Lotus Temple
(By Arnab Nanda Goswami)
“There is nothing sweeter in the world of existence
than prayer…The most blessed condition is the condition of prayer and
supplication.”
– Bahá’í
Writings
The Lotus Temple that is situated with its own glory in India's
capital - New Delhi, is one of the most prodigious temples that belong to the
Bahai sect. Bahaism is actually an astonishing abbreviation of the nine great
religions of the entire world. In 1986, this unprecedented Lotus Temple was
consecrated in the shape of a floating half-open lotus set amidst pools and
gardens, symbolizing the charming beauty and peace of this sacred land. This
temple doesn't possess any idols of any God. The Lotus Temple is one and the
only place in this whole continent i.e. in Asia that belongs to the Bahai
community for their holy worship for the ethical improvement of the mankind.
Due to the irreproachable stunning beauty of its formation, Lotus Temple
attracts more than 4.5 million visitors from the whole world every year.
Visit, Position & Direction –
Lotus Temple, situated in New Delhi is one of the greatest art in all over the whole world. Due to its splendid architecture and fascinating unique structure, Lotus Temple becomes one of the most popular places where every tourist dreams to visit at least once in their entire life.
If you desire to visit this wonderful place full of complacency
and tranquility, you should definitely follow this link - DirectionTo Lotus Temple.
the important points that should be remembered if you wish to
visit this place are -
- The
entry fees to visit this place is zero, it simply means that you need not
to pay any money to inhale the fragrance of the eternal beauty and peace
of this amazing place.
- The temple is closed for the whole day once every week on Monday. So you may
visit this place on any day except Monday.
- The temple is open for a specific duration of a day. In the summertime, the
temple is opened from 9:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and in the Wintertime, the
duration of its opening becomes shorten hence from 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
- Kalkaji
metro-station is the nearest metro station to the Lotus Temple.
- This Bahá’í House of Worship is approximate 15.4 km away
from New Delhi Railway Station.
- The Lotus Temple is 16.6 km away from Delhi– IGI
airport.
- If
you dream of spending a wonderful and memorable time at this amazing place
then you must possess a taste of the aesthetic scene in your mind as well
as in your heart.
- This
is a perfect place for the photographers and families to enjoy the elegant beauty of this place by the soul.
- The average duration
to walk around the whole place is almost 1 hour to 1.30 hours and that
will be sufficient for you to feel the wonder by your heart.
Important
Facts about Lotus Temple –
If you are really too much interested to learn more about this one of the greatest artifacts of glorified sculpture of the Indian mystical wonders then you should definitely know some of the important as well as knowledgeable facts related to this arresting temple.
The whole area of the Lotus Temple is elaborately spread across 26 acres of the land.
The temple has actually consisted of 27 petals of the lotus flowers circularly arranging 9 petals in a single ring forming 3 individual circular rings.
Lotus temple is the only and one Bahai House of Worship on the entire continent of Asia.
The temple has around 1300 seating arrangements along with over 2500 accommodation capacity.
This sacred temple of Bahai House of Worship is actually opened for the public since the year 1986.
Already over 70 million visitors from all over the whole world have visited this amazing place making it one the most visited and also popular starling structure on this entire earth.
Due to this stunning beauty and elegant taste of its astonishing architecture, this temple draws the attraction of numerous tourists across the globe and receives around 4.5 million visitors per year.
If you really have an interest in India’s stamps or collecting it then you will surely know that on that 6.50 rupees postage stamp, you will find this stamp to be arrested in.
The most amazing thing that you will find in this temple is that this is the only and one temple situated in the national capital that uses solar energy as the secondary power source for the entire temple.
Ardeshir Rustampur, a Bahai follower bestowed his entire life savings to purchase the land of the Lotus Temple.
Lotus Temple is one of the greatest wonders of the entire world that symbolizes the mixture of Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, and Islam.
Historical Influences –
"...strive that your actions day by day may be beautiful prayers"
– ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
Baháʼí Faith is a new belief that was actually established in the 19th century and originated in Persia and in the middle east of this continent based on the ideologies of the prophet Baháʼu'lláh. Since the time of its inception, this faith started to be faced with many ongoing persecutions.
“See ye no strangers; rather see all men as
friends, for love and unity, come hard when ye fix your gaze on otherness…For
each of the creatures is a sign of God, and it was by the grace of the Lord and
His power that each did step into the world; therefore they are not strangers,
but in the family; not aliens, but friends, and to be treated as such.”
–
‘Abdu’l-Bahá
Nearly for 40 decades, this religion has spread allover
almost in every lands and territories having over 50 millions believers of this
Baháʼí Faith.
Architecture –
Although to outward seeming the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár
[Bahá’í House of Worship] “is a material structure, yet it hath a spiritual
effect. It forgeth bonds of unity from heart to heart; it is a collective
center for men’s souls.”
–
Bahá’í Writings
The Lotus Temple of the Bahá’í Faith situated in the
North India with its glorified incense is famous for its architectural luster
and splendor, and the House of Bahá’í Faith was constructed in New Delhi is a eulogized
symbol of the theological tradition of this rich faith. Prior plighting himself
into the design of this staggering Temple, Mr. Fariborz Sahba, the architect of
this wonderful sculpture had traveled throughout the provinces of this land
to gather the deep knowledge about the architecture, culture, and soleness of
this country. The elegant design of the beautiful Temples, unprecedented beauty
hidden inside the unique taste inside its sculpture and also the rich cultural
heritage of this wonderful land left a highly influenced impact on him to draw
out something idiosyncratic design that will be best suited with the beauty of
this supreme country. While traveling throughout the territory of this land,
he found that, lotus is that beautiful flower that is used in several holy
purposes mostly in worshipping the God and also is an exigent part of any
consecrate occasion. He was highly influenced by this absolute experience faced
while traveling throughout this sacred land of holy culture. Hence to
elucidate the essence and thought of purity, simplicity, norm, and freshness of
the inherent inner beauty of the Bahá’í Faith, he thought to give the structure
of the Temple of Bahá’í Faith in Delhi as half-bloomed Lotus.
White marble symbolizing the thought of peace and
calmness was brought from Greece and was given to proper shape in Italy.
The entire temple is spread around 26.5 acres of land. Each
component of this temple is repeated by 9 times. There is a total of 27 petals of
the lotus which is divided into 3 circular rings having 9 petals in each. There
is a total of 9 pounds around the temple by adding extra elegance to the beauty of
the temple by making the feel of a half bloomed lotus floating on the water. These
ponds also act as ventilators to the temple and provide an extra calmness and
eternal purity to the shooting beauty of this glorified temple. 9 outermost
petals of the lotus that are outstretched towards the outside, provide the gate
for the entrance into the core area of worship are known as “Entrance Leave”. The
next radial set of 9 leaves that are pointed inwards and cover the outer hall
together with entrance leave are called “outer leaves”. The third set of innermost
9 petals that appear to be partially closed providing the redolence of a half
bloomed bud of a lotus, rises towards the high forming the main structure of
the prayer house.
With total gathering capacity of around 2500 persons in
the core worship area along with the seating capacity of 1,300 individuals, the
Temple warmly welcomes all the people belonging from different religion, sex
and territory with the vision of uplifting and consecrate environment that
evokes a feeling of worshipping the almighty God being a unit soul making the
house of worship belonging to each of them.
Worshipping of Oneness-
“…The tabernacle of unity hath been raised; regard
ye not one another as strangers. Ye are the fruits of one tree, and the leaves
of one branch.”
–
Baha’u’llah
Bahá’í Faith is one of the newest religions that
actually worships for the oneness. It endeavors for building an eternal and one
community throughout the whole world for the spiritual as well as the material prosperity
of the humankind. There is no idol or any God that is worshiped with reverence
by the sects of this faith. The followers of this holy religion believe in the togetherness of the entire civilization of the whole world. They pray together
and help to increase the augmentation of the edifying influence of a new
sunshine of a new Creative Word to a growing number of those around them. They also
lead to inspiring a range of variant projects for the betterment of spiritual,
social as well as economical status and prosperity of the Bahá’í Faith community.
By observing through the soothing canvas of the above
context of community life, where within one unique place under a common belief,
worshipping of the oneness and the services for the betterment of the mankind
are woven together, the preamble role of the Baha’i House of Worship can be fathomed
better. The temple which is far-famed by the name Lotus Temple has actually the
name Mashriqu’l-Adhkár – the meaning of which is “Dawning place of the mention
of God” i.e. a sacred place where the first ray of the newly manifested sun in
the early dawn is poured down on the entire mankind with the blessing of
Almighty God. Lotus Temple is that consecrate land of purity and prosperity
where the people belonging from different religion, sex, territory and belief
come under a one overlay together for praying the oneness and to meditate and
communicate with their creator. This is not just a place of spiritual splendor for
the worshiping of the eternity but also a place for adoration of the social and
economical supporting, educational prosperity, altruistic humanitarian and also
pursuing scientific enrichment through the ‘Dependencies’ established on its
grounds.
“Every created thing in the whole universe is but a
door leading into His knowledge…”
– Bahá’í Writings
Under a one
roof, gathering together in this holy place of Temple for worshiping of Bahá’í
Faith, everyone belonging from different religion, caste, country and sex, all
pray for the oneness of religion, the oneness of humankind, and also for the oneness
of God. That makes this temple as one of the most sacred pace for praying the
peace symbolizing the place of everlasting eternity.
In this era of revolution of the ethical morality of
the human beings, where every religion demand its own glory and are devoted in the
competition between themselves to prove which one is the better than the others,
being an exception, the Baha’i faith becomes one of the most sacred religion that
spread the purity of love and the peace of eternity among the whole world for
the prosperity and improvement of the humankind of the entire world. Lotus temple
in India is not just a temple but an eternal symbol of the secularism of this holy land of emotions – India.
“The
fundamental principle enunciated by Bahá’u’lláh … religious truth is not absolute but relative, that
Divine Revelation is a continuous and progressive process, that all the great
religions of the world are divine in origin, that their basic principles are in
complete harmony, that their aims and purposes are one and the same, that their
teachings are but facets of one truth…”
– Bahá’í
Writings
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