As you enter the airspace of New Delhi, one thing that catches your eye–as you look out the window of your descending flight–is the magnificent Lotus Temple. Surrounded by pools of pristine blue water, it stands in solitude like a beacon washing over the day-to-day chaos and harsh city lights of the Indian capital.
With a carpet of lush green grass spread around them, the pools around the temple resemble the leaves of a lotus. When in full bloom, white roses and petunias planted in the vicinity add vibrancy to an otherwise dull day. While this man-made marvel seems to touch the sky, its roots lie anchored in the Bahá’í beliefs.
The writings of the Bahá’í faith propagate the idea that messiahs such as Prophet Mohammed, Jesus Christ, Krishna, and the Buddha are ‘Manifestations of God’. It is this belief that encourages different faiths to co-exist. As a testament to this liberated view, the ‘house of worship’ as the Bahá’í call the temple, has no allegories, mythological references and idols.
The fruit of labour of 800 craftsmen resulted in this architectural marvel nestled amid the quintessential cacophony of Nehru Place.
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