Copyright © 2009 Global Music Inc. All Rights Reserved.
In June, 2010, the Voices of Bahá will make a
professional recording of sacred music in the House of
Worship in New Delhi.
Since its inauguration in December 1986, the Bahá’í
House of Worship in New Delhi has drawn to its portals
more than 70 million visitors, making it among the most
visited edifices in the world, its numbers surpassing
those visiting the Eiffel Tower and even the Taj Mahal.
On average, 8,000 to 10,000 people visit the Bahá’í
House of Worship each day. These visitors have
admired the beautiful lotus form of the Temple, have
been fascinated by the teachings of the Bahá’í Faith
and impressed by its tenets of the oneness of God,
oneness of religions and oneness of mankind.
The lotus, the national flower of India, is a recurring
symbol in the religious architecture of the Indian
subcontinent. This ancient symbol has been given a modern and contemporary form in the structure of the
Bahá’í House of Worship drawing people from all races, religious backgrounds and culture from around the
globe.
To the people of India the lotus flower signifies purity and peace, a representation of the Manifestation of God.
Rising pure and unsullied above stagnant, muddy waters, the Indians have seen this flower as worthy of
emulation, teaching them to be detached from material preoccupations.
It is because this flower is so revered in Indian mythology and cultures
that its translation into the design of a temple has caught the attention of
the people at large.
The structure of the House of Worship is composed of three ranks of
nine petals; each springing from a podium which elevates 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. The double layered interior dome,
modeled on the innermost portion of the lotus, is comprised of 54 ribs
with concrete shells between. The central hall is ringed by nine arches
that provide the main support for the superstructure. Nine reflecting pools surround the building on the outside,
their form suggesting the green leaves of the lotus flower.
In the raising of the House of Worship in New Delhi traditional Indian means of construction were employed
coupled with the most modern Western engineering design. Architect Fariborz Sahba 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 conversion of the lotus into structural designs
and working drawings alone took nearly 18 months of work.
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 the
closeness of the petals severely restricted work space.
Nevertheless the task was carried out entirely by the local
laborers. Before assembling the temporary works for the roof, a
number of full-scale mock-ups were constructed to check the feasibility of the proposed methods of construction,
geometric form, practicality of fixing the complex reinforcement, entrance and inner leaves, and interior dome
elements. Forms and their supports for all the petals were designed to withstand pressures from continuous
concreting. 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, and guarantee the life of the delicate shell structure of 6 to 18 cm
thick shells of the petals.
Ventilation and cooling are based on techniques traditional to the Indian subcontinent. Fresh air, cooled as it
passes over the fountains and pools, is drawn in through openings in the basement, up into the central hall, and
expelled through a vent at the top of the interior dome. During the humid season a set of exhaust fans in the
basement recycles air from the main hall into the cool basement
and back.
India is well endowed with human resources. This resource was
amply utilized and most of the work was carried out by a work force
of almost 700 people, including 400 carpenters at a time, using the
most traditional techniques and equipment to achieve the highest
quality and sophisticated construction. People have marveled that
such a modern and complex design could be built in India. The
architect in fact believes that this design could not have been
executed anywhere else because it is rare to find the combination
of traditional craftsmanship, pride in one's work, empathy for
spiritual undertaking, perseverance under all odds and ample
patience, as can be found in the people of India. As commented by
Progressive Architecture of USA in their article on the Bahá’í Temple "It goes to prove that high-tech concepts do
not always demand high-tech solutions."
When the temple was first opened to the general public on January 1, 1987 they flocked to the "Lotus Temple,"
as they fondly call it, from sheer curiosity. The vast lawns, the massive white structure, the high ceiling Prayer
Hall, and a temple without idols standing so close to an ancient Hindu temple aroused the interest of all and
sundry. The Indian visitors, from the most
sophisticated to the most simple, expressed
perplexity at the absence of any idols. It has been a
hard task since explaining to them that the all-
pervasive Almighty cannot be put in any limited
form. Often the visitors ask the guides where the
object of adoration is. In their simplicity some have
placed flowers before the lectern used during
regular prayer services.
Over the years the visitors from India have begun
to understand that the purpose of the Bahá’í
House of Worship is to unite the hearts of the
people and bring them closer to their Creator. Not
only have there been millions of visitors from India,
but large numbers from most countries of the world
have paid a visit to the House of Worship. Besides
the hundreds of thousands of visitors from all walks of life, a great number of dignitaries - Heads of State,
Government Ministers, Ambassadors, Heads of foreign missions, diplomats, religious leaders, scholars,
academicians, artists and other prominent people have been received at the House of Worship.
The Temple continues to be a source of great interest to the
media. It has been featured in television programs not only in
India, but in countries such as Russia and China. The Bahá’í
World Centre Library has archived more than 500 publications
which have carried information on the Indian Temple in the
form of articles, interviews with the architect and reviews
extolling the structure as a marvel of 20th century architecture.
The House of Worship has won praise in numerous
architectural and engineering journals for its innovative design.
Twentieth Century Architecture, an anthology of the most
outstanding structures of the twentieth century, lists the Lotus
Temple as one of the three major architectural achievements of
the year 1987. The 1994 edition of Encyclopedia Britannica, in
its 'Architecture' section gives recognition to the Temple as an
outstanding achievement of the time. Some of these journals are listed below:
•
Architecture, U.S.A. September 1987
•
Progressive Architecture February 1987
•
Asian Architect, Hong Kong February 1987
•
Building, U.K. January 1987
•
Architecture & Design, India Jan-Feb 1985
•
Engineering News Record, U.S.A. November 1984
•
Construction News, U.K. April 1986
•
Concrete Quarterly, U.K. Jan-March 1987
•
Structural Engineer, U.K. Gala, Germany Sep-Oct 1987
•
de Architect, Netherlands March 1987
•
Constructional Review, Australia August 1987
•
Concrete Structures for the Future IABSE, France September
•
Construction Modern, France November 1987
•
International Lighting Review, Netherlands
•
A&U, Japan November 1987
•
l'Arca, Italy Jan-Feb 1988
•
Encyclopedia Iranica 1989
•
Twentieth Century Architecture, USA 1991
•
Forever in Bloom, Singapore July 1992
•
Innovative Large Span Structures, Canada July 1992
•
Modern Architecture in India, India 1993
•
Encyclopedia Britannica 1994
•
Architecture of Israel, Israel July 1995
Soon after its inauguration, a number of prestigious awards were conferred in connection with the House of
Worship in India:
1. On 25 June 1987, the Institution of Structural Engineers U.K. gave their special award to the Temple which
they called: "a building so emulating the beauty of a flower and so striking in its visual impact . . ."
2. On 19 October 1987, the Interfaith Forum on Religion, Art and Architecture, Affiliate of the American Institute
of Architects, Washington, D.C., gave their First Honor award for "Excellence in Religious Art and Architecture"
1987 to Mr. F. Sahba for the design of the Bahá’í House of Worship - New Delhi.
3. On 28 June 1988, the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America conferred the Paul Waterbury
Outdoor Lighting Design Award - Special Citation.
4. In 1989, the Temple received an award from the
Maharashtra-India Chapter of the American Concrete
Institute for "excellence in a concrete structure".
