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THE BIRLA MANDIR  The Birla Mandir, built by the Birla Foundation, is dedicated to Lord Venkateshwara, also known as e is a mixture of the Khajuraho and the South Indian styles. The 51-feet high Rajagopuram and Garudalaya show Standing atop a hillock called Kala Pahad and overlooking the Hussain Sagar Lake, the temple looks divine at night. It is said that 1,000 tonnes of marble worth Rs 50 lakh was brought in from Makarana, Rajasthan for the temple. The temple traces South Indian architecture. Artists from South India have sculpted the idols. The main idol of Sri Venkateshwara weighs eight tons and stands 9.5 feet tall. It is made of granite brought from Phirangipuram in Guntur district.Interestingly, some of the workers engaged in the construction of the temple claim to be descendants of those who built the Taj Mahal. The construction of the temple took ten long years. Timings: 7 a.m. to 12 noon and 3 p.m. to 9 p.m., Location: Atop a hillock called Kala Pahad, Hyderabad. How to Reach:The Temple is about 1 Km from Hyderabad railway station, 6 Km from Hyderabad Bus Terminal and 7 Km from Airport. Private transport facilities are available from all parts of the twin-cities Main Attraction:Beautiful architecture, replica of Lord Venkateswara of Tirupati.  BIRLA SCIENCE CENTRE  Birla Science Centre Located in the heart of the city of Hyderabad on the panoramic hillock of Naubat Pahad, is the B.M. Birla Science Centre. It is one of the most prestigious institution in the country recognised both as an institute of Higher education and for research and development of science. The Birla Science Center houses a number of sections such as a Planetarium, a Science Museum that contains an archaeology and fine arts gallery, Dinosaurium, a Science projects division and so on. The science centre remains closed on the last Thursday of every month.     Builton the Naubat Pahad near the Birla Mandir, is the Birla Science Centre. It comprises the Birla Planetarium and the Birla Science Muesum.  THE BIRLA PLANETARIUM  The Birla Planetarium is one of the most modern planetariums in the country. With equipment imported from Japan, it is being developed into a centre for the study of astronomy. Shows on the celestial bodies are held daily in English, Hindi and Telugu. B.M. Birla Planetarium - Inaugurated in 1985, India’s most modern B.M. Birla Planetarium, is the first of its kind in the country. The cosmic presentations here have highlighted various mysterious of the Universe. The planetarium offers daily sky shows in Telugu, Hindi and English. Courses on Astronomy and Astrophysics are also conducted here. The visiting time is from 10.30A.M to 3.00 P.M. The entry fee is Rs. 12 and children below five are not allowed inside the planetarium. Timings: 10.30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Closed on the last Thursday of the month.  THE BIRLA SCIENCE MUSEUM     Museum of everyday science Also located in the vicinity of the Birla Mandir and the Birla Planetarium is the Birla Science Museum. This houses various exhibits on different themes of science. The interactive models are especially educative as well as engaging. Science Museum - The B.M. Birla Science Museum which showcases India’s own achievements in science is the second phase of the science centre. Opened in 1990, the science museum encloses an archaeology and fine arts gallery that comprises unique archaeological exhibits both excavated and collected. This archaeological gallery is further divided into a stone sculpture gallery, wood carving gallery, gallery of miniature paintings and so on. The visiting time is from 10.30A.M to 8.15 P.M. Timings: 10.30 a.m. to 8.15 p.m. Closed on the last Tuesday of the month.  Dinosaur Museum  Dinosaur Museum The third phase of the science centre, Dinosaurium opened in 2000, is a unique natural history gallery which has a collection of smaller fossils of dinosaur eggs, marine shells, fossilized tree trunks etc. The major highlight here is the rare and magnificent fossil of a 160 million years old Dinosaur, Kotasaurus, belonging to the Lower Jurassic age. B.M. Birla Science Center, Adarsh Nagar, Hyderabad - 500463 Phone : 040 23235081 / 23241067 Fax : 040 23237266 www.birlasciencecentre.org  SHILPARAMAM  Shilparamam is a crafts village sprawling over 30 acres of land in Madhapur, 9 km from the airport and 13 km from the Hyderabad railway station. Dotted with lovely rocks, gorgeous lawns and rippling waterfalls, it plays host to myriad forms and styles of ethnic arts and crafts of India. An All India Festival of Arts and Crafts is held here every March. It provides a meeting ground for artists and artisans from all over India. Artistic traditions from every nook and corner of the country are displayed here. The place is also a cultural hub of the city hosting several cultural programmes all round the year. Shilparamam is a one-time opportunity to take home a piece of ethnic India. Timings: 10.30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Handicraft Shops: 3 p.m. - 7 p.m. Cultural Programmes: 7 p.m. - 8 p.m. (on Sundays only) Entry Fee: Rs. 2. Boating: Rs. 10. |