1. Tanah Lot Temple, Bali, Indonesia.
Situated on a large rock on the sea at Indonesia the Tanah Lot is one of the most famous Hindu temples in Bali. This temple is one of the 7 sea temples, each within eyesight of the next, which form a chain along the south-western coast of Bali. It is a revered tourist destination drawing millions of tourists and is one of the most photogenic places of Bali. The Tanah Lot temple has been a part of Balinese mythology for centuries.
2. Paramban temples, Java, Indonesia.
The Prambanan temple is in Central Java of Indonesia and is the largest Hindu temple site in Indonesia. And is also one of the biggest in Southeast Asia.
Built in 850 CE, it’s composed of 8 main shrines called the ‘gopuras’ towering 47-metre-high (154 ft) inside a large complex of individual temples. They are further surrounded by 250 smaller gopuras. Prambanan attracts many visitors from across the world.
Nearly, all the walls of the temple are covered with hand carved art. All narrate the stories of the incarnations of Lord Vishnu’s Dasavataram, the Ramayana, adventures of Lord Hanuman and about other Hindu legends.
3. Angkor wat, Cambodia.
The name “Angkor Wat” translates to capital temple. It was built in the early 12th century in Cambodia by the King Suryavarman II of Khmer kingdom. It took 27 years to complete the construction and was first called “Varah Vishnu-lok”. The world famous temple was first a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu. Later it hosted both Hindu & Buddhist cultures starting in 14th century.
The western world paid a visit this marvel in 16th century during the British & Portuguese colonization era.
Tourists visiting Angkor Wat also pay a visit to the nearby ruins of Angkor Thom and Bayon. These 2 fantastic Hindu temples served as the ancient capital of Khmer empire.
4. Shri Shiva Vishnu Temple, Victoria, Australia.
This temple is located in the suburb of Carrum Downs in the state of Victoria, Australia. Also the largest Hindu temple in the state. This is temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu.
It was established in 1982 and was built and designed in Dravidian architecture, a south Indian architectural style. The first prayer meeting was held at 6:00 PM on November’s last Saturday in the year 1982. It is considered to be one of the most popular temples in Australia.
5. Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Atlanta, U.S.A.
This 32,000 square feet temple sits on 30 acres land which currently makes it the largest Hindu temple in the U.S.A. The tower of the temple stands at 75 feet making it the tallest building in the city. More than 1,300 craftsmen and 900 volunteers dedicated their time in putting this 34,450-piece stone building together. Most of the temple’s work was hand carved. Furthermore, 4,500 tons of Italian Carrara marble, 4,300 tons of Turkish limestone, and 3,500 tons of Indian pink sandstone was shipped to this location.
6. Akshardham temple, New jersey, U.S.A.
The Akshardham temple in Robbinsville of New Jersey is presently under construction. It started in 2014 and is expected to be finished and opened by 2016. Based on the two colossal Akshardhams of Delhi and Gujarat, it is dedicated to Vishnu temple.
When finished it will be larger than its parent structures spreading over 162 acres of land. Thus, making it the largest Hindu temple in the world in terms of area. Currently, the largest Hindu temple is the Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple, Srirangam, Tamil Nadu. And it will be surpassed by the new temple by 14 acres in area. This will surely be one of the best Hindu temples outside India.
