South Indian Temples vs North Indian Temples
South Indian temples and North Indian temples differ between them in terms of their construction, practice and the like.
Rituals
The rituals performed in the North Indian temples are very simple when compared to the rituals performed in the South Indian temples. The South Indian temples are used to elaborate methods of rituals.
Sanskrit Agama scriptural traditions are strictly adhered to in the performance of rituals in the South Indian temples.
Practices
The North Indian temples are less orthodox when compared to the South Indian temples, in the sense, that every body is permitted to enter the innermost sanctum of the deity in most of the North Indian temples, whereas, the South Indian temples prescribe certain rules and regulations regarding the entry into the main and the principal sanctum of the deity. Temples in Kerala prescribe many orthodox rules while entering into them. Men should enter most of the temples only with a bare chest. They are not supposed to wear the upper garment while entering into the temples.
In the North Indian temples the principal deity is not decorated with precious jewelry, since everybody is allowed to enter into the principal sanctum of the deity.
Architecture
Most of the North Indian temples do not contain surrounding corridors and halls, while many South Indian temples like the Meenakshi Amman Temple in Madurai contain surrounding corridors and halls.
In North Indian temples you can find that the tallest towers are constructed over the sanctum sanctorum. This is not the case with many of the South Indian temples.
Many South Indian temples have processional deities too made of panchaloha an alloy of five metals in additional to the principal deity. These processional deities are not seen in the North Indian temples.