Birla Mandir begins marble polishing for 50th anniversary celebrations

Hyderabad’s iconic Birla Mandir is preparing for its Golden Jubilee in February 2026 with brisk polishing of its white marble gopurams. Skilled artisans from Rajasthan are cleaning and restoring the shrine, ahead of planned religious events, cultural programmes and community activities.

Hyderabad: As Birla Mandir, the city’s most popular shrine atop Kalapahad, also known as Neeladri, readies for its Golden Jubilee, meticulous polishing and cleaning of the white marble ‘Maha Gopurams’ is progressing at a brisk pace.

The temple will complete 50 years in February 2026, and the management aims to finish the works in the next six months to prepare for the upcoming celebrations. As part of the jubilee festivities, special religious events, cultural programmes and community activities are being planned.

Skilled workers from Rajasthan are engaged in polishing and cleaning the Raja Sikharam on the sanctum sanctorum of the main deity. “We are using a special material brought from Delhi for cleaning the marble to enhance its shine,” said Shankerlal Sharma, who oversees the temple administration.

Subsequently, the sikharams of other shrines on the premises, including those of Goddesses Andal and Padmavathi, Garuda (Hanuman), Ganesh and Shiva, will undergo polishing and cleaning, he added.

Located southeast of Hussain Sagar, the temple stands at a height of 280 feet above sea level, spread over 7 of its 13 acres, and was built using about 2,000 tonnes of white marble sourced from Makrana in Rajasthan. The structure showcases a harmonious blend of Nagara and Dravidian temple architecture, with the ceiling above the main deity designed in Mount Abu style. The temple also reflects elements of South Indian, Rajasthani and Utkal architectural traditions.

According to Sharma, around 6,000 devotees visit the temple on weekdays, with footfalls rising to about 20,000 on weekends. “Visitors from across the country and abroad make it a point to visit the temple,” he said.

One of the unique aspects of the shrine is that it does not have temple bells. The temple, open daily from 7 am to 12 noon and from 3 pm to 9 pm, is under surveillance through 13 CCTV cameras. “The CCTV network is monitored from a control room set up at the manager’s office at the foothill,” Sharma added.

Birla Mandir:

• Inaugurated by the then united AP Chief Minister, Jalagam Vengal Rao on February 13, 1976

• Temple work commenced in 1967 and completed in 1976. Swami Ranganathananda of the Ramakrishna Mission consecrated the temple.

• Completing 50 years in February 2026, temple plans Golden Jubilee celebrations

• Preparations include special religious events, cultural programmes, and community activities

• Nirmala Birla heads Hindusthan Charity Trust, Kolkata, which takes care of three shrines in the country, including Birla Mandir, Hyderabad

Birla Mandir:

A nine-and-a-half-foot main deity of Lord Vishnu in black granite is enshrined in the main sanctum sanctorum. On either side of the ‘Mukha Mandapa’ are the temples of Goddess Padmavathi and Goddess Andal, guarded by traditional lions. Behind the Garudalaya, a Dwajasthambha (flag post) rises to a height of 42 feet. Several white marble carvings in the adjoining Mukha Mandapam depict scenes from Indian mythology.

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