Location : Atop Kalkaji Hill, 12-km Southeast of Connaught Place, New Delhi
Also Known As : Baha'i Temple
Completed In : 1986
Timing: Daily - April To September; October To March From 9.30am to 5.30pm.

Bahai Temple is known as one of the most beautiful architectural temples in India. Popularly called Lotus Temple as it is built in the shape of a Lotus flower and reaches a height of more than 40m. It was completed in 1986 and one can enjoy its exquisite beauty even from a kilometer distance, at night. An Architectural Grandeur This grand temple is termed by many as the Taj of modern India. It belongs to the Baha`i sect and is now a significant landmark of Delhi. The structure is made of pure white marble in the shape of a half-opened lotus and is surrounded by delicately manicured lawns. This architectural wonder is made of a combination of marble, cement, sand and dolomite. One can see 27 giant white petals of marble in a lotus shape, springing from nine pools and walkways indicative of the nine unifying spiritual paths of the Baha'i faith. People of any faith can enter this temple to offer their prayers.

The famous Lotus Temple is situated at Mandir Marg of South Delhi. Lotus Temple is one of the major tourist attractions of New Delhi. This Mandir is also popularly known as Bahai Temple. The meaning of the Lotus Temple of New Delhi is that Lotus Temple has been built in the shape of a half opened lotus flower.

The Lotus Temple is visited by people from all religious belief. The stillness of the place is perfect for meditation. The Lotus Temple embraces an independent religion called Bahai faith. The structural design represents a blend of both customary and modern engineering expertise. The idea behind the architecture of Lotus temple is a Canadian architect named Fariborz Sahba. The Lotus Temple is enclosed by sparkling pools. Lotus Temple has been built by using cement, marble, sand and dolomite.

The Lotus Temple has got double curved surfaces. There are six other Bahai Temples in the world. The Lotus Temple in New Delhi was opened in 1986. The Lotus Temple remains closed on Mondays. Lotus Temple is a must visit place of New Delhi. The Lotus Temple, an important tourist attraction in Delhi is also known as the Bahai Temple. The Lotus Temple is situated right at the opposite of the old Kalka Ji Mandir in the southern part of Delhi. Lotus is the national flower of India and thus it stands for national combination but at the same time, lotus is also linked with all the major Indian religions like Buddhism, Islam and Hinduism. Lotus stands as a symbol of religion and purity in today's selfish world. You must visit the large prayer hall.

The Uniqueness Of Baha`i Faith The Baha'i House of Worship is dedicated to the oneness of all religions and mankind. Its doors are open to people of all faiths, races and cultural backgrounds. Subsidiary buildings that afford relief to the suffering, sustenance to the poor, shelter to the traveler, solace to the deprived and education to the ignorant will abound around the House of Worship. There are no clergymen in the Baha'i Faith and its service consists of prayers and readings of selections from Baha'i scriptures. The Baha`i religion is an independent one and not a sect of any other religion's manifestation. The Baha`is lay great emphasis on prayer and meditation. These, they believe are important instruments for the progress of the human soul, both in this world and the next. The Baha'i`is pray to one God, the Creator of the Universe.

The act of praying is described as 'Conversation with God' and meditation is perceived as the 'Key for opening the doors of mysteries'. In that state, man withdraws himself from all outside objects and immerses himself in the ocean of spiritual life. In the Baha`i Holy Writings, there are prayers for all occasions and can be offered individually or collectively. A great importance is given to prayers as it is revealed in all the Scriptures. But the Baha`i Writings specify that the mere act of praying is not sufficient. The inspiration drawn from one's prayers must be translated into action that promotes the well-being of humanity. The temple represents the Baha`i faith, which is broad in its outlook, scientific in the influence it exerts on the hearts and minds of men. It signifies the purity and the universality of the lord and equality of all religions. Visited by over four million people, annually, this gleaming lotus-like marble structure is located on Bahapur Hills and it is the seventh and most recent Baha'i houses of worship in the world.

The temple is a must visit for every tourist who comes to Delhi. Closed to tourists during morning and evening prayers, Tuesday- Sunday from 10.00am to 4.00pm. The Baha'í Faith The Baha'í Faith is the youngest of the world's independent religions. Its founder, Bahá'u'lláh (1817-1892), is regarded by Bahá'ís as the most recent in the line of Messengers of God that stretches back beyond recorded time and includes Abraham, Moses, Buddha, Zoroaster, Christ and Muhammad. The central theme of Bahá'u'lláh's message is that humanity is one single race and that the day has come for its unification in one global society. God, Bahá'u'lláh said, has set in motion historical forces that are breaking down traditional barriers of race, class, creed, and nation and that will, in time, give birth to a universal civilization. The principal challenge facing the peoples of the earth is to accept the fact of their oneness and to assist the processes of unification. One of the purposes of the Bahá'í Faith is to help make this possible. A worldwide community of some five million Bahá'ís, representative of most of the nations, races and cultures on earth, is working to give Bahá'u'lláh's teachings practical effect. Their experience will be a source of encouragement to all who share their vision of humanity as one global family and the earth as one homeland. Baha'í Houses of Worship Bahá'í houses of worship are open to all peoples. Although their architectural styles differ widely, the nine sides and central dome common to all of them symbolize at once the diversity of the human race and its essential oneness.

Devotional programs are simple, consisting of prayers, meditations, and the reading of selections from the sacred scriptures of the Bahá'í Faith and other world religions. Music is provided by unaccompanied choirs. The Grand Structure of Bahá'í Temple In the raising of the House of Worship in New Delhi traditional Indian means of construction were employed coupled with the most modern Western engineering design. Fariborz Sahba, Canadian architect of Iranian origin, spent 10 years in designing and project management, and with the help of a team of about 800 engineers, technicians, artisans and workers brought to realization one of the most complicated constructions in the world. Rising pure and unsullied above stagnant, muddy waters, the Indians have seen this flower as worthy of emulation, teaching them to be detached from material preoccupations.

This temple joins six other Bahá'í temples around the world. Each of these Houses, while sharing some basic design concepts, has its own distinct cultural identity embodying the principle of unity in diversity. The structure of the House of Worship in New Delhi is composed of three ranks of nine petals; each springing from a podium elevating the building above the surrounding plain. The first two ranks curve inward, embracing the inner dome; the third layer curves outward to form canopies over the nine entrances. The petals, constructed of reinforced white concrete cast in place, are clad in white marble panels, performed to surface profiles and patterns related to the geometry. Nine arches that provide the main support for the superstructure ring the central hall. Nine reflecting pools surround the building on the outside, their form suggesting the green leaves of the lotus flower. Translating the geometry of the design, in which there are virtually no straight lines, into the actual structure presented particular challenges in designing and erecting the framework.