Birla mandir…

Birla Mandir is a magnificient temple built entirely in marble, with great architectural significance. It was built by the Birla Foundation in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India.

The temple is dedicated to Lord Venkateshwara.

HistoryThe temple is built on a 280 feet (85 m) high kalapahad,the twin hillock of Naubath Pahad on a 13 acres (53,000 m2) plot. -An enchanting modern Birla Mandir located in south end of Hussain Sagar in Hyderabad,.-The Birlas built this temple in 1976.

+The construction took 10 years and was

consecrated in 1976 by Swami

Ranganathananda of Ramakrishna mission.

+The temple does not have traditional bells, as

Swamiji wished that the temple atmosphere

should be conducive for meditation.

+This temple is one of the most important

religious place in India .

Description

The temple manifests a blend of South Indian

Rajasthani and Utkala temple architectures. In its

entirety, it is made of 2000 tons of pure Rajasthani white

marble.

The granite of the presiding deity is about 11 ft (3.4 m)

tall and a carved lotus forms an umbrella on the roof.

The consorts of Lord Venkateswara, Padmavati

and Andal are housed in separate shrines.

There is a brass flagstaff in the temple premises

which rises to a height of 42 ft (13 m).

Architecture style-As far as the architecture of the South India Birla -Temples is concerned, it is an amalgam of a variety of architectural styles i.e of Orissan and South indiantemples. -The visitors to the temple are greeted by a ‘rajgopuram' constructed in the South Indian style. -The exquisite carvings of the temple, the ceiling and the mythological figurines are ample proofs of the dexterity of the sculptors and the craftsmen.-There is a tower over the chief shrine of Lord Venkateswara which is called the ‘JagadananandaVimanam' and is constructed in the quintessentially Orissan style. .

-Interestingly enough, the towers over the shrines of Lord Venkateswara are reminiscent of the south Indian architectural style. - An exotic scenes from the great epics of Ramayana and Mahabharatha are finely sculpted in marble, the inner shrine of the temple is a replica of the Venkateswara temple at Tirupati-The image of the presiding deity is made of granite and is 11 feet tall. -A carved lotus forms an umbrella like structure on the roof. -In the adjacent ‘mukhamandapam' the scenes from Indian mythology are carved in marbles.- Birla Temple Hyderabad basks in a flood of light at night

-There are several carvings in marble, in the adjoining 'Mukha Mandapam' - depicting scenes from Indian mythology.

Other Shrines in the Temple

Though the chief deity is Lord Venkateshwara, the temple has pan-Hindu character with deities of Shiva, Shakti, Ganesh, Hanuman, Brahma, Saraswati, Lakshmi and Saibaba. The selected teachings of holy men and Gurbaniare engraved on temple walls.

There is also a temple dedicated to Buddha in this complex with fresco paintings describing his life and work

Birla Mandir offers a spectacular sight when illuminated at night..

A tour to Hyderabad is considered incomplete without a visit to the enchanting Birla Mandir.