 Pilgrimage sites in south India are the different religious centres scattered throughout the nook and corner of the southern Indian states like Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. These parts of the country are famous for their millions of pilgrimage spots complete with temples, mosques and churches. Buddhist and Jain religious spots are also amongst the pilgrimage tourism spots of southern India. The Hindu temples situated here are dedicated to the numerable Hindu Gods and Goddesses, similar to the Jain temples whose presiding deities are the Jain Tirthankaras and Jain deities.
Pilgrimage Sites in Andhra Pradesh Andhra Pradesh is renowned for its multiple pilgrimage destinations which are visited by tourists and pilgrims from various parts of the nation as well as from abroad. The Hindu temples based in Andhra Pradesh are Tirupati Temple at Chittoor District, Yadagirigutta Temple in Nalgonda District, Gnana Saraswati Temple in Adilabad District, Ramappa Temple close to Warangal, Chennakesawa Swamy Temple at Prakasam District, Ryali Temple near Ravulapalem, Koneti Rayala Swamy Temple in Chittoor District and plenty others. This region is also visited by Jains for its Jain pilgrimage sites like Amaravati Jain Teerth which includes the Temple of Shri Padmaprabhu Bhagwan, Shree Kulpakji Jain Temple, a 2000-year-old Jain temple at Warangal, Penukonda and Gudivada Jain Teerth which consists of the Temple of Shri Parshwanatha Bhagwan. Salihundam, Bojjannakonda, Bavikonda, Thotlakonda, Nagarjunakonda, Pavurallakonda and Ramatheertham are the various Buddhist sites in Andhra Pradesh. 
Some of the important mosques present in this state include Jumma Masjid in Kurnool District, Mecca Masjid in Hyderabad and Jamma Masjid in Hyderabad. Some of the magnificent churches found here are Basilica of Our Lady of the Assumption in Secunderabad, Christ Lutheran Church at Narsapur, Holy Trinity Church at Bolarum, Centenary Baptist Church Clock Tower at Secunderabad, St. Joseph's Cathedral at Hyderabad, St. Stephens Orthodox Church at Vishakhapatnam, Millenium Methodist Church at Secunderabad, All Saints Cathedral at Secunderabad and others.
Pilgrimage Sites in Karnataka Visitors would come across millions of architecturally wonderful temples which lure historians and devotees every year. International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) Temple at Bangalore, Murudeshwara Temple at Uttara Kannada District, Renuka Yallamma Temple at Saundatti, Shri Dharmarayaswamy Temple at Bangalore, Marikamba Temple in Sagar City, Shri Mangaladevi Temple at Mangalore, Shri Rajarajeswari Temple at Polali, Mahedev Temple at Gokarna, Krishna Temple at Udupi, Mahabaleshwar Temple at Gokarna, Shri Chamundeshwari Temple at Mysore, Shri Brahmi Durgaparameshwari Temple at Kamalashile, etc. are amongst the most popular Hindu temples of Karnataka. The local Jain sacred centres are Dharmasthala which is about 300 kms away from Bangalore, Thousand Pillar Temple in Dakshina Kannada District, Shravanabelagola and Karkala. A rock-cut Buddhist shrine is existent at Meguti hillock of Aihole, Buddhist Chaitya at Aihole, Sannati and Buddhist caves in Badami and parts of Gadag District. Apart from these, numerous mosques are also there in Karnataka which involve Jama Masjid at Srirangapatna, Noor Masjid at Murudeshwara, Sultani Masjid at Bhatkal, Masjid-E-Azam at Mysore, Jami Mosque of Zinat Baksh at Mangalore and so on. Sacred Heart Church in Bangalore, St. John's Church in Bangalore, St. Philomena's Church in Mysore, St. Mary's Basilica in Mysore, St. Mary's Jacobite Syriac Orthodox Cathedral in Bangalore, Infant Jesus Church and several others draw a large amount of visitors. Pilgrimage Sites in Tamil Nadu 
Innumerable Hindu temples dot the state of Tamil Nadu which consist of Meenakshi Amman Temple at Madurai, Ucchi Pillayar Temple at Tiruchirapalli, Swamimalai Murugan Temple at Swamimalai, Sri Subramanya Swami Temple at Tiruchendur, Kanda Swamy Temple at Chennai, Thindal Murugan Temple at Erode, Thillai Nataraja Temple at Chidambaram, Sangameswarar Temple at Bhavani, Ramanathaswamy Temple at Rameswaram, Kalabhairav Temple in Adhiyaman Kottai, Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple in Vellore, Chakrapani Temple at Kumbakonam, Hayagreeva Temple at Cuddalore, Sri Srinivasan Temple in Karur, Sri Viswaroopa Adhivyadhihara Sri Bhaktha Anjaneya Swamy Temple in Chennai, Pariyur Kondathu Kaliamman Temple in Gobichettipalayam, Gangaikonda Cholapuram Temple in Thanjavur and many others.
The region is filled with Jain religious centres like Aadhinath Jain Temple in Cuddalore, Avadi in Chennai, Kolathur in Chennai, Agarakorakottai in Thiruvannamalai, Melapandal in Vellore amongst many others. Buddhist stupas, relics and pilgrimage spots are also present here which are inclusive of Nagapatnam town, Kanchipuram, etc. Followers of Islam visit mosques located here which are Kazimar Big Mosque in Madurai, Kattubava Mosque in Pudukottai District, Athar Jamad Masjid in Coimbatore, Nadirshah Mosque in Tiruchirapalli and others. The regional churches include St. Xavier's Church at Kanyakumari, La Saleth Church in Kodaikanal, Schwartz Church in Thanjavur, Holy Trinity Church in Tirunelveli, Lourdes Church, Poonthi Matha Basilica Church close to Thanjavur, Holy Immanuel Church and much more. Pilgrimage Sites in Kerala Aryanad Bhadrakali Temple in Chempakamangalam, Aryanad Ganapathy Temple in Ganapathyyamkuzhi, Aryanad Shiva Temple in Anandeswaram, Bharadwajarisheeswaram Mahadeva Temple in Bharadwajarisheeswaram, Keshavapuram Srikrishnaswamy Temple in Maruthankuzhy, Mithrananthapuram Trimurti Temple in Westfort, Peroor Krishna Swamy Temple in Peroor, Durga Devi Temple in Melaranoor, Thazhoor Bhagavathy Kshetram in Vazhamuttom are only a few of the millions of Hindu temples which are regularly thronged by many tourists when they visit Kerala. 
Cochin Digambar Jain Mandir in Panampilly Nagar area of Kochi, Anantnath Swami Temple in Wayanad District are the well-known Jain pilgrimage places here. Some of the famous mosques of Kerala are Juma Masjid at Pullancheri, Malik Dinar Mosque, Cheraman Juma Masjid, Muchundi Mosque, Mishkal Mosque, Shahre Mubarak Grand Masjid, Kolloorvila Juma Masjid, etc. Kerala is home to a large number of churches which boast of architectural excellence and heritage. Our Lady of Dolours Basilica, Don Bosco Church, Immaculate Heart of Mary Cathedral, Little Flower Church in Kaprassery, Pentecostal Maranatha Gospel Church, Saint Paul's Orthodox Church, St. Thomas Syro-Malabar Catholic Cathedral, St Elijah Orthodox Syrian Church, Vallarpadam Church.
(Last Updated on : 03-05-2014) |
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