Laxmi Naryan Temple

Laxmi Naryan Temple Review

This large, red-and-yellow temple (known as Birla Mandir) west of Connaught Place is an excellent example of a reformist Hindu temple—both architecturally and in terms of temple practices. It was built in 1938 by Indian industrialist G. D. R. Birla—the same man whose house is now the Gandhi Smriti—as a nondenominational temple. (The sign outside welcomes all "Hindus," including Jains and Sikhs.) The temple is colorful and ornate: note the lotus patterns at the top of each phallic steeple and the inlaid lotus pattern on the floor in front of the main murti (idol) of Laxmi Narayan. Although the temple exhibits many of the gaudier elements of Hindu design, overall it's relatively subdued. This is a common feature of reformist, 20th-century Hindu architecture, which was influenced by European architecture.