Birla Temple, Delhi

Birla Temple which is also known as the Lakshmi Narayan Temple is one of the major temples and tourist attractions in Delhi which is located on Mandir Marg, west of Connaught Place. The beautiful temple which was constructed in the year 1938 by the industrialist BD Birla, is dedicated to Laxmi (the goddess of prosperity) and Narayana (the preserver) with the side temples dedicated to Lord Shiva, Krishna, and Buddha. The temple is visited by many tourists coming from across the globe throughout the year.

Visiting the temple, one would come across the architecture that looks imbibed from the Nagara Style. Raised with red sandstone, the temple has tall spires with the tallest extending to a height of 165 feet and additional spires lengthen to 116 feet which looks magnificent. Other than this, the exotic structure of the temple comprises amazing sculptures and jaali work making it remarkable to behold. Inaugurated by the Father of The Nation-Mahatma Gandhi, Birla Temple is unique for being open to all castes.

Being one of the holy places in Delhi, tourists can take some time to meditate or sit quietly in one of the temple’s halls. Also, the garden outside is a quiet and relaxing place to spend an hour or two listening to the sound of the waterfalls.

History

The Lakshmi Narayan Temple was built by Raja Baldev Das in 1938 and is familiarly known as the Birla Mandir. The temple was inaugurated by Gandhiji and by his requests people of all castes and religions are allowed within the temple grounds. The famous Birla family takes care of the maintenance of the temple site.

Architecture

The Laxminarayan Temple is not just a place of religious importance but also an exquisite piece of architecture. The designer of the temple, Sris Chandra Chatterjee, was one of the prominent leaders of the Modern Indian Architecture Movement. It was a very interesting time in the country. The country was witnessing the Swadeshi movement at large.

The architecture of Birla Temple speaks volumes of the times it was constructed in. The Swadeshi movement of the early twentieth century is quite visible in the architecture of the temple. A whole lot of canonical texts have been used in the monument throughout. Chatterjee was a man known for his modern mindset. While keeping the religious and national importance of the place intact, Chaterjee extensively used modern technologies and materials to create the monument.

The Birla temple is a three-storeyed building and is built in the Nagara style of temple architecture. Scenes from the golden yuga of the present universal cycle can be seen carved around the temple walls. Hundreds of artisans from Benaras had put together their craft to carve the icons around the temple, under the able leadership of Acharya Vishwanath Shastri. The icons are made up of marble stone, sourced from Jaipur.

The temple also has work of Kota stone that was brought from various places like Makarana, Agra, Jaisalmer, and Kota. One of the biggest highlights of the temple is its Shikara, which is above the sanctum sanctorum. It is about 160 feet high. The temple is east facing and looks amazingly beautiful during the sunrise. It is situated on a high plinth and is adorned by some fresco paintings as well.

The Geeta Bhavan situated towards the north of the temple is dedicated to Lord Krishna. There are also side temples with the main temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva, Buddha, and Krishna. If you are a fan of architectural beauty, this place is a must-visit. Its artificial landscape and cascading waterfalls add to the scenic charm of the place.