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8 temples across South India.
A Divya Desam Vishnu temple on the Alagar Hills, 21 km from Madurai, dedicated to Lord Kallazhagar. It is famous for the Chithirai festival, when the deity is carried down from the hills into the Vaigai river to 'meet' his sister Meenakshi ahead of her temple wedding in Madurai.
Ranganatha
One of the 108 Divya Desams — Lord Oppiliappan (Vishnu without blemish) accepts only salt-less food offerings and no Tulsi (holy basil) — unique restrictions found nowhere else. The presiding Goddess Komalavalli (Lakshmi) is said to have manifested here. The temple's beautiful pond and serene atmosphere make it special.
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.
Krishna
One of the 108 Divya Desams and among the largest temple complexes in Tamil Nadu (covering 23 acres). Lord Rajagopalaswamy (Krishna as king of cowherds) presides here with three consorts — Komalavalli, Madhuravaani, and Sridevi. The temple's 11-tier rajagopuram is 59 metres tall.
The largest functioning Hindu temple complex in the world, spanning around 156 acres across seven concentric enclosures and 21 gopurams, and foremost among the 108 Divya Desams of Lord Vishnu. Lord Ranganatha is worshipped here in his reclining form, and the temple's Vaikunta Ekadasi festival draws vast crowds each year.
One of the tallest gopurams in South India (45 metres, 11 tiers) and the most important Divya Desam in Kumbakonam. Lord Sarangapani (Vishnu holding a bow/sarangu) reclines here in the posture of a patient cured of illness — a rare form of Vishnu.
Padmanabha
A modern Lakshmi temple near Vellore with an intricate golden structure, reportedly covered in around 1,500 kg of gold, set within a 100-acre spiritual park landscaped with reflecting pools and gardens. Completed in 2007, it has become one of Tamil Nadu's most visited spiritual and architectural landmarks.
One of the 108 Divya Desams, located on the banks of the Tamirabharani river near Tuticorin. The presiding deity Vaikuntanatha (Vishnu) is in a unique standing posture (a rare form called Thayar Sannidhi). The Shanmukha Nadhi is a sacred water channel here.
