Vadapalani Andavar Murugan Temple

The most important Shiva temple in Chennai, located in the ancient neighbourhood of Mylapore. The colourful 37-metre gopuram is a Chennai landmark. The temple is associated with the legend of Parvati worshipping Shiva in the form of a peacock (mayil).

The oldest active temple in Chennai, dating to the 8th century CE (Pallava period). Lord Parthasarathy (Krishna as Arjuna's charioteer) is one of the only deities who is depicted with battle scars on his face — a unique form seen nowhere else. One of the 108 Divya Desams.

One of the most important goddess temples in the Chennai region, dedicated to Goddess Kamakshi (Parvati as the love-eyed goddess). Located 20 km from Chennai centre, the temple draws massive crowds on Fridays and Navratri. The Goddess Kamakshi here is said to have done penance by sitting in fire (agni) — hence the fire pit in the temple.

A UNESCO World Heritage Site — a 8th-century Pallava-era granite temple complex standing on the shores of the Bay of Bengal. One of the oldest structural stone temples of South India, dedicated to Shiva and Vishnu. The setting at sunset with the sea behind is extraordinary.