Lotus Temple, Delhi — History, Architecture, Timings & Complete Visitor Guide

The Lotus Temple — officially the Bahá'í House of Worship, New Delhi — is one of India's most photographed landmarks: a nine-sided, lotus-shaped marble structure in Kalkaji, South Delhi, that welcomes people of every faith to sit in silence. Since opening in December 1986, it has drawn an estimated 70 million-plus visitors and is regularly cited among the most visited buildings in the world.

Whether you're planning a same-day Delhi sightseeing trip, researching the temple's history and architecture, checking Lotus Temple timings and entry fee, or looking up the nearest metro station and fare chart — this guide covers everything in one place, including nearby attractions, the Kalkaji neighbourhood, and answers to the most commonly asked questions.

Lotus Temple — Quick Facts

History & Architecture of the Lotus Temple

The story of the Lotus Temple begins in 1976, when the Bahá'í community approached Iranian architect Fariborz Sahba to design a House of Worship for the Indian subcontinent. Sahba, who had travelled extensively across India studying its temple architecture, settled on the lotus — sacred across Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Islam — as the unifying symbol for a building meant to welcome every religion equally. The foundation stone was laid on 19 October 1977, and construction was carried out by the ECC Construction Group of Larsen & Toubro, with structural design by the UK firm Flint & Neill. Much of the land acquisition was funded by a single extraordinary donation: Ardishír Rustampúr of Hyderabad, Sindh, gave his entire life savings toward the project in 1953, decades before construction even began.

The temple was structurally completed on 13 November 1986 and formally opened to the public on 24 December 1986. It is one of seven continental Bahá'í Houses of Worship in the world and the only one in Asia, earning it the title "Mother Temple of the Indian Subcontinent." A 2001 CNN report described it as the most visited building on the planet, a reputation it has held onto well into the 2020s.

Architecture: 27 Petals, 9 Sides, One Idea

The Lotus Temple's design is built around the number nine — sacred in Bahá'í scripture, which requires every House of Worship to be circular and nine-sided. The structure is composed of 27 free-standing, marble-clad "petals" arranged in three clusters of nine: an outer layer of nine petals that fold outward forming the entrances, a middle layer of nine that fold inward to form the roof, and an inner layer of nine that frame the central hall. The nine entrance doors open onto a column-free central hall that rises to 34.27 metres and seats up to 2,500 people. Surrounding the petals are nine reflecting pools, designed so the building appears to float above water from a distance — a detail that has made it a favourite subject for photographers at sunrise and sunset.

The white marble cladding the petals is Pentelic marble, quarried from Mount Penteli in Greece — the same source used for the Parthenon in Athens and for several other Bahá'í Houses of Worship worldwide, chosen for the way it glows under sunlight. In keeping with Bahá'í scripture, which prohibits pictures, statues, pulpits and altars inside a House of Worship, the central hall is entirely free of imagery — visitors of any faith may read silently from their own scripture, but no sermons, rituals or singing are permitted. The temple was also one of the first monuments in Delhi to adopt rooftop solar power: roughly 120 kW of its 500 kW electricity load is met by on-site solar panels, saving an estimated ₹1.2 lakh a month and cutting its carbon footprint.

Over the decades the Lotus Temple has collected numerous design honours, including the Institution of Structural Engineers (UK) award in 1987, the American Concrete Institute award for one of the most artistically built concrete structures, and the GlobeArt Academy Award — recognition that has made it a regular case study in architecture and engineering courses worldwide.

Lotus Temple — Photo Gallery

Lotus Temple Timings, Entry Fee & Visitor Rules

Kalkaji Mandir Metro Station & How to Reach Lotus Temple

The Lotus Temple's biggest connectivity advantage is that it sits virtually on top of a metro interchange. Kalkaji Mandir Metro Station, serving both the Violet Line (Kashmere Gate ↔ Raja Nahar Singh/Ballabhgarh) and the Magenta Line (Krishna Park Extension ↔ Botanical Garden), is roughly 400–500 metres from the temple's main gate — a 5 to 7-minute walk. Because Kalkaji Mandir is itself an interchange, you can board either line directly from this single station without an extra change anywhere else in the city. Exit from Gate 1 for the most direct walking route to the temple entrance.

Two backup metro options exist if Kalkaji Mandir feels crowded: Okhla NSIC on the Magenta Line (~0.6 km, 8–10 min walk) and Nehru Place on the Violet Line (~0.7–1 km, 9–13 min walk). Autos and e-rickshaws are readily available outside all three stations for a short ride to the gate.

Violet Line — Direction from Kalkaji Mandir

Magenta Line — Direction from Kalkaji Mandir

Approximate Smart Card rates (about 10% lower than token fare). Use the DMRC fare calculator for exact fares. Also see: All Delhi Metro Station Guides →

Nearby Attractions — What Else to See Around Lotus Temple

Lotus Temple sits in one of South Delhi's most attraction-dense pockets. Most of the following can be combined into a single half-day itinerary on foot, by auto, or by metro.

Kalkaji Locality Snapshot

Lotus Temple lies within Kalkaji, an established South Delhi residential and commercial pocket that grew up around its namesake ancient temple and, more recently, around the Nehru Place business district next door. The combination of a Violet + Magenta metro interchange, an established market, and proximity to Greater Kailash and Nehru Place keeps Kalkaji firmly on the radar for both residential buyers and commercial tenants.

For families and tenants, Kalkaji's appeal is largely about access: a direct two-line metro interchange, an established hospital and school base shared with neighbouring Govindpuri and Greater Kailash, and walkable proximity to one of Delhi's most visited tourist landmarks — which keeps the area on the map for footfall-driven retail and hospitality too.

Lotus Temple — Location Map

Address: Lotus Temple Road, Bahapur, Shambhu Dayal Bagh, Kalkaji, New Delhi, Delhi 110019

Essential Visitor Tips

Frequently Asked Questions — Lotus Temple Delhi

Final Thoughts

Few landmarks in Delhi combine architecture, faith and accessibility quite like the Lotus Temple — a building that asks nothing of its visitors beyond a few minutes of silence, sits directly atop a two-line metro interchange, and remains completely free more than three decades after it opened. Pair it with Kalkaji Mandir next door, ISKCON Temple a short ride away, or Humayun's Tomb for a fuller South Delhi heritage trail.

Have a question we haven't covered? Drop it in the comments and we'll update this guide. Exploring more of South Delhi? Check out our other Delhi Locality Guides →