Temples of South India and its Architecture

India is known for its culture and heritage and southern India is famous for its beautiful temples. The architecture of Temples in South Indian are built according to Agama and Shilpa Shastras and are based on Dravidian, Hoysala, Chola, Pallava, Pandya and the Chalukyan styles.

History of the temples built in Karnataka goes as early as 5th century AD that is during the Vijayanagar dynasty temples like Aihole, Badami and Pattadakkal were built by Chalukyas. Hampi has been acclaimed for its wonderful temple designs. The state is also famous for other temples, palaces and spectacle. Other famous temples in Karnataka are Sri Kshetra Dharmasthala, Kollur Mookambika Temple, Kukke Subramanya Temple, Murudeshwara Temple & Chennakesava Temple in Belur.

Tamil Nadu is famous for its temples, during the 7th century, the Pallava rulers have built many temples here and some of the famous shrines in Tamil Nadu are Brihadeeswarar Temple in Thanjavur district built by Cholas during (9th to 13th century) and Madurai Meenakshi temple in Madurai built in Dravidian style, Kanchi Kailasanathar Temple in Kanchipuram, Palani Murugan Temple - Palani, Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple - Srirangam, Ramanathaswamy Temple - Rameswaram. In Tamil Nadu alone, there are more than 10,000 temples, so if you are planning for a South Indian Tour, tour to temples in Tamil Nadu is a must.

Andhra Pradesh temples are built in various temple styles like Cholas, Chalukyas and Gangas along with an influence of Oriyan art as well. Some of the famous temples in AP are Tirumala Venkateswara Temple in Tirupati, Sri Kalahasti, Srisailam, Simhachalam, Amaravati temples. 

Kerala is rich for its rituals and festivals. Architecture of the temples in Kerala and in the costal part of Karnataka are primarily made of wooden structures. Some of the famous temples of Kerala are Guruvayur temple, Sabarimala temple, Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Thiruvanathapuram.

Look for more frequent update on this blog to know more about the famous temples along with festivals and rituals of the temple.