Birla Mandir

India is a land of temples. The Hindus are firm believers of god and this can be judged from the fact that there is a temple in every nook and corner of the country. The capital of India, Delhi, is a home of world famous temple known as Birla Mandir. The Birla Mandir is also famous by the name of the Laxmi Narayan temple. This temple was not the part of the plan laid by Sir Edwin Lutyens for Delhi. The Birla Mandir was built by the famous industrial family of India- the Birlas.

The Birla Mandir is situated in the heart of the city, near Connaught place and thus attracts thousands of the tourists and devotees every year. It is located on the Mandir Marg, adjacent to the Connaught place, a famous tourist spot and business hub of Delhi. The Birla Mandir is dedicated to the Hindu God, Vishnu and the Laxmi, the goddess of wealth in Indian culture. The Vishnu God is the second in the Hindu trinity of the creator-preserver - destroyer.

The Birla Mandir was built in 1938. Its inauguration was done by the Father of the nation - Mahatma Gandhi. A condition was laid that people of all castes should be allowed to enter the temple. This makes Birla Mandir, one of the most famous temples in India. The Hindu, festival called Janmashtami which marks the birth of Lord Krishna, is celebrated here with great joy. The design of the Birla Mandir is based on the Orissa style. The temple consists of two tall towers with large circular motif at the base of the tower. These circular motifs are called as amalakas. The highest tower in the temple reaches the height of 165 feet. There is also a touch of Mughal architecture with the use of the white marble and the red sandstone on the exterior of the temple. On the interior side, there is a large court which is overlooked by the three sided, two-storey verandahs. The temple consists of a huge hall, called as Geeta Bhawan which is lavishly decorated with beautiful paintings with theme of the Indian mythology. These paintings were done by the artists from Jaipur in Rajasthan.

The Birla Mandir complex also consists of the gardens ad fountains on the rear side of the temple. The temple is also a shrine for the Shiva and Durga devotees. It is peaceful temple.