Birla Mandir (Lakshmi Narayan Temple), Jaipur

Birla Mandir (Lakshmi Narayan Temple), Jaipur tickets and tours: which one to book

Entry to Birla Mandir is free and there is no ticket to buy. The shoe deposit at the bottom of the steps is free or costs a few rupees, and the only other expense is whatever you choose to offer inside or spend in the small shop. Mobile phones and cameras are usually allowed into the grounds but not into the sanctum, so be ready to leave them in a locker or keep them away. Most visitors arrive on a city sightseeing tour of Jaipur, often in the late afternoon or evening after the forts and palaces, since the temple is a short drive from the old walled city.

These tours typically include a car with driver, a guide and pick-up from your hotel, with monument tickets elsewhere in the city paid extra. Shorter cultural outings combine the temple with a visit to a cow shelter, a chance to feed the animals and an explanation of daily worship and the place of the cow in Hindu life; they usually last about two hours with transport included. The sensible choice for most people is to come independently by auto-rickshaw or taxi, ideally for the evening prayers, and to fold it into a day already spent with a driver. A guide is useful mainly if you want the iconography of the carvings and the stained glass explained.

Visiting Birla Mandir (Lakshmi Narayan Temple), Jaipur: what to see and how to behave

The temple stands on a raised platform at the foot of Moti Dungari hill in the Tilak Nagar district, south of the old city, and its pale silhouette is one of the landmarks of modern Jaipur. It was built by the B.M. Birla Foundation, one of the industrialist family's many temples across India; work began in 1977 and the temple opened in 1988. It is dedicated to Lakshmi, goddess of prosperity, and Vishnu in his form as Narayan, which is why it is also called the Lakshmi Narayan Temple. Everything is made of white marble. A broad flight of steps leads up from the gardens to the entrance porch, the main hall and the sanctum, crowned by three towers.

Inside, look for the images of Lakshmi and Narayan on the main altar, the figure of Ganesh, the stained glass windows that tell stories from Hindu mythology and the verses from the Gita and the Upanishads carved on the walls. Outside, walk around the building to find an unexpected gallery of carved figures that includes Christ, the Virgin Mary, the Buddha, Confucius and Socrates, a reflection of the founders' universalist outlook. In the garden, statues of the founders sit in covered pavilions facing the temple with hands folded. Below the platform, a museum displays the family's collection and photographs of the construction. Leave your shoes at the counter, walk clockwise around the sanctum and do not photograph inside. The temple is about 15 minutes by auto-rickshaw from the Pink City.

Birla Mandir (Lakshmi Narayan Temple), Jaipur: opening hours, ceremonies and the best time to go

The temple opens in two sessions, from early morning until about midday and again from mid-afternoon into the evening, with a closure in the middle of the day. Check the times locally, as they shift a little between summer and winter. The best time to come is around dusk. The white marble glows pink in the setting sun, the building is floodlit soon afterwards, and the evening aarti fills the hall with bells and chanting. Early morning is the quietest time.

Jaipur is at its best from October to March; in May and June the marble steps become painfully hot underfoot by afternoon. Janmashtami, the birthday of Krishna in August or September, and Diwali in October or November draw large crowds and spectacular decoration. Allow 45 minutes to an hour, including the museum. Combine it with the Moti Dungari Ganesh temple next door, then dinner in the city, or end a day at Amber Fort and the City Palace here.