India is a diverse country. Individuals of varied castes, classes, and faiths reside harmoniously in the Indian subcontinent. Hence, it would not be wrong to assume that the art and architecture produced by each region, although similar in some senses, have varied features. Take for example the Hindu Temple architecture. Each region, whether it be the North Indian belt or southern India has different designs and ornamentation. However, the one thing that unites them all is the religion – Hinduism. Today, we set these boundaries aside and talk about the top 10 tallest temple in the world.
Tallest Hindu Temple In The World
The Hindu religion is the third largest in the country, right behind Christianity and Islam. India accounts for 94% global Hindu population, amounting to 1.1 billion. Hence, it is sufficient to say that India is predominantly a Hindu-populated country. No wonder we have over 6.48 lakh Hindu temples to accommodate the religious needs of the large Hindu population. The state of Tamil Nadu has the largest number of Hindu temples, approximately 79 thousand. While this list undoubtedly chronicles the top 10 tallest temple in the world, we go by the height of the gopuram. The gopuram is the entrance tower to the temple precinct and is often ornate with effigies of sacred symbols and icons.
Murudeshwar Temple Karnataka
The tallest temple in the world, the Murudeshwar Shiva Temple was built in the 16th century by King Tuluva Narasa Nayaka. While it was not the tallest during its time of formation, it was renovated and expanded by several dynasties – the Vijayanagara Empire, the Keladi Nayakas, and the Wadiyar Empire. The Murudeshwar Temple towers at a record height of 249 ft. and is dedicated to Lord Shiva in his avatar Sri Mridesa Linga, alternatively called Murudeshwar. The temple’s gopuram was made into a magnificent 20-storied monument, accessible by a lift.
Ranganathaswamy Temple Tamil Nadu
Dedicated to the deity Vishnu in his avatar, Ranganathaswamy, the Ranganathaswamy Temple Srirangam reaches a height of 239.501 ft. It is the most important and the holiest temple of the ‘Ranganatha kshetrams’. The other two which form the part of the holy trinity are – Ranganathaswamy Temple Srirangapatna and Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple Shivanasamudra. The temple was built under the reign of the Chola ruler, Dharamvarma. However, with the flooding caused by the Kaveri River, the Ranganathaswamy Temple had to be rebuilt under the supervision of another Chola ruler Killivalavan.
Annamalaiyar Temple Tiruvannamalai
The Annamalaiyar Temple Thiruvannamalai boasts a height of 216.5 ft. It was built by several Chola rulers in the 9th century between 850 CE to 1280 CE. It was renovated and expanded under the supervision of the Sangama Dynasty, Saluva Dynasty, and Tuluva Dynasty. The temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva. The Annamalaiyar Temple is also known as Arunachalesvara Temple as it is located at the foot of the Arunachala hills.
Srivilliputhur Andal Temple Tamil Nadu
The Srivilliputhur Andal Temple towers at a height of 193.5 ft. While the entire compound was built by Tribuvana Chakravarthy Konerinmai Kondan Kulasekaran, the Andal temple and the gopuram were built by Barathi Rayar of the Vijayanagar Empire. One of the 108 ‘Divya Desams’, the temple is a marvel of Dravidian architecture. It features the effigies of Lord Vishnu and his consort Lakshmi in the form of Vatapatrasayi and Andal respectively.
Ulagalantha Perumal Temple Thirukovilur
Another one of the ‘Divya Desams’, the Ulagalantha Perumal Temple Tirukoyilur stands at a height of 192 ft. It is one of the three ‘Divya Desams’ to be dedicated to Ulangalantha Perumal; the other two being – Ulagalantha Perumal Temple Kanchipuram and Thiruvikrama Perumal Temple. The Ulagalantha Perumal Temple at Thirukovilur was built during the medieval Chola periods by Malayaman Malayarayan chieftains, with later contributions by the Vijayanagara Empire and Madurai Nayaks.
Ekambareswarar Temple Kanchipuram
The Ekambareswarar temple Kanchi boasts a height of 190 ft. It was built by the rulers of the Pallava dynasty. However, it was soon scrapped and rebuilt by Chola leaders. The 11-storied gopuram was sanctioned by Krishnadevarya of the Vijayanagara empire. Since the Vijayanagar emperor. The Madras merchant and philanthropist, Vallal Pachaiyappa Mudaliar made significant contributions to the Ekambareswarar Temple at Kanchipuram. However, since he had to travel from Chennai to Kanchi for worshipping, he sanctioned and built the Ekambareswarar Temple Chennai to save time. The temple worships Shiva as Ekambareswarar/Ekambaranathar/Rajlingeswaram and his consort Parvati as Elavarkuzhali.
Kallazhagar Temple Madurai
The seven-storied gopuram of Kallazhagar Temple towers at a height of 187 ft. Hindus from all over the world come to this ‘Divya Desam’ to worship Lord Vishnu and his consort Lakshmi in their respective avatars of Kallalagar and Thirumagal. The temple is believed to have been made between the 6th to 9th centuries under the Pandya emperors. It also features contributions from the Nayak emperors from the Vijayanagar dynasty in the 16th century.
Kasi Viswanathar Temple Tenkasi
The Kasi Viswanathar Temple in Tenkasi stands at a height of 180 ft. Apart from the fact that the temples feature the effigies of deities, Lord Shiva as Kasi Viswanathar and Parvati as Ulagamman, the Kasi Viswanathar Temple Tenkasi must not be confused with Kasi Viswanathar Temple Kumbakonam. This Kasi Viswanathar Temple features a seven-tiered gopuram. The temple was built by the 13th-century Pandyan emperor, Parakrama Pandyan. The structure was later modified by Madurai Nayaks.
Sarangapani Temple Kumbakonam
The Sarangapani Temple at Kumbakonam features an eleven-storied rajagopuram at a height of 171 ft. One of the ‘Divya Desams’, the temple worships Lord Vishnu as his avatar Sarangapani and Lakshmi as Komalavalli. The Sarangapani Temple was built by the medieval Chola empire. The Vijayanagar Empire also made significant contributions to the temple’s compound. In the 16th century, the Madurai Nayaks renovated the temple for the final time. It is currently administered by The Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department of the Government of Tamil Nadu.
Meenakshi Amman Temple Madurai
The Madurai Meenakshi Amman Temple stands at a height of 170 ft. The temple was built in the 6th century CE by the Pandyan king, Kulasekara Pandya. When the Delhi Sultanate looted the temple in the 14th century, the temple was renovated by the Vijayanagar empire. In the 17th century, it was expanded upon by the Madurai Nayaks, most notably, Vishwanatha Nayakar. The temple is a worship centre of Shakti’s incarnation Meenakshi.
Image Courtesy – The Gaudiya Treasures of Bengal
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