32 Lotus Temple Facts: Things to Know About The Holy Place
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The Lotus Temple, popularly known as Kamal Mandir, still stands as one of the most beautiful specimens of architecture.
It is noted most widely for being the Bahai house of worship. But it has been a spot of attraction in the city for its picturesque architecture and design.
The temple is recognized for its shape, which resembles a white lotus flower. And in a country where religious secularism has played a major role in forming the backbone, this temple upholds its sanctity. It is a place of worship for people of all faith, religion, and communities.
History Of The Lotus Temple
To be established as a monument of importance, it is important to bear a character of its own. The history of this legendary Bahai house of worship is what elevates its gravity. And has resulted in being such a prominent spot of attraction in Delhi.
The temple, originally a heritage of the Bahai faith, was known as Mashriqu'l-Adhkàr.
In the year of 1976, an Iranian architect Fariborz Sahba was appointed to design a temple in the interest of the Bahai faith when a Baha'i practitioner had donated his savings for the cause of building a temple.
Later, the savings were used to purchase land in the Bahapur village in Delhi, after which the construction of the Lotus temple had begun.
The shape of the temple is inspired by a Lotus as the flower Lotus symbolizes purity, love, freshness, empathy, and immortality.
In the Baha'i faith, the Lotus flower symbolizes humanity, unity in mankind, and harmony in all religions, races, caste, and communities.
From an early time of 1986, the doors of the Lotus temple were open for all: there was no specific distinction or favoritism for the practitioners.
Both the people following the faith and the commoners could visit the temple.
As for world records, the Lotus Temple has broken the record for being the most visited temple and for being one of the most awe-inspiring temples in the country.
Not only is it one of the most awe-inspiring, but also the temple is one of the most visited temples in the whole world as per the records in the Guinness Book of World records.
Almost 10.000 people visit the Lotus temple every day.
Symbolism
The most striking element of the Lotus temple is its shape of it. And that itself bears a deep symbolism to it by the history of the formation of the temple.
In the face of Modern Indian Architecture, the Lotus temple is a symbol of excellence, religious art, and simplicity.
Iranian architect Fariborz Sahba had made sure that the temple, the first temple of the Baha'i faith in New Delhi, India, was built differently from the other symbols of architecture in the country. This was done to provide countrymen with a sense of familiarity and peace when they visited the place.
After studying the temples of South Asia, the Lotus-themed thrones of the avatars and the Lotus motif of the Buddha before reaching enlightenment became his inspiration for coming up with the Lotus-themed design of the temple.
Not to forget, the Lotus flower is the sacred flower in the culture of India.
Therefore two of the most essential elements of nature - light and water are included in the design of the temple. It symbolizes the basic needs of society, and that brings calm to humankind.
Inside the temple, in the central hall, there is a Baha'i ringtone present which is a representation of the ' World of God ' and the ' World of mankind.'
It also features a nine-pointed star which symbolizes the importance of the number ' nine ' in religion. Hence it is also surrounded by nine pools and nine doors.
The Baha'i community had offered various alternatives for religious euphony back in Iran. In India, they began a peaceful existence in the nineteenth century, and they propagated harmony in the other communities.
The Lotus temple majorly promotes religious tolerance and harmonious acceptance. Today, the popularity of this peaceful religion has increased by more than 2 million, and the symbolism of the Lotus temple has had a huge role to play in it.
Architectural Fact
The architecture of the Baha'i Lotus temple is a symbol of faith and peace. It had been curated after a lot of studying, finding inspiration from ancient monuments, and professional architectural planning.
The architectural style of the Lotus temple is expressionist architecture. Like every other Baha'i architectural temple, it features a circular nine-sided shape in the structure of the Lotus flower.
The outer leaves structured like concentric rings are used for ancillary spaces, and the nine inner leaves of the temple are the worship spaces made of glass and steel skylight for natural light.
The project team of the temple has fitted the temple with solar power to utilize the electricity from the natural source of energy, and it also accentuates the ambiance of the place with the glass panes at the top.
It is said that the white marble that comes from Mount Penteli in Greece is the same as the white marble used in other Baha'i places of worship.
A portion of the budget for construction has been used for a greenhouse to study plants and indigenous flowers.
Tourism
Being such a famous spot with such a rich cultural significance and magnificent architecture, it is only obvious that the Lotus temple serves as a tourist attraction.
A striking fact about this spot of worship is that it has no deity in the central hall who is worshipped with specific rituals. No religious lectures are allowed inside the temple either. Only musical prayers are played from time to time.
This is how the monument promotes religious harmony and the idea that God is one. There are also paintings and artwork that enhance the motto of the place to establish human unity and peace.
The temple holds more than 2,400 people covering 26 ac (0.1 sq km) in total, and the nine water bodies light up at dusk when it is floodlit.
It is an ideal space for learning about the fusion of culture and how ancient culture can be improvised to become a symbol of religious concordance, meditation, and a peaceful time.
The Baha'i temple of worship in Delhi is the most popular of the Lotus temples.
There are other temples all around the world: Kampala, Wilmette, Lotus temple at Sydney, Panama City, Western Samoa, Agua Azul, Santiago, Tiapapata, Battambang, etc. Baha'i culture in India, although was under the sheds for a long time, with the Lotus temple in the forefront, it has gained an active amount of support and admiration.
It had started with around right thousand Baha'iis from 107 countries around the world, 4,000 of them from 22 provinces in India. Almost 10,000 people visited on the first day of the temple's opening.
Since then, the temple has been awarded several recognitions and awards that enhance its importance. Not only has it received praises and prizes, but the Baha'i temple has also been an inspiration for several literary articles, journals, and fulfilling books.
FAQs
Q: Where is the Lotus temple?
A: Lotus Temple is situated in Delhi, India. But other than that it is located in different places all around the world.
Q: When was the Lotus temple built?
A: The Lotus temple was built in December 1986.
Q: Who built the Lotus temple?
An Iranian architect named Fariborz Sahba built the Lotus Temple.
Q: What stone is the Lotus temple made of?
A: The Lotus temple is made of white marble, acquired from Mount Penteli in Greece.
Q: Why was the Lotus temple built?
A: The Lotus temple was built for the establishment of Baha'i culture and to promote the oneness of religion and humanity.
Q: Which god is worshipped in the Lotus temple?
A: No god in specific is worshipped in Lotus temple.
Q: What does the Lotus temple represent to India?
A: The Lotus temple represents harmony, religious equality, simplicity, and tranquility.
Q: How is the Lotus temple important to society?
A: The Lotus temple is important to society as it symbolizes religious tolerance, equality, and peacefulness.
Q: What is unique about the Lotus temple?
A: Unlike other temples of worship, the Lotus temple worships no deity, in particular, representing oneness.
Q: What does Lotus Temple symbolize?
A: The Lotus temple symbolizes purity, peace, immortality, and love.
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As a highly motivated, detail-oriented, and energetic individual, Olaleye's expertise lies in administrative and management operations. With extensive knowledge as an Editor and Communications Analyst, Olaleye excels in editing, writing, and media relations. Her commitment to upholding professional ethics and driving organizational growth sets her apart. She has a bachelor's degree in English Literature from the University of Benin, Edo State.
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