The Lotus Temple

Entrance of Lotus Temple

Designed by Fariborz Sahba the Lotus Temple is one of the greatest pieces of architecture in New Delhi. Located at Mandir Marg of South Delhi the Lotus Temple is one of the major tourist attractions of New Delhi. Built in the shape of a half opened lotus flower the temple serves as a Mother Temple in India. This temple is also popularly known as Bahai Temple as it is a place of worship meant for the Bahai's. 

Lotus Temple can be easily reached by metro. Riding on a Nehru Place- Kalkaji Mandir metro it is visible as a white oval structure. Than, from Kalkaji Mandir it is just a 5 minutes walking distance. This white marble structure has altogether 27 lotus petals arranged in a symmetrical pattern. View of Lotus Temple from the air looks astounding. It was made to look like a lotus floating on blue water. Nine small pools surround the building. To make it a perfect structure there are nine inner petals and nine doors open in different directions. 

The Lotus Temple at New Delhi is visited by people from all religious faiths. The tranquility of the place is ideal for meditation. The temple embraces an independent religion called Bahai faith. The architecture represents a blend of both traditional and modern engineering expertise. The brainchild behind the architecture of this temple is a Canadian architect named Fariborz Sahba. He took 10 long years in planning the design and implementing it. The temple is surrounded by sparkling pools. It has been constructed by using cement, marble, sand and dolomite. 

Completed in 1986 the Lotus Temple has 27 giant white marble petals and nine pools. The temple has got double curved surfaces. The steel used for making the shells of the petals were galvanized to protect it from rust. These shells have got a thickness of about 6 to 8 centimeters. There are six other Bahai temples in the world. Though some concepts are same, but each of them differs in their cultural identity. 

The Lotus Temple in New Delhi was inaugurated in 1986. It is open to the general mass from 9:00 am to 7:00 pm in the summer months and 9:30 am to 5:30 pm during the winter months. The temple remains closed on Mondays. This temple is a must visit place of New Delhi.

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Red fort - Delhi

The Red Fort or the Lal Quila as it is traditionally called is situated in old Delhi, the capital of India. The Red Fort was built by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in the 17th century that took around 9 years to complete this magnificent structure and around 10 million rupees to build the fort. The Red Fort is a masterpiece of architecture and is one of the most visited spot in old Delhi. Tourists from India and abroad never miss the opportunity to visit this huge structure.

Tourists can easily take a taxi or other mode of transport to reach the place. If you are new to the city, the city map can be of great help. You can also find the right road to reach the place and check out the nearby places as well. Red Fort is situated on the banks of the river Yamuna and is still a significant monument that provides a glimpse of the grandeur of the past. Apart from the magnificent fort, one can also find various beautiful structures inside the fort like the halls of public, marble palaces, mosque, gardens, and plush apartments all in their rich architecture that shows you the prosperous past of the Emperor. The fort even today continues to mesmerize visitors with its impressive red sandstone wall, huge bastions, and some of the finest and intricate work done on the walls that are not to be seen anywhere in other structures. 

While you stroll in the fort, you can have a peek in the life of the emperor and also imagine the workings of the Emperor that was carried out and the hugeness of all the things that would take place inside the fort. The fort includes the most famous Diwan-i-Am, which is the hall for public, where the emperor used to listen to the complaints of the people and find solutions to their problems. There is also a Diwan-i-Khas that was for the private people only, where the Emperor discusses plans, strategies and secret meetings. There used to be a peacock throne for the Emperor, which had all types of precious stones build in it. It was made of gold and was quite huge. It was however, carried away by Nadir Shah to Iran in 1739.

Red fort is an enjoyable excursion and you will love to see the various attractions that the fort has. The royal baths or Hammams as it was rightly called was the place where the royals took bath in all their pleasure.
The Shahi burj was the working place of Shahjahan that has some wonderful work done inside. The Moti Masjid is another structure that is worth seeing, but was built by Aurangzeb, son of Shahjahan. A special place for the ladies of the fort is also built called the Ran Mahal. This place is a real treat to the eyes and you can see delicately painted walls, intricate worked mirrors, gilded turrets, ceiling complete with gold and silver designs reflects its beauty in the central pool inside the palace on the marble floor.

Visitors can visit the place any time during 9.30 am to 4.30 pm from Tuesdays to Sundays. One can get entry by paying fees and is free on Fridays. The place can be reached easily from anywhere and has a good network of roads. One can also take a look at the other places of interest by taking a look at the map. The map includes several other attractions that you will enjoy visiting.

Some important places include the Hammam and the Moti Masjid which are located side by side. Hammam or the public bath house is an important culture of the Mughals. The history of hammam can be traced back in the 16th century, at Purana Qila. On the North, the large spacious park stands guard. It is also called the life bestowing garden. A red sand stone pavilion known as Zafar Mahal stood in the centre. It is also a large water tank to store rain water to water the garden.

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