Located in Kalkaji in the south of Delhi, it is
lotus shaped and has rightly been given the name.
It is made of marble, cement, dolomite and sand.
It is open to all faiths and is an ideal place for
meditation and obtaining peace and tranquility.
It is a very recent architectural marvel of the
Bahai faith. The Bahai Faith is the youngest of
the world's independent religions. Its founder,
Bahaullah (1817-1892), is regarded by Bahais as
the most recent in the line of Messengers of God
that stretches back beyond recorded time and that
includes Abraham, Moses, Buddha, Zoroaster, Christ
and Muhammad.
The central theme of Bahaullah's
message is that humanity is one single race and
that the day has come for its unification in one
global society. God, Bahaullahsaid,
has set in motion historical forces that are breaking
down traditional barriers of race, class, creed,
and nation and that will, in time, give birth to
a universal civilization. The principal challenge
facing the peoples of the earth is to accept the
fact of their oneness and to assist the processes
of unification.
The Grand
Structure
Fariborz Sahba,
Canadian architect of Iranian origin, spent 10 years
in designing and project management, and with the
help of a team of about 800 engineers, technicians,
artisans and workers brought to realization one
of the most complicated constructions in the world.
The structure of the House is composed of three
ranks of nine petals; each springing from a podium
elevating the building above the surrounding plain.
The first two ranks curve inward, embracing the
inner dome; the third layer curves outward to form
canopies over the nine entrances. The petals, constructed
of reinforced white concrete cast in place, are
clad in white marble panels, performed to surface
profiles and patterns related to the geometry. Nine
arches that provide the main support for the superstructure
ring the central hall. Nine reflecting pools surround
the building on the outside, their form suggesting
the green leaves of the lotus flower. Translating
the geometry of the design, in which there are virtually
no straight lines, into the actual structure presented
particular challenges in designing and erecting
the framework.
Not only was it difficult
to align, so as to produce accurately the complex
double-curved surfaces and their intersections,
but also the closeness of the petals severely restricted
workspace. Nevertheless the task was carried out
entirely by the local laborers. Thanks to each one
who contributed in its construction. To avoid construction
joints, petals were concreted in a continuous operation
for approximately 48 hours. Concrete was carried
up the staging by women bearing 50-pound loads in
baskets balanced on their heads. All the steel reinforcing
for the shells of the lotus petals was galvanized
to avoid rust stains on the white concrete in the
prevailing humid conditions, guaranteeing the life
of the delicate shell structure of 6 to 18 cm thick
shells of the petals. India is well endowed with
human resources.
Significance
of The Design
The lotus represents
the Manifestation of God, and is also a symbol of
purity and tenderness. Its significance is deeply
rooted in the minds and hearts of the Indians. In
the epic poem Mahabharata, the Creator Brahma is
described as having sprung from the lotus that grew
out of Lord Vishnu's navel when that deity lay absorbed
in meditation, There is a deep and universal reverence
for the lotus, which is regarded as a sacred flower
associated with worship throughout many centuries.
In Buddhist folklore the Boddhisatva Avalokiteswara
is represented as born from a lotus, and is usually
depicted as standing or sitting on a lotus pedestal
and holding a lotus bloom in his hand. Buddhists
glorify him in their prayers, "Om Mani Padme
Hum", "Yea, 0 Jewel in the Lotus!"
Lord Buddha says you have to be like a lotus which,
although living in dirty water, still remains beautiful
and undefiled by its surroundings.
So, we realise
that the lotus is associated with worship, and has
been a part of the life and thoughts of Indians
through the ages. It will seem to them as though
they have been worshipping in this Temple in their
dreams for years. Now their vision has become a
reality and. God willing, some day they will all
enter and worship in it.
History of
the Bahai Faith in India: The history of the Bahai
Faith in India started with the inception of the
Faith in Iran when the Báb (literally, the
Gate) inaugurated a new era in the history of the
human race. The Báb Himself had appointed
one of the Indian believers as the 'Letter of Living'
in 1844-45, the first year of His Ministry. Since
then, India is spiritually connected with the Bahá’i
Faith.
As foretold
by the Báb, the Promised One of all ages
and peoples, Bahá’u’lláh (literally
the Glory of God) revealed Himself in 1863. He,
Himself, dispatched one of the distinguished Bahai
teachers, Jamal Effendi, to teach the Cause of God
in the years 1874-75. Jamal Effendi (left) traveled
to many States and was successful in attracting
many learned people and few Navaabs (ruler of the
states) including the Navaab of Rampur State (now
in U.P.) to the Faith. One young man who accepted
was Syed Mustafa Roumi who later became distinguished
in his manifold services and was appointed as a
Hand of the Cause of God. Some of them accepted
Bahá’u’lláh as the Universal Manifestation
of God whose advent has been prophesied in all the
Holy Scriptures. The other teachers who came to
India during Bahá’u’lláh's Ministry
included Mishkin Qalam, the distinguished Bahai
Calligrapher. A series of teachers from the East
and the West continued visiting India and traveling
throughout the country during the time of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
(literally, the Servant of Bahá), the much-loved
Master of the Bahai Faith. Prominent among them
were Mirza Mahram and Mirza Mahmud Zarqani.