Lakshmi Narayan Temple, Bhopal

Lakshmi Narayan Temple
Lakshmi Narayan Temple in Bhopal
Religion
Affiliation	Hinduism
District	Bhopal
Deity	Lakshmi Narayan, (Vishnu and Lakshmi
Festival	Janmashtami, Diwali
Location
Location	Bhopal
State	Madhya Pradesh
Country	India
Location in Madhya Pradesh
Geographic coordinates	23°14′18″N77°24′31″E / 23.238300°N 77.408612°E / 23.238300; 77.408612
Architecture
Type	Nagar Shaili
Creator	B.D. Birla
Date established	Dwarka Prasad Mishra
Groundbreaking	Dr. Kailashnath Katju
Completed	1964

LakshmiNarayan Temple, popularly known as Birla Mandir in Bhopal, is located in the Malviya Nagar area of Bhopal, south of the lake near the Arera Hills. A museum is built near the temple which houses idols brought from places like Raisen, Sehore, Mandsaur and Shahdol in Madhya Pradesh. Stone idols of Shiva, Vishnu and other incarnations can be seen here. The museum built near the temple is open daily from 9 am to 5 pm except Mondays. ^{[1] [2] [3] [4] [5]}

History

The foundation stone of this temple was laid in the year 1960 by the former Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, Dr. Kailashnath Katju and the inauguration was done in the year 1964 by the Chief Minister Dwarka Prasad Mishra. ^{[6] [7]}

Description

The Birla Mandir established five decades ago on Arera Hill in Bhopal has been a centre of religious faith for years. The beautiful idols of Lord Vishnu and Goddess Lakshmi installed in the temple are attracting devotees towards it. Spread over about 7-8 acres of hilly area, the fame of this temple has spread in various cities of the country and the state. ^[8]

Inside the temple, the carvings of various mythological scenes on marble are not only worth seeing, but teachings from the Bhagavad Gita and Ramayana are also inscribed on them.

Apart from the idols of Vishnu and Lakshmi, the idol of Shiva is situated on one side and that of Maa Jagdamba on the other. Hanuman and Shivling are established in the temple premises. The huge conch shell in front of the main entrance of the temple is also worth seeing. At the time of the establishment of the temple, former Chief Minister Kailash Nath had given land to the Birla family to establish an industry in the city and also put a condition that they should build a grand and huge temple in this inaccessible hilly area. At the time of the inauguration of the temple, a huge Vishnu Mahayagya was also organized here, in which many scholars and religious scholars participated. Even today, this temple is the main center of public faith. On Janmashtami, the main event of Lord Krishna's birth is organized here, in which a large number of devotees participate and worship Vishnu.

See also

• Laxminarayan Temple, Delhi
• List of Hindu temples in India

References

1. "Visit the Historic Lakshmi Narayan Temple in Bhopal". Incredible India. Retrieved 2025-03-29.
2. "The opening and closing time of Birla Mandir has been changed | बिड़ला मंदिर के पट खुलने व बंद होने का समय बदला". Dainik Bhaskar. Retrieved 29 March 2025.
3. "भोपाल में जन्माष्टमी, गूंजा- नंद घर आनंद भयो...:बिड़ला, इस्कॉन मंदिर में कृष्ण जन्मोत्सव पर महाआरती; देखिए तस्वीरें". Dainik Bhaskar. Retrieved 29 March 2025.
4. Pandey, Anurag (15 November 2024). "भोपाल के बिरला मंदिर में दर्शन-पूजन का समय बदला, जानें पट खुलने का नया टाइम". News18 हिंदी. Retrieved 29 March 2025.
5. "Birla Mandir, Lakshmi Narayan Temple, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh". IndiaVideo. Retrieved 2025-03-29.
6. "Overcrowded: Museums, Temples, Picnic Spots, Restaurants In Bhopal". Free Press Journal. 1 January 2025. Retrieved 29 March 2025.
7. Jain, Manya (29 December 2024). "Bhopal Famous Mandir: भोपाल के 5 फेमस मंदिरों के दर्शन के साथ करें नए साल की शुरुआत, आपकी हर मनोकामना होगी पूरी". Bansal News. Retrieved 29 March 2025.
8. "Temples in Bhopal open doors to 100 devotees at a time". The Times of India. 16 October 2020. Retrieved 29 March 2025.

External links

• Places of interest in nearby Bhopal