Birla Mandir on the Naubath Pahad is a Hindu temple

Hindu temple

A Mandir, Devalayam, Devasthanam, or a Hindu temple is a place of worship for followers of Hinduism...

 of Lord Venkateshwara, built entirely of white marble located in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh , is one of the 28 states of India, situated on the southeastern coast of India. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city by population is Hyderabad.The total GDP of Andhra Pradesh is $100 billion and is ranked third...

, India

India

India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

.

The Birla Foundation has constructed several similar temples in India, all of which are known as Birla Mandir

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 in white marble.-Birla Mandirs across India:-Continuous Construction:...

.

The temple manifests a blend of South Indian Rajasthani

Rajasthani architecture

Māru-Gurjara Architecture originated somewhere in sixth century in and around areas of Rajasthan.-Etymology:The name Maru Gurjara has its genesis in the fact that during ancient times, Rajasthan and Gujarat had similarities in ethnic, cultural and political aspects of the society...

 and Utkala temple architectures. In its entirety, it is made of 2000 tons of pure Rajasthani white marble.

The granite of the presiding deity

Deity

A deity is a recognized preternatural or supernatural immortal being, who may be thought of as holy, divine, or sacred, held in high regard, and respected by believers....

 is about 11 ft (3.4 m) tall and a carved lotus

Lotus

- Botany :*Lotus , various botanical taxa*Lotus *Lotus Flower, Nelumbo nucifera- Motor cars :*Lotus Cars, a British motor vehicle manufacturer**Team Lotus, a British Formula One racing team that competed between 1954 and 1994...

 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 (12.8 m).

History

The temple is built on a 280 feet (85.3 m) high hillock called the Naubath Pahad on a 13 acres (52,609.2 m²) plot. The construction took 10 years and was consecrated in 1976 by Swami Ranganathananda of Ramakrishna Mission

Ramakrishna Mission

Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission are twin organizations which form the core of a worldwide spiritual movement known as Ramakrishna Movement or Vedanta Movement. The Ramakrishna Mission is a philanthropic, volunteer organization founded by Ramakrishna's chief disciple Swami Vivekananda on...

. The temple does not have traditional bells, as Swamiji wished that the temple atmosphere should be conducive for meditation.

The Temple

Though the chief deity is Lord Venkateshwara, the temple has pan-Hindu character with deities of Shiva

Shiva

Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...

, Shakti

Shakti

Shakti from Sanskrit shak - "to be able," meaning sacred force or empowerment, is the primordial cosmic energy and represents the dynamic forces that are thought to move through the entire universe in Hinduism. Shakti is the concept, or personification, of divine feminine creative power, sometimes...

, Ganesh, Hanuman

Hanuman

Hanuman , is a Hindu deity, who is an ardent devotee of Rama, a central character in the Indian epic Ramayana and one of the dearest devotees of lord Rama. A general among the vanaras, an ape-like race of forest-dwellers, Hanuman is an incarnation of the divine and a disciple of Lord Rama in the...

, Brahma

Brahma

Brahma is the Hindu god of creation and one of the Trimurti, the others being Vishnu and Shiva. According to the Brahma Purana, he is the father of Mānu, and from Mānu all human beings are descended. In the Ramayana and the...

, Saraswati

Saraswati

In Hinduism Saraswati , is the goddess of knowledge, music, arts, science and technology. She is the consort of Brahma, also revered as His Shakti....

, Lakshmi

Lakshmi

Lakshmi or Lakumi is the Hindu goddess of wealth, prosperity , light, wisdom, fortune, fertility, generosity and courage; and the embodiment of beauty, grace and charm. Representations of Lakshmi are also found in Jain monuments...

 and Saibaba

Sai Baba of Shirdi

Sai Baba of Shirdi , also known as Shirdi Sai Baba , was an Indian guru, yogi, and fakir who is regarded by his Hindu and Muslim devotees as a saint....

. The selected teachings of holy men and Gurbani are engraved on temple walls.

Birla temples are open to all, as identified by Mahatma Gandhi

Mahatma Gandhi

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi , pronounced . 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948) was the pre-eminent political and ideological leader of India during the Indian independence movement...

 and other Hindu leaders as one of the major social evil that was to be reformed in modern India as part of Freedom struggle.

The temple complex overlooking the southern side of Hussain Sagar

Hussain Sagar

Hussain Sagar is a lake in Hyderabad, India, built by Hazrat Hussain Shah Wali in 1562, during the rule of Ibrahim Quli Qutb Shah. It was a lake of 24 square kilometres built on a tributary of the River Musi to meet the water and irrigation needs of the city. There is a large monolithic statue of...

 offers a magnificent panoramic view of the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad

Secunderabad

Secunderabad popularly known as the twin city of Hyderabad is located in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh north of Hyderabad. Named after Sikandar Jah, the third Nizam of the Asaf Jahi dynasty, Secunderabad was founded in 1806 AD as a British cantonment...

. It presents a colorful and spectacular sight when illuminated at night.

Other nearby structures are Andhra Pradesh Secretariat

Andhra Pradesh Secretariat

Andhra Pradesh Secretariat is the office of the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh and his ministers. It is located near Hussain Sagar Lake.-History:...

, Assembly and Birla Planetarium.

Transport

Birla Mandir is well connected by APSRTC buses or an MMTS Train.
Distance from Secunderabad railway station: About 7 km (4.3 mi).
Distance from Hyderabad (Nampally) railway station: About 3 km (1.9 mi).
Distance from Kacheguda Railway Station: About 5 km (3.1 mi).
Distance from Begumpet airport: About 6 km (3.7 mi).
Nearest MMTS station is Lakdi-ka-pul.

External links

• Seven Wonders of Hyderabad