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| Lotus Temple |
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History
The Bahá’í faith has seven houses of worship, scattered across the continents, and the newest as well as one of the best known is the Bahá’í House of Worship in Delhi. Like all the other Bahá’í houses of worship, the one in Delhi is popularly known as the Lotus Temple. The Lotus Temple was built in the 1986 and is among India’s most stunning contemporary buildings.
The Bahá’í faith came into existence only about a century ago. Founded by Bahá’ullah (literally "The Glory of God"), the faith rests on the tenet that all humanity is one- and that peace, unity and mutual goodwill should be the basis of religion. And a symbol of this global commonwealth is the fact that all the Bahá’í houses of worship are open to people of all faiths.
True to its name the Lotus Temple- is nine-sided and is topped by a central dome. A dazzling white structure, the temple stands in the form of a 27-petalled lotus, its petals arranged in groups of three along the nine sides of the edifice. Each petal is crafted from white concrete and clad with fine white Greek marble.
The building towers to a height of 34 meters, and is surrounded by green lawns and nine pools of water, occupying a total of 26.6 acres. An ethereal, lovely and delicate structure not withstanding its size has been constructed using stones like marble, cement and dolomite.
The House of Worship has no idols, religious pictures, or other outward symbols of religion. It does not have any clergy, and there are no sermons or ceremonies inside the Temple. However, short prayer services and meditation sessions are held, in which verses of the holy scriptures of the Bahá'í Faith and other religions are recited or chanted. At present the temple is basically a quiet and peaceful place for worship. All that is expected of those who visit it is a will to communicate with the Creator.
The Information Centre at the House of Worship provides a self explanatory panel tour with audiovisual facilities. It also provides richly detailed information about the history of the Bahá'í Faith, the different Bahá'í temples around the world, the construction of the temple in New Delhi, as well as the social and economic development projects which the Bahá’ís involved in.
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Best time to visit
The best months for sightseeing are from October to March in the winter season. Summers should be avoided since it becomes very hot.
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Trivia
The temple has no idols, religious pictures and other religious symbols like all other worship places. It is the perfect place for meditation, peace and wisdom.
The Lotus Temple has been recognized as an astounding piece of architecture winning many awards. It is one of seven Baha'i Houses of Worship in the world and though it adheres to basic common design is unique in its identify.
Since its opening in 1986, more than 70 million people have visited the House of Worship making that an average of 8,000-10,000 visitors per day!
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Timing
The temple is open from 9:00 am to 7:00 pm. in the summer months and 9:00 am to 6:00 pm in the winter months. The temple can be visited on all days except on Mondays.
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Travel Tools
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