12 famous and beautiful Hindu Temples outside India

1. Angkor Wat, Cambodia – The largest religious monument in the World.

Angkor Wat (‘City/Temple Capital’) is Cambodia’s temple complex and the world’s largest religious building, covering 162.6 hectares. Originally built by King Suryavarman II as a Hindu temple dedicated to the Khmer god Vishnu, it was gradually converted into a Buddhist temple towards the end of the 12th century. Therefore, it is also called a “Hindu Buddhist” temple.

2. Pashupatinath Temple – The largest Temple complex in Nepal.

This main temple is built in the Nepalese pagoda style of architecture. All the features of the pagoda style are found here like cubic constructions and beautifully carved wooden rafters on which they rest (tundal). 

There are several complex stories involving the origins of Pashupatinath. One story goes, in brief, that Shiva and Parvati came to the Kathmandu Valley and rested by the Bagmati while on a journey. Shiva was so impressed by its beauty and the surrounding forest that he and Parvati changed themselves into deer and walked into the forest. Many spots in the Kathmandu Valley have been identified as places where Shiva went during his time as a deer. After a while, the people and gods began to search for Shiva. Finally, after various complications, they found him in the forest, but he refused to leave. More complications ensued, but ultimately Lord Shiva announced that, since he had lived by the Bagmati river in a deer’s form, he would now be known as Pashupatinath, Lord of all animals. It is said that whoever came here and beheld the lingam that appeared there would not be reborn as an animal.

3. 9th century Prambanan Temple in Indonesia decorated with reliefs illustrating the epic of the Ramayana.

Prambanan is a 9th-century Hindu temple complex in the Special Region of Yogyakarta, Indonesia, dedicated to Trimurti, a representation of God as Creator (Brahma), Maintainer (Vishnu) and Destroyer (Shiva). It is The temple site is located about 17 kilometres northeast of Yogyakarta city on the border of Central Java and Yogyakarta provinces.

4. Sri Subramaniar Swamy Devasthanam, Batu Caves, Malaysia.

Malaysia’s Batu Cave Temples stand out as a monumental focus of the important contribution made by Indian settlers to the development of Malaya and subsequent Malaysia (1963). His 113-year-old main temple dedicated to Lord Subramania (Kartikeya) is located in a cave about 400 feet above the ground.

Bukit Batu, Temple Cave, the main cave in the hills known as Rocky Hills. The name is derived from the name of a nearby river known as Sungai Batu, a rocky river in Malay, the national language of Malaysia.

5. BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir (Neasden Temple) in London.

BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir (commonly known as Neasden Temple) is a Hindu temple in Neasden, London, England. The Swaminarayan Mandir is said to be Britain’s first authentic Hindu temple built entirely using traditional methods and materials. It was also the first traditional Hindu stone temple in Europe, as opposed to a converted secular building. Part of the Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) organization, in 1995 it was inaugurated by Pramukh Swami Maharaj. The temple complex also consists of a permanent exhibition titled “Understanding Hinduism” and a cultural centre with a meeting hall, gymnasium, bookstore and offices.

6. The BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Robbinsville, USA.

One of the highlights of a visit to the Mandir is to witness the midday Arti ceremony performed daily at 11:15 AM. It is an ancient Hindu offering made by waving lighted wicks before the sacred images to the accompaniment of a musical prayer. Many visitors have described the experience as awe-inspiring.

7. Sri Siva Subramaniya Swami Mandir in Nadi, Fiji – The largest Hindu temple in the Southern hemisphere.

The Sri Siva Subramaniya Temple is a Hindu temple in Nadi, Fiji. It is the largest Hindu temple in the Pacific. It is at the southern end of the main road through Nadi.

8. Hinglaj Mata Mandir – One of the 51 Shakti Peethas in the Lasbela district of Balochistan.

In Balochistan, Pakistan, Hinglaj is a significant Hindu pilgrimage site (devi mandir) and the Kuldevi of many Kshatriya, Charan, Rajpurohit, and other Hindu Communities in India. It is 250 kilometres west-northwest of Karachi in the Balochistan province. The largest Hindu pilgrimage site in Pakistan, the Shri Hinglaj Mata mandir, is situated here.

9. Dhakeshwari Temple in Dhaka is the National Temple of Bangladesh and one of the 51 Shakti Peethas.

The Dhakeshwari (Durga) temple was built in the 12th century by Ballal Sen, a king of the Sena dynasty, and it is said that the city of Dhaka was named after the Goddess. The current architectural style of the temple cannot be dated to that period because of the numerous repairs, renovations and rebuilding which have taken place over time. It is considered an essential part of Dhaka’s cultural heritage.

10. Parasakthi Patchaiamman Temple, Malaysia.

After the Garuda Wisnu Kencana Statue in Indonesia and the Kailashnath Mahadev Statue in Nepal, the Lord Murugan Statue, which represents Murugan, is the highest statue of a Hindu deity in Malaysia and the third largest in the world. With a height of 42.7 metres (140 feet), it is also Malaysia’s highest statue. At the base of Batu Caves, at the Sri Murugan Perumal Kovil, is where you may find it. The building process took three years, and it was unveiled in January 2006 during the Thaipusam holiday.

11. Pathirakali Amman Temple in Trincomalee, Eastern Province of Sri Lanka.

Pathirakali Amman Temple, also known as Pathirakali Ambal Kovil or the Kali Kovil, is a Hindu temple in Trincomalee, Eastern Province, Sri Lanka, dedicated to the goddess Bhadrakali, a manifestation of the goddess Kali Amman. The Kali temple of the historic Trincomalee Koneswaram Temple Compounds is close to the Trincomalee Hindu College. It is part of a sizable network of interconnected shrines in the Trincomalee Konesar Malai neighbourhood.

12. Tanah Lot Temple, Bali, Indonesia.

The temple is situated near Tabanan, about 20 kilometres northwest of Denpasar, on a sizable offshore rock that the ocean tide has continuously moulded over the years. Dang Hyang Nirartha, who lived in the sixteenth century, is credited with creating Tanah Lot. He chose to stop for the night at rock island after passing it while travelling along the south coast. The next evening, Nirartha spent the night on the tiny island. Later, he spoke to the fishermen and instructed them to erect a shrine on the rock since, in his opinion, it was a sacred location to honour the Balinese sea gods. Dewa Baruna, also known as Bhatara Segara, is the temple’s primary deity. Nirartha is also worshipped there.

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