The CK Birla Group works to strengthen social infrastructure and reinforce the fabric that holds India together. Part of this is to support a nodal location for communities: places of worship. The Group builds, maintains and renovates temples and runs dharamsalas for pilgrims. Further, we have supported excavation and restoration at important archaeological sites.
Established in 1971 in Bhopal, the institute preserves and displays ancient sculptures, tools and art. Collections of sculptures include Saiva, Vaishnava and Devi Pantheon along with rare Jain sculptures. Tools from the Stone Age, terracotta elements, coins and pre-historic fossils are some of the highlights of the institute's collection.
Most of the exhibits at the museum were acquired from Madhya Pradesh and belong to the late Gupta, Gurjara-Pratihara, Paramara, Kachchhapaghata and Kalachuri schools of art between the seventh and fifteenth century. These exhibits were found during excavations carried out at Gilaelikhera, Morena, Kota, Dewas, Nandner and Sehore.
The Lord Venkateshwara temple is one of Hyderabad’s holiest temples. Built in 1976 on Neeladri—one of the twin hills of Hyderabad—the temple is at an elevation of about 300 feet.. The main temple consists of Garbha Griha, Mukhamandapa and an entrance hall. A towering, nine-and-a-half feet high idol of Lord Venketshwara in black granite is enshrined in the main Garbhagriha. On either side of Mukhamandapa are temples of Goddess Padmavati and Goddess Andal. The imposing 51 feet Rajagopulam, designed with South Indian influences, is an added attraction.
The temple projects the concept of universality and unity of religions and universal brotherhood among all religions through panels devoted to Guru Nanak Dev, Guru Gobind Singh, Lord Buddha, Bhagawan Mahaveera and Jesus Christ. People of all religion, race, caste and creed are free to visit the temple.
The Shri Lakshmi Narayan Temple in Jaipur is a beautiful marble temple, adorned with stained glass windows that depict scenes from Hindu mythology, embodying the rich architectural and sculptural heritage of Rajasthan. The main temple is constructed on a marble platform of over twenty-nine thousand square feet. The two halls of the temple—Nat Ghar and Sabha Mandapam—can accommodate 200 and 300 worshippers respectively. The architectural triumph of the temple is that its two-ton monolithic ceiling is not supported by a single pillar. The temple was built in 1985 at the base of the Moti Doongri hills.
Built in 1964 on the scenic hilltops of Bhopal, the temple walls are inscribed with shlokas and illustrations of verses from Vedas and Puranas. There is a large shankha, an attribute of Lord Vishnu, placed on a high pedestal outside the temple. Besides the deity, Shri Lakshmi Narayan, there are temples of Lord Shiva, Lord Hanuman and Goddess Durga within the complex.