Laxminarayan Temple & Iskcon Temple

 Laxminarayan Temple

Inaugurated by Mahatma Gandhi in 1939, the temple was built by the industrialist Baldeo Das Birla in Delhi and can be visited by people of all castes and creed. Laxminarayan is a form of Lord Vishnu (Narayan) when he is with Goddess Lakshmi (his consort).

The primary shrine is devoted to Laxminarayan, other smaller shrines are dedicated to other Gods like Shiva, Hanuman, Krishna, Ganesh and Buddha. Spread in an area of 7.5 acres the temple is one of the tourist attractions of Delhi and has a huge garden, fountains and a large hall called Geeta Bhawan to conduct discourses, apart from the holy shrines.

The Most Important Temples of Hindus:-Built in 1938, famous Birla Mandir in Delhi was inaugurated by Mahatma Gandhi (Father of the Indian Nation) on the express condition that people of all castes and especially untouchables would be allowed in. (Refer to section People). Consequently a plaque at the gate reiterates that people of all faiths and classes are welcome. Till date, it remains one of the most popular temples in Delhi.

The Architectural Brilliance of The Birla Mandir (Temple) :- Birla Mandir is also famous for the festival of Janmashtami (birth of the Hindu deity Krishna). The festival is celebrated here with much goodwill and cheer.

The temple is designed in the Orissan style, with tall curved towers capped by large amalakas (circular ribbed motif at the summit of a temple tower). The exterior is faced with the white marble and red sandstone typical of Delhi’s Mughal architecture. The interior court is overlooked by two-storey verandahs on three sides; there are gardens and fountains at the rear. The profusion of sculptures, idols, spires and jalis, the Birla Mandir in Delhi is also considered as splendor in terms of its architecture.

Experience Beauty And Divinity Melt In The Heart of Stones :-The architecture is amazing. Built in the Nagara style of architecture interspersed with modern influences, the Birla Mandir awakes from the womb of lush green Link Road reigning the whole terrain. The temple faces the east and is adorned with exquisite carvings depicting scenes from Hindu mythology. The other awe-inspiring thing is apparently the soaring spires of the shrine. You will be amazed to see the main spire (shikhara), nestling above the sanctum sanctorum, soaring with its head high at almost 160 ft. Enjoy a leisure walk through the spacious corridors and you will be overwhelmed to see such beautiful friezes and artistic sculptures that only add to the aesthetic beauty of this temple. Do you know that 101 skilled pundits from Varanasi, headed by Acharya Vishvanath Shastri, were employed to create this magic in stones. Remember to visit the Buddha shrine, the rippleless walls embellished with fresco paintings depicting the Lord's life and work. Children can also enjoy their hearts out at the miniature rock temples nestling at the backyard of the temple. There is also an arena said to be the erstwhile gym of Bhima, the second Pandava of the Mahabharata fame. An artificial landscape complete with mountains and cascading waterfalls makes for a perfect solitude.

 Iskcon Temple

Also known as the Krishna Balaram mandir, ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness) was built in the year 1975. Located in the holy land of Vrindavan (Mathura, Uttar Pradesh), the land which is believed to be the abode of Lord Krishna in his young age, the ISKCON temple is well known for the utmost standard of cleanliness and worship they maintain. The chants of ‘Hare Krishna’ reverberate in the temple all hours of the day.

The temple belongs to the Gaudiya Vaishnava sect of Hinduism, which was founded by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in the 16th century. Inside the temple there are idols of Krishna, Radha, Balarama, along with the idols of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Swami Prabhupada (founder of ISKCON).

For understanding India in its various hues one can start from its temples, i.e. undertake a Pilgrimage holiday in India and start to learn what binds its diverse population and begin to unravel the intriguing phenomenon called India. Mahatma Gandhi said that the essence of all religions is one; only their approaches are different. Likewise, from the different temples of India, one can realize the essence of the enigmatic land of India.

What is ISKCON? :-The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), otherwise known as the Hare Krishna movement, includes five hundred major centers, temples and rural communities, nearly one hundred affilated vegetarian restaurants, thousands of namahattas or local meeting groups, a wide variety of community projects, and millions of congregational members worldwide. Although less than fifty years on the global stage, ISKCON has expanded widely since its founding by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda in New York City in 1966.

ISKCON belongs to the Gaudiya-Vaishnava sampradāya, a monotheistic tradition within the Vedic or Hindu culture. Philosophically it is based on the Sanskrit texts Bhagavad-gītā and the Bhagavat Purana, or Srimad Bhagavatam. These are the historic texts of the devotional bhakti yoga tradition, which teaches that the ultimate goal for all living beings is to reawaken their love for God, or Lord Krishna, the “all-attractive one”.

God is known across the world by many names including Allah, Jehovah, Yahweh, Rama, etc. ISKCON devotees chant God’s names in the form of the maha-mantra, or the great prayer for deliverance: Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

Many leading academics have highlighted ISKCON’s authenticity. Diana Eck, Professor of Comparative Religion and Indian Studies at Harvard University, describes the movement as “a tradition that commands a respected place in the religious life of humankind.” In the 1980s Dr. A. L. Basham, one of the world’s authorities on Indian history and culture, wrote of ISKCON that, “It arose out of next to nothing in less than twenty years and has become known all over the West. This, I feel, is a sign of the times and an important fact in the history of the Western world.”

ISKCON’s founder, Srila Prabhupada, has drawn appreciation from scholars and religious leaders alike for his remarkable achievement in presenting India’s Vaishnava spiritual culture in a relevant manner to contemporary Western and worldwide audiences.

Members of ISKCON practice bhakti-yoga in their homes and also worship in temples. They also promote bhakti-yoga, or Krishna Consciousness, through festivals, the performing arts, yoga seminars, public chanting, and the distribution of the society’s literatures. ISKCON members have also opened hospitals, schools, colleges, eco-villages, free food distribution projects, and other institutions as a practical application of the path of devotional yoga.