Tempio del Loto Delhi

La fede Bahai è una delle più antiche religioni su questo pianeta. Ci sono tredici templi di culto in tutto il mondo, e il Tempio del Loto, o Casa di culto Bahai a Nuova Delhi, è uno di questi. Una meraviglia architettonica senza pari nel cuore di Delhi, il Tempio del Loto è senza dubbio l'epitome dell'architettura moderna.

La casa di culto Bahai deve il suo nome popolare alla sua magnifica forma a loto. L'edificio comprende 27 petali di loto disposti in gruppi di tre, formando nove lati o direzioni. L'intera struttura può ospitare fino a 1300 fedeli e ospiti alla volta ed è alta poco più di 34 metri in tredici. Nove porte per lato conducono alla sala principale interna. Una delle maggiori attrazioni di Nuova Delhi, il Tempio del Loto è una tappa obbligata ogni volta che ti trovi nella capitale dell'India.

Dedicato al pubblico nel 1986, il Tempio del Loto non è riservato solo a coloro che seguono la fede Bahai. Secondo le scritture e le credenze religiose, il tempio accoglie le persone, indipendentemente dalla loro religione, casta, sesso e credo. La Bahai House of Worship non riguarda solo la preghiera. Credono nel servizio alla comunità e sono stati un importante luogo di istruzione. Offrono i loro servizi a chiunque ne abbia bisogno, all'interno del quartiere o altrove.

Storia del Tempio del Loto

Several Bahai Houses of Worship spread across the globe. These have been famous and most appreciated owing to their architectural splendour. The Lotus Temple architect, Mr Fariborz Sahba, was deeply influenced by unique architectural styles showcased in Indian temples and houses of religious practices. He borrowed the essence of these architectural styles to build this absolute beauty in Delhi. The temple represents three crucial aspects of the Bahai religion– “purity, simplicity, and freshness of the Bahai faith.”

The Lotus Temple's history dates back to 1953, when Mr Sahba and his team of experts laid the temple's foundation. The main construction of the building began in 1980, and it took six years for the construction to be completed. In 1986, the Lotus Temple was inaugurated and made available to anyone who wanted to visit and pray.

The Bahai faith believes in the “Oneness of the religion, humankind, and God.” According to the teachings, every religion and humanity can be traced back to a single source; irrespective of the teachings and beliefs of the different religions, they are all “one” in reality and originates from the Common Creator. The founder of the Bahai faith, Baha’u’llah, preached that if the entire world is compared to a single human body that comprises an infinite number of cells and several different organs, then every organ has a specific role to play in ensuring the smooth functioning of the body. Similarly, every human being must cooperate with those around them and strive towards a world where the oneness of the human race takes utmost precedence.

The Bahai scriptures state that understanding God is beyond the capacity of common people. But over time, the One God sends his messengers termed the Manifestations of God to educate the mortals on how to propagate a civilisation towards the apex of their progress that can be achieved through cooperation and respect for every individual a part of the Creation.

Architettura del Tempio del Loto

The temple is built of Greek white marble in the shape of Lotus flower. Lotus was chosen as the symbol as it was common to religions like Jainism, Buddhism, Hinduism and Islam. The structure for the House of Worship in New Delhi is composed of 27 free-standing marble-made "petals" organized in bunches of three to form nine sides. The nine doors of the Lotus Temple open onto a central hall, that has the capacity of holding up to 2,500 people. The Temple is designed in such a way that no external lighting is required to light up the huge prayer hall. The light filters through the inner folds of the Lotus and diffuses through the entire hall of the temple, functioning as a skylight. With its nine surrounding ponds and the gardens, the Lotus Temple property is spread over 26 acres.