Lotus Temple: An Architectural Gem of Modern India
The Lotus Temple is a Baháʼí House of Worship located in New Delhi, India. It was completed in December 1986. It is notable for its lotus-like shape, it has become a prominent attraction in the city. Like all Bahá’í Houses of Worship, the Lotus Temple is open to all, regardless of religion or any other qualification.
The building is composed of 27 free-standing marble-clad “petals” arranged in clusters of three to form nine sides, with nine doors opening onto a central hall with a height of slightly over 34 metres and a capacity of 1,300 people.
The Lotus Temple has won numerous architectural awards. It has been featured in many newspaper and magazine articles.
History of Lotus Temple
The architect of the Lotus Temple was an Iranian, Fariborz Sahba. Now, he lives in La Jolla, California, after spending some years in Canada. In 1976, he was approached to design the Lotus Temple and later oversaw its construction.
The structural design was undertaken by the British firm Flint and Neill over the course of 18 months, and the construction was done by ECC Construction Group of Larsen & Toubro Limited at a cost of $10.56 million.
The major part of the funds needed to buy this land was donated by Ardishír Rustampúr of Hyderabad, Sindh (Pakistan), whose will stipulate that his entire life savings would go towards the building of the temple. A portion of the construction budget was saved and used to build a greenhouse to study indigenous plants and flowers that would be appropriate for use on the site.
Rúhíyyih Khánum laid the foundation stone for the Lotus Temple on 19th October 1977 and later on 24th December 1986, he dedicated the temple. For the dedication, there was a gathering of 8,000 Baháʼís from 107 countries, including some 4,000 Baháʼís from 22 states in India. The temple was opened to the public on 1 January 1987 and more than 10,000 people visited that day.
Worship
The Baháʼí Faith teaches that a Baháʼí House of Worship should be a space for people of all religions to gather, reflect, and worship. Anyone may enter the Lotus Temple irrespective of religious background, gender, or other distinctions, as is the case with all Baháʼí Houses of Worship.
The sacred writings of not only the Baháʼí Faith but also other religions can be read and/or chanted, regardless of language. On the other hand, reading non-scriptural texts is forbidden, as is delivering sermons or lectures, or fundraising. Musical renditions of readings and prayers can be sung by choirs, but no musical instruments can be played inside.
Structure of Lotus Temple
All Baháʼí Houses of Worship, including the Lotus Temple, share certain architectural elements, some of which are specified by Baháʼí scripture. ʻAbdu’l-Bahá, the son of the founder of the religion, wrote that Baháʼí Houses of Worship must be nine-sided and circular.
It is a Bahá’í House of Worship that was dedicated in December 1986, costing $10 million. Notable for its flowerlike shape, it has become a prominent attraction in the city.While all current Baháʼí Houses of Worship have a dome, this is not regarded as an essential part of their architecture.
The Baháʼí scripture also states that no pictures, statues or images may be displayed within the House of Worship, and no pulpits or altars may be incorporated as an architectural feature (readers may stand behind simple portable lecture stands).
The design for the House of Worship in New Delhi is inspired by the lotus flower and is composed of 27 free-standing marble-clad “petals” arranged in clusters of three to form nine sides.
The temple’s shape has symbolic and inter-religious significance because the lotus is often associated with purity, sacredness, spirituality, and knowledge. It has a spiritual significance in India. The nine doors of the Lotus Temple open onto a central hall 34.3 metres tall.
1300 people can seat & 2500 people can hold in the hall. The temple has a diameter of 70 m. The surface of the House of Worship is made of white marble from Penteli mountain in Greece. The same marble is used in the construction of many ancient monuments (including the Parthenon) and other Baháʼí buildings.
Along with its nine surrounding ponds and gardens, the Lotus Temple property comprises 26 acres (105,000 m2; 10.5 ha). An educational centre beside the temple was established in 2017.
The Lotus Temple is situated near the Kalkaji Mandir metro station about 500 metres away. It is in the village of Bahapur in New Delhi, National Capital Territory of Delhi, near Nehru Place and lies on the western bank of the Yamuna River.
Temple also produce its own electricity. Due to it around ₹120,000 per month can be saved. This is the first temple to use solar energy in Delhi.
As is the case with other stone monuments such as the Taj Mahal, the Lotus Temple is becoming discoloured due to air pollution in India. Specifically, the white marble is turning grey and yellow due to pollution from vehicles and manufacturing in the city, among other sources.
Visitors
By late 2001, The Lotus Temple had attracted more than 70 million visitors, according to Manpreet Brar, a CNN reporter. The permanent delegation of India to UNESCO stated that the Lotus Temple had received over 100 million visitors by April 2014.
The Lotus Temple has become a major attraction for people of various religions, with up to 100,000 visitors on some holidays. Estimates for the number of visitors annually range from 2.5 million to 5 million.
Distinctions
The Temple has received a wide range of attention in professional architectural, fine art, religious, governmental, and other venues.
Awards
- In 1987, the architect of the Baháʼí House of Worship, Fariborz Sahba, was presented the award for excellence in religious art and architecture by the UK-based Institution of Structural Engineers for producing a building “so emulating the beauty of a flower and so striking in its visual impact”.
- In 1987, the Interfaith Forum on Religion, Art and Architecture, Affiliate of the American Institute of Architects, Washington, D.C., gave their First Honour award for “Excellence in Religious Art and Architecture” 1987 to Fariborz Sahba for the design of the Baháʼí House of Worship near New Delhi.
- In 1988, the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America conferred the Paul Waterbury Special Citation for Outdoor Lighting for the “Taj Mahal of the Twentieth Century”
- In 1989, the Temple received an award from the Maharashtra-India Chapter of the American Concrete Institute for “excellence in a concrete structure”.
- In 1994 edition of Encyclopædia Britannica, in its “Architecture” section gives recognition to the Temple as an outstanding achievement of the time.
- In 2000, GlobArt Academy, based in Vienna, Austria, presented its “GlobArt Academy 2000” award to the architect of the Lotus Temple, Fariborz Sahba, for “the magnitude of the service of [this] Taj Mahal of the 20th century in promoting the unity and harmony of people of all nations, religions and social strata, to an extent unsurpassed by any other architectural monument worldwide.”
Arrests
In 2006, some former employees of the Lotus Temple made a complaint to the police that the trustees of the temple had been involved in various crimes including spying, religious conversion and producing false passports. The trial judge directed the police to arrest nine specific trustees, but the Delhi High Court later stayed the arrests.
Disclaimer: All images used are for illustrative purposes only. Copyrights for these images are owned by their respective creators/owners. If you are the copyright holder of any image and would like it removed, please contact us.
Explore more Architectural Marvels at Middle Height. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn
