The Lotus Temple is one of the most amazing architectural structures located in India just next to the capital of the state. It is worth noting that the place for construction was not chosen by chance - at one time in this place the sacred village of Baha Pur was located. The construction process continued for 8 years, and Fariborz Sahba worked on the design and construction of the building.
general information
Lotus Temple (Delhi, India) is a house of worship. One of the most magnificent and grandiose structures in India has a clear shape of the flower of the same name, only of huge size. This “flower” consists of twenty-seven petals arranged in three rows. Individual parts of the structure are made of crystal clear white concrete, and on the outside the lotus petals are covered with monolithic slabs of Greek white marble.
A remarkable fact - it took just over two years to create a computer model of this grandiose building. In addition, the Lotus Temple is also unique in that there is not a single straight line directly in the entire structure of the building - only one ovals and semicircles, which, in turn, symbolize the infinity and incorruptibility of the spiritual component of man.
The height of the building is more than 30 meters, while the diameter of this “flower" itself is equal to 70 meters. The capacity of the main hall is 1300 people. In addition, to emphasize the grandeur of the entire structure, there are 9 large pools around the building. Thanks to this design feature, it seems that the stone flower seemed to have grown out of the water.
The uniqueness of the temple
Special attention is given to the ventilation system of the grandiose structure. It is designed according to the principle of ancient ventilation, which were used in Indian buildings. The warm air that accumulates in the central hall freely exits through an opening located at the top of the dome. And the cool air that passes through the foundation and the system of nine pools returns to the hall.
Lotus Temple (Delhi, India) is open to the public. Every day a huge number of pilgrims and believers from different parts of the earth flock here. However, many tourists should remember that you can only enter the sacred building by taking off your shoes at the entrance. In addition, any talk (even in a whisper), video and photo are prohibited on the territory of this building.
Temple Significance
The Lotus Temple is one of the few buildings in the whole world that amazes not only with its majesty and monumentality, but also with its rich cultural and religious potential. At its core, India is a country of miracles, so it is difficult to surprise the locals with anything, but this magnificent "flower", of course, has become one of the most famous buildings of the late XX century.
Famous Chinese wisdom says: "Be calm, like a lotus flower at the foot of the temple of truth." This saying can easily be attributed to the grandiose architectural masterpiece, which is now dubbed the modern Taj Mahal of India.
It is worth noting that the lotus has been a sacred plant for a huge amount of time. In addition to decorating the buildings and dwellings of Hindus with this flower, there is even a peculiar “lotus art” that helps a person gain control over his own thoughts and find a path to natural enlightenment.
Lotus Temple in India
The temple today hospitably opens the doors to all comers. More than 1 million people visit it annually (pilgrims, religious believers, residents of India and neighboring countries, as well as tourists from all over the world).
There are 9 doors in the central hall, each of which leads to a separate side of the "flower", symbolizing the number of paths for true Baha'i. It is worth noting that the interior of the temple is devoid of any painting and objects of worship - this, by the way, is not very typical of Indian culture.
The Lotus Temple is the place where the soul of a person finds peace, thoughts are put in order, a person reaches inner calm. People come here to philosophize, to think about the meaning of life, and also to plunge into thoughts about the decay of all things.