Quick answer: The Lotus Temple is the Bahá’í House of Worship in south Delhi, near Kalkaji and Nehru Place. Designed by the Iranian-born architect Fariborz Sahba in the shape of a half-open lotus with 27 marble-clad petals, it was dedicated on 24 December 1986 and opened to the public on 1 January 1987. It is open to people of all faiths for prayer and quiet meditation. Delhi Tourism lists it as open Tuesday to Sunday, 9 am to 5:30 pm, closed on Mondays, with free entry; the temple has no aarti, as Bahá’í worship has no rituals or clergy.
Lotus Temple at a glance
| Detail | What we verified (October 2026) |
|---|---|
| Location | Bahapur, near Kalkaji Mandir, east of Nehru Place, south Delhi |
| Open | Tuesday to Sunday, 9 am to 5:30 pm (Delhi Tourism) |
| Closed on | Monday (Delhi Tourism) |
| Entry fee | Free (Delhi Tourism) |
| Photography | Permission required (Delhi Tourism) |
| Nearest metro | Kalkaji Mandir (Violet and Magenta Lines) |
| Time needed | About an hour, plus queue time at weekends |
Delhi Tourism’s listing is not dated, and the temple’s own website could not be checked for this update. An earlier version of this article gave seasonal timings (9 am to 7 pm in summer and 9 am to 5:30 pm in winter). Opening hours may still vary by season, so check with the temple before you go.
What is the Lotus Temple?
The Lotus Temple is a Bahá’í House of Worship, sometimes called by its Persian name, Mashriqu’l-Adhkár. The Bahá’í Faith teaches the oneness of God, of religion and of humanity, and its Houses of Worship are open to everyone, whatever their religion. There are no idols, sermons, rituals or aartis. Visitors sit in silence for prayer or meditation, and readings from the scriptures of different faiths may be held.
The lotus was chosen because it is a symbol shared by several Indian religions, including Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism, and it represents purity rising above its surroundings.
History of the Lotus Temple
The Iranian-born architect Fariborz Sahba designed the temple. Construction began in April 1980. The structural engineers were Flint & Neill of London, and the contractor was the ECC Construction Group of Larsen & Toubro. Work was completed in 1986. Rúhíyyih Khánum dedicated the temple on 24 December 1986, and it opened to the public on 1 January 1987.
When it opened, it was the seventh of the Bahá’í Faith’s continental Houses of Worship. The earlier ones are in Wilmette (near Chicago, USA), Kampala (Uganda), Sydney (Australia), Frankfurt (Germany), Panama City (Panama) and Apia (Samoa). Another has since opened in Santiago, Chile, and several local Houses of Worship have been built in other countries. An earlier version of this article said it was “one of the seven” Bahá’í temples in the world and that construction took about ten years; the building work itself took about six years.
Architecture of the Lotus Temple
- Petals: 27 free-standing petals of concrete clad in white marble, arranged in three sets of nine: the entrance leaves, the outer leaves and the inner leaves.
- Nine sides: the building is nine-sided, with nine doors opening into the central hall, reflecting the importance of the number nine in the Bahá’í Faith.
- Marble: about 10,000 square metres of Pentelic marble was quarried on Mount Pentelicus in Greece, cut to shape in Italy and shipped to Delhi.
- Height: about 40 metres (published figures range from 40 to 43 m, depending on the point measured from).
- Pools: nine pools surround the building, so the lotus appears to float on water.
- Hall: the central hall seats about 1,300 people, and more than 2,000 when the galleries and entrance bays are used. An earlier version of this article put the capacity at 2,500.
- Site: about 26 acres of landscaped gardens at Bahapur.
- Light: the inner petals form a dome, and natural light enters through the gaps between them.
The building has won several awards, including the Institution of Structural Engineers’ award in 1987 and recognition from the American Concrete Institute in 1990 as one of the world’s finest concrete structures.
In 2015 the temple installed more than 400 solar panels. The Hindu newspaper described it at the time as the first major public site in Delhi to install a net meter. (An earlier version of this article called it “the first temple in Delhi to use solar power”, which we could not confirm.)
Visiting tips
- Remove your shoes before entering the prayer hall.
- Keep silent inside the prayer hall and switch off your phone. Ask staff before taking any photographs.
- The temple draws millions of visitors a year, so expect queues at weekends and on holidays. Weekday mornings are quieter.
- The view of the building across the pools is best in the late afternoon light.
How to reach the Lotus Temple
- Metro: Kalkaji Mandir station, an interchange on the Violet and Magenta Lines, is the nearest. The temple is a short walk from the station.
- Road: Auto-rickshaws and app-based cabs are easy to find from Nehru Place and Kalkaji.
- Rail and air: Hazrat Nizamuddin is the nearest major railway station, and Indira Gandhi International Airport is the city’s airport.
Places to visit nearby
The Kalkaji Mandir, one of Delhi’s best-known temples to the goddess Kali, is right next door. The ISKCON Temple on Hare Krishna Hills at East of Kailash is close by. It opened in 1998; an earlier version of this article gave the year as 1988. For another landmark modern temple, visit Akshardham in east Delhi.
Frequently asked questions
Is there an entry fee for the Lotus Temple?
No. Entry is free, according to Delhi Tourism.
Is the Lotus Temple open on Monday?
No. Delhi Tourism lists it as closed on Mondays.
Is there an aarti at the Lotus Temple?
No. Bahá’í worship has no rituals or aarti. Visitors can sit in silence for prayer or meditation.
Who designed the Lotus Temple?
The architect Fariborz Sahba. It was dedicated in December 1986.
Which metro station is nearest to the Lotus Temple?
Kalkaji Mandir, on the Violet and Magenta Lines.
Timings and fees were checked in October 2026 against Delhi Tourism’s official listing; history and architecture against published records of the temple’s design and construction. The temple’s own website could not be reached for this update, so confirm hours before visiting.
