About Birla Mandir
The enchanting modern Birla Mandir is located at the south
end of Hussain Sagar in Hyderabad. It stands atop the Kala
Pahad, the twin hillock of the Naubat Pahad. The Birlas
(industrialists who have built several temples in India)
built this temple in 1976. The temple has been built with
white marbles from Rajasthan.
Kausalya supraja Rama poorva sandhya pravartate... the mantra
chanted to arouse Lord Venkateswara (Vishnu), to whom the
temple is dedicated, can be heard at dawn. And as for the
evenings, they are a treat to the ears in this hilltop temple.
Sweet melodies of cuckoos and the kirtanas of Annamayya,
Tyagaraja and Ramadas against the backdrop of an orange-red
sky pleasantly soothe the soul.
Mixed Architecture
Birla Mandir combines the architectural styles of Orissan
and South Indian temples. A Rajagopuram built in the South
Indian style greets the visitors. The tower over the main
shrine of Lord Venkateswara called the 'Jagadananda Vimanam'
is built in the Orissan style, while the towers over the
shrines of the consorts are built in the South Indian style.
Exotic scenes from the great epics of Ramayana and Mahabharata
are finely sculpted in marble. In the inner shrine of the
temple is a replica of the Venkateswara temple at Tirupati.
The brass flagstaff rises to a height of 42 feet.
The granite image of the presiding deity is about 11ft tall
and a carved lotus forms an umbrella for this image. There
are several carvings in marble, in the adjoining 'Mukha
Mandapam' - depicting scenes from Indian mythology.
Other Shrines in the Temple
The consorts of Venkateswara, Padmavati and Andal, are housed
in separate shrines. 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.
The temple is open for visitors from 7.00 am to 12.00 am
and 3.00 pm to 9.00 pm on all days of the week. For
More Information Visit www.aptdc.in
, www.en.wikipedia.org
