Birla Mandir, , West Bengal

Birla Mandir in Kolkata, India, is a Hindu temple on Asutosh Chowdhury Avenue, Ballygunge, built by the industrialist Birla family. This temple is open in the morning from 5.30 A.M. to 11 A.M. and in the evening from 4 .30 P.M. to 9 P.M. On Janmashtami, the birthday of Krishna, devotees come from far away places to pay their respect to the deities. 

 The construction of the temple began in 1970. It took 26 years to complete the entire structure. On Wednesday, the 21st of February, 1996, the Pran Prathistha was done by Swami Chidanandaji Maharaj in the morning. Dr. Karan Singh inaugurated the temple the same day.

• The main temple houses statues of deities Krishna and Radha.
•     The left side temple shikhar (dome) houses goddess Durga, the Hindu goddess of Shakti, the power.
•     The right side dome of the temple houses Shiva in meditation mode.

 Spread on 44 kathas of land, this temple built of white marble bears resemblance to the renowned Lingaraj Temple of Bhubaneswar. Birla Mandir also showcases pictorial depiction of scriptures of Bhagavad Gita in its stone engravings and some intricate Rajasthani temple architecture. Designed by the architect Nomi Bose.

Built over twenty- two years of painstaking labour, it is an all marble structure with very high quality Rajasthani engravings. The total cost incurred for the construction was Rs. 180 million. Spread over an area of 44-katha land and extending to a height of 160 feet, the temple has been modeled on the Lingaraj Temple at Bhubaneshwar, popularly known as Laxmi Narayan temple. This marvelous and imposing structure in white, attracts huge crowds everyday and is one of the best fascinating tourist spot of Kolkata.

The gates were opened to the public in 1996. Sandstone has been used on the exterior of the temple, and marble for the interiors. Traditional artistry, coupled with modern technology, has lent uniqueness to the architecture. Sculptors were brought in from Agra, Mirzapur and Muzaffarpur to execute the intricate patterns on the walls. There are artefacts made of silver and Belgian glass. Messages from the Bhagavad Gita have been carved on marble. Inside this 48.7-m. high temple are idols of Radha, Krishna, Shiva and Durga.