Pilgrimage Destinations

When it comes to pilgrimage in South India, the region abounds with several magnificent Dravidian temples. South India is dotted with monuments, temples, shrines and sculptures and has the most revered Hindu pilgrimage centres.

There are quite a number of splendid South India pilgrimage destinations:

Rameshwaram
It is significant to Hindus; according to legends, it is the place where Lord Ram built the Ram setu across the sea to Lanka to rescue Sita. The major attraction here is the Ramanathaswamy Temple which is one of the 12 Jyotirlingas. Other pilgrimage places are Agnitheertham, Dhanushkodi and Erwadi.

Tirupati
The ancient temple of Sri Venkateshwara is on the sacred hill with 7 peaks. The main attraction here is the outer Gopuram, Ranga Mandapam, Aina Mahal and many more.

Madurai
The oldest and 2nd largest city of Tamil Nadu Madurai city is blessed by Lord Shiva. The major highlight here is the Meenakshi temple which is dedicated to Goddess Parvati. The other prime attractions are Koodal Azhaar temple, Thirumalai Nayak Mahal, Azhagar Coil and many more.

Mahabalipuram
Known for its shore temples, Mahabalipuram's interesting feature are its structures since it depicts scenes from day to day life. The main attraction is the shore temple; other pilgrimage places are Thirukadalmallai, Arjun's penance, Mandapas and the Five Rathas.

Tamil Nadu
Also called as the land of temples, Tamil Nadu is full of rock cut temples, elegant structures, huge gopurams built in Dravidian style. The main pilgrimage centres are Kanchipuram, Kubakonam which is famous for 9 Navakiraha temples, Ranganathaswamy Temple which is the largest in India, temples of Tanjore and so on.

Kanyakumari
The Southernmost tip of India and the confluence of Arabian sea, Bay of Bengal and Indian Ocean, Kanyakumari is famous for its sunrise and sunset sights. The major pilgrimage attractions here are Kumari Amman temple, Vivekananda rock memorial, Bhagvati temple, Nagraj temple and so on.