Top 10 Famous Fertility Shrines Around the World

Kanayama Shrine is a modest Shinto temple, located just a short walk from Kawasaki Daishi Shrine. Upon entering, visitors will notice numerous male genitalia representations scattered throughout the small temple. Situated in the city of Kawasaki, Kanagawa, just south of Tokyo, it is easily accessible by train. Couples struggling with conception often visit to pray for fertility. This shrine is the only one in Japan that specifically honors human reproductive capabilities.

The shrine deifies gods of mining and blacksmithing, and local legend says these gods healed the lower body burns of the creator goddess Izanami after she birthed the fire deity. This folklore led to sex workers at nearby post stations during the Edo period (1603–1868) praying for protection from diseases. The shrine continues to be a symbol of health, supporting marriages, fertility, safe childbirth, and sexual health awareness.

Many visitors come to Kanayama Shrine hoping for conception. Afterward, they can purchase souvenirs shaped like male genitalia. Each spring, 50,000 people gather at the shrine to witness the lively Kanamara Matsuri, or “Steel Phallus Festival,” where large, colorful phallic-shaped mikoshi (portable shrines) are paraded through the surrounding area. This unique event is growing in popularity with international tourists.

Shri Satyagiriswarar Temple, dating back to the 8th century, is located in Virudhunagar, 80 km from Madurai in Tamil Nadu. Dedicated to Lord Vishnu and his consort Goddess Lakshmi, it is one of the 108 Divya Desam temples, holding significant spiritual importance for devotees. The temple is also famous as the birthplace of two key Vaishnavite saints, Periya Hvar and his adopted daughter Andal. Devotees believe that praying here helps resolve various issues, especially those related to children, marriage, agriculture, and education.

The temple, designed in Dravidian style, is divided into two sections. Devotees visit to worship Goddess Venuvaneswari, seeking blessings for marriage and children. Visitors often offer bangles, dolls, and prayers (Nidhana petitions). Wealthy devotees generously donate for the temple’s maintenance. Major festivals include the 10-day Chithirai festival in April-May, the 10-day Aadi Pooram in July-August, and the one-day Thaipusam festival in January-February. The temple witnesses large crowds on new moon days, full moon days, and Prado Sham days.

Although Thailand is predominantly a Buddhist nation, it also hosts Hindu beliefs and animism alongside traditional Buddhist practices. The Chao Mae Tuptim Temple in Thailand is a prime example of animistic origins, which can be found throughout the country. The temple is located on a small piece of land within the Swissotel Nai Lert Park and can be difficult to locate. The origin of Chao Mae Tuptim is not clearly known, but it is believed that the temple was established by Nai Lert to honor the spirits residing in the large Sai tree (Ficus).

The basic offerings at the temple include fragrant white jasmine garlands, incense, and pink and white lotus buds. Phalluses or lingams, symbols of the Hindu god Shiva, are sometimes worn by Thai men and women as "paladkig"—a lucky charm worn around the waist. These phallic symbols are linked to fertility and masculinity, and they are also known for their protective and luck-bringing qualities, often seen in small shops throughout Thailand. Sometimes the figure of the monkey god Hanuman is depicted on the phallic symbols, and you can find examples of this style of lingam at the Chao Mae Tuptim Temple.

The Panagia Tsumika Monastery is located about 25 km south of Rhodes Town, between the areas of Kolymbia and Archangelos. Every year, thousands of couples from all over the world visit Panagia Tsumika (Virgin Mary Tsumika), seeking help with conception or hoping for blessings for their children. Women struggling with infertility often make a pilgrimage to the monastery, which sits atop a high hill, to pray to the Virgin Mary for assistance in becoming pregnant. Many women from around the globe have reported conceiving after visiting the monastery, with several even returning to have their children baptized there.

The Panagia Tsumika Monastery celebrates a feast day on September 8th in honor of the Nativity of the Theotokos. When couples visit the monastery, they can pray before the icon of Panagia Tsumika, write their names and prayers in a book, and light a candle for their intention. They are also given a ribbon and wick to take home. The woman is then expected to fast for three days, wear the ribbon around her waist for forty days, and drink holy water from the monastery while continuing to pray for blessings to conceive a child.

Located in a small apartment in Naples, the Miraculous Chair is believed to be the place where Saint Maria Francesca, the patron saint of families, passed away in 1791. Known as the 'Miraculous Chair', it became a site where women wishing to conceive would sit, while local nuns would cross their stomachs and hold a holy relic, hoping for a blessing to become pregnant. The walls around the chair are covered with notes from parents of children who prayed here, with pink notes for girls and blue for boys.

Women travel to Italy in hopes of the miracle that sitting in the Miraculous Chair might bring. After mass, worshippers are led up a steep staircase and through a narrow corridor to the apartment where Saint Anna Maria Rosa Nicoletta Gallo spent much of her life in chastity and suffering until her death in 1791 at the age of 76. Nuns whisper to women sitting in the chair before touching their chest and abdomen with a holy relic, which contains a vertebra and a lock of the saint’s hair. While there is no official record of Saint Mary Frances' miracles, the devotion to the 'saint of families' who overcame an unhappy marriage continues to be widely shared.

The Osun Sacred Forest, located on the outskirts of Osogbo, is one of the last remaining stretches of tropical rainforest in southern Nigeria. Revered as the home of Osun, the goddess of fertility, this sacred site features shrines, sanctuaries, sculptures, and artworks dedicated to Osun and other Yoruba deities. The landscape, with its winding river and dense forest, serves as a spiritual hub for the Yoruba people, making it a symbol of their cultural identity. The forest is now one of the final remnants of Yoruba culture, drawing many couples who visit in hopes that the deities will bless them with children.

The Osun Sacred Forest stands out from other forests due to the newly installed art. Osogbo is now the only place with a significant collection of 20th-century sculptures, which reinforce the connection between the people and their Yoruba shrines, as well as the way in which Yoruba towns are spiritually linked to their natural surroundings. The forest's restoration by artists has turned it into a sacred place for all of Yoruba Land, becoming a defining symbol of the broader Yoruba Diaspora community.

The Water Sprinkling Festival for Girls, celebrated on Easter Monday, is an ancient fertility ritual dating back to pre-Christian times. In Hungary, girls are brought to wells or water troughs in rural areas, where men use buckets filled with fertility and purifying charms to sprinkle water on them. This tradition has been preserved by the Hungarian people to this day. Modern Hungarian men prefer using bottles of perfume or soda water for the ritual, and the girls, in return, gift the men with red or cream-colored eggs after being sprinkled. Today, women attend the festival not only to experience the cultural heritage but also in hopes of receiving blessings for fertility and good fortune in conceiving.

Visitors can experience this unique festival by participating in re-enactments at the open-air folk museum in Szentendre, just north of Budapest, Hungary's capital. The origin of the sprinkling tradition is tied to the ancient belief that men saw women as blooming roses. Young men would splash water on unmarried women as a wish for their health, fertility, and to ensure they wouldn’t “wilt” over time. The tradition has remained unchanged, with young men also performing traditional dances after the water sprinkling.

Nestled in the lush Punakha Valley of Bhutan, Chimi Lhakhang, affectionately known as the Temple of Fertility, stands as a unique symbol of hope, faith, and cultural eccentricity. This sacred site, dedicated to the 15th-century Buddhist saint Lama Drukpa Kunley, draws visitors from across the globe. Couples seeking blessings on their journey to parenthood make pilgrimages to this tranquil temple, eager to hear the tales of its magical powers in helping childless couples conceive.

Surrounded by breathtaking landscapes and adorned with symbolic depictions of fertility, Chimi Lhakhang is not only a testament to the religious devotion of the Bhutanese people but also a beacon of hope and sanctity for those longing to become parents. The walk up to this revered monastery offers a unique blend of spiritual awakening, cultural immersion, and natural beauty. Pilgrims also have the chance to interact with local people, gaining insight into their daily lives and cultural practices.

Garbharakshambigai Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Shiva, located in Thirukarukavoor, Tamil Nadu, India. This revered temple is believed to have been constructed during the Chola dynasty in the 7th century. The name 'Garbha' means pregnancy, 'Raksha' means protection, and 'Ambigai' refers to Parvati. The temple is managed by the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department of the Tamil Nadu Government. According to legend, the goddess Garbharakshambigai is said to have saved the unborn child of Vedhika, the wife of Sage Nithruvan, which is why devotees visit the temple to pray for safe pregnancies and childbirth.

Women visit this temple to seek blessings for conception and safe childbirth by offering flowers and performing rituals in honor of the goddess. Couples seeking children offer ghee (clarified butter) at the feet of Goddess Garbharakshambigai. The Garbharakshambigai Temple spans a vast area with towering Gopuram gateways and a beautiful water tank in front. The main shrine houses the Shiva Lingam, with Goddess Garbharakshambika located to the left of the Shiva shrine. Several festivals are celebrated here, including Vaikasi Brahmotsavam, Navratri, Margazhi Utsavam, Panguni Uthiram, and Thirukkarthigai.

Sri Santhana Venugopala Swamy Temple (Huchappa Gopala) is located in Hemmaragala Grama, Nanjangud taluk in Mysore district, India. This sacred temple is renowned for helping childless couples, who visit it in hopes of receiving blessings for offspring. The presiding deity is known as "Huchappa Gopala." According to priest N Veeraraghavan, a Chola king, who had only daughters, prayed to Lord Gopala for a male heir. When his 12th child was also a daughter, in frustration, he left the infant at the temple. To his astonishment, the next day, the child was miraculously transformed into a son. Since then, the deity has been called "Huchappa Gopala."

The Sri Santhana Venugopala Swamy Temple is believed to be over 1,800 years old, built during the Chola and Ganga dynasties. The temple houses a staff (danda) that is said to have belonged to Koundinya Maharshi, an ancient saint predating Buddhism. Priests believe that before relinquishing his body, the saint transferred his spiritual energy into the staff, which is thought to possess healing powers.

Couples from around the world visit Sri Santhana Venugopala Swamy Temple to pray for children. The temple ceiling is adorned with silver cradles, a testament to the number of blessed couples. Many couples leave messages of gratitude, claiming they were blessed with children after praying here. Some even report miraculous recoveries from serious ailments.