Shiva cult

Connected Sites: 12

Definition
WHS that include major shrines for the cult of Shiva (Shaivism), one of the major Hindu traditions.

Map

Connected Sites

  • Prambanan
    Prambanan
    Indonesia
    Inscribed: 1991
    3.80
    187
    9
    "Built in the 10th century, this is the largest temple compound dedicated to Shiva in Indonesia" (UNESCO description)
  • My Son
    My Son
    Viet Nam
    Inscribed: 1999
    3.03
    184
    7
    "The temples are dedicated to the veneration of God in accordance with Shaivism, wherein God is named Shiva, or The Auspicious One. In this particular complex, he is venerated under various local names, the most important of which is Bhadreshvara." (wiki)
    See en.wikipedia.org
  • Khajuraho Group of Monuments
    Inscribed: 1986
    3.90
    81
    4
    "Of the surviving temples, six are dedicated to Shiva" (wiki), including the largest temple of the complex, the Kandariya Mahadeva Temple
    See en.wikipedia.org
  • Mahabalipuram
    Inscribed: 1984
    3.77
    75
    4
    Criterion (vi): The sanctuary is one of the major centres of the cult of Siva. (OUV)
  • Pattadakal
    Inscribed: 1987
    3.22
    46
    3
    "Pattadakal possesses a sort of holy city comprised of an impressive series of eight Hindu temples dedicated to Siva. Somewhat off to the side, towards the village, is the ninth Sivaite sanctuary, the Temple of Papanatha," (AB ev)
  • Rudreshwara (Ramappa) Temple
    Inscribed: 2021
    2.62
    11
    2
    "the Rudreshwara (Ramappa) Temple is a living Brahminical Shiva Temple, following all the authentic Shaiva-Agama rituals" (OUV authenticity statement)
  • Kathmandu Valley
    Inscribed: 1979
    3.82
    163
    10
    Pashupatinath Temple, "one of the most sacred Shiva Kshetras (abodes of Shiva) in Skanda Purana... dedicated to Pashupati, a form of Shiva."
    See en.wikipedia.org
  • Chola Temples
    Inscribed: 1987
    3.98
    54
    9
    "The Gangaikonda Cholapuram Temple is smaller yet more refined than the Thanjavur Temple. Both are among the largest Shiva temples in South India" (wiki)
    See en.wikipedia.org
  • Vat Phou
    Inscribed: 2001
    2.95
    73
    8
    "It is focused on, to the west, the natural features of Phou Kao Mountain and, on the east, the Mekong River, used to represent respectively the sacred mountain dwelling of the god Shiva and the Ganges River or the Universal Ocean." (AB ev) "The elements lead to a shrine where a lingam dedicated to Lord Shiva was bathed in water from a mountain spring."
    See www.tourismlaos.org
  • Preah Vihear Temple
    Inscribed: 2008
    3.47
    98
    13
    "Both then and in the following centuries, it was dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva in his manifestations as the mountain gods Sikharesvara and Bhadresvara." (wiki)
    See en.wikipedia.org
  • Koh Ker
    Koh Ker
    Cambodia
    Inscribed: 2023
    3.16
    70
    7

    "Prasat Prang is a thirty-eight-metre-high stepped pyramid constructed as the Koh Ker version of Mount Meru and Kailash, the earthly abode of Lord Shiva." – Criterion iv "is justified by the State Party on the grounds that Koh Ker is an outstanding example of an urban ensemble of a preconceived layout of the sacred symbolic mandala representing the Shiva cult (...)." (AB Ev) – "The capital of Koh Ker, when established, was unparalleled in the entire Southeast Asia, as also its pyramidal temple, as a regional centre of Shiva Worship." – Jayavarman IV's "bid to establish Koh Ker as the centre of Shiva devotion and the Hindu cosmos is manifested in the distinct sacred urban design, monumental structures and infrastructure". (Nomination file, p. vii) – "(...) the city was also not explicitly named after [Jayavarman IV] but was rather called 'Lingapura, the city of Lingas, the abode of Shiva'." (Nomination file, p. 87)
  • Elephanta Caves
    Inscribed: 1987
    3.05
    116
    7
    "Criteria (i): The fifteen large reliefs surrounding the lingam chapel in the main Elephanta Cave not only constitute one of the greatest examples of Indian art but also one of the most important collections for the cult of Shiva." (OUV)