Temples in India are not the places of praying & worshiping. It is associated with enlightenment & encourages the involvement of the community. In the olden times, temples were a place of education too.
India is a country that is full of diverse cultures and religions and several traditions. There are numerous famous & richest temples in India that are devoted to different Gods and Deities and people in India visit temples regularly as per their belief.
The temples are built using intricate carvings and massive structures that leave us awe-struck. People worldwide visit these temples looking for spiritual enlightenment and insight.
Richest Temples in India
Every city, town or village in India has a number of temples dedicated to Gods & local deities. These temples are a regular visiting place for locals as well as visitors.
A lot can be learned about the history, art & culture of the place by studying its temples.
Great care, time, effort & precision were taken while building these religious places. Some of the temples date thousands of years back giving us a glimpse of rich culture & heritage of this land.
Here is a list of richest temples in India based on their net worth & annual revenue generated from donation & other sources.
1- Padmanabhaswamy Temple – $ 20 Billion
It is the richest temple in India & one of the richest religious places in the World. It is built in the 8th century & is one of the 108 Vishnu Temples in India. It is believed that Maha Vishnu, the supreme Vishnu resides in Padmanabhaswamy Temple.
A few years back it came into limelight due to the discovery of a huge treasure tucked away in hidden vaults.
An advocate named Ananda Padmanabhan filed an RTI which resulted in a series of events, finally opening the vaults.
Out of two vaults A & B, Vault A was opened & wealth amounting to billions of dollars was recovered from it.
It is even said that the value of treasure recovered from vault A is much bigger than the one recovered from the pyramids. To date Vault B, which is said to have even bigger treasures is remains unopened.
Interesting Fact: In the year 2015, hidden vaults in the temple were open. According to major newspaper reports including Forbes, the estimated value of the treasure was $1 trillion.
- Worth: $ 20 Billion
- Revenue: $60 Million per year
- Daily Visitors – 65,000 to 70,000
- Best time to visit: November to March
- Opening Hours: Monday – Sunday 3:30AM–12PM, 5–8:30PM
- Address: West Nada, East Fort, Pazhavangadi, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala-695023, India
- How to Reach: Thiruvananthapuram is well-connected to major cities of India by roadways, airways, and railways. Thiruvananthapuram is well-connected to other cities by well-connected roads.
Travel Tips for Padmanabhaswamy Temple:
- Only Hindus are allowed to visit the temple
- Only traditional dress is allowed inside the temple premise.
- Strictly no photography
- Gadgets like mobile phones, tablets, laptop or cameras are not allowed inside the temple premise.
2- Tirupati Balaji Temple – Revenue $ 1 Billion
Tirupati Balaji Temple is one of the most visited richest temples in India with about 40 million visitors every year. The temple is dedicated to Lord Venkateshwara, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, and was built around 300 AD.
The temple was built under the reign of Krishnadeva Raya and is the second richest temple in India. Many devotees also shave their heads as an offering to God.
The best time to visit the temple is during the annual festival of Brahmotsavam, which is held in September and it continues for nine days. Janmashtami and Ram Navami are other festivals celebrated in the temple.
It was once regarded as the wealthiest temple in India, until the treasure of Padmanabhaswamy Temple was discovered.
Interesting Fact: The ‘Prasadam’ or offering is a registered Geographical Indicator (GI). It was done to curb the black marketing of the ‘Prasad’.
- Revenue: $1 Billion per year (donations, sell of hair & laddu)
- Daily Visitors – 55,000 to 60,000
- Best time to visit: November to March
- Opening Hours: Monday -Sunday 2:30 AM – 11:00 PM
- Address: S Mada Street, Tirumala, Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh 517504, India
- Average cost per day: Rs. 2200 (Food & stay)
- How to Reach: Tirupati is well-connected to major cities of India by roadways, airways, and railways. Tirupati is well-connected to other cities by well-connected roads. Chennai is the major nearest railway junction.
Travel Tips for Tirupati Balaji Temple:
- Headgear is compulsory inside the temple premises.
- Always make the booking in advance. Tirupati is one of the most visited temples in the world.
- It was considered India’s richest temple until Padmanabhaswamy Temple’s treasure was discovered.
- Avoid planning your trip during weekends, festivals or other important religious days. It gets extremely crowded.
- Only Indian traditional wear is allowed inside the temple. Saree for women & Kurta Pyjama or dhoti for men.
3- Vaishno Devi Mandir –Revenue $ 67 Million
Vaishno Devi temple is located on a mountain named Trikuta at an altitude of 5200 ft.
The temple is devoted to Goddess Shakti and Vaishno Devi is present here in the form of three Pindies or rock heads.
Every year millions of devotees visit the temple to seek the blessings. It comes at the third spot among the richest temples in India.
The temple is open throughout the year and it is said that Maa Vaishno Devi calls her devotees to her doorsteps. The main festival celebrated here is the Navratri that comes twice a year.
Interesting Fact: It is believed that a small stream of river Ganga flows through the cave. The devotees wash their hands & feet before entering the temple.
- Revenue: $ 67 million per year
- Daily Visitors: 60,000-65,000
- Best time to visit: March to October
- Opening Hours: Monday -Sunday 2:30 AM – 11:00 PM
- Address: S Mada Street, Tirumala, Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh 517504, India
- How to Reach: Katra railway station is the nearest railway station to Vaishno Devi base and The nearest airport is at Jammu Tawi. Helicopter rides and electric cars are available till the Vaishno Devi Bhawan.
Travel Tips for Vaishno Devi Temple:
- Carry season-appropriate clothing as during peak summer & winter the weather could be quite challenging.
- Apart from the main temple explore other religious places around Vaishno Devi. There are temples of Lord Bhairavnath, Lord Ganesh & Lord Hanuman nearby.
- It is important to have the ‘Parchi’ or entry pass. It is free and available at the center.
4- Siddhivinayak Temple, Mumbai – Revenue $ 65 Million
This temple is dedicated to Lord Ganesha and is the most prominent temple of Maharashtra that is located in Prabha Devi, Mumbai.
The temple was constructed in 1801 by Vithu Patil and Deubai.
The most prominent feature of this temple is that the trunk of Lord Ganesha is on the right side.
It is believed that your wish will come true if you whisper it into the ear of the statue of Mushak.
Many Bollywood actors visit the temple before the release of their movie.
- Worth: $ 1 Billion
- Revenue: $65 million per year
- Daily Visitors: 50,000-100,000
- Best time to visit: Throughout the year
- How to reach: Mumbai is well-connected to major cities of India through roadways, railways, and airways.
5- Shirdi Sai Baba Temple – Revenue $ 60 Million
This temple is dedicated to Sai Baba and was built in 1922 in Shirdi town of Maharashtra. This place is about 296 km away from Mumbai.
Shirdi Sai Baba Temple is a shrine that was made on the Samadhi of Sai Baba.
The temple has more than 25,000 devotees visiting for Darshan every day.
Major festivals like Ram Navami, Vijayadashami, and Guru Purnima is celebrated with great enthusiasm in this temple.
- Revenue: $60 Million
- Daily Visitors: 50,000-55,000
- The best time to visit: June to September and October to February
- How to reach: Shirdi is well-connected to major cities of India through roads. The nearest railway station is in Mumbai, Pune, Manmad, and Nashik. Nearest Airports are in Mumbai and Pune.
6- Golden Temple – Worth $ 70 million
Harmandir Sahab which means ‘Abode of God’ or Golden Temple is one of the holiest places for the Sikh community.
It was demolished & plundered several times. In the year 1830, Maharaja Ranjit Singh rebuilt it. Pure Gold & marble was used to construct this amazing temple giving it a distinctive appearance.
Every day thousands of people, irrespective of their caste, creed, religion, age or faith eat ‘Langar’ at Golden temple.
The Golden temple holds the record of ‘Most visited religion place’ in the world in Uk Based World Record book. It is similar to Guinness World of records.
- Revenue: $88 Million
- Annual Visitors -40,000 to 45,000
- Best time to visit: November to March
- Average cost per day: Rs. 2200 ( Food & stay)
- How to Reach: Amritsar is well-connected to major cities of India by roadways, airways, and railways.
7- Guruvayur Temple – Revenue $ 340 Million
The Striking Guruvayur temple is located in the small town of Guruvayoor. It was constructed in the honor of God Guruvayurappan.
It is believed that Lord Vishnu resides here, therefore, it is also known as Bhuloka Vaikuntha which means Holy Abode of Vishnu on Earth.
It is estimated that the temple was constructed around 1638 AD. It houses around 59 Elephants which are used during religious processions.
It is one of the richest temples in India & in south India along with other famous & wealthy temples.
- Revenue: $ 340 Million per year
- Daily Visitors: 45,000-50,000
- Best time to visit: September to March
- Address: Guruvayur Devaswom, East Nada, Guruvayur, Kerala 680101, India
- How to Reach:
- By Train: Thrissur Railway Station ⇒ Guruvayur -30Km
- Ernakulam Railway Station (Junction/Town) ⇒ Guruvayur – 85Km
- By Air: Cochin Airport ⇒Guruvayur – 80Km
- Calicut Airport ⇒ Guruvayur -80Km
- Trivandrum ⇒ Guruvayur -290Km
8- Meenakshi Temple – Revenue $ 60 million
Meenakshi temple is located on the banks of Vaigai River and it is dedicated to Goddess Parvati in the form of Meenakshi and Shiva as Sundareshwar.
This is the largest temple complex in Tamil Nadu and is built according to Shilpa Shastra, the ancient Indian Building manual.
The temple complex has 33,000 sculptures and 14 Gopurams or gateway towers. There is a massive sculpture of Nataraja in the temple which is the dancing form of Shiva.
- Revenue: $ 1 Million
- Annual Visitors: 8,000-10,000
- Best time to visit: October to March
- How to reach: Madurai has its own airport which is 11.9 km away. Madurai railway station is 75.4 km away from the temple and the nearest bus stop is at Periyar that is about 1.3 km away.
9- Jagannath Temple, Puri – Worth $ 20 million
Jagannath temple is located in Puri and was built in the 12th Century by Raja Anantavarman Chodaganga Deva.
The temple is dedicated to Lord Krishna who resides in the temple as Jagannath. It is situated on the Nilgiri Hills and is one of the Char Dhams.
Every year Ratha Yatra is held in the temple that attracts millions of Hindu devotees. It is considered that the Mahaprasad of the temple is prepared under the inspection of Goddess Lakshmi.
The main complex has 120 temples inside and the main deity is the Lord Jagannath who sits between the idols of sister Subhadra and brother Balabhadra.
The Ratha Yatra is held during the month of Ashadha that falls in June or July.
- Revenue: $ 20 Million
- Daily Visitors: 30,000-35,000
- Best time to visit: April to June and December to February
- How to Reach: Puri is accessible through railways as well as roadways and the nearest airport is in Bhuvaneshwar.
10- Kashi Vishwanath Temple – Revenue $800,000
This temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and is one of the holiest richest temples in India. The temple is located on the western bank of the holy river Ganga.
It is believed that human beings can be liberated from the burden of sins and can attain moksha by visiting Kashi Vishwanath Temple and taking a dip in the Ganga.
It is one of the 12 Jyotirlinga of Lord Shiva and is also referred to as Vishwanath or Vishweshwara. The main festival celebrated in Kashi Vishwanath temple is Mahashivratri.
- Revenue: $ 800,000 per year
- Daily Visitors: 25,000-40,000
- Best time to visit: November to February
- How to reach: Temple is about 5Km away from Varanasi Railway station. The best way to reach the temple from the city is through cab or auto-rickshaw.
11- Amarnath Temple – Revenue $ 48 Million
Amarnath is the name lord Shiva and its cave is located in the beautiful mountain range of Himalayas of Kashmir India, where devotees of Amarnath come for visit this cave and shiv lingam. Many yatris across from the country in the month of June to July, the yatra is on the month of June.
- Revenue: $ 48 Million
- Daily Visitors:5,000- 7,000
- Best time to visit: September to March
- How to Reach: This temple is 35 km away from Puri which has the nearest railway station. The nearest airport is in Bhubaneswar which is 60 km away. Regular taxis and buses are available from Puri.
12- Sabarimala Temple – Worth $33 million
Sabarimala is one of the richest temples in India. It is also among the most visited religious shrine in India.
It is believed that Lord Parshuram place God Ayyappa idol on the top of the hill. The temple is dedicated to Lord Ayyappa.
Women aged 15- 50 (active menstruating cycle) were not allowed in the temple until recently. On 28th September 2018, in a landmark judgment, the supreme court of India overturned the restriction & allowed women entry in the shrine.
It created a huge uproar in the conservative followers. To date, women are not welcome in the temple.
- Revenue: $ 33 Million Per year
- Daily Visitors: 45,000- 50,000
- Best time to visit: September to March
- How to Reach: This temple is 35 km away from Puri which has the nearest railway station. The nearest airport is in Bhubaneswar which is 60 km away. Regular taxis and buses are available from Puri.
13- The Konark Sun Temple – Revenue $ 20 Million
The Sun temple is located in the small town of Konark located in the Puri district of Orissa. The architecture of the temple is dedicated to Lord Sun and resembles the carriage.
The temple is designed in the shape of a chariot with twelve wheels, drawn by seven horses. It was built in the 13th century by King Narasimhadeva.
Konark dance festival is organized during the first week of December in the backdrop of the temple.
The festival is held for 5 days with numerous celebrated dancers attending it. There are two giant wheels in the carriage that are actually sundials.
- Revenue: $ 20 Million per year
- Daily Visitors: 5,000-8,000
- Best time to visit: September to March
- How to Reach: This temple is 35 km away from Puri which has the nearest railway station. The nearest airport is in Bhubaneswar which is 60 km away. Regular taxis and buses are available from Puri.
14- Akshardham Temple – Revenue $ 5 Million
This temple is dedicated to Swaminarayan. It is the largest comprehensive Hindu temple in the world and was built by 11,000 artisans along with thousands of BAPS volunteers.
It was inaugurated in 2005 by APJ Abdul Kalam. The temple is built using Rajasthani pink sandstone and Italian Carrara marble. It is the newest & one of the richest temples in India.
It features 234 beautifully carved pillars, a Gajendra Peeth, 20,000 statues, and nine ornate domes.
There are several exhibits inside the temple and you can witness extensive use of robotics and dioramas.
There is a theatre where you can watch a 40-minutes long film about Swaminarayan’s seven-year pilgrimage.
There are several sights to behold like Neelkanth Varni statue, Bharat Upvan, Musical fountain, and a stepwell.
- Revenue: $Â 5 Million
- Daily Visitors: 5,000-8,000
- Best time to visit: October to February
- How to reach: New Delhi is well-connected to other major cities through roadways, airways, and railways.
15- Somnath Temple, Gujarat – $ 3 million
Somnath temple is one of the Jyotirlingas in India and it means Lord of the Moon. it is an important tourist and religious site. It is home to one of the 12 Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva.
As per an old legend, this temple was first built by Moon God Soma using gold after Lord Shiva freed him from a curse.
The temple was plundered multiple times by the Islamic ruler for its vast wealth. Despite of the plundering, this temple is still considered one of the richest temples in India
This temple has been destroyed and rebuilt many times. One of the main attractions of the temple is the sound and light show.
- Revenue: $ 3 Million per year
- Best time to visit: October to March.
- Opening Hours: Monday- Sunday 5.00 AM – 9.00 PM
- Address: Somnath Mandir Rd, Veraval, Gujarat 362268, India
- How to reach: There are many railway stations near the temple like Veraval. Closest airports are Koshed and Diu. Roads are the best way to reach the temple.
Travel Tips for Somnath Temple:
- You are not allowed to take any gadgets inside the temple. It is better to keep the minimum things with you to travel hassle-free.
- Plan to visit nearby attractions like other tourist attractions includes Sun Temple, Dehotsarg Tirth, Somnath Beach and Buddhist Sana Caves.
- Maintain proper dress code. Although it is not strictly followed yet it is better to wear traditional garments while visiting the temple.
Interesting Fact: It is also believed that the sacred river Saraswati meets the sea in this temple.
Apart from the richest temples in India, there are several other interesting places, facts & information about Incredible India. You will love to read these topics.
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