Lotus Temple, Bahá'í House of Worship in Bahapur, South Delhi, India
The Lotus Temple is a Baháʼí House of Worship in Bahapur, south Delhi, designed by Fariborz Sahba as a half-open lotus. Its 27 free-standing marble-clad concrete petals are grouped in threes to form nine sides, with entrance leaves opening outward over nine doorways and inner leaves enclosing the central hall. The petals meet at a glass-and-steel skylight at the crown.
Baháʼís in Bombay first petitioned for an Indian House of Worship in 1920, and the Bahapur land in south Delhi was bought in 1954 under a plan set by Shoghi Effendi. Construction by the ECC Construction Group of Larsen & Toubro ran from 1980 to 1986 to a structural design by Flint & Neill. The temple was dedicated on 24 December 1986 and opened to the public on 1 January 1987.
The temple receives daily visitors of all faiths for silent worship without fixed liturgy, making it a symbol of religious tolerance in the Indian capital. Prayer times are open to everyone regardless of background or belief. This openness reflects Bahai principles and draws people from across Delhi.
Kalkaji Mandir metro station sits roughly 200 meters from the main entrance. The temple is open daily from 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM, extended to 7:30 PM during summer months. Admission is free. Visitors must remove shoes and maintain silence. Audio guides are available in several languages. Bag storage is provided at the entrance.
The architect Fariborz Sahba travelled across India and Sri Lanka before choosing the lotus form, after an Indian Baháʼí suggested the flower and the carvings at the Ajanta and Ellora Caves drew his attention to it. The interior dome is a lattice of 54 ribs, with shells as thin as 60 mm.
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