Nearly two years ago I visited Israel and while I was there I visited the beautiful Bahai temple in Haifa. It was beautiful, colouriful and spread across a great area of land in Haifa. Then when I visited India last year I knew that a visit to another Bahai temple while I was in New Delhi was in order. One hot morning when my boyfriend left the hotel to go to work, with the help of the Marriott Hotel, I booked a car to take my out on a tour. With the crazy traffic in New Delhi I managed to tick off only half of my list for the day before I wanted to get out of the heat and go cool off at the hotel. One place I was not going to leave without seeing for the day was the Lotus Temple - A Bahai House of Worship.
The day was hazy, humid and dreadfully hot! You have to take off your shoes at the bottom of the step as shoes are not allowed into the temple. I tell you I would have probably had a few degree burns if I didn't get into the temple quickly the ground was piping hot from the weather and it wasn't even midday yet. The Lotus Temple reminds me of Sydney Opera House but is actually shaped like a lotus flower. Constructed entirely of white Marble and consists of 27 marble petals shaped like an unfolding lotus flower and rises from 9 pools that surround the walk ways. The number 9 signifies the unifying paths of the Bahai's faith.
The inside of the temple is fairly plain, there are no idols or images on the inside as this is against the Bahai faith. Like the Bahai Temple in Israel, where by the way I am due to revisit next month. The lawns of the temple are beautifully manicured. It's really a beautiful place to visit. Visitors are allowed inside the temple. I visited on my own while my car waited outside. Other than being stared at constantly, I felt perfectly safe visiting on my own.
Opening/Closing Time
9.30 - 5.30pm and 9am -7pm in the summer, Tueday to Sunday.
Entrance
Free entrance. No food is allowed inside. There is security at the the gates that search before going in. You are allowed to go in with water.
Getting There
I took a car arranged by the hotel. You can get there by the tuk tuks but just be sure to negotiate price before hand and take a picture of the plate number. There are also tour buses that go to the temple but these may sometime stop by 5pm. Also if using a taxi, make sure its a registered taxi.
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