Birla Mandir Jaipur

Birla Mandir, Jaipur also known as Laxmi Narayan Temple is a Hindu temple  in Jaipur. The grand temple is located on an elevated ground at the base of Moti Dungari hill in Rajasthan. Temple looks stunning, when it is brightly lit in the night. The temple was built during the year 1988, by Birla Group of Industries. The Temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu (Narayan), the preserver and his consort Lakshmi, the Goddess of wealth. Birla Mandir is constructed using the finest quality of white marble. The beautiful white marble temple mesmerizes the onlookers, when it glows at night. Stained glass windows depict the scenes from Hindu scriptures. Ganesh the protector of households, is above the lintel, and the fine quality of marble is evident when you enter the temple and look back at the entrance way. The images of Lakshmi and Narayan attract the attention, being made out from one piece of marble. The Laxmi Narayan Mandir is a modern architectural marvel, surrounded by lush green gardens. The fascinating exteriors of the temple are carved splendidly with beautiful sculptures based on mythological themes, while the interiors have a large marble panel portraying mythological events.
source of information; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birla_Mandir,_Jaipur

BIRLA MANDIR SECUNDERABAD

Birla Mandir is a Hindu temple, built on a 280 feet (85 m) high hillock called Naubath Pahadt. The construction took 10 years and was constructed in 1976 by Swami Ranganathananda of Ramakrishna Mission. The temple was constructed by Birla Foundation..The granite idol of presiding deity Lord Venkateswara is about 11 ft (3.4 m) tall and a carved lotus forms an umbrella on the top. There is a brass flagstaff in the temple premises which rises to a height of 42 ft (13 m).
Apart from the main shrine, the consorts of Lord Venkateswara, Padmavati and Andal are housed in separate shrines. The temple also has separate shrines for various Hindu gods and goddess including Shiva, Shakti, Ganesh, Hanuman,Brahma, Saraswati, Lakshmi and Saibaba. Selected teachings of holy men and Gurbani are engraved on temple walls. Birla temples are open to all, as identified by Mahatma Gandhi and other Hindu leaders.

The Laxminarayan Temple  also known as the Birla Mandir is a Hindu temple dedicated to Laxminarayan in Delhi . Laxminarayan -Vishnu is preserver in the Trimurti, also known as Narayan, when he is with his consort Lakshmi. The temple was inaugurated by Mahatma Gandhi.

The temple is spread over 7.5 acres, adorned with many shrines, fountains, and a large garden, and also houses Geeta Bhawan for discourses. 

The main temple houses statues of Lord Narayan and Hindu Goddess Lakshmi. There are other small shrines dedicated to Lord Shiva, Lord Ganesha andHanuman. There is also a shrine dedicated to Lord Buddha. The left side temple shikhar (dome) houses Devi Durga, the Hindu goddess of Shakti, the power. 

The construction of temple  started in 1933, built by industrialist and philanthropist,Baldeo Das Birla and his son Jugal Kishore Birla of Birla family, thus, the temple is also known as Birla Temple. The foundation stone of temple was laid by Maharaj Udaybhanu Singh. The famous temple is accredited to have been inaugurated by Mahatma Gandhi in 1939. At that time, Mahatma Gandhi kept a condition that the temple would not be restricted to the Hindus and people from every caste would be allowed inside

Birla Mandir Kolkatta

Birla Mandir in Kolkata,, is a Hindu temple in, Ballygunge, built by the industrialist Birla family, Temple construction Started in the year 197o and 

it took 26 years for the completion of the entire temple. The deities in the main temple are Krishna and Radha. The left side dome has goddess Durga and the dome to the right has the deity of goddess Shakti. The architecture is a fine specimen of Rajasthani style. Depictions from Bhagavad Gita are seen in the stone engravings found here.

Brahama Kamal:A mythological flower

Brahma Kamal: The name of this flower  mean, 'the lotus of Bramha'. Lord Brahma, the creator of the Universe, is always depicted as sitting on a huge lotus and holding one in his hand. According to Hindu mythology, Brahma was born from the navel of Lord Vishnu while others say that he was born from a huge white lotus that we call the Brahma Kamal.

Also known as Life Giving Lotus: When Lord Shiva attached the head of an elephant on Ganesha' s body, he was bathed with water that was sprinkled from a Brahma Kamal. That is why this lotus is given the status of a live-restoring flower of the gods.

 This flower has many medicinal properties- Mysterious Wish Fulfilling flower: It is long held belief that anybody who sees this rare flower blooming will have all his or her wishes fulfilled. It blooms in the late evening and stays only for a couple of hours.
It is considered dear to Lord Vishnu. Brahma Kamal -the mythical white lotus, has dominated the imagination of mythological experts from generations. The Brahma Kamal is supposed to grow in the highest parts of the Himalayas and that holds true even today. This flower indeed grows in the Himalayan forests. It is indeed a miracle that this flower blooms also in Salunke vihar Pune & miraculously in our residence as well.

Padamnabha swamy temple Kerala

Padmanabhaswamy temple is located in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala . The temple is built in Dravidian style of architecture featuring high walls and a 16th-century Gopuram.  It is the richest Hindu temple in the world. In fact, in terms of gold and precious stones, it is by far the wealthiest institution and place of worship of any kind in the recorded history of the world.

The principal deity Vishnu is enshrined in the "Anantha Sayanam" posture on the serpent Adisheshan. Sree Padmanabhaswamy is the deity of the royal family of Travancore. In line with the Temple Entry Proclamation, only those who profess the Hindu faith are permitted entry to the temple and devotees have to strictly follow the dress code.

In the sanctum sanctorum, Padmanabha reclines on the serpent Adi Sesha. The serpent has five hoods facing inwards, signifying contemplation. The Lord's right hand is placed over a Shiva lingam. Sridevi-Lakshmi, the Goddess of Prosperity and Bhudevi the Goddess of Earth, two consorts of Vishnu are by his side.Brahma emerges on a lotus, which emanates from the navel of the Lord. The deity is made from 12,000saligramams. These saligrams are from the banks of the Gandaki River in Nepal, and to commemorate this certain rituals used to be performed at the Pashupatinath Temple. The deity of Padmanabha is covered with, "Katusarkara yogam", a special ayurvedic mix, which forms a plaster that keeps the deity clean. The daily worship is with flowers and for the abhishekam, special deities are used.In order to perform darshan and puja, one has to ascend to the mandapam. The Deity is visible through three doors – the visage of the reclining Lord and Siva Linga underneath the hand is seen through the first door; Sridevi and Divakara Muni in Katusarkara, Brahma seated on a lotus emanating from the Lord's navel, hence the name, "Padmanabha", gold abhisheka moorthies of Lord Padmanabha, Sridevi and Bhudevi, and silver utsava moorthi of Padmanabha through the second door; the Lord's feet, and Bhudevi and Kaundinya Muni in Katusarkara through the third door

Among the six vaults in the temple, Kallara B is very closely associated with Lord Sree Padmanabha and is not part of the Temple Treasury. On the orders of Maharaja Sri Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma, the outer chamber of Kallara B was opened in 1931. In 2011, it was opened by the Observers appointed by the Supreme Court of India. But the Observers did not open the inner chamber which possibly houses a Srichakram, an idol of Padmanabha and many valuables meant to enhance the potency of the Presiding Deity. Moreover Devas, Rishis and Kanjirottu Yakshi reside in the inner chamber worshipping the Supreme Lord.The enchanting and ferocious forms of Kanjirottu Yakshi are painted on the south-west part of the main Sanctum. Lord Ugra Narasimha of Thekkedom is believed to be the Protector of Vault B

There is a serpent's image on Vault B indicating danger to anyone who opens it. A four-day Ashtamangala Devaprasnam conducted in August 2011 declared the inner chamber of Kallara B as forbidden territory. Emily Gilchrist Hatch, who was in Trivandrum in 1933, recalls in her book a similar but unsuccessful attempt that was made in 1908.However, Gopal Subramanium in his report submitted to the Supreme Court in April 2014 recommended opening of this Kallara after conducting another Devaprasnam.

Meenakshi Temple Madurai (TN)

Meenakshi Amman Temple is a historic Hindu temple located in the temple city of Madurai, Tamil Nadu. It is dedicated to Parvati, known as Meenakshi, and her consort, Shiva, here named Sundareswarar. The temple forms the heart and lifeline of the 2,500 year old city of Madurai and is a significant symbol for the Tamil people, mentioned since antiquity in Tamil literature though the present structure was built between 1623 and 1655 CE It houses 14 gopurams (gateway towers), ranging from 45–50m in height. The tallest is the southern tower, 51.9 metres (170 ft) high, and two golden sculptured vimanas, the shrines over the garbhagrihas (sanctums) of the main deities. The temple  was on the list of top 30 nominees for the "New Seven Wonders of the World". The temple is the most prominent landmark and most visited tourist attraction in the city. The annual 10-day Meenakshi Tirukalyanam festival, celebrated during April and May, attracts 1 million visitors.
Legend
Meenakshi is an avatar of the  goddess Parvati - the consort of Shiva. The name "Mīnachchi" means fish-eyed and is derived from the words "mīna" meaning fish and "akṣi" meaning eyes. The lady goddess Meenakshi is the principal deity of the temple, not Sundareswarar, unlike most Shiva temples in South India where Shiva is the principal deity. According to Hindu legend, Parvati appeared out of the holy fire performed by the king.The girl who came out of the holy fire had three breasts. A voice from the heavens told the king not to worry about the abnormality and added that the third breast would vanish as soon as the girl met her future husband.The happy king named the girl "Tadaatagai" and as the heir to the throne, Tadaatagai was trained carefully in all the 64 sastras, the fields of science.
As the time came for Tadaatagai's coronation, she had to wage war in three worlds encompassing eight directions. After conquering Brahma's Abode, Sathyaloka, Vishnu's Abode, Vaikunta, and Devas' abode Amaravati, she advanced to Shiva's Abode Kailasha.She very easily defeated the bhoota ganas  meaning Shiva's army and Nandi, the celestial bull of Shiva, and headed to attack and conquer Shiva. The moment she looked at Shiva, she was unable to fight and bowed her head down due to shyness, and the third breast vanished immediately. Tadaatagai realized that Shiva was her destined husband. She also realized that she was the incarnation of Parvati. Both Shiva and Tadaatagai returned to Madurai and the king arranged the coronation ceremony of his daughter, followed by her marriage with Shiva.

. After the marriage, the pair ruled over Madurai for a long time and then assumed divine forms as Sundareswarar and Meenakshi, the presiding deities of the temple.

The Meenakshi temple is believed to have been founded by Indra while he was on a pilgrimage to atone for his misdeeds. He felt his burden lifting as he neared the swayambu lingam (self formed lingam, a representation of Shiva used for worship in temples) of Madurai. He ascribed this miracle to the lingam and constructed the temple to enshrine it. Indra worshipped Shiva, who caused golden lotuses to appear in the nearby pool. Tamil literature has mentioned this temple as early as in the 7th century. The temple is believed to have been destroyed by the infamous Muslim invaderMalik Kafur in 1310 The structure was rebuilt under first Nayak king of Madurai, Viswanatha Nayak (1559–1600),  The original design was substantially expanded to the current structure during the reign of Thirumalai Nayak (1623–55). 

During the period of early pandian kings, the king taxed the people for constructing this temple. People paid taxes and donations in the form of gold and silver. The people from all sectors of life contributed in building the temple. Thus, every family has an emotional attachment towards the temple.

Ref: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meenakshi_Amman_Temple

Golden Temple Sripuram Vellore ( TN )

1. The golden temple of Sripuram is a spiritual park situated in the city of Vellore in Tamil Nadu,
2. The salient feature of Sripuram is the Mahalakshmi temple located on 100 acres of land and has been constructed by Vellore-based Sri Narayani Peedam, headed by spiritual leader Sri Sakthi Amma also known as Narayani Amma.
3. The temple with gold covering, has intricate work done by artisans specializing in temple art using gold. Sripuram design represents a star-shaped path (Sri chakra), positioned in the middle of the lush green landscape, with a length of over 1.8 km. One has to walk along the star path to reach the temple in the middle, which is laid by messages from Sri Sakthi Amma and from different faiths and spiritual leaders.
4.  The Golden Temple was built in a short span of 7 years. It was inaugurated on August 24, 2007.  Since then, the temple has attracted hundreds of thousands of devotees; often breaching the 1 lakh mark on special occasions. The temple has also changed the face of  Thiruamalaikodi village and the nearby town - Vellore. In the coming years, the temple envisages to create a positive influence on the society and ultimately bring about a change.

• Ref : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Temple,_Sripuram
•         http://www.sripuram.org/Pages/Golden-Temple

Tirupati Balaji Temple Andhra Pradesh

Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple is situated in the hills of Tirumala at Tirupati in Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh. The Temple is dedicated to Lord Venkateswara, an incarnation of Vishnu, who is believed to have appeared herKali Yuga. Hence the place has also got the name Kaliyuga Vaikuntham. Venkateswara is known by many other names: Balaji, Govinda, and Srinivasa.

e to save mankind from trials and troubles of 

The Tirumala Hills are part of Seshachalam Hills range and comprises seven peaks, representing the seven heads of Adisesha. The seven peaks are called Seshadri, Neeladri, Garudadri, Anjanadri, Vrushabhadri, Narayanadri and Venkatadri. The temple lies on the seventh peak -Venkatadri, hence the temple is also referred to as "Temple of Seven Hills".

The Temple is believed to be constructed over a period starting from 300 AD. The Garbagriha(Sanctum Sanctorum) is called AnandaNilayam. The preciding deity, Venkateswara, is in standing posture and faces east in Garbha griha. 

It is the richest temple in the world in terms of donations received and wealth, and the most-visited place of worship in the world. The temple is visited by about 50,000 to 100,000 pilgrims daily, while on special occasions and festivals the number of pilgrims shoots up to 500,000, making it the most-visited holy place in the world

Ref: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venkateswara_Temple,_Tirumala

Mahalakshmi Temple Mumbai

Mahalaxmi Temple is one of the most famous temples of Mumbai situated on Bhulabhai Desai Road in Mahalaxmi area. It is dedicated to Maa Mahalakshmi . The temple was built in 1831 by Dhakji Dadaji (1760–1846), a Hindu merchant. The temple contains images of the goddesses Mahalakshmi, Mahakali and Mahasaraswati. All three images are adorned with nose rings, gold bangles and pearl necklaces. The image of Mahalakshmi is in the center shown holding lotus flowers in tandem.
History
Built around 1785, the history of this temple is supposedly connected with the building of the Hornby Vellard. Apparently after portions of the sea wall of the Vellard collapsed twice, the chief engineer, a Pathare Prabhu, dreamt of a devi statue in the sea near Worli. A search recovered it, and he built a temple for it. After this, the work on the vellard could be completed without a hitch.

Mahalakshmi Temple Kolhapur Maharashtra

The Shri Mahalakshmi (AmbaBai) Temple of Kolhapur in Maharashtra, India, is one of the Shakti Peethas listed in various puranas of Hinduism. According to these writings, a Shakti Peetha is a place associated with Shakti, the goddess of power. The Kolhapur Shakti Peetha is of special religious significance being one of the six places where it is believed that one can either obtain salvation from desires or have them fulfilled. The temple takes its name from Mahalakshmi, the consort of Vishnu, and it is believed that the divine couple reside in the area. 
The temple was first built in the 7th century.It is said that both Shri Lakshmi and Shri Vishnu reside in this area and shall not leave even at the time of Mahaprayakala. This region is therefore also referred to as an avimuktakshetra. The region is eternally blessed and is believed to be held by Mother Jagdambe in her right hand, and so this region is protected from all destruction. Lord Vishnu himself adores this region more than Vaikiuntha or the Kshirsagar since it is the home of his consort Lakshmi..
The Kolhapureshwari temple is revered as a Shakti Peetha, which are highly revered shrines of Shakti The mythology of Daksha yaga and Sati's self immolation is the story of origin for the Shati Peetha temples. They are believed to have formed when the body parts of Sati Devi fell while Shiva was carrying her corpse after her death. Sati Devi's Eyes are believed to have fallen here.