Shri Laxmi Nath Temple

Shri Laxmi Nath Temple is the oldest temple in the city of Bikaner, Rajasthan and was built in 1488 by Rao Bikaji during the reign of King Rao Lunkaran. The construction of this Indian temple was completed in 22 years and further modifications to the temple were done under the royal orders of Maharaja Ganga Singh. The historic Laxmi Nath Temple has outstanding architectural features and idols of religious deities such as Lord Vishnu and Goddess Lakshmi. The King of Bikaner worshiped "Laxminath" as lord of Bikaner and considered himself the ministers or "deewans" of Lord Laxminath Ji and ruled over the states as the royal regents of this Hindu deity. The Laxmi Nath temple was built in red stone and marble and it is believed that the red stone in this temple was imported from Jaisalmer. The temple is an important Vaishnava shrine.

Laxmi Nath temple architecture
Laxmi Nath temple is a main temple of the Vaishnava sects and currently the temple is associated with Devasthan Vibhag although today it is an independent organization. Sophisticated forms of sculptural art, beautiful paintings and creative forms of architecture are present inside the temple grounds. Lord Laxminath's throne is in the temple, which also has an idol of Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Vishnu in an embraced state. This particular idol is about a foot and a half tall and rests on a square stone platform. Also present in the temple park are the characters of Shri Suryanarayanji, Shri Neelkanth Mahadev, Shri Roopchaturbujji, Shri Badrinarayanji, Shri Magavidyaji, etc.

The religious rituals observed in the Laxmi Nath temple follow Vaisnava traditions and the aarti is performed four times a day. Sacred food or "prasad" is offered to the temple deity and a special "bhajan" dedicated to the legendary saint Meera Bai is also regularly sung as a form of worship. You will notice that the goddess Lakshmi statue is beautifully decorated with a flower garland that offers an enchanting image of the deity. A silver structure was used along the door of the temple, which gives the temple an aesthetic appearance.