If there is any place for an atheist then it has to be the Lotus Temple, because you do not have to be a believer in God to visit it. Neither is this unique temple home to life-size idols of God nor loud prayers and prasad.
The Lotus temple or the Bahai House of Worship does not preach anything apart from the fact that God resides within you. That’s because all you need to do inside is just stay silent, meditate and get closer to yourself. You choose what you want to do; retrospect or say a prayer, stay calm or move about and absorb the silence, or even better, shut your eyes and think of nothing. Just cut off from the world for a moment. This practice that is nearly extinct now will make a difference to you and your mind in just a couple of minutes. Levitate your energy for the future course of your life. And what can be better than visiting a serene place like this. What is almost certain is that a more “positive you” will be going home the day when you visit the Lotus Temple.
Lotus Temple is not only an architectural marvel but probably the only temple that opens its door to people of all religions. It does not preach about teachings of any lord or religion. This spectacular creation has nine sides formed by 27 marble petals, arranged in groups of three. This temple does to your brain what a body spa does to your muscles. It calms your senses and relaxes your soul deep within. You feel rejuvenated inside almost instantly.
The nine doors of the temple lead to a massive central prayer hall that is breathtakingly beautiful. You aren’t allowed to make any noise in the heavenly structure as you walk barefoot in the spotlessly clean white floor. An immediate sense of pride prevails in you when you let the feeling sink in that you belong to a city that is home to such structures. Can you believe that it can accommodate about 2500 people and is about 40m high?
The entrance of the 26 acre Lotus Temple is no less enchanting. It is adorned with ponds and gardens welcoming you to the gates of the temple. While most of the Delhi crowd runs to the malls to spend their weekend evenings, most people from various parts of India and abroad head to the Lotus Temple for peace. For the record, 10, 000 people visit this enthralling place every single day. No wonder this is one of the most visited places in the world.
You can reach the Lotus Temple by taking a metro. The nearest metro station is the Kalkaji Mandir on the violet line. From here you can take a rickshaw or cab. The temple remains shut on Mondays and there is no entry fee whatsoever.
Visit it once and find your inner peace!
– Meenakshi Besoya
