The charm of South India can be best defined through mesmerising hill stations, majestic temples, lush green forests and best beaches. These four naturally occurring and diverse terrains make up the Southern India. South India is famous for its vibrant culture, delectable food, among other manmade marvels. One can rejuvenate their senses by visiting serene places like Kerala, Pondicherry, Ooty, Mysore and more. The delicate, intrinsic and detailed architecture are unparalleled and cannot be found anywhere else.

Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu

Famous for its intricately carved temples and rock-cut caves, Mamallapuram or Mahabalipuram as it is famously known, is a historically important and well-loved tourist location situated on the Coromandel Coast along the Bay of Bengal, in the state of Tamil Nadu. Once the abode of the famous demon king Mahabali, Mahabalipuram was later renamed Mamallapuram. The serenity, the alluring atmosphere and the impressive setting with many beautiful white sandy beaches dotted with casuarina trees are all reasons as to why one would want to visit this wonderful town.

Meenakshi Amman Temple, Tamil Nadu

Meenakshi Amman Temple, also known as Minakshi-Sundareshwara Temple, is one of the oldest and most important temples in India. Located in the city of Madurai, the temple has a great mythological and historical significance. It is believed that Lord Shiva assumed the form of Sundareswarar (the handsome one) and married Parvati (Meenakshi) at the site where the temple is currently located. Renowned for its astonishing architecture, Meenakshi Temple was nominated as one of the wonders of the world, but couldn’t make it into the list of ‘Seven Wonders of the World’. However, the temple is definitely one of the ‘Wonders of India’. It is also one of the main attractions of South India with thousands of devotees thronging it every day. During the ‘Tirukalyanam Festival’. which takes place over a period of 10 days, the temple attracts more than a million devotees. Despite many people visiting it every day, the temple is well-maintained and was named the ‘Best Swachh Iconic Place’ (cleanest iconic place) in India.

Padmanabhaswamy Temple, Kerala

Located inside the East Fort in Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city of the State of Kerala in India is the Sree Padmanabha Swamy Temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu. This temple is a blend of the Kerala and Dravidian styles of architecture. It is believed to be the world’s richest temple.

The history of Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple dates back to 8th century. It is one of the 108 sacred Vishnu temples or Divya Desams in India. Divya Desams are the holiest abodes of Lord Vishnu that are mentioned in the works of the Tamil Azhvars (saints). The presiding deity of this temple is Lord Vishnu, reclining on Anantha, the hooded Serpent.

Sri Mahabaleshwara Swamy Temple Gokarna, Karnataka

Srikshetra Gokarna is one of the holiest places in India. The Father of universe Parashiva is in Gokarna in the form of Athmalinga. The temple is located on the sea shore of the western sea. The Almighty, famous as Mahabaleshwara is also known as the Sarvabhouma. This is also the place, where the most revered Hindu saint Adi Shankaracharya, who spread the spiritual knowledge from South to North all over India, established ShreeRamachandrapuraMath, the sacred and saintly Jagadguru Peetam. The temple is run under the guidance of Paramapoojya Jagadguru Shankaracharya Gokarna Mandaladheeshwara ShreeShree RaghaveshwaraBharathiMahaswamiji of SriramachandrapurMath. Under the divine and philanthropic guidance of Sri Mahaswamiji, the administration of Sri Mahabaleshwara Temple, Gokarna is on the path of progress.

Charminar, Hyderabad

Situated bang in the heart of the old city of Hyderabad, the Charminar (Urdu ‘Char’ meaning Four and ‘Minar’ meaning Tower) is one of the most recognized monuments in India. It is the architectural icon for the city of Hyderabad, equivalent to the likes of the Taj Mahal of Agra or the Eiffel Tower of Paris and is the most searched historical site of the city on Google. The imposing monument stands regally tall amidst the colorful bangle shops in the labyrinthine Laad Bazar of the old city and presents a beautiful glittering sight after nightfall (7pm-9pm). It is currently maintained by the Archeological Survey of India. The Charminar is situated on the eastern banks of Musi River with the Makka Masjid, another famous Qutub Shahi architecture, in the vicinity.