A gigantic lotus flower made of massive marble sheets and large pools sprouts out of a landscaped garden at one of the only seven Bahá’i temples in the world.
Learn about the Bahái’i faith inside of a world-renowned work of modern architecture at the Lotus Temple. The giant building consists of 27 marble forms arranged in the shape of a massive lotus flower. While its shape alone makes its worth seeing, the Lotus Temple is especially worth visiting since it is one of only seven Bahá’i temples in the entire world. Visit in order to take the rare chance to find out about this obscure religion.
The Lotus Temple opened in 1986. Since then, its eye-catching design has earned it international awards and a constant stream of visitors from around the world. Up to 10,000 visitors have been known to visit the temple in a single day, making it one of New Delhi’s largest attractions.
Explore the building’s exterior, which is surrounded by a ring of nine blue-green pools. While the marble shells that make up the building’s walls represent the petals of the lotus flower, the pools symbolise the flower’s leaves. Fariborz Sahba, who designed the temple, decided to make the building resemble a lotus flower because it is a symbol for tenderness and purity.
Head inside the temple, and be sure take off your shoes before you enter the inner prayer hall. Inside, the prayer hall’s walls are bare, since the Bahái’i faith does not allow images or statues of any kind. Accordingly, photography is not allowed within the hall.
If you are curious about the beliefs and practices of the Bahá’i faith, head to the Lotus Temple’s Information Centre. Here, you will find short films on the faith and the history of the grand building around you. Visit the temple during performance events like One Ocean in order to see a demonstration of Bahá’i spirituality. Information about such events can be found on the temple’s website.
Reach the Lotus Temple via metro, bus or train from the New Delhi city centre. It lies about 14 kilometres (8.7 miles) southeast of downtown. The temple is open daily outside of Mondays, and there is no fee to enter.
