Birla Mandir,Hyderabad,India

An enchanting temple dedicated to Lord Venkateswara, the Birla Mandir of Hyderabad, India stands in its entire splendor on the hilltop of Kala Pahad. Made of over 2,000-tons of pure white marble from Rajasthan, the Birla Mandir overlooks the serene and placid waters of the Hussain Sagar Lake. The famous Birla industrialist who had built a large number of temples all over India built the Birla temple of Hyderabad. They finished building the Birla Mandir of Hyderabad within a time span of ten years. The magnificent shrine offers a wonderfully breath-taking view of the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad. 

The intricate carvings of the temple, the ceiling and the mythological figures are a standing testimony to the dexterity and sculptural excellence of the craftsmen. Beautiful scenes from the great epics of Ramayana and Mahabharata are finely sculpted in pure white marble. The temple is devoted to Lord Venkateswara who is also known as Balaji, though the temple is known as Birla Mandir. It is a wonderful blend of the architectural style of northern and southern temples.

 A unique feature of the Birla Mandir, Hyderabad is that there are no traditional temple bells. It is said that the Swamiji who had consecrated this temple had insisted on the absence of bells so as not to disturb the meditative ambience of the temple premises.

Before you enter the temple complex, you need to leave your footwear as well as mobile phones at the counter near the entrance. After you have prayed  obeisance to the deity, do climb up to the upper sections - you will get the best views of Hyderabad city from here.

The temple was built in 280 Ft high Navbath Pahad which is located south of Hussainsagar, Tank Bund, Lumbinipark.the famous sited of Hyderabad,

 The Birla Mandir  was constructed  in 1976 spanning 10 Years. The architecture is blend of south Indian,Utkal and rajasthani style. The temple inside is replica of  Lord Venkateswara at Tirumala.

 As you enter the temple you can see the 'Gopuram' or the pyramid shaped temple top, which is a characteristic feature of South Indian temples. The tower situated at the top of the principal deity called the Jagadananda vimanam is again built in the Orissan style. The flagstaff of the temple is made up of brass, and reaches to a staggering height of 42 feet.

 The granite stone, out of which the idol of Lord Venkateswara has been carved, is about 11 feet tall. A Lotus shaped canopy at the top of the idol is again done in marble and looks stunning. Along the winding path that leads to the main worship place, are many marble statues of Gods and Goddesses of Hindu mythology that look almost real. In case you visit the temple in the early hours of the day, you can hear some very melodious South Indian music in the praise of the Lord. The Birla Mandir of Hyderabad becomes a spectacular sight in the evening when it is illuminated with hundreds of bright lights.

The temple is only open in the morning for pooja (that's early morning "praise and worship" for you Evangelicals out there!) - then it closes all day.then it re-opens at around 4:00 P.M. and stays open well-past-dark. 

Temple Timings: 7 am to 12 noon, 3 pm to 9 pm.

Location: Adarsh Nagar Colony, Naubath Pahad, Near Hussain Sagar Lake, Hyderabad

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