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Ashtalakshmi Kovil is a Hindu temple and lies on the shorelinesof Bay of Bengal, which is also called Elliot's beach, in Chennai, India. The temple is dedicated to Goddess Lakshmi, who, according to the Hindu mythology, is the giver all eight forms of wealth, namely, offspring, success, prosperity, wealth, courage, bravery, food, and knowledge. The idols are depicted on a multi-tier complex in such a way that visitors could visit all the shrines without stepping over any of the idols. The temple was constructed on the wishes of Sri Chandrashekarendra Saraswati swamigal of Kanchi Mutt.

In this temple the eight forms of Goddess Lakshmi are present in four levels. The shrine of Mahalakshmi and Mahavishnu are in level two. One starts the worship from here. One can take the stairs and the path leads to third floor which has the shrines of Santhanalakshmi, Vijayalakshmi, Vidyalakshmi and Gajalakshmi. Then again take a few steps and we reach the shrrine of DhanaLakshmi, which is the only shrine on the fourth floor. Exiting the main shrine, in the first level, there are shrines for Aadilakshmi, Dhaanya lakshmi and Dharyalakshmi. The temple also has Dasavathara's(10 incarnations of Vishnu), Guruvayoorapan, Ganapati, Dhanwanthari and Anjaneyar deities. 

The temple is constructed with Ashtanga Vimana in the tower in the Omkara design. The shadow of the tower does not fall on the ground. The design is similar to the Big Temple in Thanjavur.

The temple is open from 6.00 a.m. to 11.00 a.m. and from 5.00 p.m. to 8.00 p.m. 

Address: Beach Rd,Besant nagar,Odaimanagar, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600092

Phone:044 2446 6777

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Belur and Halebid are two tiny but beautiful temple towns in the southern state of Karnataka. Once at the center of a great empire ruled by Hoysalas in the 12th century, Belur and Halebid are heritage towns and are home to several exquisite temples which reveal the artistry of Indian sculptors and the mastery of the temple builders of yore.

No less exquisite than the famous temples of Khajuraho, the temples of Belur and Halebid will leave you wanting to come back for a second look.
The temples of Belur & Halebid are magnificently done up with intricate carvings and fine architecture. One must not miss out on the exquisite Hoyasala architecture which is worth a notice in all the temples.
Belur is about 223 kms from Bangalore, a drive of about 4 hours. It is located on the banks of river Yagachi. According to inscriptions discovered here, Belur was also referred to as 'Velapuri'. Belur is known as Dakshina Varanasi or South Banaras for its temples. Though Belur and Halebidu and just 16 kms away, they are always referred to as Belur and Halebidu as if they are one. But indeed they are one in their grandeur of erstwhile era. The temples of Belur and Halebid are best known for their south Indian architecture.
This temples of Belur and Halebid along with Jain monuments at Shravanabelagola in Hassan district are being proposed as UNESCO world heritage site. Halebid is open daily from 10 AM to 5 PM Closed on Fridays.

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