The document provides an overview of significant historical monuments across Asia, focusing primarily on notable Hindu temples in India and Southeast Asia, such as Tanah Lot, Kanchipuram, and Angkor Wat. Each monument is highlighted for its architectural significance, historical context, and cultural relevance, showcasing the rich heritage and religious practices associated with these sites. The document emphasizes both the aesthetic elements and the spiritual importance of these temples in the region.

1. Historical monuments
BY D.S.ASHWIN

2. Tanah Lot

3. Tanah Lot
• Situated on a large rock, Tanah Lot is one of the most famous Hindu
temples in Bali, and probably the most photographed.
• The Tanah Lot temple has been a part of Balinese mythology for centuries.
• The temple is one of 7 sea temples, each within eyesight of the next, to form
a chain along the south-western coast of Bali.

4. Kanchipuram Temples

5. Kanchipuram Temples
• The City of 1000 Temples, Kanchipuram is one of the oldest cities in South
India, and known for its ancient Hindu temples and silk sarees.
• The city contains several big temples like the Varadharaja Perumal Temple
for Lord Vishnu and the Ekambaranatha Temple which is one of the five
forms of abodes of Lord Siva.

6. Brihadeeswarar Temple
(Thanjavur periya kovil ) Thanjavur temple

7. Brihadeeswarar Temple
• The Brihadishwara Temple, located in Thanjavur, India, was built by the
Chola king Rajaraja I in the 11th century.
• The world’s first complete granite temple, Brihadishwara is a brilliant
example of the Dravidian style of temple architecture.
• The temple tower is 66 meters (216 feet) high making it one of the tallest
temples in the world.

8. Khajuraho

9. Khajuraho
• The village of Khajuraho is one of the most popular tourist destinations in
India.
• It’s numerous Hindu and Jain temples are famous for their erotic sculpture.
• The temples were built over a span of 200 years, from 950 to 1150.
• A few of the temples are dedicated to the Jain pantheon and the rest to
Hindu deities, to Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, and various Devi forms.

10. Banteay Srei

11. Banteay Srei
• Although officially part of the Angkor Wat complex, Banteay Srei lies 25 km (15
miles) north-east of the main group of temples, enough to list it separately here.
• The Hindu temple was completed in 967 AD and is built largely of red sandstone, a
medium that lends itself to the elaborate decorative wall carvings which are still
clearly visible today.
• Banteay Srei is the only major temple at Angkor not built for a king, instead it was
constructed by one of king Rajendravarman’s counselors, Yajnyavahara.

12. Sri Ranganathaswamy

13. Sri Ranganathaswamy
• Dedicated to Lord Ranganatha (a reclining form of Lord Vishnu), the Sri
Ranganathaswamy Temple in Srirangam, India is an important shrine that
receives millions of visitors and pilgrims every year.
• With an area of 156 acres (6,31,000 m²), the Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple
is one of the largest religious complexes in the world.
• The oldest structure of the temple dates back to the 10th century.

14. Virupaksha Temple

15. Virupaksha Temple
• The Virupaksha Temple in the city of Hampi in India started out as a small
shrine and grew into a large complex under the Vijayanagara rulers.
• It is believed that this temple has been functioning uninterruptedly ever
since the small shrine was built in the 7th century AD which makes it one of
the oldest functioning Hindu temples in India.
• The largest entrance tower of the temple is 50 meters high.

16. Prambanan

17. Prambanan
• Prambanan is the largest and most beautiful Hindu temple complex in Indonesia.
• Located about 18 km east of Yogyakarta, it is somewhat overshadowed by the even
more awe-inspiring Borobudur situated just next door.
• The two sites are quite different in style though, with Prambanan being a collection
of tall and pointed Hindu temples, instead of the single large Buddhist stupa of
Borobudur.
• Prambanan has three main temples dedicated to Vishnu, Brahma, and Shiva and was
built around 850AD by the Mataram Kingdom, rulers of central Java.

18. Meenakshi Amman Temple

19. Meenakshi Amman Temple
• The Meenakshi Amman Temple is one of the most important Indian Hindu temples,
located in the holy city of Madurai.
• The temple is dedicated to Sundareswar (form of Lord Shiva) and Meenakshi (form of
Goddess Parvati).
• The complex houses 14 magnificent towers including two golden Gopurams for the main
deities, that are elaborately sculptured and painted.
• The temple is a significant symbol for the Tamil people, and has been mentioned for the last
couple of millennia, though the present structure was built in the early 17th century.

20. Angkor Wat

21. Angkor Wat
• Angkor is a vast temple complex in Cambodia featuring the magnificent
remains of several capitals of the Khmer Empire, from the 9th to the 15th
century AD.
• These include the famous Angkor Wat temple, the world’s largest single
religious monument, and the Bayon temple (at Angkor Thom) with its
multitude of massive stone faces.
• During it’s long history Angkor went through many changes in religion
converting between Hinduism to Buddhism several times.

22. Taj Mahal

23. Taj Mahal
• The Taj Mahal is an ivory-white marble mausoleum on the south bank of the
Yamuna river in the Indian city of Agra.
• It was commissioned in 1632 by the Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan, to house
the tomb of his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal.

24. A short AV about our culture