Temples & Spiritual Sites

India's temples are living places of worship rather than monuments, and each carries its own architectural language — the Kalinga spires of Odisha, the Dravidian gopurams of the south, the marble and gold of Amritsar. Expect to remove shoes, dress modestly with shoulders and knees covered, and check whether photography is permitted inside the sanctum. Many sanctums are open only to Hindus; where that applies, our guides say so and point to what non-Hindu visitors can see instead.