Birla Mandir (Lakshminarayan Temple), New Delhi

Birla Mandir (Lakshminarayan Temple), New Delhi is one of the most celebrated modern Hindu temples in India. Built by the prominent industrialist Jugal Kishore Birla and completed in 1939, it was inaugurated by Mahatma Gandhi on the condition that the temple would be open to all, regardless of caste — a radical stance at the time.

Designed in the Nagara style and built from white Makrana marble, the temple is dedicated to Lakshminarayan (Vishnu and Lakshmi). It features three shrines — Lakshminarayan, Shiva, and Buddha — surrounded by lush gardens. The walls carry inscriptions from the Bhagavad Gita, Upanishads, Quran, and Bible, reflecting the Birla family's vision of interfaith harmony. The spires rise 165 feet, making it a major landmark of central Delhi.