Lotus Temple

The architectural marvel that stays serene and tranquil throughout the year.

Location -West of Connaught Place,Central Delhi
Best Time To Travel – August to March

The Lotus Temple alias Bahai Temple is located in Kalkaji, south of Delhi and is called as the Taj Mahal of the twentieth century. The temple is shaped like a half opened Lotus flower and is made of marble, cement, dolomite and sand. The temple is certainly a marvel of modern architecture. It welcomes people belonging to all faiths and turn out to be their favourite destination for meditation as the lotus flower signifies peace and tranquillity. This mother temple of the Indian sub-continent has seen millions of people cross its threshold, making it one of the most visited edifices in India. With the dawning of every new day, an ever increasing tide of visitors surges to the doorsteps to savour its delightful beauty and bask in its serenely spiritual atmosphere.

The Making of The Lotus Temple
Fariborz Sahba, a Canadian architect spent about 10 years in designing and project management. With the help of a team of around 800 engineers, technicians, artisans and workers one of the most complicated constructions of the world came in to being. The structure of the Lotus temple 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.

Significance of the Design
The structure of the Lotus Temple has great historical and religious significance. The lotus flower represents the manifestation of god. In the epic poem Mahabharata, the creator Brahma is described as having sprung from the lotus flower that grew from Lord Vishnu's navel when the deity was absorbed in meditation. In Buddhist folklore the Boddhisatva Avalokiteswara is represented as born from a lotus, and is usually depicted as standing or sitting on a lotus pedestal and holding a lotus bloom in his hand.

Accessibility
Air : Most of the major National and International Air Lines have their flights operating from Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport.
Rail : The Indian Railway with its organised network connects Delhi to all major and minor destinations in India. There are three important Railway Stations in Delhi namely New Delhi Railway Station, Old Delhi Railway Station and Hazarat Nizamuddin Railway Station.
Bus : Delhi is well connected by road to all major destinations in North India. The Inter State Bus Terminus (ISBT) are located at Kashmiri Gate, Sarai Kale-Khan and Anand Vihar. Delhi Transport Corporations of the neighbouring states provide frequent bus services through Air Conditioned, Deluxe and Ordinary Coaches.