Laxminarayan Temple

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Laxminarayan Temple
Name
Other names: Birla Temple
Proper name: Laxmi Narayan Temple
Devanagari: श्री लक्ष्मीनारायण मन्दिर
Location
Country: India
Location: New Delhi
Architecture and culture
Primary deity: Laxmi Narayan (Vishnu with his consort Lakshmi)
Important festivals: Janmashtami, Diwali
Architectural styles: Nagara style of Hindu temple architecture
History
Date built:
(Current structure)		 1939
Creator: Baldeo Das Birla

The Laxminarayan Temple (Hindi: श्री लक्ष्मीनारायण मन्दिर, also known as the Birla Mandir) is a Hindu temple dedicated to Laxminarayan in Delhi, India. Laxminarayan usually refers to Vishnu, Preserver in the Trimurti, also known as Narayan, when he is with his consort Lakshmi. The temple, inaugurated by Mahatma Gandhi, was made built by B. R. Birla and Jugal Kishore Birla[1] from 1933 and 1939. The side temples are dedicated to Shiva, Krishna and Buddha.[2]

The temple spread over 7.5 acres, is adorned with many shrines, fountains, and a large garden, and also houses Geeta Bhawan for discources. The temple is one of the major attractions of Delhi and attracts thousands of devotees on the Hindu festivals of Janmashtami and Diwali.

History

Biria Temple ( The holiest temple in Delhi)

The construction of temple dedicated to Laxmi Narayana started in 1933, built by industrialist and philanthropist, Baldeo Das Birla and his son Jugal Kishore Birla of Birla family, thus, the temple is also known as Birla Temple. The foundation stone of temple was laid by Maharaj Udaybhanu Singh. The temple was built under guidance of Pandit Vishwanath Shastri. The concluding ceremony and Yagna was performed by Swami Keshwa Nandji.[1] The famous temple is accredited to have been inaugurated by Mahatma Gandhi in 1939. At that time, Mahatma Gandhi kept a condition that the temple would not be restricted to the Hindus and people from every caste would be allowed inside.[2][3]

Architecture

The shikharas of the temple

The three-storied temple is built in the northern or Nagara style of Hindu temple architecture. The entire temple is adorned with carvings depicting the scenes from Hindu mythology. More than hundred skilled artisans from Benares, headed by Acharya Vishvanath Shastri, carved the icons of the temple. The highest shikhara of the temple above the sanctum sanctorum is about 160 feet high. The temple faces the east and is situated on a high plinth. The shrine is adorned with fresco paintings depicting his life and work. The icons of the temple are in marble brought from Jaipur. Kota stone from Makarana, Agra, Kota and Jaisalmer were used in the construction of the temple premises.The Geeta Bhawan to the north of the temple is dedicated to Lord Krishna. Artificial landscape and cascading waterfalls add to the beauty of the temple.[4]

Temple

The main temple houses statues of Lord Narayan and Hindu Goddess Lakshmi. There are other small shrines dedicated to Lord Shiva, Lord Ganesha and Hanuman. There is also a shrine dedicated to Lord Buddha. The left side temple shikhar (dome) houses Devi Durga, the Hindu goddess of Shakti, the power. The temple is spread over an area of 7.5 acres (30,000 m2) approximately. And built up area is 0.52 acres (2,100 m2).

Location

The temple is located on the Mandir Marg, situated west of the Connaught Place in New Delhi. The temple is easily accessible from the city by local buses, taxis and auto-rickshaws. Nearest Delhi Metro station is R.K.Ashram Marg, located about 2 km away. Also on the same road lies the New Delhi Kalibari.

A panoramic view of Birla Mandir.

Gallery

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Laxminarayan temple, New Delhi.

  • Temple decorated on Occasion of Janmashtami, the birth anniversary of Lord Krishna

  • Delhi's Laxminarayan Temple is one of the most famous Vaishnavite temples in India.

  • Close up of the Lakshmi Narayan Temple in Delhi.

See also

  • Tourist Attractions in Delhi

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Making history with brick and mortar". Hindustan Times. September 15, 2011. 
  3. ↑ Birla Temple Delhi
  4. ↑ Birla Mandir:About the Temple

External links

Religious sites
Parks, Gardens
Architectural sites
Notable buildings
Plazas
  • Topics
  • Hindu temples
  • Museums
  • Neighborhoods
  • Power Plants
  • Universities
  • Landmarks
  • Neighborhoods
  • Museums
  • Power Plants
  • Topics
  • Universities

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike; additional terms may apply for the media files.