Also Known As · Birla Mandir · Lakshmi Narayan Temple
New Delhi, Delhi · temple
Soaring saffron-and-cream shikharas west of Connaught Place — a 1930s Vishnu-Lakshmi temple opened by Gandhi and free to all.
The Laxminarayan Temple, universally known as Birla Mandir, is one of New Delhi's best-loved temples and a landmark of the modern city — a soaring, cream-and-saffron Nagara-style shrine spread across 7.5 acres on Mandir Marg, just west of Connaught Place. Built between 1933 and 1939 by the industrialist Birla family, it is dedicated to Lakshmi Narayan — the goddess of prosperity, Lakshmi, and her consort Narayan (Vishnu) — and remains an active, welcoming place of worship as well as a heritage site.
Pure-veg South Indian thalis and North Indian classics
Famous vegetarian sweets, chaat and hot jalebi
Vegetarian chaat, chole-bhature and sweets
The Laxminarayan Temple, universally known as Birla Mandir, is one of New Delhi's best-loved temples and a landmark of the modern city — a soaring, cream-and-saffron Nagara-style shrine spread across 7.5 acres on Mandir Marg, just west of Connaught Place.
entry is free and the temple is open long hours, morning and evening, every day. Photography and mobile phones are not allowed inside the sanctum, and there are counters to deposit them; footwear is removed at the entrance. It is calmest on weekday mornings and most vibrant during Janmashtami, Diwali and Ram Navami, when the temple is elaborately decorated. Allow about an hour for an unhurried visit.
Visiting Hours
Entry Fee: Free entry. Cameras and phones are not allowed inside the sanctum and must be deposited at the counter.
Verified: July 2026
Address
Mandir Marg, west of Connaught Place, New Delhi, Delhi, 110001
On Mandir Marg near Gole Market
🚇 Nearest Metro: R.K. Ashram Marg (Blue Line) — about 1.5 km
🚶 Walking from Metro: From R.K. Ashram Marg metro it is about a 20-minute walk or a short auto ride to Mandir Marg.
Distance from
Parking
on-site · Free / nominal
Parking is available near the Mandir Marg entrance; busier on festival days.
🚕 Ride Hailing Tip: Uber and Ola drop at the Mandir Marg gate; the temple is a short ride from Connaught Place.
How to Reach: The temple is on Mandir Marg, west of Connaught Place. Nearest metro: R.K. Ashram Marg (Blue Line), about 1.5 km, and Ramakrishna Ashram / Jhandewalan. Autos, Uber and Ola reach the Mandir Marg gate directly.
History
The temple was built between 1933 and 1939 by the industrialist Birla family — Baldeo Das Birla and his son Jugal Kishore Birla — and inaugurated by Mahatma Gandhi in 1939 on the condition that it remain open to people of all castes.
🏛️ Architect: Designed in the northern Nagara style, the temple has tall curvilinear shikhara towers in sandstone and marble, carved façades, and a main sanctum for Lakshmi and Narayan with subsidiary shrines to Shiva, Ganesha, Hanuman and Krishna, set amid gardens and fountains.
Significance
Birla Mandir is one of New Delhi's landmark modern temples — a fine 20th-century Nagara shrine, an active centre of worship, and a symbol of the socially open temple-building of the freedom era.
Family Highlights
💰 Equipment Fees: Free outside; no photography inside the sanctum.
📍 The Golden Spot: The main shikhara towers against a morning sky from the forecourt.
🌅 Best Light Time: Early morning and the golden hour before sunset for the exterior.
🌅 Secret View: The landscaped gardens and fountains behind the temple are a quiet spot most visitors miss.
🎯 Crowd Hack: Weekday mornings are the calmest; festival evenings are the busiest and most atmospheric.
💎 Secret Fact: Mahatma Gandhi inaugurated the temple in 1939 on the condition that it stay open to people of every caste.
⚡ Express Tour
30 minutes — the main sanctum, the side shrines and the gardens.
🔭 Deep Dive Tour
2 hours — the temple, then Connaught Place and a vegetarian lunch.
👕 Dress Code: Modest dress covering shoulders and knees; footwear removed at the entrance.
📷 Photography Rules: Photography and mobile phones are not permitted inside the sanctum; outdoor photography of the exterior is allowed.
🏧 Nearest ATM: ATMs on Mandir Marg and near Gole Market (within 1 km).
Entry is free. The temple is open daily from about 4:30 AM to 1:30 PM and again from 2:30 PM to 9:00 PM; the morning and evening aarti are the best times to visit.
R.K. Ashram Marg on the Blue Line is the closest, about 1.5 km away; the temple is a short ride from Connaught Place by auto or cab.
No — cameras and mobile phones are not allowed inside the sanctum and must be deposited at the counter. Photographing the exterior is allowed.
It was built between 1933 and 1939 by the Birla family and inaugurated by Mahatma Gandhi in 1939, on the condition that it be open to people of all castes.
Dress modestly, covering shoulders and knees, and remove your footwear at the entrance. Beachwear and very short clothing are not appropriate.
Pure-veg restaurants around Connaught Place, Gole Market, Bengali Market and Karol Bagh — from South Indian tiffin to famous sweets — are all a short ride away.