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I've been planning my third trip to Tamil Nadu for most of this year now and have used the above website extensively to plan my temple trek.

Thought I'd post it here since there are many questions on temple towns and their temples.

I have found the site to be a wealth of information -- for example, if you click on Madurai, you get lots of good stuff.

I'll make it a sticky at the top of this forum so enjoy....

If you want to see a very special temple in Tamil Nadu with a vividly decorated Gopuram (characteristic entrance gate of south Indian temples) go to Abhishekam Koil which is south of Pondicherry on the way towards Cuddalore. You go for about 5 kms on the beach road, and then take a right towards Abhishekam. In town you should ask for the temple because it is hidden away in forest. It is hardly ever visited by tourists. Only locals seem to know about it.

I have looked for it on the lists of your link, but did not find it there.

thanks for fixing the link!

This is articulately and amazing with it's depth of knowledge. I must for serious spiritual seekers of temples and their histories.
Shundahai, gregor

I'll check out that link.

My 3 daughters and I are going to India in Feb. and March. We really are interested in visiting several Hindu temples.

I have a list of temples in Mathura and Vrindavan to visit, but have not really gotten any info on any in Agra or Delhi that we should go to....any suggestions?

Blessings
Ginger

We visited three really beautiful temples in Delhi,
- Lakshmi Narayan temple, also known as Birla Mandir, a Vishnu temple
- ISKCON temple of the Hara Krishna movement, they also have a show about the Vedas which is ab bit strange but interesting. They have a great vegetarian restaurant and a bookstore, and the aarti at night is very fascinating.
Akshardhan temple, which is a new temple, it was inaugurated in 2005 ans it is amazinz, huge, wonderful.It is the biggest temple ground in India.Unfortunately you cannot take photographs inside. I posted one which I took from far-away. I loved this place and I am astonished that not more people go to see it. You can watch a movie about its inauguration on youtube.
Enjoy, it is really worthwhile visiting these three temples!

thanks so much for those suggestions Paratmoshe, I am writing those down in my notes for our trip!

Blessings
Ginger

I guess you mean Feb / March 2010? Are you still seeking information and are you planning to go to Vrindavan?

Yes Feb./ Mar. 2010. And Yes we do plan to go to Vrindavan. Maybe 2 different days and we do plan to be there for the Holi festival on March 1st...but we may visit that area one of our first days on the trip also.

Blessings,
GInger

Well it can get very busy during Holi regarding accomodaton, so identifying that well ahead will be to your advantage. Holi in Braj, the area around Vrindavan, a large area is spread over two weeks, culminating on the full moon in Mathura/Vrindavan, so you can check dates according to the Moon.

Of course VVN is not only Hare Krishna, as i'm sure you are well aware and has many facets to its' culture, architecture and faith, being as it is the centre of Vaishnava worship, which is Bhakti. This Bhakti manifests in many ways, one of which is Holi - being drenched in the colours of Radha's love for Krishna.

I won't go on about it, but what are you keen to experience?

Sama, you might like these too:
http://www.tamilnation.org/culture/a...ure/temple.htm
http://www.templepages.com/maps.html
http://www.indiantemplesportal.com/t...u-temples.html
http://tamilelibrary.org/ for history of the temples

Also check http://dharsanam.blogspot.com

Hi All I'm going to Mumbai in 18 days.I am wondering what is proper etiquette for female with male INR Hindu in temple? Please respond.

Thanks

ulala - wear a decent dress that covers you up properly, cover your head when in the temple, be discreet and respectful to the deity.

Lakshmi Narayan Mandir/Birla Mandir is more or less a tourist temple. There is no large population of hindus around this temple, therefore it is not very crowded. That does change on festivals when throngs visit it.

Temples like Chhatarpur Durga temple, the Jhandewalan Durga temple, the various Hanuman temples (Connought Place, and Nigambodh Ghat), etc. are always crowded.

Swaminarayan temple is not really a hindu temple, it belongs to a sect which is diametrically opposite to main-line hinduism.