Sunday 3 February 2013

Birla Mandir



LocationNear Gole Market, Mandir Marg, Connaught Place
Built byB.D. Birla
Built inDuring 1933 - 1939
Inaugurated byMahatma Gandhi
Also known asLaxminarayan Mandir
Primary deityLaxmi Narayan (Vishnu with his consort Lakshmi)
Important festivalsJanmashtami, Diwali
Architectural stylesNagara style of Hindu temple architecture
AttractionGardens and Fountains inside the Premises.
Don't MissAartis, Performed during the Evenings is Worth Attending.
Must SeeThe Famous Display During Janamashtami (Birth of Lord Krishna) Festival.
The Birla Mandir or Laxminarayan temple is a famous temple in region of Delhi in India, belonging to hindu religion. It was constructed in reverence to Lakshmi who is considered as a goddess of wealth and Narayan, her consort, who is known as Vishnu. The construction was undertaken by BR Birla in year 1933 and completed in 1939, after which, its inauguration was done by Mahatma Gandhi. There are three other side temples, which are for Buddha, Shiva and Krishna.
It is over an area of about 7.5 acres that the temple is spread with its arcade of fountains, shrines and big garden, and has the Geeta Bhawan for purpose of discourses.  In Delhi, this is one of the famous attractions and has devotees coming in hundreds and thousands, mostly during the festival of Diwali and janmashtami.
Location of the temple is in Mandir Marg, which is found near to the west side of Connaught Place in New Delhi. One can reach the temple very easily by taking taxis, or local buses and even auto-rickshaws. Delhi Metro Station nearest to the Birla Mandir is at R K Ashram Marg, at 2 kms distance from the mandir. In the same road address is Kalibari in New Delhi.
It has, over the years, become one of New Delhi’s important landmarks. The famous industrial family of Birlas was responsible for its construction in 20th century, which has also contributed for many other temples throughout the country. A large number of Indians and foreign devotees are seen thronging this mandir
History
Building of this temple began in the year 1933 with dedication to Laxmi narayan, by the famous personality of Baldeo Das Birla of family of Birlas, who was a philanthropist and industrialist, due to which, this is also known as the Birla Mandir or Birla Temple. Mahatma Gandhi is said to have inaugurated this temple in 1939. He also announced that there wouldn’t be any restrictions on the entry of other caste people apart from hindus. Renovation work and support for the temple has been looked after by Birla family
Architecture
The temple is three storied, built with the architecture style of Nagara style. There are plenty of carvings adorning the temple, depicting scenes from hindu mythology. The various idols of the temples were carved under the head of Acharya Vishvanath Shastri, by putting to work, hundreds of artisans with skills from banaras. The top shikhara of the temple, present above sanctum sanctorum is of height of 160 feet. East facing temple is built on a high plinth and plenty of paintings of fresco styles can be found adorning the shrine, which depict his life and various works. Marbles used in temple icon constructions were brought from jaipur. Kota stones were brought from Jaisalmer, Kota and Makaran were used in various places inside the premises. There is the Geeta Bhawan, towards the north side of the temple, which dedicates to Lord Krishna. Temple’s beauty is accentuated by the waterfalls and the various landscapes built artificially.
The tower which is the highest in this temple has a height of about 165 ft while other towers are about 116 ft. Hall inside the Geeta Bhavan have plenty of paintings done beautifully with themes of mythological anecdotes from Indian history. A temple inside the complex dedicated to Lord Buddha can be found, where paintings of frescos are in plenty, about his life and preaching. Walls and galleries of this complex are having paintings done by famous artists from city of Jaipur in Rajasthan. Towards the backside of the temple is a large landscape where waterfalls and fountains have been constructed
How to Reach
Since Delhi is a well known metropolis and India’s capital, it is easily reachable by air, road and rail transportation.
The temple can be reached by taking a taxi, or buses which are operated by Delhi Transport Corporation or through auto rickshaws.
By Air
Towards the south western part of Delhi, there is the Indira Gandhi International Airport, which provides landing for many international and domestic flights, connecting almost all areas of the country with Delhi, as well as from many other foreign countries.
By Train
Railway stations of importance in Delhi are Hazrat Nizammudin, Old Delhi, and New Delhi. Many trains of super fast, express and air conditioned categories arrive in Delhi from various regions. Also, the metro railway facility in Delhi makes it easier to reach the temple from various parts of delhi.
By Bus
Inside the city, buses have become the most important means of travelling around the city, with Delhi Transport Corporation providing majority of buses. Plenty of A/C class super deluxebuses are also bringing many passengers from nearby cities and from outskirts.
Lakshmi Narayan temple is located at about 1.5 kms towards the west side of Connaught Place, along the mandir marg. Lots of transportation options are found to reach the mandir. Another options is to reach Talkatora Gardens or Shivaji Stadium from various parts of Delhi and then by cheap and shared auto rickshaw, one can reach Birla Mandir. Although the entry into the temple is free, it requires some charges for devotees seeking to do puja, within the sanctum sanctorum. The timing of temple’s opening is from sunrise till sunset and in the office of the mandir, devotees can check out various rituals and their dates.
Important Shrines
Towards the northern side of Laxmi narayan temple in New Delhi, there is the Geeta Bhavan, which is dedicated to Lord Krishna. Another Buddha temple is present inside the complex, where various depictions about his work and life are presented. Marble stones have been used in sculpting the statues inside the temple, which were ordered from jaipur. Plenty of miniature temples made out of rock are found inside the complex, which are quite liked by children. The artificially prepared landscape towards the back of the temple, where cascading waterfalls and mountains are present, further makes the temple look beautiful. During the occasion of Janmashtami, which is the birth celebration of Lord Krishna, there is an enhancement of the splendor of the temple.
Although the idol of Laxmi Narayan is the main, there are meny other idols of Lord Shiva, Goddess Durga, Lord Rama, Lord Ganesha, and Hanuman. A large hall of Geeta Bhavan is present inside the complex, which has decorations with exquisite paintings, which have representations from Indian mythology. Towards the back side are many fountains and gardens. Interior courts are found overlooking the three sides, where there are double storiedverandahs
Significance of the Temple
Temple of Birla Mandir is well known for the janmasthami festival, which is the occasion of Lord Krishna’s birth, which is celebrated with much splendor and cheer. Styling of the temple has been based on Orissan style of temple architecture, where long towers of curved shapes are present with capping of large amalakas. Outside, there is studding with red sandstone and while marble, which is taken from architecture styles of mughal era. The interior court is having verandahs on all sides except the front, with fountains and gardens towards the back. Large number of idols, sculptures, jails and spires inside the Birla Mandir of Delhi are a form of splendor in itself
Timings and other important Information
Visiting Hours:                  From 7 to 12 in the Morning and 2 to 9 in Evening
Entry:                               Free
Days Closed:                    None
Photography:                    Not allowed in prayer hall
Weather and Time to Visit
Temperature is quite high, around 47 deg C in summers extending from March to June, during which time, tourists are not seen coming to delhi.
From December to February, it is winter time, where temperatures can drop down to about 1 deg C, where traffics are usually disrupted by fog.
Monsoon season is from July to September and plenty of floods can be seen but the gardens look beautiful during this time.
To come to Delhi, the best time is from months of July till February, although January can be quite foggy with disruptions in road and air communications as visibility is quite poor.
Accomodation
Inside the Birla Mandir is a guest house for accommodations of out of the town visitors, primarily for such scholars who have come for studying Sanskrit or aspects of Hinduism. Also, many scholars from foreign countries are seen coming to the temple from time to time, to study hindu religion and they get to stay in the accommodations inside the temple complex.
Plenty of hotels are found inside the city of Delhi, so that staying is never a problem. Some of the well known hotels in Delhi are Ashoka Hotel, Centaur Hotel, and Crown Plaza Holiday Inn as well as Hyatt Regency, with best quality services and star treatments. Also, many budget hotels can be found in the regions of Paharganj and Karol Bagh.
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