Temples in Chennai

Temples in Chennai are integral and fascinating part of the history, culture and tradition of the country. Chennai is a city of temples, since it is surrounded by several Hindu Temples. Your trip to Chennai will never be complete unless you plan your tour to these temples. Chennai, formerly known as Madras, is the capital of the state of Tamil Nadu and is India's fourth largest metropolitan city. It is located on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal. This 368-year-old city has an estimated population of 6.91 million.

The temples of Chennai reflect the splendor of culture, religion and architecture of Tamil state. The architecture of the ancient temples upholds the country's ancient, rich and splendid culture. These temples some of which are 1700 years old, exhibit intricate carving and sculptures bearing testimony to the craftsmanship and creativity of the artisans, sculptors and artists of ancient India.

The Chola and Pallava art and architecture rules the horizon of the entire state. The Chola kings of the 9th c AD built temples of imposing height in granite. The sanctum sanctorum where the deities were placed in corner as prescribed in the ritual treatises, were specially built with rich embellishments in valuable substance.

It was Rajaraja Chola who constructed the most impressive of the south Indian temples – it is 85 meters in height and a marvel of symmetry and structural design. 5 meters high dwarapalas or guardians stand at the entrance. Since the 16th c AD, the gopurams or the entrance towers under the Vijayanagar King Krishna Devaraya started to rise to greater heights as much as 60 meters. They came to be known as rayagopuras or royal towers after his name. The bases of these towers were built of stone and the entire superstructure was of brick and mortar, painted and studded with hundreds of stucco figures.