Visit Lotus Temple in Kalkaji

Lotus Temple

Visit this stunning flower-shaped temple to admire its unique architecture, enjoy performing arts events and explore beautifully cultivated gardens.

The Lotus Temple, also known as the Bahá’í House of Worship, is a lotus-flower-shaped temple that has won numerous awards for its architecture and design. It is one of seven Bahá’í temples located around the world. Opened to the public in 1986, the temple welcomes up to 10,000 visitors daily.

Marvel at the temple’s impressive exterior, which is comprised of 27 free-standing marble shells depicting the petals of a lotus flower. The temple’s architect, Fariborz Sahba, chose the lotus flower because it symbolizes purity and tenderness. Widely recognized as a 20th-century masterpiece, in 2000 the temple received a GlobArt Academy award for promoting unity and harmony among people of diverse nations, religions and social status.

Enter the temple’s prayer hall through one of the nine outer petals, remembering to leave your shoes in the room outside. Here you can listen to the chanting of prayers from different religions, including Buddhism and Hinduism. Note the absence of any paintings, images or figurines, which is in accordance with the Bahá’í faith.

After visiting the prayer hall, go to the Information Center to watch short films about the Bahá’í faith and the history of the temple’s architecture and construction. Refer to the temple’s official website for details of cultural events such as One Ocean, a series of performances featuring traditional, as well as modern, music and dance.

Stroll around the temple’s manicured gardens, which offer fantastic photo opportunities. Admire the nine pools circling the temple, which represent the leaves of the lotus flower and also act as a natural cooling system for the temple.

The Lotus Temple is a 25-minute drive south of downtown New Delhi. It is easily accessible by metro, with the nearest station just a short walk from the temple’s entrance. Public buses and trains also stop nearby. The temple is open from Tuesday through Sunday, and admission is free. Photography is prohibited inside the prayer hall. Allow about one hour for a visit so you can explore all that the Lotus Temple has to offer.

Guide to Exploring around Lotus Temple

Jama Masjid

Visit this eye-catching red-stone structure to experience New Delhi's rich Muslim culture and savor an architectural landscape that is as grand as it is detailed.

See hotels near here

Jantar Mantar

This astronomical observatory sits in the center of New Delhi and is one of the oldest and most fascinating of its kind.

See hotels near here

Birla Mandir Temple

This modern and colorfully decorated Hindu temple was inaugurated on the condition that people of all classes would be allowed inside.

See hotels near here

Red Fort

This large, red-walled complex showcases a long period of Indian history and art from the reign of the Mughal emperors in India.

See hotels near here

Lodhi Garden

Offering a relaxing change from the crowded city, this tranquil garden has bridges, waterways, flower beds, tombs and medieval monuments to explore.

See hotels near here

ISKCON Temple

Discover a place of worship and spiritual education for one of Hinduism’s major branches at this colorfully decorated temple.

See hotels near here

Qutub Minar

The tallest minaret in India is a marble and red sandstone tower that represents the beginning of Muslim rule in the country.

See hotels near here

Presidential Palace (Rashtrapati Bhavan)

This vast, intricate work of mixed Mughal and Western architecture is one of the largest presidential residences in the world.

See hotels near here

Swaminarayan Akshardham Temple

One of the world’s largest Hindu temples demonstrates Indian culture and history through architecture, exhibitions, gardens, a musical fountain and a boat ride.

See hotels near here

Humayun's Tomb

This 16th-century emperor’s garden tomb, commissioned nine years after the ruler’s death, is an early example of red sandstone and marble Mughal architecture.

See hotels near here

Lotus Temple