Perched on the 85-m hillock known as Naubat Pahad in the southern end of the Hussain Sagar Lake, the Birla Mandir commands stunning views of the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad. Built by the industrialist family of the Birlas in 1976, it is dedicated to Venkateshwara, an incarnation of Vishnu. A blend of the traditional temple architecture in Odisha and south India, it was constructed of pure white marble brought from Rajasthan. There is an 11 feet high idol of the presiding deity inside the sanctum sanctorum. The temple’s walls are covered with beautifully-carved scenes from the Ramayana and Mahabharata. The complex also has separate shrines for Buddha, Shiva, Ganesha, Hanuman and other Hindu gods.
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