Lotus Temple

This is the prettiest building ever.

The Bahá'í House of Worship in Delhi, India, popularly known as the Lotus Temple, was completed in 1986 and serves as the Mother Temple of the Indian Subcontinent. It has won numerous architectural awards and been featured in hundreds of newspaper and magazine articles.

As with all other Bahá'í houses of worship, the Lotus Temple is open to all regardless of religion, or any other distinction, as emphasized in Bahá'í texts. The Bahá'í laws emphasize 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 nine doors of the Lotus Temple open onto a central hall, capable of holding up to 2,500 people. The central hall is slightly more than 40 meters tall and its surface is made of white marble. The House of Worship, along with the nine surrounding ponds and the gardens around comprise 26 acres.

On Hindu holy days, it has drawn as many as 150,000 people; it welcomes four million visitors each year (about 13,000 every day or 9 every minute). It is known as the most visited building in India, and has about 4 million visitors a year.

Lotus meanings

Indian lotus flower
According to the Indian culture the lotus flower denotes prosperity knowledge and learning, fruitfulness and illumination. According to the Hindu mythology, the lotus flower is associated with Goddess Lakshmi, the goddess of wisdom and generosity. She is often portrayed as sitting on a completely blossomed lotus that gives a sense of purity to her form.
Eastern lotus flower
The Lotus flower is viewed as a representation of spirituality according to the eastern culture. The lotus flower is often viewed as a symbol of aspirations to rise towards the light as the roots of the lotus flower has its roots in the mud but it grows in the upward direction.
Egyptian lotus flower
According to the Egyptian culture the lotus flower symbol was known by the name of 'Sesan'. As per the mythology of Egypt the lotus flower symbolized the sun as well as formation and revival.
Christian lotus flower
The lotus flower is a representation of piousness and fertility. The lily flower in the Christian culture basically replaces the lotus flower. The lily flower according to the Christian culture is associated with Mary who is known as the queen of heaven.

I would love to visit the Lotus Temple in my lifetime. I think it is so wonderful that it is not exclusive to just one religion. Just a peace filled place where anyone can meditate and coexist. How beautiful is that?