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New Delhi: Nirjala Ekadashi, which is the biggest of all the 24 Ekadashi. This year, Nirjala Ekadashi is being observed on two dates: today (June 6) and tomorrow (June 7). Nirjala Ekadashi falls on the 11th lunar day of the waxing fortnight of the Jyeshtha month of the Hindu calendar. The name Nirjala Ekadashi derives from the term nir-jala, meaning “waterless,” and people also observe this fast. It is one of the most challenging fasts among all the Ekadashis.

On this day, people throng temples to worship Lord Vishnu. Let us look at some famous Lord Narayana temples in India.

Famous Lord Vishnu Temples in India

1. Badrinath Temple – Uttarakhand

2. Venkateswara Temple (Tirupati Balaji) – Andhra Pradesh

3. Ranganathaswamy Temple – Srirangam, Tamil Nadu

4. Jagannath Temple – Puri, Odisha

5. Padmanabhaswamy Temple – Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala

6. DWarkadhish Temple – Dwarka, Gujarat

7. Vitthal-Rukmini Temple-Pandharpur, Maharashtra

8. Banke Bihari Temple – Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh

9. Lakshmi Narayan Temple (Birla Mandir) – Delhi

10. Sri Parthasarathy Temple – Chennai, Tamil Nadu

1. Badrinath Temple – Uttarakhand

Badrinath Temple is one of the most important Vishnu temples in India, located in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand. It is a key stop for pilgrims following the Char Dham Yatra, which includes both the All India and Himalayan Char Dham. Many believe that visiting Kedarnath is necessary before coming to Badrinath, making the Badrinath Kedarnath Yatra a significant pilgrimage for Hindus.

2. Venkateswara Temple (Tirupati Balaji) – Tirumala, Andhra Pradesh

The Venkateswara Temple in Tirumala, in Chittoor district, is known as the Kaliyuga Vaikuntham. According to temple beliefs, Lord Venkateswara came to this site to help people during the challenging Kali Yuga. This temple receives the most financial offerings of any Hindu temple in the region.

3. Ranganathaswamy Temple – Srirangam, Tamil Nadu

The Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple is the largest active Hindu temple in the world, covering 156 acres. It is the first and most important of the 108 Divya Deshams, which are celebrated by the Alvars, Tamil poets from ancient times. The temple’s idol is one of the few self-manifested forms of Vishnu.

4. Jagannath Temple – Puri, Odisha

Jagannath Temple is famous for its Rath Yatra, where the idol of Lord Krishna and his siblings Balarama and Subhadra are paraded in chariots to the Gundicha Temple, about 3 kilometres away. This temple is the first stop on the Char Dham Yatra, as established by Adi Shankaracharya.

5. Padmanabhaswamy Temple – Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala

Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of Kerala, means “city of Lord Anantha”, named after the Padmanabhaswamy Temple located there. The main deity is Lord Vishnu, who is shown reclining in a yogic sleep on the serpent Adisheshan.

6. DWarkadhish Temple – Dwarka, Gujarat

The Dwarkadhish Temple believed to be over 2000 years old, is said to have been built by Lord Krishna’s son, Vajranabha, on the site of Krishna’s palace. Krishna, the eighth avatar of Vishnu, ruled at Dwaraka during the Dwapara Yuga. The temple was later enlarged and remodelled in the Chalukya architectural style in the 15th and 16th centuries.

7. Vitthal-Rukmini Temple-Pandharpur, Maharashtra

The Vithoba Temple, or Shri Vitthal-Rukmini Mandir, is located in Pandharpur, Maharashtra. It is dedicated to Vithoba, a form of Vishnu and his consort Rakhumai. This temple is one of the main worship sites in the Vaishnava tradition. Many devotees, known as Warkaris, walk in groups called Dindi to the temple during Aashadhi Ekadashi and Kartiki Ekadashi.

8. Banke Bihari Temple – Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh

The Banke Bihari Temple, located in Vrindavan, is dedicated to Banke Bihari, representing the combined forms of Radha and Krishna. Originally worshipped at Nidhivan, the idol was moved to this temple when it was built around 1864.

9. Lakshmi Narayan Temple (Birla Mandir) – Delhi

The Laxminarayan Mandir, also known as the Birla Mandir, is located in New Delhi and is dedicated to Lord Vishnu and his consort, Lakshmi. It was the first large Hindu temple built in Delhi and covers an area of 3 hectares. The temple features numerous shrines, fountains, a large garden, and a space for spiritual discussions called Geeta Bhawan.

10. Sri Parthasarathy Temple – Chennai, Tamil Nadu

The Parthasarathy Temple, dating back to the 6th century, is dedicated to Vishnu in Chennai. It is celebrated in the Naalayira Divya Prabandham, an early Tamil literature collection by Alvar saints. The name ‘Parthasarathy’ means the ‘charioteer of Arjuna,’ referring to Krishna’s role in the Mahabharata. The temple displays five forms of Vishnu: Yoga Narasimha, Rama, Gajendra Varadaraja, Ranganatha, and Krishna as Parthasarathy.