Birla Temple

The industrialists Birlas have built temples all around the country in most major cities. The Birla temple in Hyderabad is also one such temple established by the Birla Trust. The temple sits atop one of the highest hillocks in the city, adjoining the Hussainsagar Lake.

When you enter the lane near the Reserve Bank of India, you see stalls lining both sides of the lane in what can now be called as typical Indian Temple Gateway style. As you enter, there is a small book store, water facility and parking to the right and a place to remove your chappals, mobiles (which are not allowed) and any other electronic devices (Cameras etc.) on the left. Next, you are led up towards the top through a criss cross route that has a few idols of different gods on the way to the top. There is a place here which has inscribed teachings of various religions put up in the marble on the walls. No matter how crowded the place is, there are some places in the temple that are always empty and where you can sit serenely and enjoy the beautiful surrounds of this place. The timings for Darshan are limited and hence the temple is usually full of people. The views of the surrounds are also worth the upwards trek to the top of the hillock.

A short walk ahead from the Birla Temple is the Birla Science Center and Birla Planetarium. This place is at quite some height and from the back of the Birla Planetarium, one can actually view the cricket stadium where ICL matches are being played in Hyderabad. The science center is a must go for kids and young adults. Whereas the planetarium is a must go for viewers of all ages. In the heat of Hyderabad, when I first visited the planetarium, I slept blissfully. It’s an AC planetarium with the whole show projected on the inside of a round dome. The visuals are beautiful, albeit a bit old. In order to view the show, the chairs are more like well constructed beds as the show is projected at the ceiling of the dome.

Both the science center and the planetarium are very picturesque places that are very quiet and serene. There are not too many people who visit these huge places and it’s a lot of fun to explore them precisely because of that.