Laxminarayan Temple

The Laxminarayan Temple is a Hindu temple in Connaught Place, New Delhi, that rises through several building levels and houses numerous shrines. The complex includes landscaped garden areas with fountains and displays detailed stone reliefs depicting Hindu mythology on walls and pillars.

Baldeo Das Birla initiated construction of this temple in 1933, and work concluded six years later. Mahatma Gandhi inaugurated the building in 1939, requiring that access remain open to people of all castes.

The temple takes its name from Narayan and Lakshmi, and displays figures from different Hindu traditions throughout its shrines. Visitors often observe worshippers praying before the various deities while the sound of temple bells echoes through the halls.

The temple opens early at half past four in the morning and closes after a midday break at nine in the evening. The metro station RK Ashram Marg lies about two kilometers away and offers a convenient arrival option.

The inauguration by Gandhi made this temple the first major Hindu site in Delhi explicitly open to all caste groups. This decision sparked nationwide discussions about religious access rights and influenced later temple construction projects.