Birla Mandir.

If ever a temple in India could count its ambiance as it's USP, it is the Birla Mandir.

You climb the immense white marble staircase,join the queue at the sanctum sanctorum, meet Lord Venkat, jostle out and spend the evening walking along the expansive marbled corridors overlooking the picturesque Hussain Sagar Lake.

Make sure you visit this temple the next time you are in Hyderabad, but then remember:

1. The road to salvation is steep and narrow.In the present case,it is also cluttered with debris, peddlers of assorted glass ornaments, juice vendors,pop-corn vendors,gift-shoppes and the ever-increasing influx of domestic and foreign Bhaktimaans. You reach the top after wading through this sea of human and sub human life forms,there is no water at sight. But there is a weighing machine that tells you exactly how many kilos you have lost!

2. The queue at the sanctum appears small at first sight. But only in India does one straight line actually consist of about five smaller straight lines.The smaller queues merge into the main queue at some point,much like rivers joining the ocean. So, your waiting time actually depends on the muscle power of the people in your stream,or sub-queue,as it is sometimes called.

3. You will come across parents encouraging kid to sing out Hanuman Chalisa (or whatever it is supposed to be)and disturb the peace and quiet of the place.

4. No prasaadam. I don't know why. Normally the Vaishnava temples are known for their generous hospitality.

This is my third visit to Birla Mandir. Must come more often..