Birla Mandir Celebrates Golden Jubilee With Big Facelift
Executive officer Sham Kothari said the temple’s marble structure was polished from the main ‘shikhar’ to the last step as part of the renovation works.
Hyderabad: The Birla Mandir at Naubat Pahad, a prominent landmark in Hyderabad for nearly five decades, has recently undergone refurbishment as it completed 50 years.
Executive officer Sham Kothari said the temple’s marble structure was polished from the main ‘shikhar’ to the last step as part of the renovation works. He noted that unlike other Birla temples across India dedicated to Lakshmi Narayana Swamy, the Hyderabad temple is dedicated to Lord Venkateswara. Built in 1976 with over 2,000 tonnes of white marble, the temple reflects a blend of South Indian and Oriya architectural styles and features carvings from the Ramayana and Mahabharata, along with an 11-foot granite idol of the presiding deity.
Head priest M.L.N. Acharyulu said devotees visiting the temple could listen to kirtanas of Tyagaraja, Annamayya and Ramadasu. He said the temple records a daily footfall of 6,000 to 7,000 devotees, which rises to 12,000 to 14,000 on weekends and touches one lakh during major festivals.
Residents living in the vicinity recalled their association with the temple. Ashish Agrawal, a resident of Adarsh Nagar, said he had been visiting the temple for over three decades and that his family shared fond memories linked to it.
Residents of Danavilas near Nizam College said the temple was visible from their homes for several decades after its construction, though the view has since been partially obscured by high-rise buildings.
