More than 600 Hindu temples can be found in Chennai and its surroundings. The Parthasarathi Temple, constructed in the eighth century by Pallava rulers, is the oldest. Later, in the 16th century, the Kapaleeswarar Temple was constructed. Because they were constructed in accordance with the peculiar South Indian architectural traditions, these temples serve as symbols of spirituality, culture, art, and tradition. With temples dedicated to every Hindu god, including Lord Shiva, Lord Vishnu, Goddess Sakthi, Murugan, Vinayaka, Kubera, Lakshmi, and many others, this capital city serves as a major destination for pilgrimage.

There are numerous temples across Chennai, some of which date back thousands of years. Let's look at some of the city's most stunning temples that you simply must visit. The temples to visit in Chennai are listed below:

Kapaleeswarar Temple

Shiva is the subject of this Hindu temple known as Kapaleeshwarar Temple, which is situated in Mylapore. This temple's representation of Shiva's consort Parvati is known as Karpagambal, the goddess of the wish-fulfilling tree. The temple is a prime example of Dravidian architecture and was constructed in the 16th century CE. The most notable shrines in the temple are those of Kapaleeshwarar and Karpagambal. The most notable celebration in the temple is the Arupatimuvar festival, which is a component of the Brahmotsavam and is observed during the Tamil month of Panguni.

Timing : 5 am–12:30 pm, 4–8 pm

Address : 234, Ramakrishna Mutt Rd, Vinayaka Nagar Colony, Mylapore, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600004

Sri Marundeeswarar Temple

Marundeeswarar Temple is a Hindu shrine to the god Shiva that is situated next to the Bay of Bengal beach in Thiruvanmiyur. Two of the most renowned Nayanars, Appar, and Tirugnana Sambandar, praised the temple with their verses in the seventh century CE at one of the 275 Paadal Petra Sthalams. In the eleventh century CE, the Chola king further expanded the size of the temple. The Marundeeswarar temple has long been a destination for sick persons seeking worship.

Timing : 5 am–12 pm, 4:30–7:30 pm

Address : 8, W Tank St, Ambedkar Nagar, Lalitha Nagar, Thiruvanmiyur, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600041

Parthasarathy Temple

The Parthasarathy Temple is a Vishnu-focused Hindu Vaishnavite temple in Chennai that dates back to the sixth century. In the Naalayira Divya Prabandham, the early medieval Tamil literature corpus of the Alvar saints from the sixth to ninth centuries CE, the Thiruvallikeni-area temple is lauded as one of the 108 Divya Desams dedicated to Vishnu. The name Parthasarathy, which refers to Krishna's function as Arjuna's charioteer in the epic Mahabharata, means "charioteer of Arjuna.

Timing : 6 am–12 pm, 4–9 pm

Address : Car St, Narayana Krishnaraja Puram, Triplicane, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600005

Ashtalakshmi Temple

A Hindu temple called Ashtalakshmi Kovil is located in Chennai close to Elliot's Beach. The temple honors the goddess Lakshmi and her eight principal manifestations, known collectively as the Ashtalakshmi, who are the source of all eight types of wealth, including children, success, prosperity, wealth, courage, bravery, food, and knowledge. Visitors can visit all of the shrines without having to go over any of the sanctums because they are arranged on a multi-tier structure.

Timing : 6:30 am–12 pm, 4–8 pm

Address : X7VC+25R, Beach Rd, Kalakshetra Colony, Besant Nagar, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600090

Kalikambal Temple

In Parry's Corner in Chennai, there is a Hindu temple called the Kalikambal Temple that honors Shri Kalikambal and Lord Kamadeswarar. The temple is situated on Thambu Chetty Street in Georgetown, which runs parallel to Rajaji Salai and is a well-known financial street. At the location of the modern Fort St. George, the temple was once situated closer to the water. The temple was moved to its current location in 1640 CE when the British East India Company erected the fort.

Timing : 06.00 AM to 12.00 PM, 04.00 PM to 09.00 PM

Address : 212, Thambu Chetty St, near DHL Express Courier, Mannadi, George Town, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600001

Arupadai Veedu Murugan Temple

Arupadai Veedu Murugan Temple is a Hindu temple in Besant Nagar dedicated to Lord Murugan. This residence's inclusion of sanctuaries for each of Lord Muruga's Arupadai Veedus makes it particularly special and distinctive. The primary goal of building this complex of granite temples in Chennai was to give believers a location to worship all six Murugas.

Timing : 7–11 am, 5–8:30 pm

Address : 1, Thirumurugan St, Kalakshetra Colony, Besant Nagar, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600090

Vadapalani Murugan Temple

The elegant Hindu temple Vadapalani Murugan Temple was constructed about 125 years ago. The Lord Muruga idol is the same as in the Palani temple in the southern section of the state. In the 1920s, it underwent renovation, and a Rajagopuram was constructed at that time. The temple's popularity has increased, which is thought to be partially a result of its sponsorship by movie celebrities.

Timing : 5:30 am–12 pm, 4 pm–9 pm

Address : Palani Andavar Koil St, Vadapalani, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600026

Sree Ayyappan-Guruvayurappan Temple

Ayyappan temple called Sree Ayyappan-Guruvayurappan Temple is found in the Mahalingapuram suburb of Nungambakkam. Ayyappan Temple and Guruvayurappan Temple are both located within this temple complex close to one another. Also, it was constructed with Keralan architecture. To devotees, Swamy Ayyappan appears to be sitting on Srichakra with the chin mudra sign, at a height of roughly two feet.

Timing : 5–11 am, 5–9 pm

Address : 18, Madhavan Nair Rd, Mahalingapuram, Nungambakkam, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600034

Karaneeswarar Temple

In the Saidapet area, there is a Hindu temple called Karaneeswarar Temple. Shiva is honored by having it. The name "Swarnambika" for the goddess translates to "The Golden Mother." In addition to this, there are distinct shrines for Parivara Devtas such as Lord Karthikeya, Lord Ganapathi, and others. This temple boasts a stunning tank, a 7-story Gopuram, and two prakarams and is located near the Saidapet Railway station.

Timing : 6–11 am, 4–9 pm

Address : 1, Karaneeswarar Koil St, Suriyammapet, Saidapet, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600015

Chennakesava Perumal Temple

Hindu temple Chennakesava Perumal Temple is located in the GeorgeTown neighborhood. It is next to the Chenna Malleeswarar Temple and is dedicated to Chenna Kesava Perumal. The temples are twins. Since the British East India Company founded Madras City, the temple was the first structure to be built in the new colony. Chennakesava Perumal is a manifestation of the Hindu god Vishnu as the patron deity of Chennai, Chennai Pattanam would have been named after the Chenna Kesava Perumal Temple.

Timing : 07.00 am – 12 pm, 5.00 pm – 8.30 pm

Address : 37QJ+967, Devaraja Mudali St, Rattan Bazaar, George Town, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600003

Thirumala Thirupathi Devasthanam Temple

A well-known temple is Shree Balaji Temple, which is situated on Venkatnarayana Road. In this temple, Lord Venkateshwara and his consort Alamelu Mangai serve as the presiding deities. Both are worshipped in the same location. There are also the Shilpa Shaastra-built Ardha Mandapam and Garbha Griham. The building's design is remarkably similar to that of the revered Tirumala Shrine. The Garbha Graham's interior measurements are comparable to Thirumala Thirupathi.

Timing : 05.00 AM to 08.00 PM

Address : 26, Venkatanarayana Rd, Parthasarathi Puram, T. Nagar, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600017

Madhya Kailash Temple

At the intersection of Sardar Patel Road, Adyar, and Rajiv Gandhi Salai, in South Chennai, stands the Hindu temple known as Madhya Kailash, also known as Nadukkayilai in Tamil. The sun's beams shine on the presiding god on Vinayaka Chaturthi day, bringing good fortune. The peculiar "Adhyantha Prabhu" idol, which is a hybrid of Ganapathy and Anjaneya, has made the temple famous. After one of the temple authorities saw a vision of such a form, the idol was created.

Timing : 6:30 am – 12 pm, 4:30 pm – 8 pm

Address : 264W+JV6, Sardar Patel Rd, Sriram Nagar, Tharamani, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600113

Kundrathur Murugan Temple

Hindu temple Kundrathur Murugan Temple is situated at Kundrathur. In only one other Murugan temple in Tamil Nadu, the deity is shown facing north. King Kulothunga II of the Cholas built this temple. Even though he is present with both Goddesses, this temple's unique feature is that Lord Subramaniar can only be seen with one of them at a time. This hill temple is accessible through 84 steps.

Timing : 6 am–8 pm

Address : Sirukalathur, Tamil Nadu 600069

Mangadu Sri Kamakshi Amman Temple

In Mangadu, a well-known pilgrimage site is Mangadu Sri Kamakshi Amman Temple, devoted to the goddess Parvathi. The word "Mangodu" means "Mango Groves or Forests," and as the name suggests, this must have been a densely forested Mango groove. The "Tapas Kamakshi" temple in Mangadu, where the goddess Kamakshi does atonement in fire, is well-known. This is where the goddess completed her penance in order to wed and reunite with Lord Shiva.

Timing : 5:45 am – 1:30 pm, 4 pm – 8 pm

Address : Kundrathur - Sriperumbudur Rd, Srinivasa Nagar, Mangadu, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600122

Nithya Kalyana Perumal Temple

Varaha, the boar-like manifestation of the Hindu god Vishnu, is honored in the Nithyakalayana Perumal temple in the Chennai neighborhood of Thiruvidandai. The early medieval Tamil canon of the Alvar saints from the sixth to ninth century CE, which was written in the Naalayira Divya Prabandham, exalts the temple, which was built in the Tamil architectural style. One of the 108 Divya Desams honoring Vishnu, also known as Nithyakalayana Perumal, and his consort Lakshmi, also known as Komalavalli Thayar, is the object of this statue. The Pallavas constructed the temple's initial framework in the seventh century CE, and the Cholas later added to it in the eleventh century.

Timing : 6am – 12pm, 3 pm – 8pm

Address : NITHYA KALYANA PERUMAL TEMPLE, N Mada St, Thiruvidanthai, Tamil Nadu 603112

Sri Bodyguard Muneeswarar Aalayam

Lord Muneeswarar is worshipped at the Bodyguard Muniswaran Temple. Workers transported the Lord Muneeswarar statue to Madras, or what is now Chennai, in 1919 CE. They set it up next to the British soldiers' military barracks under a neem tree. A British commander expressed his disapproval. He experienced an accident that day. Since that time, a large number of followers in the Chennai area have built a temple to house the idol and worship it. They think that Lord Muneeswarar, the temple's principal deity, will protect them from mishaps. The deity's name was thus changed to Bodyguard Muneeswaran.

Timing : 07.00am - 06.30pm

Address : 37GG+QFJ, Pallavan Salai, Park Town, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600003

Padalathri Narasimhar Temple

The Hindu god Vishnu is worshipped at the Padalathri Narasimhar Temple, also known as Singaperumal Koil, which is located close to Chennai City. The temple was established by the Pallavas in the eighth century and is devoted to Vishnu, who is revered as Narasimhar, and his consort Lakshmi, who is known as Ahobilavalli. The temple is one of the 108 Vaishnavate tradition's Abhimana Kshethrams.

Timing : 7:30 am–12:30 pm, 4:30 pm–8:30 pm

Address : NH 45, Pataladhripuram, Singaperumal Koil, Chengalpattu, Tamil Nadu 603209

Shree Chandraprabhu Jain Naya Mandir

On Mint Street in Sowcarpet, there is a very well-known Jain temple called Sri Chandraprabhu Jain Naya Mandir. This temple's white facade, extremely detailed external design work, and architectural style are all reminiscent of Rajasthan's Dilwara temple. It was fully carved out of marble. Visitors come from all across the city to this temple, which is dedicated to Sri Chandraprabhu Bhagwan, the eighth Tirthankara.

Timing : Open 24 hours

Address : 142, Mint St, Sowcarpet, George Town, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600001

Arulmigu Ramanatheswarar Temple

Hindus worship Lord Shiva in the Ramanatheswarar Temple, which is located in Porur. The Presiding Deity is known as Ramanatheeswarar, while the Mother is known as Sivakama Sundari. The Temple is likened to Rameswaram and is also known as Uttara Rameswaram. If you were unable to travel to Rameswaram, come to this temple to obtain blessings from the Lord. Theertham and Sadari are given to pilgrims here, the same as in Lord Vishnu Temples. This is one of the Navagraha Temples in the Chennai neighborhood of Thondai Mandalam that Guru Bhagwan has been dedicated. Lord Shiva is venerated as the Guru in this location.

Timing : 6 am – 11:30 am, 5 pm – 8 pm

Address : Porur Ambattur Taluk, 19, Eswaran Koil Street, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600116

Sri Maha Prathyangira Devi Temple

The Sri Maha Prathyangira Devi Temple can be found in the Sholinganallur neighborhood. The Temple is situated along the Buckingham Canal's banks. This majestic temple was constructed in honor of Goddess Pratyangira, also known as Shri Maha Prathyangira Devi. She is regarded as a potent deterrent against witchcraft's powers and is endowed with the ability to punish Adharma. One of the few Pratyangira temples, and the only one dedicated to Sri Maha Prathyangira Devi, is the Shanta form.

Timing : 8 am–12:30 pm, 4 pm–7:45 pm

Address : Sri Prathyangira Kovil, Road, Sholinganallur, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600119

Kandakottam Temple

Kandaswamy Temple is dedicated to Lord Murugan, located in Parry's corner. The Kandakottam temple has associated educational institutions for music and dance classes; primary and high schools; and a college, in various locations. The Kandakottam temple also performs social welfare initiatives like free medical clinics and free pharmacies. Originally it was constructed by Maari Chettiar in the 1670s, but now the existing temple was built with stone in the early 1800s.

Timing : 5 am – 8 pm

Address : 38, 52, Nyniappa St, Rattan Bazaar, Park Town, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600003

ISKCON Temple

Gaudiya Vaishnavism is practiced at the ISKCON Temple in Chennai, also referred to as the Sri Sri Radha Krishna Mandir. The Hindu gods Radha and Krishna are honored in this temple. The Centre for Spiritual Art and Culture, which houses the ISKCON Temple Chennai, is situated off East Coast Road. The deities of Radha Krishna Lalita Vishaka, Jagannath Baladev Subhadra, and Sri Sri Nitai Gauranga are among those worshipped in the temple. The temple is built on five levels and spans a surface area of more than 1.5 acres.

Timing : ISKON TEMPLE, Bhakti Vedanta Swami Rd, Akkarai, Sholinganallur, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600119

Address : 7:30 am – 1 pm, 4 pm – 9:15 pm

Shirdi Sai Baba Temple

Sri Narasimha Swami, a Salem-based attorney and fervent follower of Shirdi Sai Baba, constructed the Mylapore Sai Baba Temple. The location where he used to worship Sai Baba's image beneath a tamarind tree is where he erected the temple. When Sri Muthu Venkataraman placed the white marble idol in 1987, it had previously only been Sai Baba's portrait that had been worshipped. Also regarded as Sri Narasimha Swami's final resting place is the temple.

Timing : 27M7+4VF, Venkatesa Agraharam Rd, Kapaleeswarar Nagar, Venkatesa Agraharam, Mylapore, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600028

Address : 7am – 1pm, 3pm – 9pm

Nanganallur Anjaneyar Temple

Hanuman is the subject of the Hindu temple known as Anjaneya Temple in Nanganallur, Chennai. The main Hanuman statue, which is 32 feet tall and made entirely of granite, is the second-tallest Hanuman in the world after Panchavatee in Puducherry. Installed in 1989, the idol was dedicated in 1995. High spiritually inclined individuals that make up the Sri Maruthi Bhaktha Samajam Trust wished for this temple. The 90-foot-tall Temple Tower that serves as the principal shrine is home to Anjaneya. The primary entrance is on the west because Anjaneya is facing west. On the southern side, there is a secondary entrance that is used during temple festivities.

Timing : Open 24 hours

Address : Anjaneyar temple, 2nd Main Rd, Ram Nagar, Nanganallur, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600061

Siva Vishnu Temple

The T. Nagar bus terminal is next to the Shiva Vishnu Temple. The Shiva Vishnu Temple honors Sri Shiva as Kedareswara and Divine Mother Shakti as Parvati Ambal, as well as Sri Vishnu as Srinivasa Perumal and Devi Mahalakshmi. It is not a temple from the past. It is neither big nor small. Nevertheless, it is one of Chennai's most well-known temples. Almost everyone in the city will be aware of this because of its enviable location on South Usman Road in T. Nagar.

Timing : 7 am - 8 pm

Address : Natesan Street, 2, N Usman Rd, T. Nagar, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600017

Arulmigu Sri Varasiddhi Vallabha Mahaganapathi Temple

In Besant Nagar is the Varasiddhi Vinayakar Temple, also known as Varasiddhi Vallabha Mahaganapati Temple. The temple is a well-known Hindu temple that is close to the beach. It is devoted to Ganesha, the elephant-headed god of Hinduism. Here, Ganapati Homam is often performed. The idol of Valampuri Varasiddhi Vinayakar and his consort Siddhi are kept in the sanctum sanctorum of the temple. With the erection of an amphitheater behind the Praharam on the eastern side, the temple expanded quickly.

Timing : 6:30–11 am, 4:30–9 pm

Address : E96 A, 3rd Ave, Besant Nagar, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600090