Indian Beauty : Lotus Temple

The Lotus Temple

Introduction: 

 The Lotus Temple is popularly known as The Baha'i House of Worship. The Temple is located on a 9.7-hectare site near Nehru Place in South Delhi, India. It is a place of worship,  a religious place open to all races, religions and castes.  

The temple stands so proudly in one of the best architectures of India. With over 3.5 million visitors a year, this building, is one of the most visited sites in the world.

Why Lotus?

The form of this House of Worship takes the shape the lotus, apart from being national flower of India it is also considered sacred by most Indians. It occupies a unique position in the art and mythology of ancient India and has been an auspicious symbol of Indian culture since time immemorial.

It symbolizes purity or beauty that holds itself above the mud and water that is variously interpreted as imperfection, sin, attachment, or Earthly desires. The Hindu deities, Vishnu and Lakshmi are usually depicted standing on a pink lotus flower and the goddess Sarasvati tends to be depicted on a white-colored lotus.  Also, God Vishnu is also described as the “Lotus-Eyed One”.

Lastly, it is designed to reflect the simplicity, clarity and freshness of the Baha'i Faith and to act as a symbol of the unity of mankind and religions.

The Architect :

Fariborz Sahba, received a Master’s degree in architecture in 1972 from the School of Fine Arts in Tehran University. As head of the design teams of various architectural firms in Iran, he was involved in the design of a wide range of prestigious buildings. In 1976, the international governing body of the Baháʼí Faith community selected Mr. Sahba to design the Baháʼí House of Worship. On which he worked for 10 years as the architect and project manager.

The structure:

 Fariborz Sahba has attempted to make this building familiar and acceptable to the Indian people without imitating any of the existing architectural schools of India. The basic idea of the design is that two fundamental elements - light and water - have been used as ornamentation in place of the statues and carvings normally found in Indian temples.

The structure is composed of three ranks of nine petals each, springing from a podium which elevates the building above the surrounding plain. The first two ranks curve inward, embracing the inner dome, while the third layer curves outward to form canopies over the nine entrances. The double-layered interior dome, modelled on the innermost portion of the lotus, comprises 54 ribs with concrete shells in between.

The central hall has a diameter of 34 meters and a height of 33.6 meters above the podium. It is ringed by nine arches which provide the main support for the superstructure. With a seating capacity of 2,200 the hall has no idols, no photographs and no priests. Besides the main hall, the complex consists of an ancillary block with a reception center, a library and an administrative office. 

The entire superstructure is designed to function as a series of skylights with glazing at the apex of the inner petals, underneath the outer petals and on the external side of the entrance petals. Light thus filters into the central hall in the same way as it passes through the lotus flower.

Nine reflecting pools surround the building, their form suggesting the leaves of the lotus. External illumination is so arranged as to make the lotus structure appeal floating on water. The building embodies effective ventilation and cooling techniques. Fresh air, cooled as it passes over the fountains and pools, is drawn in through openings in the basement up into the central hall and expelled through a vent at the top of the structure.

The reinforced-concrete petals are clad by white marble panels, done to fit the surface profiles and to patterns related to the structure's geometry. White marble also covers all the interior floors, while the insides of the petals are bush-hammered concrete. The walkways and stairs in the podium are finished in the local red sandstone.

Facts:

• Ardishír Rustampúr, a resident of Hyderabad who was a Baha'i practitioner, donated his entire life's savings to construct the temple.
• This is one of those places of worship that have won several awards for its architectural excellence.
• It holds a Guinness world record of being India's most visited religious place, with more than 10,000 tourists per day.
• The central prayer hall has a mind-boggling capacity of 2500 people and a height of 40m.
• The marble that has been used to make the floor of the Central Hall comes from the Penteli Mountain in Greece.
• According to the scriptures of the Baha'i faith, there cannot be any pictures or idols displayed inside the temple. Hence you would not find any photos or pictures of any prophet inside the Lotus Temple.
• It is one of the first temples in New Delhi that uses solar power.
• An audio-visual room has also been arranged for the visitors where they can learn all about the Baha'i faith and a library to read the religious texts.

Current Scene :

Air pollution is not only impacting the health but also the iconic monuments in Delhi. Toxicity in air is damaging the heritage monuments such as Red Fort, Lotus Temple and Qutub Minar. The impact of pollution can be seen on the Lotus Temple, the Baha'i House of Worship . This pristine white structure, made of porous Pentelikon marble, is turning grey and has started corroding because of heavy vehicular pollution in South Delhi.

Personal Note: 

It doesn't matter what religion you belong or whether you believe in god or not. You must visit Lotus Temple of Delhi. It's beauty, simplicity, purity takes your breath away. It's a once in a life time experience.  The temple is so beautifully planned and masterminded by architect Fariborz Sahba that you cannot miss the opportunity to witness it. 

Not just the outstanding temple but also the the beautifully curated landscape around the temple is such a beautiful ambience to be in. The temple shines the most during daylight but the artificial lights during the nighttime are mesmerizing. 

It's a blend between the play of light and water. It's not only visually attractive but also has soothing and calming effect on your mental health.

Hoping you get to check it out before it loses it's charm. 

References:

• https://www.mapsofindia.com/my-india/cities/vehicular-pollution-in-delhi-and-its-impact-on-lotus-temple
• https://staybloom.com/chapters/about-lotus-temple
• https://worldarchitecture.org/articles/cvcmg/lotus_temple_a_symbol_of_excellence_in_modern_indian_architecture.html

By Isha Mutha

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