Private Day Tour Of Delhi's Grand Temples

You will be picked up from your hotel in the morning and driven to the splendid white, lotus shaped temple which is the last of seven major Baha’i temples in the world. It was built in 1986 and is made of pure white marble. The architect chose the lotus as it is a symbol common to four religions of India- Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Islam. The temple is open to people of all faiths and offers a peaceful sanctuary to meditate and pray. Around the petals are 9 pools of water that glisten in natural light. The temple is a sight to behold when lit up in the evening.

Next visit the Lakshmi Narayan temple, popularly known as Birla Mandir. It is the first of a series of temples built over India by the industrialist and philanthropist Birla family. It was built in 1939. It is dedicated to the Goddess Lakshmi (the Goddess of Prosperity) and Lord Narayan (the Preserver). The temple was inaugurated by Mahatma Gandhi on condition that people from all walks of life be permitted to enter it. It is packed with devotees during the festivals of Janmashtami and Diwali. The temple is a 3-storied structure and has 3 large towers, the tallest of which is 525 feet high. The temple also has a large hall, the Geeta Bhawan, which has numerous paintings depicting scenes from various religious texts of India. The temple complex also has a statue of the Buddha.

Take a pause for lunch (own expense) at a local restaurant.

After lunch, the last stop for the day will be the grand Akshardham temple. The temple has featured in the Guiness Book of World Records as the world’s largest comprehensive Hindu temple. It took five years and 11 000 artisans and volunteers to construct this temple that was opened to the public in 2005. The walls of this ancient style stone temple are covered with intricately carved sculptures of flora, fauna, dancers, musicians and Hindu deities. The temple was constructed on the tenets of traditional Hindu architecture and does not have any ferrous metal. There are over nine domes, 230 intricately carved pillars, 148 life sized elephants and over 20 000 idols in the temple.

At the end of the tour you will be dropped back at your hotel.