Hindu Temples Trivia Quiz

Answer: Shiva

Lord Shiva is the main deity in the Kashi Vishwanath temple, located in the Indian city of Kashi, also known as Benaras and Varanasi. This temple is one of the 12 Jyotirlingas, the most holy shrines dedicated to Lord Shiva. The city of Kashi is believed to be one of the oldest cities in the world with a history of more than 3500 years.

The present temple was built in 1780 by Queen Ahilya Holkar. The temple has been demolished and rebuilt many times. In Hindu religion, a visit to the temple and a bath in the holy Ganga River is supposed to most auspicious.

Answer: Madurai

The Meenakshi Sundareshwar temple is located in Madurai in the state of Tamil Nadu in South India. The temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and his consort Parvati. According to legend, Parvati was born on earth as princess Meenakshi and Lord Shiva descended to Earth as Sundareshwar and married Meenakshi. The temple was destroyed in 1310 and restored in the late 14th century.

Answer: Venkateshwara

The temple town of Tirumala at the foothills of Tirupati town in Andhra Pradesh, is world famous for the Balaji temple. The presiding deity at the temple is Lord Venkateshwara also known as Srinivasa or Balaji. According to legend, the statue was not built by an architect, but was God Vishnu himself who became a statue.

The temple was reportedly built in 300 AD. The temple is the most popular Hindu place of worship in the world and gets approximately 60,000 visitors per day. The temple is also the richest having an annual income of more than 530 million dollars every year.

Answer: Prabhupada

ISKCON stands for the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. It was founded by Srila Prabhupada in New York in 1966. The movement has built a number of temples of Lord Krishna all over the world including in the USA, Australia, India, UK, Germany, etc. ISKCON has more than 400 centres. It is known in India for its social service work.

Answer: Pashupatinath

One of the key Hindu temples is the Pashupatinath temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva. This temple is located in Kathmandu in Nepal. The temple priests are from South India and according to legend, the temple was established by Shankaracharya.

Answer: China

Kailash Manasasarovar is a religious place located in Tibet, which is an autonomous region in China. This place is considered most holy, as this is believed to be the abode of Lord Shiva. Every year, the Government of India selects pilgrims to travel to this place.

The journey is an arduous one and requires pilgrims to be physically very fit. The pilgrims require a special permit from the Chinese Government. The lake is close by to the Mountain Kailash. The lake is 4,556m above sea level.

Answer: Sringeri

Shankaracharya (788 - 820 AD) is considered to be one of the greatest saints in the Hindu religion and is considered as an incarnation of Lord Shiva. Shankaracharya propounded the philosophy of Advaita (Monotheism). Shankara established a temple in Sringeri dedicated to Goddess Sharada. Shankara is said to have setup temples in Sringeri, Jyotirmath, Dwaraka and Puri; these are known as the Shankara Mutt(s).

Answer: Ganesha

The Siddhivinayaka temple in Mumbai, the financial capital of India, is famous for the long line of worshippers who come to worship Lord Ganesha. In Hindu mythology, Vinayaka or Ganesha is regarded as the principal deity and is called as the remover of obstacles. The temple was constructed in 1801. The temple reportedly receives donations of around 100-150 million rupees every year.

Answer: True

King Suryavarman II who ruled over what is presently Cambodia, is said to have constructed the temple at Angkor Wat in the early 12th century. The presiding deity of this temple is Lord Vishnu. Later on in the 15th century, this temple was converted to a Buddhist temple. Built in the Khmer architecture style, this temple is featured on the national flag of Cambodia.

Answer: The idol is an ice stalagmite

The Amarnath temple is located in the state of Jammu and Kashmir in India. The temple is located in a cave in a mountain of ice. During the months of May to August, the idol of Lord Shiva (Shivling) is formed from ice. Pilgrims travel from all over the world to visit this temple. The temple is located at an altitude of 3,888m.