Top 5 heritage temples in India

New Delhi: India has been a land of religious diversity and has been widely acknowledged for the unity in diversity it has.The religious beliefs in India can be seen with the numerous temples built across the country during different eras.The temples in India are quite famous for the architecture, designs, the way they are built and the sculptures and arts it has.Though there are numerous temples across India, dedicated to same and various deities, each of the temples has its own uniqueness and divinity.While many of the ancient temples have turned into ruins, there are many which are preserved and represent the cultural heritage of the country.Here we present you the list of five heritage temples of India: Hoysaleswara Temple, Hassan DistrictLocated in Karnatka, Hoysaleswara Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Shiva.Built in 12th Century, Hoysaleswara Temple was built by King Vishnuvardhana of the Hoysala Empire.The construction was started around1120 CE and completed in 1150 CE.Built with chloritic chist, the Hoysaleswara Temple is one of the largest temples dedicated to the god Shiva in South India.The Hoysaleswara temple is famous for its sculptures that run all along the outer wall and features two hundred and forty sculptures including a dancing image of the god Ganesha.The Hoysaleswara temple also features the rare Garuda Sthamba. Tungnath Temple, RudraprayagLocated in Uttarakhand, Tungnath Temple is the highest Hindu shrine dedicated to Lord Shiva.One of the five and the highest Panch Kedar temples, Tungnath Temple is believed to be 1000 years old.It is believed that Tungnath Temple is associated with Mahabharata.The construction of this temple is credited to Arjuna, who is also worshipped here.The architectural design of the temple is similar to the temples at Guptakashi, Madhyamaheshwar and Kedarnath.The temples inside the enclosure are made of stones with decorations painted on the outside and they depict tall towers. The highest dome has a wooden stage at the top. Achyuta Raya temple, HampiLocated in Karnataka, Achyuta Raya temple one of the magnificent and major temples of Hampi.Built during the reign of Achyuta Deva Raya, Achyuta Raya temple is dedicated to Lord Tiruvengalanatha, a form of Lord Vishnu.While the main temple lies in the inner closure, the inner wall of the temple courtyard is lined with pillared mantapas.The main temple consists of a garbhagriha, an antarala, sukanasi, a rangamantapa and an ornate mahamantapa.The outer cloisters are mostly in ruins with the pillars scattered randomly along the wall base. Two huge ruined towers, one behind the other, give access to the temple courtyards. Chennakesava Temple, BelurLocated in Karnataka, Chennakesava Temple was built by the Hoysala Empire King Vishnuvardhana.Built on the banks of the Yagachi River in Belur, the Chennakesava Temple was originally called Vijayanarayana Temple.One of the most remarkable monuments from Hoysala times, Chennakesava Temple was built to celebrate an important military victory in 1117 AD.Built in an architectural style foreign to the region, Chennakesava Temple is exceptionally large and its decoration very lavish. The main entrance to the complex is crowned by a Rayagopura.The Chennakesava temple has three entrances and their doorways have decorated sculptures called dvarapalaka (doorkeepers) on either side. Sun Temple, Gujarat Situated on the bank of Pushpavati River in Modhera, Gujarat, Sun temple is dedicated to the Hindu Sun God- Surya.Built in 1026 AD, Sun Temple was built by King Bhimdev of the Solanki dynasty.The Sun Temple in Modhera is said to be the most important of all sun-temples built in the whole of Gujarat and also depicts the magnificent and unique architecture.The temple comprises three separate, axially aligned and integrated elements: Surya Kund, Sabha Mandap and Guda Mandap.The temple wall has 12 different postures of Adityas, Lord Vishwakarma, Varundev, Agnidev, Ganesh and Mata Saraswati.While the temple is not used for offering prayers at present, it is looked after by Archaeological Survey of India.