Birla Mandir

Birla Mandir, Delhi

Konark inspired Sun Temple, Gwalior

Birla Mandir in Hyderabad

Birla Mandir (Birla Temple) refers to different Hindu temples or Mandirs built by the Birla family, in different cities. All these temples are magnificently built, some of them in white marble or in sandstone. The temples are generally located in a prominent location, carefully designed to accommodate a large number of visitors. The worship and discourses are well organized. The first one was built in 1939 in Delhi collectively by Ghanshyamdas Birla and his brothers, as well his father. Later temples have been built by, and are managed by different branches of the family.

The Birla temples in Delhi and Bhopal were intended to fill a void. Delhi, even though it was the capital of India, did not have any notable temples. During the Mughal period, temples with shikharas were prohibited until the late Mughal period. The Delhi temple, located at a prominent spot ^[1] was designed to be lofty and spacious, suitable for congregational worship or discourses. Although built using modern technology, it confirmed with the Nagar style. The Delhi, Banaras and the Bhopal temple use a modern style.

The later temples are built of marble or sandstone and are constructed in the classical (Chandela or Chaulukya) style of 10-12th century. The Saraswati temple, in the BITS Pilani campus is one of the very few Sarasvati temples built in modern times (see Sharda Temple, Maihar). It is said to be a replica of the Kandariya Mahadeva Temple temple of Khajuraho; however it is built of white marble and adorned with not only images of gods, but also philosophers and scientists.^[2] The Gwalior Sun temple is a replica of the famous Sun Temple of Konark,^[3] as it would have appeared before the collapse of the main tower. Anne Hardgrove states:

A national chain of the "Birla temples," temples of grandiose scale and design, have become major landmarks and part of the cityscapes of Indian urban life in the late twentieth century. The Birla temples exist in conjunction with other large industrial and philanthropic ventures of the wealthy Birla family, including major institutions of technology, medicine, and education. ... Birla temples have redefined religion to conform to modern ideals of philanthropy and humanitarianism, combining the worship of a deity with a public institution that contributes to civil society. The architectural forms of the two newest Birla temples (Jaipur and Kolkata) incorporate innovative, dual-purpose structures into the temple design that alter temple practices to reflect the concerns of modern public culture in a religious site.^[4]

Birla Mandirs across India

Birla Temple at Arera Hills, Bhopal.

Shri Vishwanath Mandir also known as Birla Mandir in the Banaras Hindu University campus, Varanasi.

^[9]

Birla Mandir, Kolkata

Continuous Construction

The family has continued to construct temples during the past several decades. is continuously going on at some location. The popular story is that the family believes that if they stop the construction of temples, it will bring bad fate. This is the reason why some of the temples are not 100% finished, and construction is on-going, albeit at a slow pace. In reality is good fortune of the family that it has been largely financially successful, allowing them to continue to donate it.

See also

• Shri Radha Krishna Mandir, Kanpur
• Hindu temple architecture
• Shri Vishwanath Mandir
• All pages with a title containing Birla Mandir

References

1. ↑ Backdrop of the Struggle in India; American's impressions of a teeming land. Amid romance, reality, fabulous wealth and dire poverty there is yearning for independence. Backdrop of Struggle in India, Herbert L. Matthews, New York Times Magazine, September 27, 1942
2. ↑ Community and Public Culture: The Marwaris in Calcutta 1897-1997, Anne Hardgrove, Philanthropy and Mapping the Kul: Industrialists and Temple Building
3. ↑ Pilgrimage Centres of India, Brajesh Kumar, A.H.W. Sameer series, Diamond Pocket Books (P) Ltd., 2003 p. 103
4. ↑ Community and Public Culture: The Marwaris in Calcutta 1897-1997, Anne Hardgrove, Philanthropy and Mapping the Kul: Industrialists and Temple Building
5. ↑ "Making history with brick and mortar". Hindustan Times. September 15, 2011. 
6. ↑ Birla Mandir in Kolkata - Lakshmi Narayan Temple - Birla Temple in Kolkata - Kolkata Archived June 15, 2008, at the Wayback Machine.
7. ↑ Kolkata: City Guide, Goodearth Publications, 2011 - Calcutta, p. 103
8. ↑ Temple Net. "Birla Mandir". Retrieved 2009-10-27. 
9. ↑ http://www.mysambalpur.in/brajarajnagar/