Situated in the capital city of India, New Delhi, the Laxminarayan Temple was built in around 1933-1939, by popular industrialists, B.R. Birla and Jugal Kishore Birla, giving it a second name, i.e. Birla Temple. The temple was inaugurated by the father of the nation, Mahatma Gandhi. The term Laxminarayan mainly refers to Lord Vishnu, who is also known as Narayani, when he is in consort with his wife, Goddess Laxmi.
The Laxminarayan Temple also consists of three side temples, which were constructed in dedication to Lord Shiva, Lord Krishna and Buddha.
Built over an area of sprawling 7.5 acres, the temple consists of a variety of water fountains, gardens and shrines, and is one of the most visited temples in the city, especially during the festivals of Janmashtami (the birth of Lord Krishna in Hindu Mythology) and Diwali (celebrated with the worship of Goddess Laxmi).
Built under the supervision and guidance of Pandit Vishwanath Shastri, Mahamtma Gandhi kept a condition when he was invited to inaugurate the temple, which was that the temple should be open to public from all castes and not just the Hindus.
The architecture boasts of a lot of canonical texts along with art that speaks of the Swadeshi movement that occurred during that era of the 20th century.