Lotus Temple

The Lotus Temple is the Bahá'í House of Worship for the Indian subcontinent and one of the most recognisable modern buildings in Delhi. Designed by the Iranian-born architect Fariborz Sahba, it was completed in 1986, dedicated in December that year and opened to the public on 1 January 1987. It stands in landscaped grounds at Bahapur in Kalkaji, south Delhi.

The building takes the form of a half-open lotus flower. Twenty-seven free-standing concrete petals, clad in white Pentelic marble quarried in Greece and cut in Italy, are arranged in three rings of nine. The structure rises about 40 metres and the prayer hall seats around 1,300 people. The white petals look especially fine in the soft light of late afternoon.

In keeping with Bahá'í teaching, the temple is open to everyone regardless of religion, and there are no sermons, rituals, images or instrumental music. Short programmes of readings from the scriptures of different faiths are held at set times, and in between visitors can sit and pray or meditate in silence. Inside the hall, visitors are expected to keep silent.

Entry is free. It is one of the most visited buildings in India, with millions of visitors a year, so weekends and holidays can mean queues; weekday mornings are generally calmer. Allow 45 minutes to an hour, including time to walk around the gardens and look at the building from different sides.

The temple suits anyone looking for a quiet break from sightseeing as well as those interested in modern architecture and religious buildings. Children are welcome, though the silence in the hall needs to be respected, so younger children may enjoy the gardens more. The grounds are well kept and largely flat. Photographs of the exterior are best taken from the approach path, where the whole flower shape can be seen at once, and the building is often at its most photogenic in the hour before sunset.

The nearest metro station is Kalkaji Mandir on the Magenta Line, a short walk away. The Kalkaji Mandir, a busy Hindu temple, is close by, and Nehru Place lies just to the west, so the Lotus Temple combines easily with an afternoon in south Delhi or a trip on to Humayun's Tomb.