Lakshmi Narayan Mandir is situated near Connaught Place area of New Delhi. It was built by Raja Baldev Das in 1938. Popularly known as Birla Mandir, it is dedicated to Goddess Lakshmi, the Goddess of prosperity and wealth and her consort, Lord Vishnu. Built in Orissan style, its walls are adorned with various Hindu symbols and inscriptions from the holy books of the Gita and the Upanishads. The temple was inaugurated by Mahatma Gandhi and took six years to complete. According to the conditions placed by him, people of all castes, including the untouchables, were allowed to visit the temple. It is maintained by Birla family, the renowned industrialists of India.
The highest tower in the temple is 165 ft high. The temple complex also has Geeta Bhavan, a hall adorned with paintings depicting Indian mythology and a Buddha temple, with fresco paintings on the life of Buddha. The walls of the entire complex exhibit paintings of the artists from Jaipur. An artificial mountainous landscape, with fountains and waterfalls, has been created as the backdrop of the temple. The festival of Janmashtami is celebrated with a special fervor here. The white marble and red sandstone temple has multiple ‘swastikas’ on display. There are shrines of other deities in the complex, such as those dedicated to Goddess Durga and Lord Shiva.
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