It is common knowledge that Southern India finds a lot of favor with international and local tourists because of their varied geography. That means you get to experience the perfect vacation in the hills and at the beachside, within the span of a day. What’s relatively unknown is that south India abounds with pilgrimage destinations that date back to the 3rd century B.C. Here are top 3 pilgrimage destinations in South India.
1-Tirupati
Not many know that the Tirupati temple is the most visited and the second richest pilgrim destination in the world. Tirupati Mandir is devoted to Lord Venkateshwara, or “The Supreme God” The temple is located on top of the 853m high Tirumala Hills town and is visited by 50,000-100,000 pilgrims daily. The temple was commissioned in the 7th century A.D. by Pallava ruler Sri Kandavan Perundevi and is today managed by its own Board of Trustees. The Temple is believed to receive more than 12 billion INR every year in aids and grants. The temple is sectioned into separate wings such as Vimanam, Bangaru Vakili, Garbha Gruha and Annamaya.
2-Mahabalipuram
Named after the famous ancient king, Mahabali, Mahabalipuram is famous for its rock cut cave temples devoted to various deities. Mahabalipuram’s temples are exceptionally novel in design and architecture and bear a strong influence of the Pallava dynasty which had them built in the 7th century A.D. Apart from its beautiful temples, Mamallapuram (Mahabalipuram’s other name) is equally popular for its sparkling beaches lined up with casuarinas trees. It’s a good place to shop too, is Mahabalipuram, and you can land a more than a decent bargain on antiques or souvenirs.
3-Thanjavur
Also called Tanjore, Thanjavur was made popular by the Chola rulers in the 11th century. The city of Thanjavur was previously the Mecca of culture and learning and is, today, the Rice Bowl of South India. The city, to its credit, is also the home to the melodious Carnatic music, beautiful silk sarees and Tanjore paintings.
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