The Lakshmi Narayan Temple, also called Birla Temple (due to the hand of one of the most influential industrial families in India) commands a panoramic view of Bhopal, located on Arera Hills. The temple is built in the honour of Goddess Lakshmi, the Hindu Goddess of wealth and her divine consort, Lord Vishnu, the preserver of the universe, known as Narayana. Apart from the idols of Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Vishnu, the temple also has a dazzling idol of a reposing Lord Shiva with his wife, Goddess Parvati.

Attached to the temple at Bhopal is the Birla Museum that houses a collection of sculptures from the Mandsaur, Shahdol, Sehore and Raisen districts of Madhya Pradesh. The collection dates back to the 12th century era of the Paramaras when the art and culture prospered in the state. The sandy-yellowish temple has an old-worldly charm about it, with a huge turret on one side of the building. As one enters the temple through a glorious archway, the sprawling lawns lend it a pretty appeal.