12 Famous Temples in Delhi For A Spiritual Experience | Travel Beats

Temples in Delhi

India is the land of temples, and we can hardly visit any place in India without hearing of the beautiful, famous, or powerful temples in that place. The history of Delhi dates back to 3500 BCE.

Delhi is one of the oldest cities in India, both historically and politically. Therefore, there are many historical monuments and temples here. Let us see what are the major temples of Delhi. Here we bring you the most famous temples in Delhi that you must visit.

1. Akshardham Temple

 

Akshardham is a prominent Hindu temple in Delhi, also known as Swaminarayan Akshardham and Delhi Akshardham. The Akshardham Mandir is now a major tourist attraction in Delhi. The temple was officially opened to the public on November 6, 2005. The temple is located on the banks of the river Yamuna. There is a stone sculpture of Swami Narayanan, a number of exhibits related to Indian history, and a large musical instrument. On December 17, 2007, the Akshardham Temple was awarded the Guinness World Record for the largest Hindu temple in the world. Spread over an area of 100 acres, the temple complex is one of the most beautiful structures in India. There are over 20,000 statues of Hindu gods and goddesses. 

Major Attractions

The Sahajanand Exhibition Hall, also known as the Precious Feature Hall, is one of the highlights of the place. Here are the events in the life of Lord Swaminarayan.

Named Neelkanth Kalyan Yatra, the silver screen is one of the largest silver screens in Delhi. Shows a short film about the life of Lord Swami Narayanan. An international film titled Mystic India was later released.

Named Bharat Upavan, the garden is rich in lawns, trees, and flowers. The garden is filled with copper-plated copper. These copies show important figures in the history of India.

Named Yagna Purush Kund, this well is a legendary Yagna Kund. In the evenings there is a musical stream running here. This Dharayantra is named after the Hindu leader Shastriji Maharaj. 

The boat ride lasts about 10 minutes. During the journey, it was named as Sanskrit Vihar. Many sculptures depicting the history of India can be seen here. This is a specially designed peacock-shaped boat. On this trip you will learn about the ancient universities, hospitals, biology and physics in India.

Mobile phones, cameras, headphones, etc. are not allowed. There is a cloakroom to keep the items but it takes 30 minutes-1 hour for the process as it requires filling up a form and clicking a picture with the item.

Timings: 9.30 AM to 8 PM. Closed on Monday.

How to Reach 

• At a distance of 10 km from New Delhi Railway Station.

• The nearest airport is Delhi International Airport.  

• Regular buses operated by the state government from the city’s bus stand. 

2. ISKCON Temple 

Sri Sri Radha Parthasarathy Mandir, commonly known as the ISKCON Delhi temple, is a Vaishnava temple dedicated to Lord Krishna and Radha in the form of Radha Parthasarathy. It is located at Hare Krishna Hills (near Nehru Place), in the East of Kailash area of New Delhi, India. The ISKCON Temple is one of the largest temple complexes in India, designed and built by Achuth Kanwinde, who was approved by the Pro-Bono Commission in 1993 to build this temple complex for the followers of Srila Prabhupada. 

Includes several rooms for priests and services. There are several halls used for administrative purposes and for various seminars. It is divided into four broad categories. The temple complex houses the Glory of India Vedic Cultural Center, a popular center for visitors and tourists to learn about important Hindu texts presented using various multimedia technologies, including Bhagavad Gita Animatronics, Mahabharat Experiences, Ramayana Art Gallery, Bhagavat Puran Exhibit. Photography is not allowed.

Timings : 4:30 AM - 09:00 PM

The core temple hall is closed between 01.00 PM - 04.00 PM. 

How to Reach 

• The ISKCON Temple is located in the East Kailash region on top of the Hare Krishna Hills. The best way is to travel by Metro. The Nehru Place Station and Kailash Colony Station are the nearest metro stations which are a 5-minute walk away from the temple.

• If you traveling from the Nizamuddin Railway Station, the ISKCON Sant Nagar is just 5 km from there. 

• Taxi, auto-rickshaws, and public buses run from every part of the city.

3. Lotus Temple 

The Lotus Temple, located in Delhi, India, is a Baháʼí shrine dedicated in December 1986. Notable for its flower shape, it has become a major attraction in the city. The building consists of 27 independent marble-plated "petals" arranged in three groups to form a nine-sided entrance to the central hall, which is more than 34 meters high and has a capacity of 2,500 people. The Lotus temple is one of the seven Baha'i House of Worship present around the world. Timings All days of the week except Monday. October-March 9.30 AM - 5.30 PM, April-September 9.30 AM - 7.00 PM

How To Reach 

• Delhi, Lotus Temple is well connected by the bus and Metro. The nearest metro station is the violet line, Kalkaji station. 

• One can take hail an auto or even walk down for 15 minutes (1 km).

4. Gauri Shankar Temple 

Gauri Shankar Temple is an 800 year old Hindu temple located near the Digambar Jain Lal Mandir on the main Old Delhi Road in Chandni Chowk. The temple has an 800-year-old brown Lingam (phallus stone) encased in a marble representation of a female organ. The Lingam is surrounded by snakes made up of silver and represents a cosmic pillar. The Gaurishankar temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and is one of the most important temples in Shaivites.

The best time to visit the temple is during the Shivratri festival, which is magnificently decorated and full of devotional activities. One can visit the temple especially on Mondays which are the day of Lord Shiva. Best Time to Visit: During morning and evening aarti.

Visiting timings. 05.00 am to 10.00 am and 05.00 pm to 10.00 pm.

Aarti Timing. 06.00 am -  07.00 pm.

How to Reach

• Nearest Metro Station Chandni Chowk Metro Station at a distance of nearly 1 kilometer from Gauri Shankar Mandir.

• Nearest Railway Station Old Delhi Railway Station at a distance of nearly 1.2 kilometers from Gauri Shankar Mandir.

 

5. Hanuman Temple, Connaught Place

Hanuman Temple, located at Connaught Place in New Delhi, India, is an ancient Hindu temple and one of the five Mahabharata temples in Delhi. The temple is located on Baba Kharak Singh Road (formerly Irwin Road) 250 m (820.2 ft) southwest of Connaught Place in central Delhi, the commercial hub of Delhi. Tuesdays and Saturdays are special worship days when a large number of devotees gather at the temple. According to the established lunar Hindu Panchangam or Hindu Calendar, Hanuman Jayanti (Hanuman's birthday celebrations) is celebrated every year on the full moon day of the month of Chaitra (March - April). The complex is also famous for its 'mehndi' creations made by women. Designs on women's hands using mehndi paste.

The other four temples are the Kalkaji, a Kali temple in South Delhi containing Swayambu (Sanskrit: "self manifest") rock Idol, the Yogmaya Temple near Qutub Minar, the Bhairav temple near the Purana Qila, and the Nili Chatri Mahadev (Shiva temple) at Nigambodh Ghat outside the walls of Old Delhi. Timings. 5.00 AM - 10.00 PM

How to Reach 

• This temple is well connected by road as well as Delhi Metro, And also has Airport Express Metro Line nearby and Rajeev Chowk is the nearest metro station. 

• Shivaji Stadium is the nearest bus stand.

6. Bhairon Mandir 

Bhairon Temple, also known as the Shree Kilkari Byron Temple, is an ancient religious site located near the famous old fort in Delhi. One of the special features of this temple, which is not found anywhere else, is that alcohol is offered to the deity as a sacred offering. Devotees bring local and international liquors such as beer, brandy, scotch and whiskey to Bhairav. It is then distributed to the devotees as a local delicacy. Sometimes, devotees also offer meat to the main deity here. 

This temple witnesses the maximum number of visitors during Sundays. During this day, the temple premise is full of bottles and cartons of liquor. This is one of the main temples in Delhi. Legend has it that the temple was built by the Pandavas, the ancient brothers of the Hindu epic Mahabharata. According to another popular belief, Bhima, the second of the Pandava brothers, attained Siddhi (spiritual power) in this temple. The timings for visit are 5 AM-12 Noon & 3 PM-9 PM.

How to Reach 

• Nearest Metro Station Pragati Maidan Metro Station at a distance of nearly 2.2 km kilometers from Kilkari Baba Bhairav Nath Mandir.

7. Laxminarayan Mandir 

The Laxminarayan Mandir also known as the Birla Mandir. The temple is one of the major attractions of Delhi and attracts thousands of devotees on the festivals of Janmashtami and Diwali. It is the first large Hindu temple to be built in Delhi. The temple is spread over an area of ​​3 hectares (7.5 acres) and is adorned with a large garden with numerous shrines, fountains, Hindu and national sculptures, and the Geetha Bhavan for lectures.

 Lakshminarayan usually refers to Vishnu, Preserver in the Trimurti, also known as Narayan, also known as Narayanan, who is with his wife Lakshmi. Inaugurated by Mahatma Gandhi, the temple was built in 1933 and 1939 by Jugal Kishore Birla. The temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva, Lord Krishna, and Lord Buddha. The main temple has idols of Narayanan and Lakshmi. There are other small shrines dedicated to Lord Shiva, Lord Ganesha, and Lord Hanuman. There is also a shrine dedicated to the Buddha. The Shikhar (dome) on the left hand side of the temple houses Goddess Durga, the Goddess of Power.

Its architect was Sreesanth Chatterjee, a prominent spokesman for the Modern Indian Architecture Movement. The three-storied temple is built in the northern or Nagara style of temple architecture. Artificial landscape and cascading waterfalls add to the beauty of the temple. Open and Close Timing: 4.30 am to 01.30 pm and 02.30 pm to 9.00 pm (best to visit during morning and evening aarti). Open  All Days.

How to Reach

• The temple is located on the Mandir Marg, situated west of Connaught Place in New Delhi. The temple is easily accessible from the city by local buses, taxis, and auto-rickshaws. 

• Nearest Metro Station Ramakrishna Ashram Metro Station at a distance of nearly 1.7 kilometers from Birla Mandir. Also on the same road lies the New Delhi Kalibari.

• Nearest Railway Station  New Delhi Railway Station at a distance of nearly 3.6 kilometers from Birla Mandir. 

8. Kali Bari Mandir 

This is a small temple of Goddess Kali. Kali Bari Mandir is a Hindu temple, especially for the Bengali community. This temple is dedicated to Goddess Kali. the temple is located at Mandir Marg, New Delhi the capital of India. This temple was established in 1930. The idol of Goddess Kali in this temple is similar to the statue of Goddess Kali in the Kali Ghat in Kolkata. Durga Puja celebrated in Kalibari, Delhi is one of the oldest Durga Puja in the city. This was the first time that Durga Puja was in 1925. 

The original temple of Kali Bari was situated on Baird Road (today's Bangla Sahib Road), where the local Bengali community used to gather for the annual Durga Puja. After 1931, due to some reason, this temple was shifted to the present temple place.  The Durga Puja festival is celebrated in Kali Bari in the traditional style, which includes the traditional Ekladhar Thakur (a frame for the statues) and Shilal Kaj. The Kali Bari Temple is a special place during the festival of Durga Puja which is held in the months of October and November every year. During the Durga Puja festival, the temple becomes a center of spiritual excitement and the surroundings of the temple are adorned with devotional prayers and colorful festivities. This temple is very close to the Laxminarayan temple. 

Temple Open and Close Timing:

 Summer - 04:30 am to 12:00 pm and 04:00 pm to 09:00 pm

 Winter - 05:00 am to 01:00 pm and 04:30 pm to 09:00 pm

On special days visiting times can be changed.

How to Reach

• Nearest Metro Station Rama Krishna Ashram Metro Station at a distance of nearly 2.9 kilometers from Kali Bari Temple.

• Nearest Airport Indira Gandhi International Airport at a distance of nearly 16.7 kilometers from Kali Bari Temple.

• Nearest Railway Station New Delhi Railway Station at a distance of nearly 5.5 kilometers from Kali Bari Temple.

9. Jhandewalan Mandir 

The temple is located on Jhandewalan Road on the way to Karol Bagh, Delhi, India. This temple is also known as Shri Badri Bhagat Jhande Wala Mandir.  This temple is another famous and revered temple of the Goddess in Delhi. The name Jhandewalan was given during Shah Jahan's reign, due to the prayer flags or 'Jhandas' being offered.  The Badri Bhagat Jhandewalan Mandir Society organizes all the major festivals and cultural events at the temple. 

All festivals are celebrated in the Jhandewalan temple, especially on the festival of Durga Puja and Navratri, special puja is organized. On this day the temple is decorated with flowers and lights. Badri Bhagat Jhandewala Temple has set up free dispensaries of Ayurveda, Allopathy, Homeopathy, and Western practices. Seminar is conducted at the Vedic school for the propagation of Sanskrit. In this seminar, Sanskrit researchers from different parts of the country are trained to speak Sanskrit. The temple provides accommodation and food for the students. 

How to Reach

• Nearest Metro Station Jhandewalan Metro Station at a distance of nearly 1.2 kilometers from Jhandewalan Mandir.

• Nearest Railway Station New Delhi Railway Station at a distance of nearly 3.5 kilometers from Jhandewalan Mandir.

• Nearest Airport Indira Gandhi International Airport at a distance of nearly 14.7 kilometres from Jhandewalan Mandir.

10. Shri Jagannath Temple 

Sri Jagannath Temple is a modern temple in India, built by the Odiya community of New Delhi. There are three main gods of the temple, Lord Jagannath, his elder brother Balabhadra and sister Subhadra. The temple located in Hauz Khas is famous for its annual Rathyatra festival attended by thousands of devotees. At the Jagannath Temple, the Sri Jagannath Rath Yatra is organized in the style of Puri. This festival is one of the most important festivals of the temple. 

This temple was started and on January 28, 1999, the temple was inaugurated. Large-sized statues of three Gods taken from Puri were established by the Vedic Brahmins. There is also a Dharamshala of 18 rooms near the temple for the visitors coming to the temple. The Sri Jagannath Temple has a library hall developed by the Society, which houses religious texts. The temple can seat and dine for about 200-300 guests. 

Temple Open and Close Timing

Summer season - 05.00 am to 12.20 pm and 04:00 pm to 10:00 pm.

Winter season - 06:00 am to 01:00 pm and 04:00 pm to 09:30 pm.

On special days visiting times can be changed.

How to Reach

• Nearest Metro Railway Station: Hauz Khas Metro station at a distance of nearly 1.9 kilometers from Jagannath Temple.

• Nearest Airport: Indira Gandhi International Airport at a distance of nearly 12.2 kilometers from Jagannath Temple.

11. Kalkaji Mandir 

The Kalkaji Mandir is situated in the southern part of New Delhi, in Kalkaji. Kalkaji Mandir, also known as Kalkaji Temple, is dedicated to the Hindu Goddess Kali. The temple complex is situated on the Delhi Metro between the Nehru Place bus terminus and business center and Okhla railway station and industrial area, and next to the Baháʼí Faith's Lotus Temple. Close to the temple, on a hill in the east of Kailash Colony and near the ISKCON temple, lies an edict of Ashoka, dating from the 3rd century BC. 

Kalkaji Mandir is dedicated to the Kalka avatar of Goddess Parvati, who killed the demon Raktabij. The temple has a historical existence of about 3000 years. It was constructed in 1764. The temple is so ancient that it is believed that it has seen all the 4 yugas namely, Satya Yuga, Treta Yuga, Dwapar Yuga, and Kalyuga.

Festivals celebrated at Kalkaji Mandir. Vasantha Navratri - This is an autumn festival hence the name Vasantha Navratri. It usually falls in the month of April, however, it is subject to change according to the Hindu calendar. It is also known as Rama Navratri or Chaitra Navratri in connection with Ramanavami which falls in the same month.

Maha Navratri - Maha Navratri is celebrated with enthusiasm. According to the Hindu calendar, it usually falls in October. Large crowds flock to the temple for this festival. In addition, during the festival, devotees make large offerings, including those in the form of gold. Visiting time  4:00 am – 11:30 pm. Closed between -11:30 am – 12 pm and 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm

How to reach 

• The Indira Gandhi Airport, New Delhi is at a distance of 15 km from the Kalkaji Temple and is the only one here too.

• Nizamuddin Railway Station is 4 km away from the Temple. Hence, the temple is the nearest to this one.

• The city is well connected by bus routes.  Buses owned by the Delhi Transportation Corporation-run through the city.  Buses provide connectivity across the country on several national highways.  You can get off the bus at Rajiv Chowk or Kalkaji Mandir Metro Station in Delhi.

•  Delhi also has a well equipped Metro Rail that connects almost all major parts of the state. Hence, you can travel from anywhere to the nearest station i.e. Kalkaji Metro Station to reach the temples.

12. Chhatarpur Temple 

Chhatarpur Temple is located at Chhatarpur, on the southwestern outskirts of the city of Delhi, and is just 4 km from Qutub Minar, off Mehrauli-Gurgaon road. This temple is dedicated to Goddess, Katyayani. The temple was established in 1974, by Baba Sant Nagpal ji, who died in 1998. His samadhi shrine lies in the premises of the Shiv-Gauri Nageshwar Mandir within the temple complex. The entire complex of the temple is spread over a wide area of 70 acres. The area is an important biodiversity hotspot on the North Aravalli Leopard Wildlife Sanctuary, which stretches from the Sariska Tiger Reserve to Delhi.  

Baikal Lake is a historical site located around the sanctuary. More than 20 temples, large and small, are divided into three distinct complexes. The main deity in the temple is Goddess Katyayani, a part of Navadurga, the nine forms of Hindu goddess Durga or Shakti, worshipped during the Navratri celebrations. Apart from this, there are other temples in the complex dedicated to Lord Rama, Lord Ganesha, and Lord Shiva. The temples are built in the South Indian and North Indian styles of temple architecture.  It is 4 km away from Qutub Minar. Visiting Timings 4:00 am – 11:00 pm

How to Reach 

• The nearest airport is the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi. The temple is 12 km away from the airport.

• The nearest railway station to the temple is Hazrat Nizamuddin. It’s at a distance of about 11 km from the temple.

• The nearest metro station to the temple is Chhatarpur Metro station.

• There is good connectivity through roads all over the city of Delhi. There are three bus terminations, Kashmir Gate and Anand Vihar. City buses are also available from here to the temple.