The lotus of Bahapur: A magnet for the heart

In the heart of New Delhi, the bustling capital of India, a lotus-shaped outline has etched itself on the consciousness of the city’s inhabitants, capturing their imagination, fuelling their curiosity, and revolutionizing the concept of worship. This is the Bahá’i Mashriqu’l-Adhkár, better known as the “Lotus Temple”. With the dawning of every new day, an ever-rising tide of visitors surges to its doorsteps to savour its beauty and bask in its serenely spiritual atmosphere.

Since its dedication to public worship in December 1986, this Mother Temple of the Indian sub-continent has seen millions of people cross its threshold, making it one of the most visited edifices in the world. From its high-perched pedestal, this Lotus’ casts its benevolent glance over vast green lawns and avenues covering an expanse of 26 acres of land. Its soothingly quiet Prayer Hall and tranquil surroundings have touched the hearts of the Temple’s millions of visitors, awakening in them a desire to trace its inspirational source and capture a bit of its peace for themselves.

As an evocative symbol of beauty and purity, representative of divinity, the lotus flower remains unsurpassed in Indian iconography. Rising up pure and unsullied from stagnant water, the lotus represents the manifestation of God. The architect used this ancient Indian symbol to create a design of ethereal beauty and apparent simplicity, belying the complex geometry
underlying its execution in concrete form. Twentieth-century architecture has been characterised by a high degree of technological prowess; however, it has been, by and large, unexceptional in aesthetic value. The Lotus Temple provides one of the rare exceptions with its remarkable fusion of ancient concept, modern engineering skill, and architectural inspiration,
making it the focus of attention amongst engineers and architects the world over. In the absence of sophisticated equipment, the extremely complex design called for the highest order of engineering ingenuity to be implemented by means of traditional workmanship. No wonder, then, that the Lotus Temple, as a symbol of faith and human endeavour expended in the path of God, became the recipient of accolades and world-wide acclaim.

Early international recognition came its way soon after completion, when the international Federation for Religious Art and Architecture, based in the United States, conferred upon Mr. Saba the award for “excellence in religious art and architecture for 1987 In 1988, the edifice received its second international award, this time for its structural design, from the Institute of Structural Engineers of the United Kingdom. The citation award reads: “For producing a building so emulating the beauty of a flower and so striking in its visual impact. That same year, the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America conferred its international award on the Temple for the excellence of its outdoor illumination. In 1990, the American Concrete Institute presented an award to the Temple as one of the most finely built concrete structures. In 2000, GlobArt Academy of Vienna, Austria, granted its “GlobArt Academy 2000” award in recognition of “the magnitude of the service of (this] Taj Mahal of the 20th century in promoting the unity and harmony of people of all nations, religions and social strata, to an extent unsurpassed by any other architectural monument worldwide”.

The value of beauty and symmetry in architecture by itself is not sufficient to immortalise a building. What is important is the response the structure evokes in the hearts of the people. Ravi Shankar, the sitar maestro, recalls that he was “so deeply moved visiting this great beautiful place, that I find no words to express my feelings”. All that Dizzy Gillespie, the late renowned Baha’i jazz musician, could exclaim was: “I cannot believe it! It is God’s work”. An Indian diplomat was moved to describe the Temple as a “symbol of spiritual refinement of mankind” Indeed, the construction of the Baha’i House of Worship of Bahapur was a significant chapter in the making of Baha’i history on the Indian sub-continent.

The Bahá’i Temple in New Delhi, however, occupies a unique position. Not only does it embody the spiritual aspirations and basic beliefs of the world-wide Baha’i community, but, significantly in a land of myriad religions, it has begun to be seen as providing a unifying link, bringing divergent thoughts into harmony by virtue of its principle of oneness – of God, religion, and mankind. This, perhaps, is the secret of its unabated popularity.

No matter what the identity of the visitors, from the Orient or the Occident, from North or South, of humble origins or exalted positions, all have been unanimous in their appreciation of both the physical grandeur as well as the lofty purpose of the House of Worship. One visitor commented: “The most beautiful experience. Its magnificence, charm and glamour are awe-inspiring. It reflects the dream of all humanity to bring together a new civilisation for all people.” A renowned visitor from India opined, “Architecturally, artistically, ethically, the edifice is a paragon of perfection.”

One reason for the immense popularity of the House of Worship of Bahapur is the fact that media attention, both Indian and foreign, focused on it even before its completion. Construction News, a technical journal from the United Kingdom, was the first to give the Lotus Temple the appellation of Taj Mahal of the 20th Century’ in its April 1986 issue, a description that has been subsequently used by many other publications. The comparison brings to mind the words of the famous Indian poet and philosopher, Rabindranath Tagore, who described the Tạj as “a teardrop on the cheek of eternity” Considering that the Bahá’i House of Worship is an affirmation and a celebration of man’s love for his Creator, and not a mausoleum, the Lotus
Temple could be described as “a dewdrop on the brow of eternity”. Indian Express, in its issue of 20 November 1986, aptly referred to the fact that “while the Taj is an expression of deep personal love, for the Bahá’is the Temple symbolizes love between Man and God”. In World Architecture 1900-2000: A Critical Mosaic, Volume 8, South Asia, the Lotus Temple appears as one of the 100 canonical works of this century. The book is part of a series of 10 books organised by the Architectural Society of China and endorsed by the co-ordination with the XX World Architects Congress convened in June 1999 in Beijing, China. Part of the text reads: “A powerful icon of great beauty that goes beyond its pure function of serving as a congregation space to become an important architectural symbol of the city”.

Courtesy The Sublime India Issue by Vissionaire.

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