Delhi Lotus Temple


Advertisement
India's flag
Asia » India
February 1st 2015
Published: February 4th 2015
Edit Blog Post

Our second day in India we went to do sightseeing in Delhi. We took the metro to Nehru Place, from where it is a short stroll to the Lotus Temple. Metro was very very crowded, even though it was a Sunday. There was standing room only, but it has the advantage of not having to brave the indian roads or haggling over price for a cab or rickshaw. Of couse, it was ridiculously cheap at about 10 or 20p, and fairly straightforward to follow the maps. Here, like Malaysia, there is a seperate carriage and portion of the platform for ladies only. They search bags and scan everyone as they enter the metro as if it were an airport. There are lots of armed police around.

Nehru Place is another world from New Delhi station. People are richer and dressed in more western clothing. There are chain stores like Starbucks and Dunking Donuts. We walked through the park to the Lotus Temple. Here there were several impromptu games of cricket being played, but no football. The Lotus Temple is only about 40 years old. It is a Bahai temple made from concrete covered in white marble, built to look like a giant lotus (as the name suggests). Bahai is a multinational faith, beleiving in the basic oneness of the various religions, that all wealth should be more evenly distributed, and that all people (including women) are equal. Nothing bad there. It is a really beautiful calm place set in exquisitely kept grounds. There was a long queue to get in, tourists as well as Indians of different faiths. Many of the women wearing the most beautiful saris embroidered with gold thread. Inside you take off your shoes, keep quiet and are not allowed to take photographs. It is quite plain and calming. People just sit there quietly and pray, meditate or chillax quietly. A real contrast, and quite relaxing after the hustle and bustle of the street markets near the station.


Additional photos below
Photos: 4, Displayed: 4


Advertisement



Tot: 0.324s; Tpl: 0.009s; cc: 14; qc: 47; dbt: 0.0562s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1; ; mem: 1.1mb