India tours, New Delhi. Lotus Temple in New Delhi. India tour packages

Here they practice the Bahai religion. In the past few years, the popularity of the temple has been growing rapidly, and only the world famous Taj Mahal in Agra can be compared with it in terms of the number of tourists. The temple, which is one of the largest Bahai religious buildings, is built in the form of a huge water flower. Its other name, more official, is the Baha'i House of Worship.

The Baha'i Faith is a fairly young religion (although it is rather a teaching), which originated in the mid-nineteenth century. It is believed that its founder is Baha'u'llah. This man was born in Persia and, as an adult, actively preached the unity of all religions, nations and God. It is in this conviction that the whole meaning of Baha'ism consists, that is, it is faith itself, and not God or Gods, that unites people. The main tenets of this religion are in the search for true knowledge, carried out by a believer entirely and completely independently, in equal rights between both sexes, a combination of faith and science, from prejudice (religious, racial, national, etc.). Bahai temple is always open to anyone. Today, there are 7 such temples around the world.

It was built for 8 years (from 1978 to 1986) under the guidance of the Bahai architect Fariborz Sahb. The shape of the blooming lotus was chosen for a reason, because the flower serves as a symbol of purity, chastity and strength. The building of the temple consists of 27 concrete petals covered with Penteli white marble and a single dome, which symbolizes the unity of all religions.

Nine doors lead to the main hall of the Lotus Temple, with a capacity of 1,300 people (as in all other Houses of Worship). The structure is surrounded by 9 pools, which creates the effect of a floating lotus bud on the water. And in the dark, a special illumination of the petals turns on - a fascinating sight.

Inside the Lotus temple fully meets the requirements of the Baha'i scriptures: there are no sculptures and paintings, there are no objects of worship - the pulpit, the sanctuary and the altar. There are no priests here so that the believer will directly appeal to God. There is a museum on site where visitors can familiarize themselves with the Baha'i religion and the history of the Lotus Temple.

It should be remembered that you can only go to the temple barefoot, shoes must be handed over to the storage room. In the House of worship it is forbidden to speak loudly, take pictures and shoot video. The bulk of the population of India (about 80 percent) profess Hinduism. However, this is not the only religion in India. The second religious trend for the largest adherents is Islam. Also in India there are those who profess Christianity, Buddhism, Jains, and Sikhism. The constitution in India permits to profess any faith.

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