Bahá'í Temple (Lotus Temple)
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- Address:Nehru Place, New Dehli
- Hours:Apr - Oct: 9am - 7pm, Oct - Apr: 9:30am - 5:30pm. Closed Mondays
- Admission:Free
8:12 PM Sunday, May 27
Duststorm. Extremely hot.
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The Bahá'í Temple in Delhi is one of the most visited buildings in the world, attracting over 50 million people since it opened in 1986. Also known as the Lotus Temple for its distinct half-open lotus design, the belief behind the Bahá'í house of worship is that it should be open for all, regardless of denomination. There are however certain rules: no sermons can be delivered, no ritualistic ceremonies and no musical instruments can be played. There are also no religious images displayed.
Bahá'í temples must all be a nine-sided circular shape as set out in their scriptures, hence the solution of a lotus shape. Bahá'í is an independent religion founded around 1844. Their belief is in a mystic feeling with unites man with God and they do not dictate how that be done, hence their openness to other forms of worship within their temples.
The Lotus Temple was designed by Fariborz Sahba, and has won many awards. It was designed in 1976, opened in 1986, and largely built with moneys left by Ardishír Rustampúr of Hyderabad who, in 1953, bequeathed his life savings to the church to build a temple. The temple is made of white marble from Greece and sits on 26 acres (10.5 hectares) of land, which has nine ponds and extensive gardens.
Latest Reviews All Bahá'í Temple (Lotus Temple) Reviews »
Excellent tour. Guide was amazing and went to all the parts of the city I wanted to go and more. The information given to me was awesome. Do this trip!
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Without this tour, I would not have had a positive experience in Delhi.
The previous day, I went on a day trip to Agra to visit the Taj Mahal... I WISH I had gone through Viatorfor for that tour! But I did not, and had a horrible experience with a terrible tour company that was "commissioned" with every business and service. I was a solo female traveler and felt very unsafe and bullied into buying things and services.
THIS tour company for the Delhi in a Day trip was very legitimate and professional. I felt safe and had an EXCELLENT, knowledgeable guide, Bhupesh. Thank you Viator, YOU were my ONLY good experience in Delhi - I wish I had booked my other India tours through you!
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We had an excellent guide and driver for this one-day tour of Delhi. We knew in advance how we wanted to spend the day, and the guide accommodated our wishes. He was knowledgeable about the history of the sites we visited and very interesting and pleasant to talk to. Also, having a vehicle at our disposal allowed us to do and see more than I anticipated.
Continue Reading »Practical Info
Catch the bus to Nehru Place Bus Terminal and it is a short walk from there. You can go on a guided tour or self-guided tour of the temple. There is an information center showing films and regular daily prayer sessions in the hall. You must take off your shoes before entering - there is a shoe room. Also no photography is allowed inside.
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