Top 7 Famous Temples Dedicated to Lord Vishnu & His Avatars
Lord Vishnu is the Protector of the universe. He was born as a dwarf, in the form of 12th Aditya, to Kashyap and Aditi. He is seen having four hands that hold Sanhka, Lotus flower, Gada, and chakra, respectively. He had dwelled in the Vaikunth river on a bed made of thousand serpents. According to Hindu Mythology, Lord Vishnu is the saviour of the universe, and it is why he visits the earth in many avatars. Vaishnavism is a tradition followed by a large number of Hindu devotees. Many temples have been built all over the world in honour of Lord Vishnu and his avatars.
Badrinath Temple, Badrinath:
Badrinath Temple is situated at the height of about 3133 metres along the banks of the Alaknanda River in the Garhwal hills of the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand. Noticeably it is one of the holiest shrines of Lord Vishnu and is one of the religious pilgrimage places of Char Dham Yatra. The temple houses a Vishnu statue which is believed to be found by Adi Shankaracharya from the waters of the Alaknanda River during the eighth century. Over the years, Badrinath has been renowned as the sacred ground where Goddess Lakshmi sheltered Vishnu in the form of a Badri tree. Now, this is a place where people meditate for Lord Vishnu. Due to harsh weather conditions and its geographical location, Badrinath Temple is open for Darshan only during the summer months of May to October every year.
Ranganathaswamy Temple, Srirangam:
Ranganathaswamy Temple, also known as Thiruvarangam of Srirangam, is the largest Hindu temple in the world, dedicated to Lord Ranganatha. Being built on 156 acres, it is the first Vaishnava temple in South India, constructed over an island formed by rivers Kavery and Coleroon. This temple houses the self-manifested Vishnu murti, the largest complex in the world and has the tallest royal tower in South India. This temple has great historical values and is linked to religious scholars like Ramanuja.
Padmanabhaswamy Temple, Trivandrum:
Padmanabhaswamy Temple is located in Trivandrum.It is one of the oldest temples of Kerala, aesthetically built in a mixed Kerala and Tamil format. In Fact the capital of Kerala,Thiruvananthapuram's name was derived from the city of Lord Anantha after this temple came into existence. This temple houses the idol of Lord Vishnu relaxing in a yogic sleep posture of Anantha Shayanam on Adiseshan. It is one of the holy sites of Vaishnavism in South India bonded with Adikesava Perumal Temple at Kanyakumari and Ananthapuram Temple in Kasargod. It is the richest Hindu temple in the world. Here the deity is known to be the guardian deity of the Travancore royal family.
Venkateswara Temple, Tirumala:
Venkateswara Temple is a very important Vaishnavism temple located in Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh.Here Lord Sri Venkateswara's idol can be seen in a standing position facing the east. This temple, which had been built in Dravidian architecture, is one of the richest temples in India. According to Hindu Mythology, this site has been termed 'Kaliyuga Vaikuntam', where Lord Venkateswara shall serve humanity till the end of Kalyug. This temple is believed to be thronged by about 50 million people every year.
Jagannath Temple, Puri:
Jagannath Temple is located in the coastal town of Odisha at Puri.It is one of the most sacred Vaishnava temples dedicated to Lord Jagannath. This important pilgrimage destination for Lord Sri Krishna is famous for its Rath Yatra. Here the triad of idols of Lord Krishna and Balaram and Subhadra are taken in procession for 3 km from the temple to Gundicha Temple in Giant decorated chariot of about 45 ft height and 35 square feet. The devotees pull this chariot. According to Adi Shankaracharya, it is the first place to be visited as a part of Char Dham Yatra, followed by Ramanathaswamy Temple, Dwarkadhish Temple and Badrinath Temple. Besides its religious importance, the temple is also known for the spiritual abode for many saints like Ramanuja, Adi Shankaracharya, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu etc.
Dwarkadhish Temple, Dwarka:
Jagat Mandir also known as Dwarkadhish Temple is located on the west coast of Gujarat in Dwarka.It was built about 2000 years ago by Lord Krishna's son Vajranabha. This temple is dedicated to Lord Krishna. Sri Krishna, the eighth and most loved avatars of Lord Vishnu, ruled the kingdom of Dwarka during the Dwapara Yuga. This architectural miracle five-story building has astounding seventy-two pillars.The were modified in Chalukya architectural style in the 16th century and is now one of India's four major pilgrimages. So ensure to visit this Vishnu idol once your lifetime to experience peace & calmness.
Ramanathaswamy Temple, Bhadrachalam:
Ramanathaswamy Temple is located on the banks of Godavari River.It is a famous temple dedicated to another most revered avatar of Lord Vishnu i.e. Lord Rama. This houses the idol of Lord Rama in Vaikuntha form, with four arms, along with Sita and Laxman. It is believed that here Lord Rama once forgot that they were in the avatar of a human and granted darshan to Bhadra.
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