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As the name suggests, Birla Mandir is a chain of temples built by the Birla family in various cities across the country. All the temples constructed are fine examples of architecture and built using either pure white marble or sandstones. The temples are constructed in prominent locations and designed in such a way that they can accommodate a large number of visitors.
The first temple was constructed in Delhi in the year 1939 by a collective measure started by Ghanshyam Das Birla who roped in his brothers and his father Baldeo Das Birla. The temple here is dedicated to Laxminarayan.
The temple is one of the largest Hindu temples to be built in the capital city. The structure is spread across a total area of 7.5 acres and has other sub shrines dedicated to other deities. There are fountains and a garden which houses various sculptures which are considered to be important in Hinduism as well as to the nation.
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The temple is one of the major attractions in Delhi and is located in the prominent location of Connaught Place, which is easily accessible by metro and other modes of public transport.
Best Time To Visit Birla Mandir
The temple can be visited any time during the year; however, the festivals of Diwali and Krishna Janmashtami are celebrated in a grand manner, which attracts a large number of visitors.
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More About The Temple
The construction of the temple began in the year 1933 with its foundation stone being laid by Maharaja Udaybhanu Singh who was the last ruler of Dholpur. The temple was named as Laxmi Narayan Mandir and is dedicated to Vishnu along with his consort Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth.
As the temple received all its funding from the Birla family, it came to be known as Birla Mandir. The construction of the temple was completed in the year 1939 and was declared open by Gandhi. At the time of its inauguration, Gandhi is said to have put a condition before the Birla family, saying that the temple must be open to all, irrespective of caste, creed or religion.
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The temple is also the first to be built by the family following which there were many others built in different cities across the country.
The Architecture
The temple is a three-storied structure which is built in the Nagara style of architecture. The chief architect of the temple was Sris Chandra Chatterjee who happened to be one of the leading propagators of the Modern Indian Architecture.
The whole temple is adorned with various carvings which depict scenes from the various yugas mentioned in the Hindu scriptures. The first sight which grabs anybody's attention before entering the temple is the three temple towers or the shikaras. The tallest shikara which stands above the sanctum sanctorum is approximately 160 ft in height.
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The idols in the temple are carved out of white marble brought all the way from Jaipur. The stones were brought in from Kota, Agra, Jaisalmer and Makarana which were used in its construction. The main shrine houses the idols of Vishnu and Goddess Lakshmi, apart from which there are smaller shrines dedicated to Shiva, Ganesha, Hanuman, Buddha, Krishna and Durga.
The Geeta Bhavan which is located in the northern side of the temple complex is dedicated to Lord Krishna. The small rock cut temples, fountains and a well maintained landscape attracts children as well as adults equally.
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The Geeta Bhavan also houses numerous paintings which tell you stories from the various religious texts which were the work of artists from Jaipur. The complex also houses the idols of Buddha which are decorated with murals depicting the life and teachings of Buddha.
Timings Of Birla Mandir
Morning: 4:30 AM To 1:30 PM
Evening: 2:30 PM To 9:00 PM
