At a distance of 2.5 km from Nampally Railway Station, Birla Mandir is a magnificent marble temple dedicated to Lord Venkateshwara. The temple stands on 280 feet high hillocks called Kala Pahad & Naubat Pahad in the center of Hyderabad city.

Dedicated to Lord Venkateshwara (Balaji), the temple is made of white marble brought from Rajasthan. This is one of the must visit tourist places in Hyderabad city. The temple was constructed by Birla Foundation in 1976, which has also constructed several similar temples across India, all of which are known as Birla Mandir.

This temple is a wonderful blend of Nagara and South Indian temple architecture. A Rajagopuram built in the South Indian style greets the visitors. The tower over the main shrine of Lord Venkateshwara called the Jagadananda Vimana is built in Dravidian style, while the towers over the shrines of the consorts are built in the South Indian style. The granite image of the presiding deity is about 11 ft tall and a carved lotus forms an umbrella for this image. In the inner shrine of the temple is a replica of the Venkateshwara temple at Tirupati. The brass flagstaff of the temple reaches to a staggering height of 42 ft. Mythological scenes from the great epics of Ramayana and Mahabharata are finely sculpted in marble.

Apart from the main shrine, the consorts of Venkateshwara, 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. There is also a temple dedicated to Buddha in this complex, with fresco paintings describing his life and work.

The Birla Mandir presents a spectacular sight when illuminated at night. It overlooks the waters of Hussain Sagar Lake, provides a panoramic view of the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad. This temple is usually crowded on Saturdays.

Photography is not allowed inside. Safe lockers are available outside to keep cameras & bags. Parking is available near the locker room past the main entrance which can be reached from the back side of the temple. Those walking, can reach the temple through steps from the road opposite to Reserve Bank of India.

Timings: 7AM to 12 PM & 3 PM to 9 PM on all days.