In New Delhi, Baha'i "Lotus Temple" draws millions each year
Baha'i World News Service
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In New Delhi, Baha'i "Lotus Temple" draws millions each year
NEW DELHI (19 March 2008 / BWNS) -- Every day, the people come. Thousands of them. At times it's a constant stream of humanity. Eight thousand people a day, 10,000, sometimes 15,000. On holidays 30,000, even 50,000. And once, 150,000.
Yet everyone is calm, orderly, sometimes waiting in line to leave their shoes in a hidden checkroom and climb the stairs to the building they call the Lotus Temple. Inside, the mood is one of serenity. Considering the vast numbers of people who make their way around the property, the peacefulness perhaps is surprising.
"We are impressed - the discipline," said Ramesh Cheruku, who with his wife and young son had come from Hyderabad in the south of India for their first visit to the Baha'i House of Worship, located in the capital city of New Delhi.
With more than 4.6 million visitors last year, the temple is one of the most popular spots on earth, in a league with St. Peter's Basilica in Rome and not far behind the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
Many of the visitors are from India, but people come from all over the world. They are Hindus, Christians, atheists, Muslims, Buddhists, Sikhs, and, of course, Baha'is. There are families, couples, single people, schoolchildren, tour groups.
Many come to see a stunning piece of architecture - and stunning it is. Still, their behavior suggests something more.
"Peace of mind," murmured Reeta Singhai when asked how she felt after her first walk through the temple, whose outward form is like a lotus flower. It has 27 "petals," arranged in threes so that the structure has nine sides, just like the other six Baha'i houses of worship around the world.
It is exactly this feeling of peace that the public relations director, Shatrughun Jiwnani, mentioned as he pondered the question about what appeals to visitors, most of whom are inside the temple only a few minutes.
"They suddenly find themselves in a place that is quiet," he said. They pause "and maybe for a few moments look inside themselves."
"You can almost start to hear your own thoughts," agreed Sarang Joshi. A native of India now living in the United States, he was impressed by what he called the "spiritual nature of the building."
"It's really interesting how that's captured by the architecture," he said.
Mr. Jiwnani said most people stay inside for only a few minutes, but such a visit can still be meaningful.
"Maybe two hours of quiet at home means nothing, whereas two minutes in the temple can move you," he suggested, noting that there are many people who visit frequently.
"People like it that there are no sermons or lectures here. They are able to bring their own religion and sit and pray or meditate."
India - with 1.1 billion people the second most populous nation in the world - is a country rich in religious tradition. More than 80 percent of the people are Hindus, with Islam, Christianity, Sikhism, Jainism, the Baha'i Faith, Buddhism, Judaism, and others also represented.
All Baha'i houses of worship are built for people of all religions to worship to God, reflecting the belief that the different religions come from the same God and in fact represent unfolding chapters in one divine reality.
It is envisioned that in the future, such Baha'i temples will be the center of a group of facilities, including, for example, hospitals, educational and scientific institutions, perhaps a home for the aged. (A few visitors have heard this and promptly called to see if they could get on the list for such a home. Shaheen Javid, the general manager of the House of Worship, says he must tell them that it is a vision for the future but there are no actual plans yet for the auxiliary institutions.)
Inside the temple
Inside the Baha'i House of Worship in New Delhi, the main indoor space is called the Prayer Hall and has seating for 1,300 people. On most days, there are readings for five or six minutes each hour - from Baha'i, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, and Christian holy writings.
Visitors are briefed before they enter, partly about what they will not see. There are no statues, no photographs of major Baha'i figures, no altar, no representations of Hindu gods, of Buddha or of Jesus.
This fact disappoints some of the visitors. Seven-year-old Akhil Rekulapelli, on holiday from the United States with his family, was a bit perplexed. "I thought there would be gods there," he said.
The simplicity of the interior is striking, highlighting the beautiful lines of the arches, the different textures of the materials, the design and height of the dome. Millions of visitors have walked through the building since it opened 21 years ago, but the temple still seems fresh, unsullied. Some would say uplifting, spiritual.
Around the periphery, in simple lettering in both Hindi and English, are quotations from the writings of Baha'u'llah, the founder of the Baha'i Faith, about the nature of life and religion.
"Wert thou to speed through the immensity of space and traverse the expanse of heaven, yet thou wouldst find no rest save in submission to Our command and humbleness before Our Face," reads one of them. "Busy not thyself with this world, for with fire We test the gold, and with gold We test Our servants," says another.
Baha'is believe that Baha'u'llah is the most recent in a line of Divine Messengers that includes Krishna, Zoroaster, Buddha, Moses, Jesus, Mohammed, and the Bab, all of whom came to teach the unfolding plan of God for humanity.
Visitors to the House of Worship are told that it is dedicated to the oneness of God, the oneness of humanity, and the oneness of religion - beliefs at the heart of the teachings of Baha'u'llah.
"The purpose of the Baha'i House of Worship is to remind the people that we are one human family created by the one true God - we should come to this place and forget our differences," said Mr. Jiwnani.
The lotus
Mr. Jiwnani thinks that most people do go away from the temple with a sense of the place and what it stands for.
"It ends up being a spiritual experience, although that is not why most people come," he said. "People understand that the House of Worship stands for respect for all the faiths."
In India, the fact that the temple is shaped like a lotus flower is significant, he noted, explaining that Asian religions - Hinduism, Buddhism, Zoroastrian - all have special associations with the lotus flower.
The lotus represents purity, and since the flower is often found in dirty and stagnant water, the symbolism of a pure human spirit rising above the dross to its true station is especially meaningful, Mr. Jiwnani said.
"The House of Worship is not designed in any traditional religious architecture," he continued. "It has a universal shape, so everyone feels welcome."
Fariborz Sahba of Canada, the architect for the temple, said he chose the lotus shape precisely because of its myriad spiritual connotations.
"The lotus represents the Manifestation of God, and is also a symbol of purity and tenderness," he has said in published comments. "Its significance is deeply rooted in the minds and hearts of the Indians."
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