Around the globe we often encounter glorious religious sites. They often overpower you... leaving you awestruck with their sheer size.
Centres of faith and worship, they reflect the architectural grandeur and religious devotion of their times. Which are some of the largest?
Angkor Wat, Cambodia
The vast Hindu-Buddhist temple complex has a name that means City Of Temples in Khmer. Spanning 162.6 hectares, it was built in 1150 CE. It is the largest religious structure on earth.
Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple, India
At Srirangam, Tamil Nadu -- occupying 63 hectares and possessing more than 50 shrines honouring mainly Vishnu, Lakshmi and revered Vaishnava poets and scholars -- it was constructed by Chola kings maybe anywhere from 250 to 161 BCE.
Saint Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City
The basilica took over 120 years to complete, with contributions from legendary artists/architects like Michelangelo, Bernini, Bramante. The church can hold over 60,000 people -- one of the world's largest churches.
Masjid al-Haram, Saudi Arabia
The Great Mosque of Mecca, it surrounds the sacred Kaaba. Islam's holiest site is central to the Hajj pilgrimage, a journey every able-bodied Muslim is expected to undertake at least once in their lifetime.
Temple Emanu-El, New York
Founded in 1845, Temple Emanu-El is not only a significant piece of architecture but also a historic synagogue and an influential voice in Reform Judaism.
Constructed under the Sailendra Dynasty, the Borobudur is a 9th-century Mahayana Buddhist temple in Central Java, Indonesia and designed in traditional Javanese Buddhist style.
Akshardham Temple, India
Completed in a span of just 5 years, the HDH Pramukh Swami Maharaj, BAPS and the dedication countless volunteers and 11,000 skilled craftsmen brought it to life in Delhi in 2005.
Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, Pakistan
At Kartarpur, is one of the largest gurdwaras, visible from the Pakistan-India border and Sikhs offer darshan at this spot. This was where Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, once lived.
Cologne Cathedral, Germany
While the Ulm Cathedral has a taller steeple and considered the larger site, the impressive grey-black sandstone Hohe Domkirche Sankt Petrus, as it is officially called, that took many centuries build, is the tallest twin-spired church in the world.