Birla Mandir


Birla Mandir 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.

History and Design

The Birla temples in Delhi and Bhopal were intended to fill a void, because these cities, ruled for centuries by Muslim dynasties, did not have any notable temples, since the ruler did not permit the construction of grand temples with shikharas. 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 first temple to be built by the Brila family is the Laxminarayan Temple in Delhi. Located at a prominent site, the temple 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 Birla temples in Delhi, Banaras and the Bhopal use modern construction materials and techniques. Later temples are built of marble or sandstone and are constructed usually in the classical 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. 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 of philosophers and scientists. The Gwalior Sun temple is a replica of the famous Sun Temple of Konark, as it would have appeared before the collapse of the main tower. Anne Hardgrove states:

Birla Mandirs across India

ImageTempleYearLocationDeity
Birla Mandir1931-1966VaranasiShiva
Laxminarayan Temple1939DelhiLakshmi Narayan
Birla Mandir1941 - 1961KanpurLakshmi Narayan
Birla Mandir1952KurukshetraKrishna
Birla Mandir 1956-1960BITS PilaniSaraswati
Birla Mandir1957KurnoolLaskhmi Narayan
Birla Mandir1960BhopalLakshmi Narayan
Tulsi Birla Manas Mandir1964VaranasiRam
Birla Mandir1965ShahadVithoba
Renukeshaw Mahadev Temple1972RenukootShiva
Birla Mandir1966-1976HyderabadVenkateswara
Birla Mandir1976-1996KolkataRadha Krishna
Birla Mandir1984-1988GwaliorSurya
Birla Mandir1988JaipurLakshmi Narayan
Birla MandirPatnaLakshmi Narayan
Birla MandirAkolaRama
Birla MandirNagdaVishnu
Birla MandirAlibaugGanesha
Birla MandirBrajarajnagarLaxmi Narayanan