Delhi Temples: Birla (Lakshminarayan) Mandir

The Birla Mandir (also called the Lakshminarayan Temple in honour of Lord Vishnu (Narayan) and his consort, the goddess of wealth, Lakshmi) is a relatively modern temple, having been completed in 1939 and inaugurated by Mahatma Gandhi (with the condition that the temple will be open to all, and there are no restrictions; however non-hindus are not allowed inside the main premises). The temple has been built by the Birla family, an old Indian business family. The temple is located close to Connaught Place, on Mandir Marg. To reach it, you need to take the Radial Road from Connaught Place that passes in front of Lady Hardinge College and Shivaji Stadium, and follow the road straight.
Birla Mandir gets most crowded during Janmashtmi (festival to celebrate birth of Lord Krishna, an avtar of Vishnu). The temple complex also has shrines honoring the deities Shiva and Durga. There is also a Buddha temple in the complex with frescos depicting his life and work. The Geeta Bhavan, a hall is adorned with beautiful paintings depicting scenes from Indian mythology. The entire complex, especially the walls and the upper gallery are full of paintings carried out by artists from Jaipur in Rajasthan.
The complex is modern in construction, and is designed on the Orissa style, with tall curved towers capped by large amalakas. The outside facing of the complex is white marble and red sandstone. Online donations can be made through this website.
Rituals can be be conducted with the help of the temple priest, and there is an aarti daily in the evening, but it can get fairly crowded.


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