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| Lotus Temple, Delhi (India) |
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The
central theme of Bahá'u'lláh's message
is that humanity is one single race and that the
day has come for its unification in one global society.
God, Bahá'u'lláh said, has set in
motion historical forces that are breaking down
traditional barriers of race, class, creed, and
nation and that will, in time, give birth to a universal
civilization. The principal challenge facing the
peoples of the earth is to accept the fact of their
oneness and to assist the processes of unification.
Located in Kalkaji in the south of Delhi, it is
lotus shaped and has rightly been given the name.
It is made of marble, cement, dolomite and sand.
It is open to all faiths and is an ideal place for
meditation and obtaining peace and tranquility.
It is a very recent architectural marvel of the
Bahai faith. The Bahá'í Faith is the
youngest of the world's independent religions. Its
founder, Bahá'u'lláh (1817-1892),
is regarded by Bahá'ís as the most
recent in the line of Messengers of God that stretches
back beyond recorded time and that includes Abraham,
Moses, Buddha, Zoroaster, Christ and Muhammad.
The structure of the House is composed of three
ranks of nine petals; each springing from a podium
elevating 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. Nine
arches that provide the main support for the superstructure
ring the central hall. Nine reflecting pools surround
the building on the outside, their form suggesting
the green leaves of the lotus flower. 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. Fariborz Sahba, Canadian architect
of Iranian origin, 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. Not only was it difficult
to align, so as to produce accurately the complex
double-curved surfaces and their intersections,
but also the closeness of the petals severely restricted
workspace. Nevertheless the task was carried out
entirely by the local laborers. Thanks to each one
who contributed in its construction. 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, guaranteeing the life
of the delicate shell structure of 6 to 18 cm thick
shells of the petals. India is well endowed with
human resources.
The lotus represents the Manifestation of God, and
is also a symbol of purity and tenderness. Its significance
is deeply rooted in the minds and hearts of the
Indians. In the epic poem Mahabharata, the Creator
Brahma is described as having sprung from the lotus
that grew out of Lord Vishnu's navel when that deity
lay absorbed in meditation, There is a deep and
universal reverence for the lotus, which is regarded
as a sacred flower associated with worship throughout
many centuries. In Buddhist folklore the Boddhisatva
Avalokiteswara is represented as born from a lotus,
and is usually depicted as standing or sitting on
a lotus pedestal and holding a lotus bloom in his
hand. Buddhists glorify him in their prayers, "Om
Mani Padme Hum", "Yea, 0 Jewel in the
Lotus!" Lord Buddha says you have to be like
a lotus which, although living in dirty water, still
remains beautiful and undefiled by its surroundings.
So, we realise that the lotus is associated with
worship, and has been a part of the life and thoughts
of Indians through the ages. It will seem to them
as though they have been worshipping in this Temple
in their dreams for years. Now their vision has
become a reality and. God willing, some day they
will all enter and worship in it. History of the
Bahá'í Faith in India: The history
of the Bahá'í Faith in India started
with the inception of the Faith in Iran when the
Báb (literally, the Gate) inaugurated a new
era in the history of the human race. The Báb
Himself had appointed one of the Indian believers
as the 'Letter of Living' in 1844-45, the first
year of His Ministry. Since then, India is spiritually
connected with the Bahá’i Faith.
As foretold by the Báb, the Promised One
of all ages and peoples, Bahá’u’lláh
(literally the Glory of God) revealed Himself in
1863. He, Himself, dispatched one of the distinguished
Bahá'í teachers, Jamal Effendi, to
teach the Cause of God in the years 1874-75. Jamal
Effendi (left) traveled to many States and was successful
in attracting many learned people and few Navaabs
(ruler of the states) including the Navaab of Rampur
State (now in U.P.) to the Faith. One young man
who accepted was Syed Mustafa Roumi who later became
distinguished in his manifold services and was appointed
as a Hand of the Cause of God. Some of them accepted
Bahá’u’lláh as the Universal
Manifestation of God whose advent has been prophesied
in all the Holy Scriptures. The other teachers who
came to India during Bahá’u’lláh's
Ministry included Mishkin Qalam, the distinguished
Bahá'í Calligrapher. A series of teachers
from the East and the West continued visiting India
and traveling throughout the country during the
time of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá (literally,
the Servant of Bahá), the much-loved Master
of the Bahá'í Faith. Prominent among
them were Mirza Mahram and Mirza Mahmud Zarqani. |
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