all over the country. We have included The top 20 famous Shiva temples in India in the list below.

List of the 20 Most Famous Shiva Temples in India

• Shore Temple
• Somnath Temple
• Lingaraj Temple
• Kedarnath Temple
• Da Parbatia Temple
• Murudeshwar Temple
• Tarakeshwar Temple
• Omkareshwar Temple
• Trimbakeshwar Temple
• Mahakaleshwar Temple
• Brihadeshwara Temple
• Vadakkunnathan Temple
• Ramanathaswamy Temple
• Baba Bhootnath Mandir
• Baba Baidyanath Temple
• Tungnath Mahadev Temple
• Kashi Vishwanath Temple
• Mallikarjuna Swamy Temple
• Shri Amarnath Cave Temple
• Chidambaram Nataraja Temple

1. Kedarnath Temple, Uttarakhand

This temple of Shiva not only comes first in the list of the top 20 famous Shiva temples in India but also is the highest. Kedarnath Temple is part of the Char Dham Yatra temples in Uttarakhand. Pandavas originally built this temple during mythological times. This temple is located in the high Himalayas and on the banks of the Mandakini River.

2. Shri Amarnath Cave, Jammu & Kashmir

The Amarnath Cave Temple is also located in the high Himalayas mountain region. This temple is a natural cave which is very big. It is located close to Anantnag and is remote. Every year lakhs of people visit this temple during the Amarnath Yatra season. They have to trek for many days to reach the Amarnath Cave. The Shiv linga in the temple is made of snow and ice.

3. Lingaraj Temple, Odisha

The temple is known as Lingaraj Temple in Odisha and is a famous temple of Lord Shiva. The rulers of the Somvanshi Dynasty built this temple during their rule. Lingaraja Temple is a masterpiece of Kalinga architecture. The incredible carvings and sculptures in the temple are worth viewing. This temple and its current structure date back to the 13^th century.

4. Shore Temple, Tamil Nadu

The Shore Temple comes in this list of top 20 famous Shiva temples in India. The temple is part of a group of temples that are located in Mahabalipuram. Archaeological records have identified the Shore Temple to be around 725 AD. King Narasimhavarman II of the Pallava Dynasty ordered the construction of these temples in the busy port of Mahabalipuram.

5. Baba Baidyanath Temple, Jharkhand

The temple of Baba Baidyanath in Jharkhand is one of the 12 Jyotirlinga temples of Lord Shiva. Lord Baidynatha or Vaidyanatha is the main deity of this temple. People also worship him as Bhairava. The temple is also one of the Shakti Peeths of Goddess Sati. Devotees believe that the heart of Sati fell here. They worship her as Jaya Durga.

6. Trimbakeshwar Temple, Maharashtra

The most famous Shiva temple in Maharashtra is none other than Trimbakeshwar Jyotirlinga temple. The rulers of that era built the temple on the banks of the holy Godavari River. There are three Shiv linga in the temple and these represent the three main gods of Hindus, Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. The Maratha ruler Peshwa Balaji Baji Rao built the current temple.

7. Mahakaleshwar Temple, Madhya Pradesh

Probably, one of the holiest temples of Lord Shiva is none other than Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga temple. Ujjain City in Madhya Pradesh is the place in which you will find this temple. The Shiva linga here manifested itself. The unique thing about Mahakaleshwar Temple is that the idol of Mahakaleshwar faces the south direction.

8. Somnath Temple, Gujarat

The Somnath Temple is a very special temple of Lord Shiva as it is the first of the 12 Jyotirlinga temples. The temple is located in Prabhas Patan in the Saurashtra region of Gujarat. Somnath Temple is famous for its incredible architecture. Historical records mention that rulers of that era built the temple from the 1^st century to the 9th century.

9. Tarakeshwar Temple, West Bengal

The temple which is known as Taraknath Temple is in the town of Tarakeshwar in West Bengal. The temple is a Shiva temple in India on the banks of the Hooghly River. The main deity of this temple is Baba Taraknath. He is the fierce form of the Lord Shiva and he drank venom during the Samudra Manthan. The kings of West Bengal built the temple in 1729.

10. Kashi Vishwanath Temple, Uttar Pradesh

Another famous Shiva temple in India is none other than Kashi Vishwanath Temple. The temple is located in the most ancient Indian city of Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh. The temple is considered to be the oldest pilgrimage place on earth. Lord Shiva is worshipped here in the form of a Shiva linga and he is Vishwanath or Lord of the Universe.

11. Omkareshwar Temple, Madhya Pradesh

The Omkareshwar Temple in Madhya Pradesh is the second Shiva temple in Madhya Pradesh after Mahakaleshwar Temple. This temple is among the most famous Shiva temples in India. Omkareshwar Temple is located on the banks of the holy river Narmada. The unique thing about this temple is that three priests worship the Shiv linga three times a day.

12. Mallikarjuna Swamy Temple, Andhra Pradesh

One of the famous Shiva temples in India is located in the town of Srisailam in Andhra Pradesh. This temple is called as Mallikarjuna Swamy Temple. Lord Mallikarjuna is the chief deity of this famous temple. The temple is also a renowned Shakti Peeth of Sati.

13. Brihadeshwara Temple, Tamil Nadu

We have included the most famous temple of Lord Shiva in the top 20 famous Shiva temples in India list. It is none other than the Brihadeshwara Temple in Tamil Nadu. The temple is a UNESCO World Heritage Site with incredible Chola temple architecture.

14. Tungnath Mahadev Temple, Uttarakhand

We have added yet another famous Shiva temple in India here and it is called Tungnath Temple. This temple is also the famous temple of Lord Shiva and it is situated in Uttarakhand. The Pandavas built the temple during ancient times. The temple is famous for Chandrashila a peak with magnificent views of Chopta and the Himalayan Mountains.

15. Da Parbatia Temple, Assam

This temple is the oldest Shiva temple in the state of Assam. This is the reason why we have included this temple in our top 20 famous Shiva temples in India list. The Ahom rulers built the temple on the site of an existing temple in the 6th century. The intact ruins of the temple doorways are an example of the supreme architecture of those times.

16. Murudeshwar Temple, Karnataka

One of the famous Shiva temples in India is known as Murudeshwar Temple. This temple is in Karnataka and is famous for its architecture. The 123-foot-high Shiva statue is the main attraction of this temple. The temple tower called Gopuram is top 20 famous Shiva temples in India story high.

17. Vadakkunnathan Temple, Kerala

The temple called Vadakkunnathan Temple in Thrissur Kerala is one of the famous Shiva temples in India. The temple is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There are wall paintings and colourful murals on the walls that date back 1000 years. The temple is rich in architecture and one of the top 20 famous Shiva temples in India.

18. Ramanathaswamy Temple, Tamil Nadu

We have rightly included the Ramanathaswamy Temple in this list of the top 20 famous Shiva temples in India. This famous Shiva temple in India is part of the Char Dham of India. The temple architecture is one of the finest in India and unbelievably beautiful. Lord Ram of the Ramayana himself built the original Shiva linga before he went to Lanka to fight Ravana.

19. Baba Bhootnath Mandir, Himachal Pradesh

If you are visiting Himachal Pradesh, then you must visit the Baba Bhootnath Mandir. This temple is located in Mandi town of Himachal Pradesh. Raja Ajber Sen built the original temple in the 15th century after he dreamt of Shiva. You will love this temple as it offers you trekking and hiking adventures.

20. Chidambaram Nataraja Temple, Tamil Nadu

The famous Shiva temple in India is called Chidambaram Nataraja Temple. The main deity of this temple is Lord Nataraja or the dancing form of Lord Shiva. The kings of the Chola dynasty built the temple in the 10th century. The temple has a huge gopuram or temple tower which can be seen from miles away.

Conclusion

This was the list of the top 20 famous Shiva temples in India. It features some of the famous Shiva temples in India. You may have visited some of the temples at least once in your lifetime. But if you have not, then this is the right time to do so. Every temple is a perfect example of incredible temple architecture and is immensely holy.

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