Lotus Temple

The renowned Lotus Temple is located at Mandir Marg of South Delhi. This is one of the major tourist attractions of New Delhi. This temple is also popularly known as Bahai Temple. The significance of the Lotus Temple of New Delhi is that it has been built in the shape of a half-opened lotus flower.

The Lotus Temple at New Delhi is visited by people from all religious faiths. The tranquility of the place is ideal for meditation. The temple embraces an independent religion called Bahai faith. The architecture represents a blend of both traditional and modern engineering expertise. The brainchild behind the architecture of this temple is a Canadian architect named Fariborz Sahba. He took 10 long years in planning the design and implementing it. The temple is surrounded by sparkling pools. It has been constructed by using cement, marble, sand and dolomite.

The temple has got double curved surfaces. The steel used for making the shells of the petals were galvanized to protect it from rust. These shells have got a thickness of about 6 to 8 centimeters. There are six other Bahai temples in the world. Though some concepts are same, but each of them differs in their cultural identity.

The Lotus Temple in New Delhi was inaugurated in 1986. It is open to the general mass from 9:00 am to 7:00 pm in the summer months and 9:30 am to 5:30 pm during the winter months. The temple remains closed on Mondays. This temple is a must visit place of New Delhi.