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The Daily Insight

How many ancient temples are there in Tamil Nadu?

Author

Michael Gray

Updated on March 30, 2026

33,000 ancient temples
Nearly 33,000 ancient temples, many at least 800 to 2000 years old, are found scattered all over Tamil Nadu. As per Tamil Nadu Hindu Endowments Board, there are 38,615 temples. Most of the largest Hindu Temples reside here.

Why is Tamil Nadu famous for its temples?

The former capital of the Pallavas, this city is famous not only for its silk but also for its temples and its great religious fervour. The city has five main temples, of which two are dedicated to Shiva (including Kailasanatha), two to Vishnu, and one is dedicated to Goddess Parvati, Shiva’s wife.

Which is the highest temple in Tamil Nadu?

Ranganathaswamy Temple
Tallest Gopurams

RankTempleLocation
1Ranganathaswamy Temple, Raja GopuramSrirangam, Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, India
2Murdeshwara TempleMurdeshwar, Karnataka, India
3Annamalaiyar Temple East Gopuram (Raja Gopuram)Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu, India
4Srivilliputhur Andal TempleSrivilliputhur, Tamil Nadu, India

Who built temple in Tamil Nadu?

The South Indian style is most fully realized in the splendid Bṛhadīśvara temple at Thanjāvūr, built about 1003–10 by Rājarāja the Great, and the great temple at Gaṅgaikoṇḍacōḻapuram, built about 1025 by his son Rājendra Cōla.

Which is the tallest temple in Tamil Nadu?

Which is taller Murudeshwar temple or Qutub Minar?

Fact-Check: No, the Gopuram at Murudeshwar is not taller than Qutub Minar. He additionally claimed that the gopuram is 249 ft tall and the Qutub Minar is only 238 ft tall.

Which temple has largest gopuram?

Which gopuram is highest in Tamilnadu?

Tallest Gopurams

RankTempleLocation
1Ranganathaswamy Temple, Raja GopuramSrirangam, Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, India
2Murdeshwara TempleMurdeshwar, Karnataka, India
3Annamalaiyar Temple East Gopuram (Raja Gopuram)Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu, India
4Srivilliputhur Andal TempleSrivilliputhur, Tamil Nadu, India

How many temples are there in Tamil Nadu?

This is a list of temples in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, known as the Land of Tamils. Nearly 33,000 ancient temples, many at least 800 to 5000 years old, are found scattered all over the state. As per Tamil Nadu Hindu Endowments Board, there are 38615 temples.

What is Tamil Nadu famous for?

The state of Tamil Nadu is famous for its shrines, world heritage sites , hill stations, waterfalls, national parks, local cuisine and the remarkable flora and fauna and picturesque natural beauty. The state is home to some of the most outstanding temple architecture in India and a living tradition of music, dance, folk arts and handicrafts.

Which is the temple city of Tamilnadu?

Madurai city is the holy place located in Tamilnadu. It is popularly called temple city of Tamilnadu. The first well grown city of Tamilnadu is Chennai, next to Chennai is Madurai. As per Indian history the age of Madurai city is 2500 years. The temple city is popularly called Athens of the East.

What is the area of Tamil Nadu?

Geography of Tamil Nadu. Tamil Nadu is the eleventh largest state in India and covers an area of 130,058 square kilometres (50,216 sq mi).