The Lakshmi Narayan temple is one of the most popular Hindu temple in Delhi, also known as the Birla temple. It is dedicated to Lord Vishnu, who is known as the preserver of the Hindu religion and his wife Goddess Laxmi, the goddess of wealth. It also pays homage to other deities of the Hindu mythology. Located in the heart of the city, it is a pilgrim spot with fountains and a huge garden. The divine serenity of the temple is only replaced by the musical kirtans (songs devoted to Hindu deities) that fills every tourist with joy.
The main feature of this temple is that people of all religions and castes (even the untouchables) are welcomed here without any discrimination.
History
The temple was created in 1622 and was again renovated in 1793. In 1933, it was rebuilt that took a time of 6 years and was inaugurated by Mahatma Gandhi, the Father of our Nation. Since 1938, the Birla family has provided financial support to this temple.
Temple – At a Glance
The temple occupies and area of 7.5 acres (30,000 sq. m.) approximately. Among the three domes of the temple, in the middle dome, statues of Lord Vishnu and Devi Lakshmi are established. The left dome is dedicated to Devi Durga, who is the goddess of Shakti (power). While the right dome is the home of Lord Shiv in the meditation pose, who is popular as the lord of classical dance.
In the right side of the front gate, the statue of Lord Ganesh, who is the elephant headed god of wisdom, is placed to bless people with the gift of right knowledge. On the left side of the front gate, there is a statue of Lord Hanuman, who is well known as the monkey bodied devotee of Lord Rama.
The visiting time of the temple is from 7 to 12 in the morning and 2 to 9 in the evening.
Architecture
The temple is built in the Orissan Style whose exterior is made up of the white marbles and red sandstones with elevated curved towers. The highest tower of the temple has the height of 165 feet while the subsidiary towers are just of 116 feet.
Attractions of the Temple
Apart from the deities, there are a few more attractions of the Laxmi Narayan temple. You will seriously enjoy taking a walk through the airy corridors and will be overwhelmed to view the artistic sculptures that indicate the temple’s aesthetic shrine. You will be further amazed to know that 101 intelligent pundits (people who take care of the temples) from Varanasi gave their days and nights to pore serenity in these stones.
The Geeta Bhavan, a hall of attractive paintings, signifies various events of the Indian mythology. Next, in the premises of the temple, there is a temple devoted to Lord Buddha and has fresco paintings depicting his life’s events and his work. The entire area including the walls and the gallery seem to be a host of paintings that are carved out by the artists of Jaipur, Rajasthan. The behind part of the temple consists of artificial rocky landscape that includes naturally looking fountains and cascading waterfalls, simply adding to the ideal place of solitude.
The Aarti, a custom of pleasing the deity using flora, lamps, fragrance, and other sacred artifacts, performed in the evening is worth to attend that gives an amazing feeling of sanity.
Days of Attraction
On weekdays, Friday is the ideal day to visit this temple as it is the day of Goddess Laxmi. Considering the holidays, Janmashtami and Diwali are two to be taken into account during which you can experience the temple’s charm and make your visit a remembering one. The dates of such celebrations and occasions can be obtained from the office of the temple.
Janamashtami is the festival that marks the birth of Lord Krishna, a reincarnation of Lord Vishnu. On this day, the echoes of spiritual hymes and sacred aroma just make the temple a place of never-ending joy and fun. You can see many devotees of Lord Krishna in colorful clothes paying homage to small infant Gopal (childhood name of Lord Krishna)
During Diwali, the temple is decorated with multicolored lights that spread the message to each person irrespective or local resident or a tourist of awakening your soul and minds.
Reaching the Temple
The sacred temple is located on the Mandir Marg, which is 1.5 km away from the Connaught Place (a shopping site). There are many transportation options so that you can reach the temple easily.
Irrespective in which area of city you are in, you can easily reach Shivaji Stadium or Talkatora Gardens and then take an auto rickshaw for the temple. There is no entry fee, but you might have to lose a few amount if you are of the desire to perform a ‘Puja’ (religious ritual) in the sanctum sanctorum.
Nearby Attractions
- Jantar Mantar
- India Gate
- Hanuman Mandir
- Palika Bazaar
- Janpath