Lotus Temple

Lotus Temple Bahá'í House of Worship
Full view of the Lotus Temple
Location within New Delhi
General information
Type	House of Worship
Architectural style	Expressionist
Location	New Delhi, India
Coordinates	28°33′12″N 77°15′31″E / 28.553325°N 77.258600°E / 28.553325; 77.258600Coordinates: 28°33′12″N 77°15′31″E / 28.553325°N 77.258600°E / 28.553325; 77.258600
Completed	13 November 1986
Opened	24 December 1986
Height	34.27 metres (112.4 ft)
Dimensions
Diameter	70 metres (230 ft)
Technical details
Structural system	Concrete frame and precast concrete ribbed roof
Design and construction
Architect	Fariborz Sahba
Structural engineer	Flint & Neill
Other information
Seating capacity	1,300

The Lotus Temple, located in Delhi, India, is a Bahá'í House of Worship completed in 1986. Notable for its flowerlike shape, it serves as the Mother Temple of the Indian subcontinent and has become a prominent attraction in the city. Like all Bahá'í Houses of Worship, the Lotus Temple is open to all, regardless of religion or any other qualification. The building is composed of 27 free-standing marble-clad "petals" arranged in clusters of three to form nine sides, with nine doors opening onto a central hall with height of slightly over 40 metres and a capacity of 2,500 people. The Lotus Temple has won numerous architectural awards and been featured in hundreds of newspaper and magazine articles. A 2001 CNN report referred to it as the most visited building in the world.

Like all other Bahá'í Houses of Worship, the Lotus Temple is open to all, regardless of religion, or any other distinction, as emphasised in Bahá'í texts. The Bahá'í laws emphasise that the spirit of the House of Worship be that it is a gathering place where people of all religions may worship God without denominational restrictions. The Bahá'í laws also stipulate that not only the holy scriptures of the Bahá'í Faith but also those of other religions can be read and/or chanted inside the House of Worship regardless of language; while readings and prayers can be set to music by choirs, no musical instruments can be played inside. Furthermore, no sermons can be delivered, and there can be no ritualistic ceremonies practised.

All Bahá'í Houses of Worship, including the Lotus Temple, share certain architectural elements, some of which are specified by Bahá'í scripture. `Abdu'l-Bahá, the son of the founder of the religion, stipulated that an essential architectural character of a House of Worship is a nine sided circular shape. While all current Bahá'í Houses of Worship have a dome, this is not regarded as an essential part of their architecture. Bahá'í scripture also states that no pictures, statues or images be displayed within the House of Worship and no pulpits or altars be incorporated as an architectural feature (readers may stand behind simple portable lecture stands).