Travel to Lotus Temple, Bahai temple

The Bahai Temple or the Lotus Temple as it is popularly known because of its flower-like shape is located in the southern part of Delhi. Designed by Iranian-Canadian architect Fariburz Sahba in 1986 it has 27 immaculately white petals. This temple is a Bahai house of worship and is also among the popular tourist attractions in Delhi; winning many architecture awards and being featured in many magazines and newspapers. The best time to visit the Lotus Temple is between October to March as the weather is Delhi is very pleasant for sightseeing during these months of the year.

The Lotus Temple is one of the most visited buildings in the world since it opened for public worship in 1986. The Bahai Temple has attracted over 50 million visitors surpassing even the Taj Mahal and the Eiffel Tower. On Hindu holy days it sees around 1,50,000 visitors. The Lotus Temple has received many awards and honours for its architecture by fine art, religious, government and other organizations. 

 

Bahai Philosophy 

The Bahai philosophy revolves around universal peace and the elimination of prejudice and people from all faiths are welcome here to pray and meditate silently according to their own religion. The Bahai law states that the spirit of the House of Worship be that it is a gathering place where people of all religions may worship God without denominational restrictions. The Bahai faith believes in no sermons and no ritual ceremonies and even does not believes in idol worship. 

Architectural Design 

Like all Bahai Temples, the Lotus Temple share certain architectural similarities that are specified by the Bahai scriptures. The son of the founder of the religion, Abdul-Baha stated that the most important characteristic of a Bahai temple must be a nine sided circular shape. Though most Bahai houses of worship have a dome, this is not a necessary structure. The Bahai religion also prohibits the use of pictures, statues or images to be displayed in the house of worship; no altars or pulpits are allowed to be built either. A speaker may stand behind a simple, portable lecture stand. 

The architecture of the Bahai Temple in Delhi has been inspired by the lotus flower and comprises of 27 free standing marble petals arranged in a cluster of three to form nine sides. The nine doors of the Lotus Temple open to a hall that is 40 meters high capable of holding 25000 people. The surface of this Bahai Temple is made from white marble from the Pentili Mountains in Greece, the same from which other ancient monuments and other Bahai houses of worship have been constructed. Totally comprises of nine ponds and gardens the Lotus Temple is spread over a sprawling 26 acres.

The Iranian architect who constructed this temple, Fariburz Sahba, was contacted to design this temple in the year 1976 and later oversaw the construction. The major funds required to acquire this piece of land was donated by Ardishir Rustampur of Hyderabad, who gave his entire life savings for this purpose in 1953. 

The visiting hours of the Bahai Temple

Winters (October to March): 9am-6pm
Summers (April to September): 9am-7pm

Entry and parking is free for all. 

Attractions around the Bahai Temple

There are many interesting markets and other attractions around the Bahai Temple. Tourist can visit the famous Kalkaji Temple located in Kalkaji, also famous is the Iskon Temple in Lajpat Nagar, located at a short distance from the Bahai Temple. The Nehru Place market, which is a short walk from the Lotus Temple is famous for computer related hardware and software products. The Greater Kailash Market, also referred to as GK is one of Delhi’s most posh and popular markets where one can find numerous high end shops and restaurants. 

Last Updated on 8/2/2013