Lotus Temple in Delhi, India
This place is originally a Bahá’í House of Worship built for all kinds of faiths and religions. The architecture is more of an expressionist one with its flower-like figure which is designed by Persian draftsman Fariborz Sahba hailing from Canada and what’s most interesting about the shape of a lotus inspired by which the temple is built, it is said that lotus is an emblem of love, purity and immortality.
The last of the seven palaces in different parts of the world is the Baha'i shrine in the Indian subcontinent, known to all as the "Lotus Temple". It is located in Delhi, India. Each of its designs is unique and varied.
This shrine is a symbol of the most beautiful flowers and holiness. Imagined and constructed in imitation of the Padma, it is one of the most iconic forms of worship in India. The Lotus Temple is surrounded by nine large reservoirs that keep the inner rooms of the temple cool in a natural way. The number "no" is a symbol of unity according to them, so it has nine sides.
Being one of the most visited attractions of India, it has been recorded that this place has daily 10,000 visitors and almost four millions of tourists have visited the Lotus Temple.
Designed by Iranian-Canadian architect Fariborz Sahba in 1986, Delhi’s Bahai temple is a wonderful place to enjoy the silence – a rare experience in Delhi.
From a short distance, it looks like a fantastic work of origami. The nine pools outside signify the green leaves of the lotus and cool the starkly elegant, usually silent marble interior.
Lotus Temple Description
The total land area of the temple is 26.6 acres which were purchased in 1953. The prayer room is 34.28 meters from floor to ceiling and has 1300 seats. The number of petals of the Padma-shaped temple surrounded by nine reservoirs is 26. These petals are made of white cement, sand, gravel and the outer part is covered with Greek marble. The diameter of the main planet is 60 meters. Construction began on April 21, 1970, and it was officially inaugurated on December 24, 1986. The architect of the temple was Shri Fari Burj Sahib.
Almost 10,000 diverse sizes of white marbles have been used to create this striking architecture.
The Bahai religion to which this temple is associated with, do not have any idols, statues or pictures to worship.
Lotus Temple is also called a Bahai House of Worship is the only one located in Delhi, India while the other six of total seven Bahai Houses of Worship are situated in different parts of the world i.e. in Sidney, Australia; Panama City, Panama; Apia, Western Samoa; Kampala, Uganda; Frankfurt, Germany and Wilmette, USA.
Entering this place is much like stepping into a serene a paradise where all faiths and religions have their place, where prayers are sent to God without discriminating them on the basis of religions and travelling all around the exquisitely charming gardens you will find yourself enveloped by a divine aura of peace.
Lotus is also a sign common to diverse religions like Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Islam. Lotus Temple is created of white marble and there are nine water pools all around the petal structure and these pools are accentuated with lights making it a mesmerizing wonder to spellbind anyone!
