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10 Strange and Unusual Temples in India

By Akshatha

India is a religious country, we are known for our Gods and temples. There are magnificent temples in India with all the myths and stories relating to it.

For some Indians, even celebrities are gods; they won't step back from creating a temple for their favourite celebrity gods as well.

India is a mythical land, people relate every mythology or the characters in them to some place or shrine in India. Hence, we have a lot of temples with all the fascinating stories behind each architecture.

There are some unique temples in India which are worth a visit. Rat Temple, Sonia Gandhi Temple, Chinese Kali Temple, Duryodhana Temple, etc. you should know about it all.

One get to hear some interesting stories, myths and reasons behind the gods in these strange and unusual temples in India.

Let's take a temple tour to some of the unique temples in India!

Chinese Kali Temple

Chinese Kali Temple

Chinese Kali Mata Temple in Tangra is called so because it is worshipped by Chinese. Tangra is referred as Chinatown in Kolkata. The inhabitants of this town are migrated Chinese who have lived here for a generations.
In this temple, people offer noodles as prasad for the Kali idol. This unique temple in Tangra is popular among the locals and all the Chinese there are the devotees of Kali Mata.
Photo Courtesy: Xianzi Tan

Monkey Temple

Monkey Temple

Galtaji is a popular temple complex near Jaipur. Galtaji Temple is known as Monkey Temple because of its inhabitants, 'Monkeys'.

Monkeys in India are believed to be related to Lord Hanuman. So, they are worshipped and loved a lot.

This temple in Jaipur is fondly named as Monkey Temple and you will find many Rhesus monkeys and Langur monkeys in Galtaji Temple.
Photo Courtesy: Politvs

Bharat Mata Temple

Bharat Mata Temple

India is personified as 'Mother Goddess', known as Bharat Mata. There are many temples in India, then why not for Bharat Mata?

There are two Bharat Mata Temples: one in Varanasi and another in Haridwar. Temple in Varanasi is a popular one. This temple has an idol of Bharat Mata and a marble map of India.
Photo Courtesy: Dennis Jarvis

Kal Bhairav Temple

Kal Bhairav Temple

Kal Bhairav Temple in Ujjain is an unusual temple for sure! Here alcohol is offered to Lord Shiva as prasad.

The government has decided to set up alcohol counters near Kal Bhairav temple in the view of Simhastha Fair.

During the fair many devotees visit this temple and offer litres of alcohol.
Photo Courtesy: LRBurdak

Sonia Gandhi Temple

Sonia Gandhi Temple

Can you believe there is a temple in India dedicated to Sonia Gandhi, president of Congress Party? Yes, this Sonia Gandhi temple is built in Telangana as she helped in creating Telangana state.

Inside the temple, there is a statue of Sonia Gandhi and various portraits of Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, etc. the famous Nehru family members.
Photo Courtesy: Hindi.Oneindia.com

Duryodhana Temple

Duryodhana Temple

Duryodhana of the epic Mahabharatha is both a villian and a hero. Peruviruthy Malanada Temple in Kollam, Kerala is dedicated to Duryodhana.

The legend says, once Duryodhana searching for 'Pandavas' in exile reached Malanada hill. Happy with the treatment he got from the king and the people, Duryodhana gave 100 acres of agricultural land as a charity.

Interestingly, even today, the land tax of this property is levied in the name of 'Duryodhanan'.
Photo Courtesy: Akhilan

Karni Mata Temple

Karni Mata Temple

Karni Mata Temple is known as the 'Temple of Rats', this temple is at Bikaner, Rajasthan. Here the rats are protected and the food is offered to the rats.

It is definitely one of the unique temples in India. There are approximately 20,000 rats in the temple and many devotees come here to seek blessings. One can also find white rats in the temple which are rare in India.

The legend says, once Karni Mata's step son drowned in Kapil Sarovar. So, she asks Yama to revive him but initially he refuses to do so. Finally, relenting Yama blesses that Karni Mata's son Laxman and all her male children to be born as rats.
Photo Courtesy: Arian Zwegers

Hidimba Devi Temple

Hidimba Devi Temple

Hidimba Devi is the sister of Hidimba rakshasa of Mahabharatha epic. This unusual temple is built around the cave where Hidimba is suppose to have performed meditation.

Hidimba Devi Temple is situated in Manali and mythology says, when Bhima returned from exile, Hidimba didn't accompany him. Instead, she did meditation to attain the status of goddess.
Photo Courtesy: Amitdighe

Brahma Temple

Brahma Temple

Brahma Temple in Pushkar , Rajasthan is one of the prominent and few existing Brahma temples in the world.

In Hinduism, we believe that Brahma is the creator of the mankind. Yet, there are not many temples dedicated to him.

Jagatpita Brahma Mandir is said to be 2000 years old and built in stone slabs and marble. This unique temple in India is near to the Pushkar lake in Rajasthan.
Photo Courtesy: Vberger

Om Banna/ Bullet Banna Temple

Om Banna/ Bullet Banna Temple

The story of Bullet Banna Temple is strange and funny, because here the main deity is the 'Royal Enfield Bullet' bike. Yes, the bike is worshipped in this strange temple of India.

Located in Pali of Jodhpur, this temple has a facinating story. In 1988, Om Singh Rathore while riding this Royal Enfield met with an accident. He died instantly and the bike fell into the ditch; later police took the bike to the station.

Next morning the bike was missing from the station and was found in the same ditch. Even after the efforts of police to lock it and emptying petrol, the bike was returning to the accident site.

Upon seeing this, people built a temple in that place. It is believed that the spirit of Om Banna resides in the bike.
Photo Courtesy: Sentiments777

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