Famous Temples of India: Quick Answer
This note lists 51 famous temples of India, state-wise, as of 7 November 2026 — a curated exam list, not a count of every temple in the country. No authoritative total number of temples in India exists, so this note states none. The numbers that do matter for exams are small and fixed: 12 Jyotirlingas across 8 states, 4 Char Dham temples, and 51 Shakti Peethas as the commonly accepted figure. Maharashtra has the most Jyotirlingas (3), followed by Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh with 2 each. Tamil Nadu is called the Temple State of India. The newest exam fact on this page is the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, consecrated on 22 January 2024.
🔥 Key Exam Takeaway: Jyotirlingas = 12 in 8 states (Maharashtra 3, Gujarat 2, MP 2, five states 1 each). Char Dham = Badrinath, Dwarka, Puri, Rameswaram; Chota Char Dham = Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath, Badrinath — Badrinath is the only temple in both. Shakti Peethas = 51 (not all in India). First Jyotirlinga = Somnath. Only south-facing Jyotirlinga = Mahakaleshwar, Ujjain. UNESCO temple years to memorise: Konark 1984, Khajuraho and Hampi 1986, Pattadakal and Chola Thanjavur 1987, Mahabodhi 2002, Ramappa 2021, Hoysalas 2023.
How Exams Ask About Temples
Temple questions in SSC, banking and railway exams come in three shapes, and this note is built to answer all three. First, temple to state: Kashi Vishwanath is in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh; Somnath is in Gujarat; Kamakhya is in Guwahati, Assam. Second, temple to deity: the Jagannath Temple is dedicated to Jagannath, a form of Vishnu; the Meenakshi Temple is dedicated to Meenakshi, a form of Shakti; the Konark Sun Temple is dedicated to Surya. Third, temple to style or dynasty: the Brihadeeswara Temple is Chola and Dravidian; the Khajuraho group is Chandela and Nagara; the Virupaksha Temple at Hampi is Vijayanagara.
The two big architectural styles are worth one paragraph. Nagara is the north Indian style — a tall, curving shikhara rising over the sanctum, seen at Khajuraho, Konark and the Lingaraja Temple. Dravidian is the south Indian style — a stepped, pyramid-like vimana and tall gateway towers called gopurams, seen at Brihadeeswara, Meenakshi and the Ranganathaswamy Temple. A third style, Vesara, blends the two and appears in Karnataka, for example at Pattadakal and in the Hoysala temples. When a question asks for a style, these three words cover almost every answer.
Temples also appear in questions through the circuits they belong to. A temple can sit in more than one list at once, and that overlap is exactly what examiners test. Rameswaram is both a Char Dham temple and a Jyotirlinga. Mallikarjuna at Srisailam is both a Jyotirlinga and a Shakti Peetha. Badrinath is in both the Char Dham and the Chota Char Dham. Learning the overlaps is worth more than memorising the list twice.
Latest Temple Facts (2021–2026)
These are the dated facts most likely to be asked in 2026 exams.
| Date | Fact |
|---|---|
| 22 January 2024 | Ram Temple, Ayodhya consecrated (pran pratishtha) |
| December 2021 | Kashi Vishwanath Corridor, Varanasi, opened |
| 2023 | Sacred Ensembles of the Hoysalas (Karnataka) inscribed as UNESCO World Heritage |
| 2021 | Ramappa (Kakatiya Rudreshwara) Temple, Telangana, inscribed as UNESCO World Heritage |
| 25 July 2026 | Sarnath inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, taking India's total to 45 sites |
The Ram Temple is the single most important recent addition to this topic. Before 2024, Ayodhya appeared in exam lists through the Babri Masjid dispute and the long legal case; now it appears as a consecrated temple with a fixed date. The Kashi Vishwanath Corridor, opened in December 2021, is the other recent fact that keeps appearing — it connects the Kashi Vishwanath Temple to the Ganga ghats and is asked as a corridor project, not just as a temple.
Famous Temples of India: Complete State-wise List (51 Temples)
This is a curated exam-relevant list of 51 temples. No authoritative total count of temples in India exists, so no total is claimed here. States and union territories with no row — Goa, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, Ladakh, Andaman & Nicobar, Puducherry, Chandigarh, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu, Lakshadweep — have no pan-India exam-famous temple in the standard lists; this note does not pad the table with obscure entries to fill them.
| # | Temple | Place | State / UT | Deity | Notable fact |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kashi Vishwanath | Varanasi | Uttar Pradesh | Shiva (Jyotirlinga) | Rebuilt by Ahilyabai Holkar in 1780; corridor opened Dec 2021 |
| 2 | Somnath | Prabhas Patan | Gujarat | Shiva (Jyotirlinga 1) | First Jyotirlinga; present temple completed 1951 |
| 3 | Kedarnath | Kedarnath | Uttarakhand | Shiva (Jyotirlinga) | About 3,580 m altitude; survived the 2013 floods; Chota Char Dham |
| 4 | Badrinath | Badrinath | Uttarakhand | Vishnu | Char Dham (north) and Chota Char Dham; on the Alaknanda |
| 5 | Tirumala Venkateswara (Tirupati Balaji) | Tirumala | Andhra Pradesh | Vishnu (Venkateswara) | One of the most visited and wealthiest temples in the world; seven hills; Dravidian style |
| 6 | Meenakshi Amman | Madurai | Tamil Nadu | Meenakshi (Shakti) and Shiva | 14 gopurams; Dravidian architecture |
| 7 | Brihadeeswara | Thanjavur | Tamil Nadu | Shiva | UNESCO 1987; Chola, Raja Raja Chola I; tall granite vimana |
| 8 | Ramanathaswamy | Rameswaram | Tamil Nadu | Shiva (Jyotirlinga) | Char Dham (south); longest pillared corridor in India |
| 9 | Jagannath | Puri | Odisha | Jagannath (Vishnu) | Char Dham (east); Rath Yatra |
| 10 | Konark Sun Temple | Konark | Odisha | Surya | UNESCO 1984; 13th century, Narasimhadeva I; chariot with 24 wheels, 7 horses |
| 11 | Khajuraho Group | Khajuraho | Madhya Pradesh | Hindu and Jain | UNESCO 1986; Chandela dynasty; Nagara style; 25 of the original 85 temples remain |
| 12 | Mahakaleshwar | Ujjain | Madhya Pradesh | Shiva (Jyotirlinga) | Only south-facing Jyotirlinga; Bhasma Aarti; on the Shipra |
| 13 | Omkareshwar | Mandhata island | Madhya Pradesh | Shiva (Jyotirlinga) | Island in the Narmada shaped like Om |
| 14 | Dwarkadhish (Jagat Mandir) | Dwarka | Gujarat | Krishna | Char Dham (west) |
| 15 | Kamakhya | Guwahati | Assam | Shakti | Shakti Peetha; Ambubachi Mela |
| 16 | Vaishno Devi | Katra | Jammu & Kashmir | Shakti | Cave temple, 5,200 ft above sea level, Trikuta Hills |
| 17 | Amarnath | Pahalgam | Jammu & Kashmir | Shiva | Cave temple, 3,888 m altitude; ice lingam |
| 18 | Golden Temple (Harmandir Sahib) | Amritsar | Punjab | Sikh (Guru Granth Sahib) | Holiest Sikh shrine; gold-plated |
| 19 | Siddhivinayak | Mumbai | Maharashtra | Ganesha | Built 1801; one of the richest temples in India |
| 20 | Shirdi Sai Baba | Shirdi | Maharashtra | Sai Baba | Major pilgrimage town in Ahilyanagar (formerly Ahmednagar) district |
| 21 | Trimbakeshwar | Trimbak, Nashik | Maharashtra | Shiva (Jyotirlinga) | Source of the Godavari; three-faced linga; Simhastha Kumbh site |
| 22 | Bhimashankar | Pune district | Maharashtra | Shiva (Jyotirlinga) | Source of the Bhima; Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary (Sahyadri) |
| 23 | Grishneshwar | Verul, Ellora | Maharashtra | Shiva (Jyotirlinga) | Smallest Jyotirlinga; next to Ellora Caves (UNESCO 1983) |
| 24 | Mahabodhi Temple | Bodh Gaya | Bihar | Buddha | UNESCO 2002; enlightenment site; 54 m central tower |
| 25 | Padmanabhaswamy | Thiruvananthapuram | Kerala | Vishnu (reclining) | Chera-Dravidian style |
| 26 | Guruvayur | Guruvayur | Kerala | Krishna | Major Krishna temple of Kerala |
| 27 | Sabarimala (Ayyappa) | Pathanamthitta | Kerala | Ayyappa | Pilgrimage shrine in the Western Ghats |
| 28 | Virupaksha | Hampi | Karnataka | Shiva | UNESCO Hampi 1986; Vijayanagara |
| 29 | Gomateshwara (Bahubali) | Shravanabelagola | Karnataka | Jain (Bahubali) | 57 ft monolithic statue, carved from a single granite block |
| 30 | Sri Ranganathaswamy | Srirangam | Tamil Nadu | Vishnu | One of the largest temple complexes in India |
| 31 | Mallikarjuna | Srisailam | Andhra Pradesh | Shiva (Jyotirlinga) | Also a Shakti Peetha; on the Krishna, Nallamala hills |
| 32 | Kanaka Durga | Vijayawada | Andhra Pradesh | Shakti (Durga) | On Indrakeeladri hill |
| 33 | Lingaraja | Bhubaneswar | Odisha | Shiva | Kalinga architecture |
| 34 | Dakshineswar Kali | Kolkata | West Bengal | Kali | Associated with Ramakrishna |
| 35 | Kalighat Kali | Kolkata | West Bengal | Shakti | Shakti Peetha |
| 36 | Dilwara Temples | Mount Abu | Rajasthan | Jain | Famous marble carving |
| 37 | Ranakpur Jain Temple | Ranakpur | Rajasthan | Jain (Adinath) | Large pillared Jain temple in the Aravalli hills |
| 38 | Brahma Temple | Pushkar | Rajasthan | Brahma | Among the few Brahma temples in India |
| 39 | Khatu Shyam Ji | Sikar | Rajasthan | Krishna (Shyam) | Major Krishna pilgrimage of Rajasthan |
| 40 | Akshardham (Swaminarayan) | New Delhi | Delhi | Swaminarayan | Modern temple complex |
| 41 | Lotus Temple | New Delhi | Delhi | Bahá'í | Lotus-shaped; NOT a Hindu temple |
| 42 | Ram Temple | Ayodhya | Uttar Pradesh | Rama | Consecrated 22 Jan 2024 |
| 43 | Krishna Janmabhoomi | Mathura | Uttar Pradesh | Krishna | Birthplace of Krishna |
| 44 | Bhoramdeo | Kawardha | Chhattisgarh | Shiva | Popularly called the "Khajuraho of Chhattisgarh" |
| 45 | Tripura Sundari | Udaipur | Tripura | Shakti | Shakti Peetha |
| 46 | Jwalamukhi | Kangra | Himachal Pradesh | Shakti (flame) | Shakti Peetha; no idol, a flame is worshipped |
| 47 | Thousand Pillars Temple | Warangal | Telangana | Shiva (Rudra) | Kakatiya; triple shrine of Shiva, Vishnu and Surya |
| 48 | Chilkur Balaji | Chilkur, Hyderabad | Telangana | Vishnu (Balaji) | Popularly known as "Visa Balaji" |
| 49 | Sita Ramachandraswamy | Bhadrachalam | Telangana | Rama | On the Godavari |
| 50 | Mansa Devi | Panchkula | Haryana | Shakti | In the Shivalik foothills |
| 51 | Malinithan | Malinithan | Arunachal Pradesh | Shakti (Durga) | Associated with the Krishna legend |
The 12 Jyotirlingas (in Stotram Order)
The twelve Jyotirlingas are the holiest Shiva shrines in India. Their basis is the Dwadasa Jyotirlinga Stotram and the Kotirudra Samhita of the Shiva Purana. They are spread across 8 states: Maharashtra 3, Gujarat 2, Madhya Pradesh 2, and one each in Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
| # | Jyotirlinga | Place | State | River / landmark |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Somnath | Prabhas Patan, near Veraval | Gujarat | Arabian Sea coast |
| 2 | Mallikarjuna | Srisailam | Andhra Pradesh | Krishna river, Nallamala hills |
| 3 | Mahakaleshwar | Ujjain | Madhya Pradesh | Shipra river |
| 4 | Omkareshwar | Mandhata island | Madhya Pradesh | Narmada river |
| 5 | Kedarnath | Kedarnath | Uttarakhand | Mandakini river, about 3,580 m |
| 6 | Bhimashankar | Bhorgiri, Pune district | Maharashtra | Source of the Bhima, Sahyadri |
| 7 | Kashi Vishwanath | Varanasi | Uttar Pradesh | Ganga |
| 8 | Trimbakeshwar | Trimbak, near Nashik | Maharashtra | Source of the Godavari, Brahmagiri hill |
| 9 | Vaidyanath (Baidyanath) | Deoghar | Jharkhand | Near the Ajay river |
| 10 | Nageshwar | Near Dwarka | Gujarat | Gulf of Kutch coast |
| 11 | Ramanathaswamy | Rameswaram | Tamil Nadu | Gulf of Mannar, Pamban island |
| 12 | Grishneshwar | Verul, near Ellora | Maharashtra | Next to Ellora Caves (UNESCO) |
Two Jyotirlingas carry rival location claims, and exams test the standard answer. Vaidyanath is Deoghar in Jharkhand for exams; Parli Vaijnath in Maharashtra and Baijnath in Himachal Pradesh are rival traditional claims. Nageshwar is near Dwarka in Gujarat for exams; Aundha Nagnath in Maharashtra and Jageshwar in Uttarakhand are rival claims. The claim that Maharashtra has 5 Jyotirlingas comes from counting the two contested claimants — the canonical exam answer is 3.
Char Dham and Chota Char Dham
The Char Dham is the national four-temple circuit, consolidated as one circuit by Adi Shankaracharya in the 8th century. The Chota Char Dham is a separate, smaller circuit entirely inside Uttarakhand. Badrinath is the only temple common to both — the classic exam trap.
| Char Dham | Direction | Place, State | Deity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Puri (Jagannath) | East | Puri, Odisha | Jagannath (Vishnu) |
| Rameswaram (Ramanathaswamy) | South | Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu | Shiva |
| Dwarka (Dwarkadhish) | West | Dwarka, Gujarat | Krishna |
| Badrinath | North | Badrinath, Uttarakhand | Vishnu |
| Chota Char Dham | Place, State | Deity |
|---|---|---|
| Yamunotri | Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand | Yamuna |
| Gangotri | Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand | Ganga |
| Kedarnath | Rudraprayag, Uttarakhand | Shiva |
| Badrinath | Chamoli, Uttarakhand | Vishnu |
UNESCO World Heritage Temple Sites in India
Eleven UNESCO-inscribed sites in India are temples or temple groups. The years are from UNESCO's official list (whc.unesco.org). The Mahabodhi Temple was inscribed in 2002, not 2004 — one source says 2004, but UNESCO's own documents and convergent listings say 2002.
| Site | State | Year inscribed |
|---|---|---|
| Ellora Caves (incl. Kailasa Temple) | Maharashtra | 1983 |
| Sun Temple, Konark | Odisha | 1984 |
| Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram (incl. Shore Temple) | Tamil Nadu | 1984 |
| Khajuraho Group of Monuments | Madhya Pradesh | 1986 |
| Group of Monuments at Hampi (Virupaksha, Vitthala) | Karnataka | 1986 |
| Group of Monuments at Pattadakal | Karnataka | 1987 |
| Great Living Chola Temples — Brihadeeswara, Thanjavur | Tamil Nadu | 1987 |
| Great Living Chola Temples — Gangaikonda Cholapuram, Darasuram | Tamil Nadu | 2004 (extension) |
| Mahabodhi Temple Complex, Bodh Gaya | Bihar | 2002 |
| Kakatiya Rudreshwara (Ramappa) Temple | Telangana | 2021 |
| Sacred Ensembles of the Hoysalas | Karnataka | 2023 |
Fame is not the same as UNESCO status. The Meenakshi Temple, Tirupati and Kashi Vishwanath are among the most famous temples in India, but none of them is a UNESCO World Heritage Site — a widely shared infographic wrongly lists Meenakshi as one.
Shakti Peethas: 51 Sacred Sites
The Shakti Peethas are the sacred seats of the goddess Shakti. Tradition says Sati's body was cut into 51 parts by Vishnu's Sudarshan Chakra, and each site marks where a part fell. 51 is the most commonly accepted figure; some texts say 18 or 108, and those variants should be noted, not argued with. The Peethas are spread across India and Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Tibet — they are not all in India, and this note does not claim a count of how many are in India, because that figure is unverified.
Famous Shakti Peethas on the main list above include Kamakhya in Guwahati, Kalighat in Kolkata, Jwalamukhi in Kangra, Tripura Sundari in Tripura, Vaishno Devi in Jammu and Kashmir, and Mallikarjuna at Srisailam, which is both a Jyotirlinga and a Shakti Peetha. One caution for revision: lists of which body part fell at which Peetha differ from source to source, so this note does not carry a body-part table. If a question asks for one, trust a single consistent list rather than mixing two.
Famous Temples of India: Records and Unique Facts
| Record | Answer |
|---|---|
| First Jyotirlinga | Somnath, Gujarat |
| Only south-facing Jyotirlinga | Mahakaleshwar, Ujjain |
| Smallest Jyotirlinga | Grishneshwar, near Ellora |
| Longest pillared corridor in India | Ramanathaswamy Temple, Rameswaram |
| Tallest monolithic statue from a single granite block | Gomateshwara (Bahubali), Shravanabelagola — 57 ft |
| Highest cave temple in this list | Amarnath, 3,888 m |
| Temple with 14 gopurams | Meenakshi Temple, Madurai |
| Khajuraho survival | 25 of the original 85 temples remain |
| Most visited / wealthiest temple | Tirumala Venkateswara, Tirupati |
| Temple State of India | Tamil Nadu |
One-line facts that are asked in exams
- Somnath: "first" means first Jyotirlinga, not the oldest surviving structure — the present temple was completed in 1951.
- Mahakaleshwar: famous for the Bhasma Aarti, performed at dawn.
- Kedarnath: survived the 2013 floods and stays closed in winter.
- Konark: a chariot-shaped Sun temple with 24 wheels and 7 horses, built by Narasimhadeva I in the 13th century.
- Khajuraho: a group of Hindu and Jain temples, not one temple, built by the Chandela dynasty.
- Brihadeeswara: built by Raja Raja Chola I; its tall granite vimana is the landmark of Chola architecture.
- Golden Temple: the holiest Sikh shrine — a Sikh place of worship, not a Hindu temple.
- Lotus Temple: a Bahá'í house of worship, not a Hindu temple — included here because exams ask it alongside temples.
- Brahma Temple, Pushkar: among the few Brahma temples in India — never "the only one", because others exist.
- Vaishno Devi: a cave temple 5,200 ft above sea level in the Trikuta Hills.
Common Mistakes in Temple Questions
- Char Dham vs Chota Char Dham — the national circuit is Puri–Rameswaram–Dwarka–Badrinath; the Uttarakhand circuit is Yamunotri–Gangotri–Kedarnath–Badrinath. Badrinath is the only overlap.
- "Maharashtra has 5 Jyotirlingas" — the canonical count is 3; the 5-figure counts the contested claimants Parli Vaijnath and Aundha Nagnath.
- Vaidyanath location — Deoghar (Jharkhand) is the exam answer; Parli Vaijnath (Maharashtra) and Baijnath (Himachal Pradesh) are rival claims.
- Nageshwar location — Dwarka (Gujarat) is the exam answer; Aundha Nagnath (Maharashtra) and Jageshwar (Uttarakhand) are rival claims.
- Meenakshi is NOT a UNESCO site — neither are Tirupati or Kashi Vishwanath. Famous does not mean inscribed.
- Mahabodhi inscription year — 2002, not 2004.
- Golden Temple and Lotus Temple are not Hindu temples — Sikh and Bahá'í respectively; they belong in the list as exam-asked places of worship, labelled by faith.
- 51 Shakti Peethas are not all in India — several are in Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Tibet.
- Somnath "first" means first Jyotirlinga, not the oldest surviving structure — the present temple is from 1951.
- Konark is a Sun temple, not a Shiva or Vishnu temple; Khajuraho is a group of Hindu and Jain temples, not one temple.
How to Remember Famous Temples of India (Study Method)
- Learn the Jyotirlinga stotram order first: Somnath, Mallikarjuna, Mahakaleshwar, Omkareshwar, Kedarnath, Bhimashankar, Vishwanath, Trimbakeshwar, Vaidyanath, Nageshwar, Rameshwaram, Grishneshwar. The sequence moves west (Gujarat) to south (Andhra Pradesh) to central India (Madhya Pradesh twice) to the north (Uttarakhand) and back west (Maharashtra).
- Learn the state counts: Maharashtra 3, Gujarat 2, Madhya Pradesh 2, five states 1 each — "3-2-2-1-1-1-1-1 = 12".
- Learn the Char Dham compass: Puri-East, Rameswaram-South, Dwarka-West, Badrinath-North — "PRDB" clockwise from the east.
- Learn the UNESCO temple years as clusters: 1983 Ellora; 1984 Konark and Mahabalipuram; 1986 Khajuraho and Hampi; 1987 Pattadakal and Chola Thanjavur; 2002 Mahabodhi; 2021 Ramappa; 2023 Hoysalas.
- Attach one fact to each famous temple (Bhasma Aarti at Mahakaleshwar, 24 wheels at Konark, 14 gopurams at Meenakshi, 57 ft statue at Shravanabelagola).
Famous Temples of India MCQs with Answers
Q1. Which is the first Jyotirlinga of India? (a) Mahakaleshwar (b) Somnath (c) Kedarnath (d) Kashi Vishwanath Answer: (b) Somnath, at Prabhas Patan, Gujarat.
Q2. How many Jyotirlingas are there in India, and in how many states are they spread? (a) 12 in 8 states (b) 12 in 12 states (c) 11 in 8 states (d) 12 in 7 states Answer: (a) 12 in 8 states — Maharashtra 3, Gujarat 2, Madhya Pradesh 2, five states 1 each.
Q3. Which state has the maximum number of Jyotirlingas? (a) Gujarat (b) Madhya Pradesh (c) Maharashtra (d) Tamil Nadu Answer: (c) Maharashtra (3) — Bhimashankar, Trimbakeshwar and Grishneshwar.
Q4. Which Jyotirlinga is the only south-facing (dakshinamukhi) one? (a) Omkareshwar (b) Mahakaleshwar (c) Trimbakeshwar (d) Grishneshwar Answer: (b) Mahakaleshwar, Ujjain — famous for the Bhasma Aarti.
Q5. Name the four temples of the Char Dham. (a) Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath, Badrinath (b) Badrinath, Dwarka, Puri, Rameswaram (c) Somnath, Mallikarjuna, Mahakaleshwar, Omkareshwar (d) Puri, Konark, Lingaraja, Jagannath Answer: (b) Badrinath, Dwarka, Puri, Rameswaram. Option (a) is the Chota Char Dham.
Q6. Which temple is common to both the Char Dham and the Chota Char Dham? (a) Kedarnath (b) Dwarka (c) Badrinath (d) Puri Answer: (c) Badrinath — the only overlap between the two circuits.
Q7. In which year was the Sun Temple at Konark inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site? (a) 1983 (b) 1984 (c) 1986 (d) 1987 Answer: (b) 1984.
Q8. The Mahabodhi Temple is located at which place and in which state? (a) Sarnath, Uttar Pradesh (b) Bodh Gaya, Bihar (c) Rajgir, Bihar (d) Nalanda, Bihar Answer: (b) Bodh Gaya, Bihar. It was inscribed by UNESCO in 2002.
Q9. How many Shakti Peethas are traditionally recognised? (a) 18 (b) 51 (c) 108 (d) 12 Answer: (b) 51 — the most commonly accepted figure; some texts say 18 or 108.
Q10. Which temple is dedicated to Lord Venkateswara and located on the Tirumala hills? (a) Meenakshi Temple (b) Padmanabhaswamy Temple (c) Tirumala Venkateswara Temple (d) Guruvayur Temple Answer: (c) Tirumala Venkateswara Temple, Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh.
Famous Temples of India FAQs
How many Jyotirlingas are there in India?
There are 12 Jyotirlingas, spread across 8 states: Maharashtra 3, Gujarat 2, Madhya Pradesh 2, and one each in Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
Which is the oldest temple in India?
There is no single verified answer to this question, so this note does not name one. Claims for the oldest temple vary by what is counted — oldest surviving structure, oldest continuously worshipped shrine, or oldest tradition — and no one temple is settled as the answer. Do not memorise a single name as "the oldest temple".
Which state is called the Temple State of India?
Tamil Nadu, because of its thousands of ancient Dravidian-style temples.
What is the difference between Char Dham and Chota Char Dham?
The Char Dham is the national circuit — Puri, Rameswaram, Dwarka and Badrinath — consolidated by Adi Shankaracharya in the 8th century. The Chota Char Dham is a separate circuit entirely inside Uttarakhand — Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath. Badrinath is the only temple in both.
How many Shakti Peethas are there, and are they all in India?
There are 51 Shakti Peethas by the most commonly accepted tradition, and they are spread across India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Tibet — not all of them are in India.
Which temples in India are UNESCO World Heritage Sites?
Eleven temple sites: Ellora (1983), Konark and Mahabalipuram (1984), Khajuraho and Hampi (1986), Pattadakal and the Chola temples at Thanjavur (1987), Mahabodhi (2002), Ramappa (2021) and the Hoysala ensembles (2023), with the Chola extension in 2004.
When was the Ram Temple in Ayodhya consecrated?
On 22 January 2024.
Related topics: revise UNESCO World Heritage Sites in India 2026, UNESCO Tentative List of India 2026, States and Capitals of India 2026, Festivals of India State-wise and Folk Paintings and Crafts of India State-wise next. Also see Famous Forts in India: State-wise List with Builders (2026). Also see Famous Caves in India: State-wise List (Ajanta, Ellora, Bhimbetka) (2026).
Practice Next
- Test yourself: SSC CGL General Awareness Sectional Mock Test 01
- More GA practice: SBI Clerk General Awareness Mock Test 01
- Heritage notes: GI Tags in India 2026 and Classical Dances of India and Their States
- More lists: First in India List, List of Governors and Chief Ministers of Indian States 2026 and Martial Arts of India State-wise
- Static GK base: Static GK for SSC CGL
- More free notes: All Study Notes
Sources: UNESCO World Heritage Centre (whc.unesco.org) — India documents and site listings; PracticeMock, Vajiram, BYJU's, Jagran Josh, csewhy, VisitIndia and Shiv Kavar Samiti for the Jyotirlinga, Char Dham and Shakti Peetha lists. Bhoramdeo place and epithet re-confirmed at drafting against kawardha.gov.in. As of 7 November 2026.