The Bahá’í House of Worship in Delhi, India, popularly known as the Lotus Temple due to its lotus bud like shape with 27 petals. It is a prominent attraction in Delhi. It was completed in 1986 and serves as the Mother Temple of the Indian subcontinent.It has won numerous architectural awards and been featured in hundreds of newspaper and magazine articles. The lotus bud depicted by the temple has been made as close to a real lotus which grows only in water, by providing water ponds all around the temple.
As with all other Bahá’í Houses of Worship, the Lotus Temple is open to all regardless of religion, or any other distinction, as emphasized in Bahá’í texts. The Bahá’í laws also stipulate that only the holy scriptures of the Bahá’í Faith and other religions can be read or chanted inside in any language; while readings and prayers can be set to music by choirs, no musical instruments can be played inside. Furthermore no sermons can be delivered, and there can be no ritualistic ceremonies practiced.
The Lotus Temple, has a nine-sided circular shape. Inspired by the lotus flower, its design is composed of 27 free-standing marble clad “petals” arranged in clusters of three to form nine sides.Bahá’í scripture also states that no pictures, statues or images be displayed within the House of Worship and no pulpits or altars be incorporated as an architectural feature (readers may stand behind simple portable lecture stands). The nine doors of the Lotus Temple open onto a central hall, capable of holding up to 2,500 people.
The central hall is slightly more than 40 meters high whose surface is made of white marble which has been got from Penteli mountain in Greece. The House of Worship, along with the nine surrounding ponds and the gardens around comprise 26 acres (105,000 m²; 10.5 ha).
The site is located in the village of Bahapur, in the National Capital Territory of Delhi. It is open on all days except mondays. Ideal time to visit the temple is 9:00 am – 7:00 pm (summer) and from 9:30am – 5:30 pm (winters). In total there are four prayer sessions in a day in each of which the prayers from all religions are recited.
Since its inauguration to public worship in December 1986, the Bahá’í House of Worship in Delhi has, as of late 2002, attracted more than 50 million visitors, making it one of the most visited buildings in the world. Its numbers of visitors during those years surpassed those of the Eiffel Tower and the Taj Mahal. On Hindu holy days, it has drawn as many as 150,000 people; it welcomes four million visitors each year (about 13,000 every day or 9 every minute).
This House of Worship is generally referred to as the “Lotus Temple”. In India, during the Hindu festival Durga Puja, several times a replica of the Lotus Temple has been made as a pandal, a temporary structure set up to venerate the goddess Durga.
