Lotus Temple in Delhi, a concrete lotus of ninefold symmetry

Lotus Temple in Delhi is a Bahá’í House of Worship shaped as an enormous lotus flower, its white marble petals rising around a central prayer hall completed in 1986. Designed by Iranian-born architect Fariborz Sahba, it has become a landmark of modern sacred architecture in India and a key expression of the Bahá’í faith’s ninefold temple tradition.

A lotus flower rendered in concrete and marble

Lotus Temple stands in the Bahapur and Kalkaji area of south Delhi, near Nehru Place, set within landscaped grounds that frame its distinctive lotus form.Lotus Temple stands in the Bahapur and Kalkaji area The building is the Bahá’í House of Worship for the Indian subcontinent, drawing together architectural ideas from the faith’s global tradition around the image of the lotus flower.Bahá’í House of Worship for the Indian subcontinent

Fariborz Sahba took the lotus, a flower held sacred in many Indian religions, as the organising image for the temple and translated it into a composition of concrete and marble “petals”.Fariborz Sahba translated the lotus into concrete and marble Twenty-seven free-standing petals rise in three concentric ranks, each rank composed of nine elements: entrance leaves over the doorways, outer leaves that fold away from the centre and inner leaves that climb high around the hall.Twenty-seven free-standing petals in three ranks of nine

Nine sides, nine entrances, nine pools

Every Bahá’í House of Worship around the world follows a ninefold plan, and Lotus Temple adopts this pattern with particular clarity.Every Bahá’í House of Worship follows a ninefold plan The main hall is organised as a nine-sided figure, with an entrance on each side and a sequence of paths and water bodies arranged around it in matching segments. The nine entrances sit beneath the outer ring of petals, giving each side its own sheltered approach to the prayer space.

A series of pools encircles the building, set in positions that correspond to the axes of the nine sides.pools set like points of the flower Beyond the pools, gardens and paths extend outward so that the entire ensemble—hall, petals, water and planting—forms a radial composition built on ninefold symmetry.nine-sided hall with surrounding pools and garden The plan has no single main façade; any side can act as an entry, reflecting the idea that worshippers may arrive from all directions.

Design, construction and materials

The Bahá’í community selected Fariborz Sahba in 1976 to design the House of Worship in New Delhi, giving him responsibility for both architectural design and oversight of the building work.Fariborz Sahba was chosen in 1976 to design the temple Construction took place over several years, beginning around 1980 and reaching completion in 1986, followed by dedication and opening that December.construction began in 1980 and dedication followed in 1986

The structural engineering of the complex curved shells demanded specialist practices, and firms such as Flint & Neill and COWI were involved in turning the design into a buildable concrete framework.structural engineers COWI and Flint & Neill The visible surfaces of the petals are clad in white marble, giving the building its luminous appearance against the Delhi sky and marking a contrast with the surrounding lawns and pools.white marble cladding to the petals

Visiting Lotus Temple: what travellers from Western Europe should know

• Lotus Temple lies in south Delhi, in the Bahapur and Kalkaji district, with access routes from arterial roads and the metro station at Kalkaji Mandir on Delhi’s Violet Line.
• The temple complex sits on gently rising ground with paved paths, lawns and flights of steps leading up to the entrances beneath the petals, so a visit involves walking and stair climbing.
• The surrounding area includes Nehru Place and residential districts of south Delhi, making it straightforward to combine a visit to Lotus Temple with time in nearby neighbourhoods.
• India’s official language policy recognises several languages; Hindi and English have central roles, and the currency is the Indian rupee.
• Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.

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Frequently asked questions about Lotus Temple

Where is Lotus Temple in Delhi?

Lotus Temple is in south Delhi, in the Bahapur and Kalkaji area near Nehru Place, with approaches from major roads and the Kalkaji Mandir metro station.

What should visitors expect inside Lotus Temple?

Visitors enter a central prayer hall beneath soaring marble-clad petals, with seating arranged around the centre in a quiet space reserved for reflection and prayer.

What makes Lotus Temple distinctive among modern places of worship?

Lotus Temple is distinctive for its lotus-flower form, its twenty-seven free-standing marble-clad petals and its ninefold plan of nine sides, nine entrances and surrounding pools.