Laxminarayan Temple

Laxminarayan Temple, commonly known as Birla Mandir, is a Hindu temple in New Delhi, India. Dedicated to Lakshmi and Vishnu in the dual representation of Lakshmi Narayana, it was built by the industrialist Jugal Kishore Birla between 1933 and 1939 and inaugurated by Mahatma Gandhi. Gandhi agreed to inaugurate the temple on the condition that it would be open to people of all castes. The temple is built in the Orissan architectural style and was the first large Hindu temple built in Delhi. It was the first large Hindu temple built in Delhi and is called Birla Mandir due to being constructed by the Birla family. The temple complex covers about 3 hectares (7.5 acres) and includes shrines dedicated to Shiva, Ganesha, Hanuman and Buddha, as well as fountains, gardens and a Geeta Bhawan, a hall used for religious discourses. It is one of Delhi's major Hindu temples and attracts large numbers of devotees during Janmashtami and Diwali.