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New Vishwanath Temple (Birla Temple)

New Vishwanath Temple (Birla Temple)

The New Vishwanath Temple (commonly known as Shri Vishwanath Mandir, Birla Temple, or simply VT) is a prominent Hindu temple located inside the campus of Banaras Hindu University (BHU) in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh.

History & Foundation

  • Visionaries: Conceptualized by Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya (founder of BHU) as a modern replica of the historical Kashi Vishwanath Temple, symbolizing universal unity and open access for people of all castes, creeds, and backgrounds.

  • Construction: Funded by the Birla family, the foundation stone was laid in March 1931, and construction took 35 years before completion in 1966.

Architecture & Design

  • Spire (Shikhara): The central tower reaches a height of 77 meters (253 feet), making it one of the tallest temple towers in India.

  • Materials: Built primarily with white and reddish marble, combining traditional North Indian (Nagara) temple architecture with modern aesthetic layouts.

  • Scriptural Wall Inscriptions: The interior marble walls are detailed with engraved verses and illustrations from the Bhagavad Gita alongside selections from other sacred Hindu texts.

Layout & Shrines

  • Complex Arrangement: The temple structure consists of seven distinct shrines within a single multi-tiered complex.

  • Main Shrine: Located on the ground floor, housing the Shiva Lingam inside the primary sanctum (garbhagriha).

  • Surrounding Shrines: Dedicated to deities including Lakshmi Narayan, Durga, Nataraj, Parvati, Ganesha, Panchmukhi Mahadev, Hanuman, Saraswati, and Nandi.