Lotus Temple

The Lotus Temple is the Bahá'í House of Worship for the Indian subcontinent, completed in December 1986. The architect, Iranian-Canadian Fariborz Sahba, drew on the lotus as a unifying religious symbol across Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam, and rendered it in 27 free-standing white-marble petals arranged in three concentric clusters of nine. Each petal is 34.27 metres tall; the central worship hall holds 2,500 people and rises to a 40-metre apex. Like all Bahá'í Houses of Worship, the Lotus Temple has no idols, sermons, or ritual ceremonies — visitors of any faith may enter, and prayers from any sacred scripture may be read aloud. The interior is quiet and dim; small light wells in the petal joints filter daylight onto the central space. Sahba's design won the GlobArt Academy Prize for the most significant religious building of the 20th century. The site receives around 4 million visitors a year, second only to the Taj Mahal. Avoid weekends if possible. Photography prohibited inside the worship hall. The surrounding 26-acre garden is itself worth lingering in. Closed Mondays.