Rameshwaram temple

City: Rameshwaram
State: Tamil Nadu
Location: South India
Year of Construction: 17th Century
Type of Construction: Ancient
Type of Building: Temple
Dedicated To: Lord Shiva
Religion: Hinduism
Importance: According to the Hindu mythology i.e. the story of Ramayana Lord Rama performed thanksgiving rituals to Lord Shiva after the battle at Sri Lanka and his triumph over the demon king Ravana. Owing to this Rameshwaram attracts Vaishnavites (worshippers of Lord Vishnu) and Saivites (worshippers of Lord Shiva) alike.
Famous For: The Linga of Sri Ranganatha, A Pilgrimage To Kashi Is Not Considered Complete Without A Pilgrimage To Rameshwaram.
Accommodation: Accommodation is available at the moderate and economy class hotels, devasthanam cottages and choultries in Rameshwaram.
Accessibility: The nearest airport is at Madurai, at a distance of 154-km. Rameshwaram is well connected by trains from all the major cities of India. State transport buses are available from the railway station to the various places in and around Rameshwaram. For local transportation taxis, auto-rickshaws, cycle-rickshaws and tongas are available. Also city bus service is available in the island.

Madurai Meenakshi Temple

City: Madurai
State: Tamil Nadu
Location: South India
Year of Construction: 16th to the 18th Century
Constructed By: The Pandyan King, Kulasekhara
Type of Construction: Ancient
Type of Building: Temple
Dedicated To: Lord Shiva
Other Deities: Goddess Meenakshi
Religion: Hinduism
Importance: According to legend Madurai is the actual site where the wedding between Shiva and Meenakshi took place.
Festival: Meenakshi Kalyanam in April-May and the Teppam Festival
Best Time: April-May
Accommodation: There are several reasonably priced clean places to stay in along Town Hall Road and Dindigul Road. The bigger hotels, and there are some pretty good national chains which have deluxe hotels here, are across the Vaigai River to its northern side.
Accessibility: Madurai is connected by air with Mumbai and Chennai. Madurai airport is 10-km away from the city. Madurai has direct rail connections to Bangalore, Coimbatore, Kollam, Chennai, Rameshwaram, Thanjavur, Tiruchirappalli, Tirunelveli, Tirupathi and Tuticorin. There are excellent roads connecting Madurai to all parts of South India. Madurai city has 5 Major Bus Stands- Periyar Bus Stand, Anna Bus Stand, Palanganatham Bus Stand, Arapalayam Bus Stand, and Mattuthavani Bus Stand. From Madurai town buses, suburban buses, taxis, auto rickshaws and cycle rickshaws are available to reach the temple.

Mahabalipuram temples

City: Mahabalipuram
State: Tamil Nadu
Location: South India
Year of Construction: 830 - 1100 AD.
Constructed By: Pallava Dynasty
Type of Construction: Ancient
Type of Building: Temple
Dedicated To: Lord Shiva
Other Deities: Vaishnava
Religion Hinduism

About Mahabalipuram:
The history of Mahabalipuram dates back to two thousand years, it contains nearly forty monuments of different types including an "open air bas relief" which is the largest in the world, for centuries it has been a centre of pilgrimage, it figures in the early annals of the British search for the picturesque in India in the 18th century, today it attracts shoals of foreigners in search of relaxation and sea bathing, and most strange of all, it has an atomic power plant for neighbour. A small library has been written on it. Over its history and that of its monuments a number of scholarly controversies rage.

The proper name of the site is "Mamallapuram", after Mamalla, an honorific of the Pallava king, Narasimha Varman I (630-668), who created the earliest of its monuments. But it is popularly called "Mahabalipuram", or "The city of Bali", whom Lord Vishnu chastised for his pride and of whom there is a relief in one of the excavated temples here.

Temples in Mahabalipuram:
There are, or rather were, two low hills in Mahabalipuram, about 400m from the sea. In the larger one, on both sides, there are eleven excavated temples, called Mandapas, two "open air bas reliefs"; one of which is unfinished, and a third enclosed one. Out of a big rock standing free nearby there is a "cut out" temple, called a "Ratha". This type is unique to Mahabalipuram.

Out of the other hill, much smaller and standing about 200m to the south, are fashioned five more rathas, and three big sculptures of a Nandi, a Loin and an Elephant. On the top of the bigger hill there is a structural temple, and a little distance the magnificent beginnings of a Vijayanagar Gopura and also survivals of what is believed to be a palace.

Kanchipuram temple

Welcome to the city of thousand temples. Kanchipuram district is situated on the north-eastern coast of Tamil Nadu, adjacent to the Bay of Bengal and Chennai city. It is bounded in the west by Vellore and Thiruvannamalai district, in the north by Thiruvallur district and Chennai district, in the south by Villupuram district, in the east by Bay of Bengal. It lies between 11° 00' to 12° 00' North latitudes and 77° 28' to 78° 50' East longitudes. The district has a total geographical area of 4, 43,210 hectares and coastline of 57 Kms.

Kanchipuram, the temple town is the district headquarters. For administrative reasons, the district has been divided into 3 revenue divisions comprising of 8 taluks with 1214 revenue villages. For development reasons, it is divided into 13 development blocks with 648 Village Panchayats.

Kanchipuram was the historical capital of the Pallavas during the 7th - 9th centuries. Kanchipuram is one of the seven sacred cities of India. Kanchipuram is famous for hand-woven silk fabrics and saris. The weavers use the highest quality silk and pure gold thread. Kanchipuram is also known as Silk City. Sankaracharya 'Math' is situated at Kanchipuram.

City: Chennai
State: Tamil Nadu
Location: South India
Altitude Year of Construction: Around 6th and 7th Century
Type of Construction: Ancient
Type of Building: Temple
Religion: Hinduism

Festival: Brahmotsavam -Varadaraja Temple In May; Garuda Sevai- Varadaraja Temple In June; Float Festival -Varadaraja Temple In February And November; Kamakshi Ammam Festival - February; Mahashivaratri Festival - Kailashanatha Temple In February; Panguni Uthiram -Ekambareshwara Temple In March-April.

Accessibility: Chennai is the nearest airport to Kanchipuram. Trains for Kanchipuram are available from Chennai, Chengalpattu, Tirupati, and Bangalore. Kanchipuram is 75-km away from Chennai and is well connected by a network of roads. There are frequent buses from the city to Chennai, Bangalore and other places. For local transportation bicycles can be hired from the shops near the bus stand. Cycle Rickshaws and auto rickshaws are also available on hire to move in and around the city.

Chidambaram temple

Chidambaram is one of the most ancient and most celebrated of shrines in India. It is of great religious as well as historic and cultural significance. Chidambaram is associated with Nataraja or Shiva in his Ananda Tandava pose (the Cosmic Dance of bliss) in the cosmic golden hall and the hall of consciousness (Chit Sabha). The word "Koyil" or temple in the Tamil Saivaite tradition refers to none other than the Chidambaram Nataraja temple.

City: Chidambaram
State: Tamil Nadu
Location: South India
Type of Construction: Ancient
Type of Building: Temple
Other Deities: Kasha Lingam, Sivakami Amman
Religion: Hinduism
Importance: Commemorating the dance duel between the doyens of dance Shiva and Kali is associated with Chidambaram. Shiva is said to have lifted his left foot towards the sky in the Urdhuva Tandava posture, a definite male gesture, which out of adherence to protocol, Kaali could not reciprocate, thereby causing Shiva to emerge victorious, delegating Kaali to the status of a primary deity in another temple in the outskirts of Chidambaram.
Famous For: Temple is known for its Akasa Lingam.
Festival Two annual Bhrammotsavams at Chidambaram are of great significance.
Pooja Schedule: Six worship services are offered in this temple each day at the shrine of Nataraja.
Accommodation: The temple town of Chidambaram is home to the Annamalai University, and it has several modern lodging facilities. The Tamilnadu Tourist Development Corporation operates one of its hotels at Chidambaram.
Accessibility It is well connected with Chennai by a host of train and bus services. By road it is only 235 kilometres South of Chennai. Thanjavur is only about 100 kilometres away from Chidambaram.