Lotus Temple

Completed in 1986, the Lotus Temple is one of a small number of Bahai houses of worship worldwide, and like all of them it has nine sides and nine entrances, expressing the faith's principle that people should approach from every direction. The architect Fariborz Sahba took the lotus as his form: twenty-seven free-standing marble-clad petals arranged in three layers of nine, rising to a central hall seating over a thousand. There are no images, altars or sermons inside; scripture from any tradition may be read or sung, and silence is otherwise kept. Nine pools surround the building, and the structure has won a series of architectural awards.

History

The Bahá'ís of India first sought a house of worship in 1920, and on 27 December 1920 their first all-India convention in Bombay formed a committee to raise funds. In 1953 Shoghi Effendi set the goal of buying land in New Delhi, the land at Bahapur was bought in 1954, and after the Delhi government took the plots for a green belt in 1967 it released them on 1 February 1978; designed by Fariborz Sahba, the temple was dedicated on 24 December 1986 (Wikipedia, Lotus Temple).

What's there

• The marble petals - twenty-seven clad shells in three layers of nine.
• The central hall - a silent prayer space seating over a thousand.
• The nine pools - water surrounding the building on every side.
• The nine entrances - approaches from every direction as the faith requires.

When to go

October to March for bearable Delhi weather; the temple closes on Mondays. Early morning and late afternoon give the best light on the marble and shorter queues.

Good to know

Queues can be long, particularly at weekends, and shoes must be left at the entrance. Silence is enforced inside and photography is not allowed within the hall. There is little shade in the queue.

Nearby

Kalkaji temple lies adjacent; Humayun's Tomb is north.

Key facts