Lotus Temple

The weather had begun to cool down and the days shorten as the month of November began with a kick. Thus some friends of ours wanted to venture into Delhi to take in a few more sites and enjoy the weather before heading to their respective homes on the North American continent. A close friend of mine recommended that we visit the Lotus Temple in Delhi.

The Lotus Temple was build by the Bahai as a place of worship. All people are welcome to attend a service or just visit the temple located in Delhi free of charge. The temple itself is a gathering place for people of all religions to come together and worship God without denominational restrictions such as rules that one must be Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Jew, etc to pray together. 

So, on a cooler Saturday afternoon the four of us ventured to the temple. Upon arrival we were wowed by the overall building. White marble was used to create a large lotus shape that contains 27 petals making up the outer walls of the temple. Ponds of blue water circle the structure on all sides. We stood amazed at the beauty of the building. A feat of architectural wonder.

We were then asked to remove our shoes and place them in sacks as no one is allowed to wear shoes inside the temple. We were,of course, uncomfortable walking around without shoes on as Delhi is not a very clean place but quickly adjusted to the request as leaving them on would have kept us from being allowed into the building. So, we took them off and followed the line of folks to the side entrance of the temple. We were asked to refrain from speaking, turn off our cell phones, and not take any photographs once inside the temple. We of course would abide by these rules (others that were not in our party did not). 

Inside we discovered the ceiling and walls showed the interior structure of the lotus bloom (petals and all). There were marble benches strategically placed around the temple. There were no statues, images, or even altars inside the room. Thus everyone just took a seat around the large temple and relaxed in the silence. Some people meditated. Others prayed. Some just sat in silence taking in the space and the lovely quiet solitude. 

We sat on a long, hard marble bench and I found myself choking up as I realized that this was the first temple or place of worship I had ever visited in my life that truly focused on welcoming everyone regardless of religion or belief. It was a welcoming and wonderful feeling. I found myself wishing that every place of worship could be this open and welcoming and non-judgmental. There certainly would be less war, hate, and fear if all were allowed to worship without people trying to change them or make them believe something different. I am myself a Christian but would never tell a Hindu, Muslim, etc that there faith was wrong and mine was right. Likewise, I do get very upset if others try to tell me my faith is wrong and I need to conform to theirs. Living in a country were most people do not believe in the same God (or even number of gods for that matter) as you encourages a person to be more open to the differences between people. (NOTE: I know not everyone reading this will agree with that statement so I will apologize if this offended you as I certainly am not trying to change your beliefs in any way but am simply speaking about myself!)

The lotus flower obviously means different things to different religions. Generally, the lotus flower represents purity, spirituality, and rebirth. A great choice for a temple that welcomes all people. A beautiful moment for me and I hope for others that visit the place.