After a wonderful combination of art and religion, these well-known temples in South India are now an incredible representation of India’s rich cultural history.
Take a look at some of the best architectural works that have been produced throughout thousands of years by historical dynasties in honour of the ones who created and preserved this magnificent planet.
For hundreds of years, the only types of tourism that took place in India were spiritual and religious. Millions of devotees still travel to these amazing, well-known temples in South India each year in search of moksha and inner tranquillity.
11 Famous Temples of South India
Here, we have provided the details and timings of the famous temple in South India. You must visit all these temples while travelling to a beautiful South Indian state.
1. Brihadishvara Temple

Brihadishvara temple, known as Rajarajeshwaram, locally known as Thanjai Periya Kovil and Peruvudaiyar Kovil, is a Vedic Hindu temple dedicated to the god Shiva and is located on the south bank of the Cauvery River in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, India. recently celebrated its 1000th anniversary of establishment.
It is a well-known UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most popular temples in South India, constructed by the legendary Chola dynasty.
This temple is recorded as one of the largest Hindu temples and an exemplar of fully realised Tamil architecture. It is called Dakshina Meru.
Address | Membalam Road, Balaganapathy Nagar, Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, 613007 |
Timings | 6:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.; 4:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. |
Dedicated To | Lord Shiva |
2. Ramanathaswamy Temple

This temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva It was constructed during the 17th century on Rameswaram Island in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. It is also one of the 12 Jyotirlinga temples.
An interesting fact about this temple is that it has the longest corridor among all Hindu temples in India.
Address | Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu, India. |
Timings | 5:00 a.m. to 1:00 PM; 3:00 PM to 9:00 p.m |
Dedicated To | Lord Shiva |
3. Padmanabhaswamy Temple

This temple is located in Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of Kerala, India. It was built in the 16th century in Kerala and Dravidian architectural styles.
The amazing thing about this is that the name of the city, ‘Thiruvananthapuram’ in Tamil and Malayalam, translates to “The City of Lord Ananta,” which means (The City of Lord Vishnu) referring to the main deity of the temple.
Address | West Nada, Fort, East Fort, Pazhavangadi, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala |
Timings | 3:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon; 5:00 PM to 8:30 p.m |
Dedicated To | Lord Vishnu |
4. Ranganathaswamy Temple

Srirangam is the foremost of the eight self-manifested shrines (Swayam Vyakta Kshetras) of Lord Vishnu. Of all of the 108 main Vishnu temples, this is the first and foremost. Thriuvaranga Tirupati, Periyakoli, Bhoologa Vaikundam and Bhogamandabam are the names that are also known for this temple. The term “KOIL” in Vaishnava parlance signifies the temple only.
The temple is immense and was constructed in the 6th century AD in traditional Dravidian architecture.
Ranganathaswamy Temple was constructed in the 6th century AD as a tribute to Lord Ranganatha (a form of Lord Vishnu). Built in traditional Dravidian architecture, early Tamil literary texts described this temple as an important Divya Desam dedicated to Lord Vishnu.
Address | Srirangam, Tiruchirappalli and Tamil Nadu |
Timings | 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., 1:15 p.m. to 6 p.m., 6:45 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. |
Dedicated To | Ranganatha (Vishnu), Ranganayaki (Lakshmi) |
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5. Kailasanathar Temple

Kailasnathar Temple was built by Rajasimha of the Pallava Dynasty between 685 and 705 AD. This South Indian temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva. Located on the banks of the Vegavathi River, the temple contains 58 shrines to denote the different forms and incarnations of Lord Shiva.
It is one of the oldest surveying monuments and is located in Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu, India.
Address | Pillaiyarpalayam, Karuppadithattadai, Tamil Nadu |
Timings | 6 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. |
Dedicated To | Lord Shiva |
6. Vadakkunnathan Temple

Vadakkunnathan Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Shiva and located in Thrissur city in the state of Kerala. You can see here the temple murals, which are rare to find because this temple is the most famous one today.
Vasukishayana and Nrithanatha murals are of great importance and are worshipped daily. The temple also houses a museum of ancient wall paintings, wood carvings and art pieces from ancient times.
Address | Swaraj Round N, Kuruppam, Thekkinkadu Maidan, Thrissur, Kerala |
Timings | 4:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. to 8:20 p.m. |
Dedicated To | Lord Shiva |
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7. Murudeshwara Temple

Murudeshwar Temple is famous for its unique statue of Lord Shiva, which rises to a height of 123 feet. It is the second-tallest Shiva statue in the world. The temple in Gopura is 20 stories high (249 feet). A lift has been installed inside the gopuram.
From the top of the gopuram, one can see beautiful views all around. When you visit this temple, experience peace, calmness and positivity around the temple.
Address | Murdeshwar, Karnataka |
Timings | 3:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. |
Dedicated To | Lord Shiva |
8. Sri Mahabaleshwara Temple

Sri Mahabaleshwara Temple is an old Shiva temple located in the centre of the town. It is the most attractive and prominent religious site due to its historical and architectural beauty. The temple reflected the classic Dravidian architectural style. The temple has been mentioned in the Hindu myths of the Mahabharata and Ramayana.
Address | Murdeshwar, Karnataka |
Timings | 6:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. |
Dedicated To | Lord Shiva |
9. Sarangapani Temple

Sarangapani Temple is included in three major south Indian temples dedicated to Lord Vishnu. It is believed that this temple was built about 2,000 years ago, as evidenced by its regular prayer in early writing dated to the 7th century AD.
Regarded as one of the 108 Divya desams, the temple is thought to hold a lot of significant artwork from various dynasties, including the Vijaynagar and Chola empires.
Address | Valayapettai Agraharam, Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu |
Timings | 7:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.; 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. |
Dedicated To | Lord Vishnu |
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10. Venkateshwara Temple

The Venkateswara Temple is a popular and most visited temple by devotees. This temple is one of the Pancha Kshethrams where Maha Lakshmi was born.
Sarangapani Temple in Kumbakonam, Oppiliappan Temple in Nachiyar Koil and Sundararaja Perumal Temple are included in Pancha Kshethram.
Address | Valayapettai Agraharam, Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu |
Timings | 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. |
Dedicated To | Venkateswara |
11. Arunachaleswarar Temple

The Arunachaleswara Temple is associated with the five Pancha Bhoota Stalas elements. This temple represents the element fire and Lord Shiva is worshipped here as Atma Lingam.
This temple, also known as the Annamalaiyaer Temple, is one of the largest and tallest temple towers or gopurams.
Address | Valayapettai Agraharam, Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu |
Timings | 5:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.; 3:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. |
Dedicated To | Lord Shiva |
In this post, we have covered the best 11 temples in South India. Read about this temple and the timings of the temple before visiting it. If you have any doubts regarding this, then let us know in the comment section.
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