Famous Temples in Delhi

June 14, 2016

A traveler coming to Delhi for the first time would normally explore its striking Mughal architecture, colonial edifices and shopping streets. However, this city also boasts of a rich heritage of temples that may appeal to one’s spiritual sensibilities. Following is a list of temples one should visit when in Delhi:

Akshardham Temple

The Akshardham Temple is one of the most famous of its kind in Delhi. It happens to be much more than just a place of worship. It is primarily known for its grand architecture, which also makes it one of the must-see tourist attractions in the capital city. The huge shrine is ensconced amidst lush gardens on the NH24 in the vicinity of the Commonwealth Games village. Its presiding deity is Swaminarayan Akshardham. There are plenty of things to do and see here apart from the regular religious duties among which the light and sound show during the evenings tops the list. Tourists, however, are not permitted to enter the temple with baggage, cameras and phones over here.

Lotus Temple

This is easily one of the most iconic as well as easily-identifiable temples in Delhi. It belongs to the Bahai faith, one of the newest ones of its kind in the world. Located in the southern corner of Delhi, the shape of this temple is one of its primary attractions. The main building has a huge prayer hall and there are several entrances to the same. An interesting fact about this temple is that it has no conventional symbol to suggest that it is a place of worship – there is no altar, no symbol, no idol and no religious artefact. It is a very peaceful place where devotees can spend many hours in contemplation and meditation. This is what makes it so unique.

Bhairon Temple

This temple is formally known as Shri Kilkari Bhairav Temple and is located at Old Fort’s (Purana Qila) backyard in Pragati Maidan. Legend has it that the Pandavas built this temple. It is also perhaps the only temple in India where devotees are permitted to offer alcohol to the deity! The temple has a couple of wings – Kilkari Bhairav Temple and Doodhiya Bhairav Temple. The first one is where devotees can offer alcohol and the second one is where milk is offered. In case anyone wants to offer alcohol to the deity Bhairav it is better to carry such drinks with oneself since the temple itself does not deal in alcohol, nor are there any such shops in the vicinity.

Gauri Shankar Temple

This is an age-old temple located at Delhi’ s heart in the Chandni Chowk area in close proximity to the Digambar Jain Temple. It is said that a soldier had erected this temple after vowing to do so should he be able to recover from injuries sustained in a battle. The Shiva Linga here is said to be 800 years old. Here one can see idols of Lord Shiva, Lady Parvati and their sons – Lord Ganesh and Lord Kartik. The major attractions here, however, are the silver paintings on the walls depicting various images from Lord Shiva’s life. One would find the maximum crowd on Mondays. Shivratri would be the most opportune time to visit this temple when it is wonderfully adorned and looks out of the world.

Hanuman Mandir

It is an ancient temple located at Baba Kharak Singh Marg in Connaught Place. It is purportedly one of the five temples that was constructed during the Mahabharata era. The present structure was built by Maharaja Jai Singh in 1724. It also happens to be one of the most popular temple destinations in the city. As may be evident from the name, Lord Hanuman is the presiding deity of the temple. On the ceiling, one can see embossed images of Lord Rama. The temple is mostly frequented on Saturdays and Tuesdays. The temple also features in the Guinness Book of World Records for an unabated chant of Sri Ram Jai Ram, Jai Ram.

Hanuman Mandir at Jhandewalan

This temple is regarded as one of the most popular ones of its kind in the city. It has a huge statue of Lord Hanuman – one that measures 108 feet. It is easily one of the most prominent attraction for tourists. Most of the devotees come here on Tuesdays but the temple is never closed. The temple’s entrance is quite interesting as well. It looks like the mouth of the presiding deity. A passageway leads to the main shrine. Tourists can catch a spectacular sight during the evenings – the statue’s arms move back, the chest opens and one can see lovely images of Devi Sita and Lord Ram.

Following are some other major temples of Delhi

Arya Samaj Mandir, Janakpuri
Chhatarpur Mandir
ISKCON Temple
Kalkaji Temple
Ladakh Buddhist Vihara
Lakshmi Narayan Temple
Mangal Mahadeva Birla Kanan
Pracheen Shani Mandir
Sai Baba Temple
Shri Digambar Jain Lal Mandir
Shri Jagannath Mandir
Shri Sheetla Mata Mandir
Shri Shiv Mandir
Svetambara Jain Temple
Uttara Swami Malai Mandir
Yogmaya Temple