Lotus Temple
Also called: Bahai House of Worship · Topic: India, a Home to Many: Diasporas and Refuge · NCERT: Class 7, Ch 5 "India, a Home to Many"
Meaning
The Lotus Temple is the Baha'i House of Worship in New Delhi. It is the best-known landmark of the Baha'i faith in India. This faith began in Persia (Iran) in the mid-1800s under Baha'u'llah, and it teaches that all people are one and that religions should live in harmony. The temple was completed in 1986 and is shaped like a half-open lotus made of 27 white marble "petals". It is open to people of every religion, which matches the Baha'i belief in unity.
Example
The Baha'is reached India from the late 19th century. They had been called heretics (people whose beliefs go against the main religion) by Iran's religious rulers. Today most Baha'is in India are Indians, and the Lotus Temple in New Delhi is the place that stands for their faith in India.
Don't confuse with
- Lotus Mahal (Hampi): a pavilion in the royal area of Vijayanagara, Karnataka, built in the medieval period. It is not a place of worship and has no link to the Baha'i faith.