Lotus shaped temples of india

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The Lotus Shaped Temples
Dr Uday Dokras
Also featuring the Bahai Lotus creations
Vishnu rests on the serpent Ananta while Brahma sits on a lotus throne, the plant emitting from
Vishnu's navel.
The lotus plant is cited extensively within Puranic and Vedic literature, for example:
One who performs his duty without attachment, surrendering the results unto the Supreme
Lord, is unaffected by sinful action, as the lotus is untouched by water.
— Bhagavad Gita 5.10:
Dr Uday Dokras

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Lotus flower is frequently mentioned in the ancient Sanskrit Hindu scriptures, as padma (pink
lotus), kamala (red lotus), pundarika (white lotus) and utpala (blue lotus). The earliest reference
can be found in the Rg Veda.
Numerous gods and goddess in Hindu pantheon are depicted as sitting on the lotus or carrying
it.
The ultimate aim of each human being is to be the lotus flower – perform the Dharma without
being attached to the world.
The lotus also represents the highest level of consciousness when in search for enlightenment
and purity. In the postures of hatha yoga, padmasana (the lotus position) is assumed by those
determined to reach for the ultimate highest level of consciousness which can be found in the
lotus chakra at the top of the head.
Bramha is called “Padhma Janmana “ meaning the one who is born from the lotus .
A "closed" lotus, in Hinduism, as also in Budism, means infinite possibilities.
An open lotus means the Creation of the Universe, Simbol of spirit's elevation, light, meditation,
pureness and imortality. The "thousand petals" lotus is the spirituality in the most degree of
perfection.
The Lotus has been considered a symbol of beauty, absolute purity, honesty, rebirth, self-
regeneration, enlightenment. It was considered a supreme plant by Egyptians for its fragrant
transformative scent while living its alternating existence below and above the water surface.
Interestingly it also was used by them as a medium to induce altered states of consciousness
and make contact with other realms of existence. Blue lotus was considered as a symbol of sun
rising out of night.
In Hindu philosophy lotus is regarded to be the first born of creation and a magic womb for the
universe and gods. Associations of it have also been made to longevity,fertility,wealth and
knowledge.
Its considered a symbol of freedom from desire, material attachment while invoking purity at
level of mind, speech and action by Buddhist tradition. The also connected: •The symbolism of
victory of spirit over that of intelligence, knowledge and wisdom with Blue lotus. •"White lotus"
to symbolism of Bodhi being awakened, ascent towards mental purity and spiritual perfection. It
also implies a state of spiritual maturity connect to pacification of one's nature. •"Pink lotus" is
considered as Buddha's true lotus and the supreme of all.
God's own favourite
In the form and personality of gods and goddesses of the world, the lotus symbol has a special
and important place. Invariably the beauty and greatness of the deities are described with
reference to the lotus. Their various limbs especially hands, feet, face and eyes are likened to it.
Many of these gods also hold in their hands, besides other things, the lotus too. Still others are

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depicted as being seated on a lotus. eg. Lakshmi, Sarasvati, Brahma, Vishnu. Jainism too has a
special place for the lotus and the Jain Tirthankaras are depicted as seated on the flower.
Amongst the Hindu Trinity, it is the innumerable forms of Lord Vishnu that are frequently
connected with the lotus. Many are the lotus related names of Vishnu that can be selected out
of the thousand names of the Lord eg. Pundarikaksha, Padmanabha and a host of others.
Brahma's birth place was the lotus and hence he is referred to as Kamalaja, Kamalasana, Kamali,
Kamalodhbava and so on. The lotus has a special affinity with the Sun God or Surya. Sanskritists
fondly describe the sun as a friend of the lotus (Kamalabandhu), controller of lotus
(Kamalanatha), darling of lotus (Kamalavallabha) and with many other epithets. The flower
blooms at sunrise and sets at sunset alluding to the fact that, all living beings in the world
become active with sunrise and retire for the day at sunset. The sun god is the only male deity
holding lotuses in both hands. He is also seated on a lotus. The connection between the sun god
and the lotus is also extensively dwelt upon in the literatures of various countries like Egypt,
Tibet, China, Japan and so on.
Amongst the goddesses, Lakshmi has the closest connection with the lotus. She has lotus in her
hands, wears a garland of lotuses and all her limbs are comparable to a lotus. Dr Ananda
Coomaraswamy has divided Lakshmi idols into three categories - lotus-seated (Padmasthita),
lotus-holding (Padmagraha) and lotus-residing (Padmavasa). According to Vishnu Purana, at the
time of her emergence, Lakshmi was seated on a lotus and also held the flower in her hand.
There are numerous iconographical, sculptural and numismatic evidences and references that
depict Lakshmi and Sarasvati in relationship with the lotus. In the Sunga period sculptures, she is

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shown as seated or standing on a lotus. A miniature image of the Kushana period shows her
holding a lotus and a Sunga coin shows her standing on a lotus with a flower in her hand. There
is carved image of Sarasvati seated on a lotus on the Bharhut column.
Lotus in Buddhist tradition
Buddhism abounds with interesting references to the lotus. According to Buddhist beliefs,
Buddha had the sign of a lotus on his feet and at birth, wherever he placed his foot, lotuses
bloomed. Most Buddha images show him seated on a lotus in bloom. The lotus symbolizes his
other worldliness, his great compassion for creatures of the world, his immortality and
enlightenment besides his impeccable purity of mind and body.
Buddhas seated on a lotus in bloom or on a lotus-seat have been found in chaityas, viharas,
stupas and caves in many countries. Not only Buddhas but Bodhisattvas too are lotus seated
and holding a lotus. A Bodhisattva is one who has the capacity and potential and the qualities
needed to become a Buddha. One such example is the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara. He is the
most worshipful and revered Bodhisattva and very popular in China, Japan, Korea and other
Eastern countries. He holds a lotus with a long stem in his left hand and is generally seated on a
lotus in full bloom. The lotus is also associated with various other Buddhist gods and goddesses
like Tara, Paramita and Kwan Yin. Besides religion, the lotus plays a significant role in Buddhist
philosophy too.
Buddhist mandalas (yantras) depict different Buddhas and Bodhisattvas inside a lotus or on its
petals. The most revered Buddhist mantra is 'Om Mani Padme Hum' - "Oh jewel within the lotus,
we bow to you." The Buddhist Mahayana treatise is titled Sadharma Pundarika Sutra meaning,
"the lotus, a key to the religion of truth. It is otherwise called Lotus Sutra. According to another
sutra, the image of Universal knowledge rests on a white lotus which, is also the heart

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symbolizing self-bliss and ultimate bliss. A chant goes that when the white lotus descends on
earth it changes everyone's life for the better. Buddhist ages, with reference to the cosmos, are
also initiated by the appearance of a lotus. Again, it is this flower that augurs the birth of a
Buddha. If there are no blossoms, no Buddha will appear. At the beginning of the current era,
the Bhadrakalpa, there were 1000 blossoms signifying the birth of 1000 Buddhas. Four virtues
are attributed to this flower - scent, purity, softness and loveliness. While these qualities can be
seen in other flowers too, Chinese botanists at one time believed that the lotus flowered and
bore fruit at the same time, thus symbolizing the ability to transcend the limitations of time. It
was this belief that elevated it to a privileged status amongst flowers. Not only in this life but
also in the after life, the lotus has a special place in Buddhist tradition.
Lotus and after-life
The Lotus sect of Chinese Buddhism believes that people are freed from the cycle of birth and
death by going to a celestial sphere calledthe Western heaven. This paradise contains seven
treasure ponds. The bed of these is covered with gold dust and the lotuses there are as big as
carriage wheels.
Buddhist temple courtyards often depict the Sacred Lake of Lotuses. The significance of this
can be gauged from the following relatedstory: "Each soul has a lotus on this lake, which will
open to receive them after death and where they will wait until the time of its opening. The
flowers thrive or droop according to the piety of the individual on earth. For the devout, they
open immediately when he dies, admitting the soul at once to the divine presence." In China,
the envelopes given to the family at a funeral are impressed with the outline of a lotus.
Religion and philosophy apart, the lotus reigns supreme in the day to day lives of the Buddhists
of China. Pictures showing fat dancing babies holding lotus leaves or flowers are purchased in
the hope that people will give birth to several boys in succession. Since lotus leaves protect the
goldfish under them, the lotus also symbolizes continuous abundance. In Buddhist arithmetic,

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Padma denotes the highest figure. It is one followedby 19 ciphers. Incidentally, in Indian
arithmetic, it is one followed by 15 ciphers. Knowing this background, one is not surprised when
one spots the profusion of lotus motifs at Amaravati and other Buddhist sites!
Lotus in Jain tradition
Sittannavasal-Columns with lotusmotif
The Jain Tirthankaras, Yaksas, Yaksinis, Yoginis, Vidyadevis are associated with the lotus in
some form or the other. Jain beliefs give special importance to special dreams, which they term
as Mangala Swapna. According to Jain texts, whenever a future Tirthankara is to take birth, the
mother has an auspicious dream. The Kalpa Sutra extensively describes 14 dreams that
Tirthankara Mahavira's mother saw. Out of them, four were connected with the lotus. They are -
a pitcher filled with water and lotuses; a big lake full of lotuses and water creatures; a garland of
different flowers and a vision of the four-armed goddess Sri. The latter was seen holding a lotus
in her hand and surrounded by elephants performing abhisheka (ritual of pouring sacred water)
to her. Jains consider a full-blown lotus as an auspicious symbol. As far as art and architecture
are concerned, the lotus is extensively sculpted on stone. One such is a famous white marble
statue of Jain Sarasvati from Pali that shows her standing on a lotus.
It was not only in Hinduism, Buddhism or Jainism but also in other Indian religions like Sikhism
and later on even in Islam and Christianity that the lotus came to occupy a significant place. The
Sikh gurus glorifiedthe lotus as an embodiment of strength, chastity and power along with the
ability to remain detached from swirls of impurities. The flower was therefore used as a motif at
the dome of the Golden Temple - the holiest of the Sikh shrines at Amritsar. Many churches of
Kerala sport the lotus motif. In Goa, four evangelists, on either side of Jesus, stand on full- blown
lotuses on the pulpit in Bom Jesus Church. In Islamic architecture too, the lotus firmly claimedits
place, as can be seen from the fact that the padmakosha or sheath of lotus petals is the most
popular form in Mughal architecture. The famous Charminar of Hyderabad has numerous

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representations of the lotus. The Islamic monuments at Bijapur also show the same feature. But
let us step across the borders of our country and enter into Egypt and hear the tales they have
to tell with regard to this flower.
The Blue Lotus of Egypt

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RA
Just as in India, in Egypt too the lotus is vested with several philosophical and esoteric meanings
but with a significant difference. It is the blue lotus that has been famous here since days of
yore. To the Ancient Egyptians, the blue lotus was the most perfect type of flower. The blue lotus
(Nymphaea Cerulea) belongs to the Water-Lily family. However, it is distinctly different from the
blue lily. The blue lotus is also known as Egyptian lotus, blue water lily and sacred lily of the Nile.
Fossils of this plant, that belong to the Jurassic period i.e. about 160 million years ago have been
discovered. Further evidences show the prolific growth of this plant before the Ice Age
The blue lotus is a floating aquatic plant with colourful and aromatic flowers. The leaves are
waxy, leathery and dark green with a reddish-purple colour underneath. The genus includes
both night bloomers and day bloomers. A rather bizarre characteristic of certain species of this
plant is that they fold their petals and sink beneath the water's surface during the night and
resurface the next day to bloom again. The plant has an uncanny ability to survive even after
long droughts and even its seeds remain viable for many years. It is due to these characteristics
that ancient cultures like Asia consider the lotus as a symbol of immortality.

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Nile delta
The blue lotus is associated with various gods. Ra, the creator-god is believed to have first
appeared as a beautiful child floating on a great blue lotus. The blue lotus thus symbolized the
origin of life. Interestingly, the ancient Egyptians believed that the Nile valley area was the
birthplace of human civilization and there is a remarkable similarity between the shape of the
flower and the Nile and its tributaries.
Horus, the sun god is often depicted sitting on a lotus in the manner of Brahma. The lotus is also
the flower of resurrection, used in funeral rites. The Book of the Dead contains spells for
transforming oneself into a lotus and thus fulfilling the promise of resurrection. The lotus is
depicted on tombs as can be seen from the spread of the flower on the tomb of Tutankhamen.
Till date, the Egyptians design their chalices and wine glasses as the lotus. There are also
drawings of people smelling the lotus flower. It was believed that its smell induced a state of
utopia. In short, the blue Egyptian lotus was all pervasive in Egyptian art and culture. Recently
scientists at the University of Manchester, England, delved into the properties of the blue lotus
and came up with some startling facts.
Amazing medicinal properties of the Lotus
The blue lotus contains nuciferine, a hypnotic compound that relaxes muscle tissues. It is also
considered effective in treating migraines, Alzheimer's, heart conditions, sexual disorders and so
on. The ancient Egyptians have made tonics from the blue lotus as a cure for liver malfunctions.

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Seed Pod
In India, the medicinal properties of the lotus and its many parts have been extensively
described in all ancient texts like the works of Charaka, Sushruta and others. Bhavaprakasa, a
text says, "The lotus is cool and enhances complexion. It has a sweet juice, it is anti-phlegmatic,
anti-bilious and it relieves dryness of throat, burning sensation, blood impurity, poisonous sores
and itching. The white lotus is cool, sweet and anti-phlegmatic." Thus there are many ayurvedic
drugs that are prepared from this flower. The lotus' medicinal properties are indisputable and its
worth gets enhanced by the fact that it is a delectable fooditem too.
Lotus eaters
The lotus root can be used in the preparation of a number of dishes. The raw root can be
roasted, cooked as a vegetable, fried as pakodas, pickled or even made into gruel. The roots are
rich in protein, carbohydrates and potash. Lotus seeds can be dried, powdered and eaten. The
seeds of the blue lotus can be powdered into flour and used for making bread.
Lotus with reference to yoga and ayurveda
Talking about health, according to yoga, ayurveda and other ancient Indian lore that deal with
the body, there are seven chakras or nerve centers in the human body. Each of them is
symbolized by the lotus. Thus:

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Chakra- Symbol
1. Muladhara or root chakra
2. Lotus with four red petals
3. Svadishtana or sacral chakra
4. Lotus with six vermillon petals
5. Manipura or solar plexus
6. Lotus with ten blue petals
7. Anahata or heart chakra
8. Lotus with twelve petals
9. Vishuddha or throat chakrar
10. Lotus with sixteen petals
11. Ajna or third eye
12. Lotus with two white petals
13. Sahasrara or crown
14. Lotus with 1000 petals representing the infinite
Amongst the wide range of yoga poses, it is Padmasana or the lotus pose that is best known. In
this, the legs are crossed in such a way that the feet are placed on the thighs, the hands rest on
the knees and one sits with a straight spine. The benefits of the lotus pose have been
documented as follows: It enables one to remain motionless for extended lengths of time
Prevents restlessness and muscular tensions
Provides an optimal condition for the free flow of cerebrospinal fluidthat nurtures the nerve
endings and the brain
The Gheranda Samhita, a classical yoga text describes the lotus pose as the destroyer of all
diseases.
Water lily, (family Nymphaeaceae), any of 58 species in 6 genera of freshwater plants native to
the temperate and tropical parts of the world. Most species of water lilies have rounded,
variously notched, waxy-coated leaves on long stalks that contain many air spaces and float in
quiet freshwater habitats. The stalks arise from thick, fleshy, creeping underwater stems that are
buried in the mud. The showy, fragrant, solitary flowers are borne at or above the water surface
on long stalks that are attached to the underground stems. Each cuplike flower has a spiral
arrangement of its numerous petals.

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Water lilies (Nymphaea)Horticultural Photography, Corvallis, Oregon
The flowers of most species have many stamens (male reproductive structures). Some flowers
open only in the morning or in the evening to attract insect pollinators. The fruit is usually
nutlike or berrylike. Some fruits ripen underwater until they rupture or decay, and the seeds then
float away or sink. Some water lilies also have submerged leaves. All members of the family are
perennial except for the genus Euryale, an annual or short-lived perennial found only in Asia.
The genus Nymphaea makes up the water lilies proper, or water nymphs, with 46 species. The
common North American white water lily, or pond lily, is Nymphaea odorata. The European
white water lily is N. alba. Both species have reddish leaves when young and large fragrant
flowers. The leaf blades of N. alba have a deep, narrow notch. Other species of Nymphaea have
pink, yellow, red, or blue flowers; many kinds are of hybrid origin. The lotus of ancient Egyptian
art was usually the blue lotus (N. caerulea). The Egyptian lotus, N. lotus, has toothed leaves and
long stalks that rise above the water’s surface to support white flowers that bloom at night and
stay open until midday.
The genus Nuphar, with about 10 species distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere,
includes the common yellow water lily, cow lily, or spatterdock (Nuphar advena) of eastern
North America. The yellow water lily has submerged leaves that are thin and translucent and
leathery floating leaves.

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Leaf undersurface of Santa Cruz water lily (Victoria cruziana
The largest water lilies are those of the tropical South American genus Victoria, comprising two
species of giant water lilies. The leaf margins of both the Amazon, or royal, water lily (V.
amazonica, formerly V. regia) and the Santa Cruz water lily (V. cruziana) have upturned edges,
giving each thickly veined leaf the appearance of a large, shallow pan 60 to 180 cm (about 2 to 6
feet) across and accounting for its common name, water platter. The fragrant flowers of Victoria
have 50 or more petals and are 18 to 46 cm (about 7 to 18 inches) wide. They open white
toward evening and shade to pink or reddish two days later before they wither, to be replaced
by a large berrylike fruit.
Water lilies provide food for fish and wildlife but sometimes cause drainage problems because
of their rapid growth. Many varieties have been developed for ornamental use in garden pools
and conservatories. Two aquatic families related to the water lilies are the water shields and the
fanworts, making up the family Cabombaceae. Nymphaeaceae

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In the classical written and oral literature of many Asian cultures the lotus is present in figurative
form, representing elegance, beauty, perfection, purity and grace, being often used in poems
and songs as an allegory for ideal feminine attributes. In Sanskrit the word lotus (पद्म padma) has
many synonyms: since the lotus thrives on water, ja (denoting birth) is added to words for water
to derive synonyms for lotus, like rajiv, ambuja (ambu (water) + ja (born
of)), neerja (neera (water) + ja (born
of)), pankaj, pankaja, kamal, kamala, kunala, aravind, arvind, nalin, nalini and saroja and names
derived from the lotus, like padmavati (possessing lotuses) or padmini (full of lotuses). These
names and derived versions are often used to name girls, and to a lesser extent boys,
throughout South and Southeast Asia.
The lotus flower is the state flower of several Indian states, including Karnataka, Haryana,
and Andhra Pradesh. The lotus flower is the election symbol of the Bharatiya Janata Party, one of
the two major political parties in India.
The lotus, Nelumbo nucifera, is an aquatic plant that plays a central role in the art of Indian
religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism.
In Asian art a lotus throne is a stylized lotus flower used as the seat or base for a figure. It is the
normal pedestal for divine figures in Buddhist art and Hindu art, and often seen in Jain art.
Originating in Indian art, it followed Indian religions to East Asia
Hindus revere it with the divinities Vishnu and Lakshmi often portrayed on a pink lotus in
iconography; historically, many deities, namely Brahma, Saraswati, Lakshmi, Kubera, usually sit

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on a stylized lotus throne. In the representation of Vishnu as Padmanabha (Lotus navel), a lotus
issues from his navel Brahma on it. The goddess Saraswati is portrayed on a pale pink lotus. The
lotus is the symbol of what is divine or immortal in humanity, and also symbolizes divine
perfection. The lotus is the attribute of sun and fire gods. It symbolizes the realization of inner
potential, and in Tantric and Yogic traditions, it symbolizes the potential of an individual to
harness the flow of energy moving through the chakras (often depicted as wheel-like lotuses)
flowering as the thousand-petaled lotus of enlightenment at the top of the skull.
Vishnu is often described as the "Lotus-Eyed One" (Pundarikaksha).[4]
The lotus's unfolding
petals suggest the expansion of the soul. The growth of its pure beauty from the mud of its
origin holds a benign spiritual promise. In Hindu iconography, other deities,
like Ganga and Ganesha, are often depicted with lotus flowers as their seats.
The lotus plant is cited extensively within Puranic and Vedic literature, for example:
One who performs his duty without attachment, surrendering the results unto the Supreme
Lord, is unaffected by sinful action, as the lotus is untouched by water.
— Bhagavad Gita 5.10:
LOTUS shaped temples of India

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Jambudweep is a Digambara Jain Temple in Hastinapur, Uttar Pradesh built under the
blessings of Gyanmati Mataji in 1972. Jambudweep in Hastinapur is a depiction of Jambudvipa
and Kailash Parvat Rachna & Shree Ashtapad Teerth are depictions of Ashtapad.
Jambudweep depicts the model Jain cosmology has been designed here under the supervision
of Shri Gyanmati Mataji was in 1985. Unique circular structures of Jain Geography ‘Jambudweep’
has been constructed with white & coloured marble stones in the diameter of 250 feet (76 m)
with 101 feet (31 m) tallMount Sumeru Parvat is built by light pink marble situated in the center
of Jambudweep Rachna.
The official name of the tirtha is the Digambar Jain Institute of Cosmographic Research
(Digambar Jain Trilok Shodh Sansthan) and its main attraction is the building constructed as a
model of Jambudvipa.
The premises has various Jain temples which includes Sumeru Parvat, Lotus Temple, Teen Murti
Mandir, Meditation Temple, Badi Murti, Teen Lok Rachna and many other tourist attractions. The
main temples in the Jambudweep complex includes:
1. Teen Lok Rachna is modeled after trilok in Jain cosmology, the temple has a series of floor
representing seven Adho Loka — the realms of the hellish beings, then Madhya Loka – the
realms of the humans, animals and plants, then seven Urdhva Loka – the realms of the gods
or heavens and Siddhashila at the top.
2. Sahastrakut Jinalya is notable for a panel depicting Jain monk in worship room praying to
tirthankara.
3. Lotus temple a small temple in the courtyard of Jambudweep. It is a Jain House of Worship
and also a prominent attraction in Hastinapur. It was completed in 1989.
4. Mt. Meru, surrounded by water, is the tallest structure in Jambudweep complex.
5. Tera-dvipa is modeled after group of thirteen islands of the middle section of the universe in
Jain cosmology. The structure features fived Mt. Meru, three islands where human and Jinas
are born, the Jambudweep is situated in innermost circle and eight islands depicts nandishvar
dweepa.

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Monument ID:N-KA-D255: Chandramouleshwar temple is one of the very oldest temple. 900-
year-old temple from the Badami Chalukyan era. This temple is not much famous because of its
location, but its art and architecture very unique and attractive. In recent days localities are
encroaching temple area, hence it needs to be conserved and restored. In the photo it is an
artistic cuttings of flower design on the side of frame of the door entrance carved in Chalukya
style on the outer side of temple . Photographed in the evening, captured from the front.
Jambudweep is a Digambara Jain temple in Hastinapur, Uttar Pradesh built under the blessings
of Gyanmati Mataji in 1972.[1]
Jambudweep in Hastinapur is a depiction
of Jambudvipa and Kailash Parvat Rachna & Shree Ashtapad Teerth are depictions of Ashtapad.
Jambudweep was founded by Gyanmati Mataji in 1972 and the model of Jambudvipa was
completed in 1985. For the tirtha, Nalini Balbir reported
The main attraction of this vast campus is the Jambudvipa. By its height, this original
construction dominates all other buildings. It is meant both for education of the believers, since
it shows them the Jaina representation of the universe, and for their entertainment. One can
climb to the top by an inner staircase, or go boating around the Lavanasamudra![3]
— Nalini Balbir

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Jambudweep depicts the model Jain cosmology has been designed here under the supervision
of Shri Gyanmati Mataji was in 1985. Unique circular structures of Jain Geography 'Jambudweep'
has been constructed with white & coloured marble stones in the diameter of 250 feet (76 m)
with 101 feet (31 m) tall Mount Sumeru Parvat is built by light pink marble situated in the center
of Jambudweep Rachna.
The official name of the tirtha is the Digambar Jain Institute of Cosmographic Research
(Digambar Jain Trilok Shodh Sansthan) and its main attraction is the building constructed as a
model of Jambudvipa.
In the story about Jambudweep, Gyanmati Mataji had a vision in 1965 while meditating. In the
vision, she saw the entire structure of universe. Discovering later that what she had seen
perfectly matched the cosmographical details described in Jain scriptures, she decided to create
a pilgrimage site with the aim of creating a model of Jambudvipa. "Jambudweep Trilok Sodh
Sansthan" has been established at Jambudweep, Hastinapur to raise awareness regarding the
Jain Cosmology and Jain Philosophy. Jambudweep developed a
website http://www.jambudweep.org in 2007 to spread the Jain philosophy online, with more
than 2000 books uploaded.
Lotus Temple
The premises has various Jain temples which includes Sumeru Parvat, Lotus Temple, Teen Murti
Mandir, Meditation Temple, Badi Murti, Teen Lok Rachna and many other tourist attractions. The
main temples in the Jambudweep complexincludes:
1. Teen Lok Rachna is modeled after trilok in Jain cosmology, the temple has a series of
floor representing seven Adho Loka — the realms of the hellish beings, then Madhya
Loka – the realms of the humans, animals and plants, then seven Urdhva Loka – the
realms of the gods or heavens and Siddhashila at the top. The temple features a light
and sound show similar to ones in Akshardham and ISKCON Temple, Delhi
2. Sahastrakut Jinalya is notable for a panel depicting Jain monk in worship room praying
to tirthankara. The panel was discovered buried where Sahastrakut Jinalya constructed.
3. Lotus temple a small temple in the courtyard of Jambudweep. It is a Jain House of
Worship and also a prominent attraction in Hastinapur. It was completed in 1989.
4. Mt. Meru, surrounded by water, is the tallest structure in Jambudweep complex.[13]

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5. Tera-dvipa is modeled after group of thirteen islands of the middle section of the
universe in Jain cosmology. The structure features fived Mt. Meru, three islands where
human and Jinas are born, the Jambudweep is situated in innermost circle and eight
islands depicts nandishvar dweepa. The eight islands of nandishvar dweepa are
connected to ashtanika, the eight day festival.
Nikora Ashram
Located in the state of Gujarat along the holy Narmada River, the Nikora ashram in India is like
an eighth wonder of the world. The temple is nestled amid a thick, tropical landscape that
houses a striking murti of Dhyanyogi as well as a meditation hall that holds thousands of
meditators. Built under the divine vision of Shri Anandi Ma, the ashram temple was precisely
constructed as a Sri Yantra, a representation of the divine mother.
A Sri Yantra is known to be a supreme instrument in the path of spiritual advancement. It is
formed by nine interlocking triangles that surround and radiate out from one central point that
is known as the bindu. The bindu is said to be the junction point between the physical universe
and its unmanifest source.

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LOTUS HOUSE OF BAHAI
"Hindu texts describe that water represents the procreative aspect of the Absolute, and
the cosmic lotus, the generative."

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All Baháʼí Houses of Worship, including the Lotus Temple, shown above) share certain
architectural elements, some of which are specified by Baháʼí scripture. ʻAbdu'l-Bahá, the son of
the founder of the religion, stipulated that an essential architectural character of a House of
Worship is a nine-sided circular shape. While all current Baháʼí Houses of Worship have a dome,
this is not regarded as an essential part of their architecture. Baháʼí scripture also states that no
pictures, statues or images be displayed within the House of Worship and no pulpits or altars be
incorporated as an architectural feature (readers may stand behind simple portable lecture
stands).
Model of the temple at the information centre
Inspired by the lotus flower, the design for the House of Worship in New Delhi is composed of
27 free-standing marble-clad "petals" arranged in clusters of three to form nine sides. The nine
doors of the Lotus Temple open onto a central hall 34.3 meters tall that can seat 1,300 people
and hold up to 2,500 in all. The surface of the House of Worship is made of white marble
from Penteli mountain in Greece, the same marble used in the construction of many ancient
monuments (including the Parthenon) and other Baháʼí buildings. Along with its nine
surrounding ponds and gardens, the Lotus Temple property comprises 26 acres (105,000 m²;
10.5 ha).
Lotus temple is situated near Okhla NSIC and Kalkaji Mandir metro station is just 500 meters
away.
The temple is located in the village of Bahapur in New Delhi, National Capital Territory of Delhi.
The architect was an Iranian, Fariborz Sahba who now lives in La Jolla, California, after living
some years in Canada. He was approached in 1976 to design the Lotus Temple and later
oversaw its construction. The structural design was undertaken by the UK firm Flint and
Neill over the course of 18 months, and the construction was done by ECC Construction Group
of Larsen & Toubro Limitedat a cost of $10 million. The major part of the funds needed to buy
this land was donated by Ardishír Rustampúr of Hyderabad, Sindh (Pakistan), whose will dictated
that his entire life savings would go to this purpose. A portion of the construction budget was
saved and used to build a greenhouse to study indigenous plants and flowers that would be
appropriate for use on the site.
Of the temple's total electricity use of 500 kilowatts (kW), 120 kW is provided by solar power
generated by solar panels on the building. This saves the temple 1,20,000 (1.2 lakh) rupees per
month. It is the first temple in Delhi to use solar power.

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Trilok Chandra Majupuria of Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, explains in Religious and Useful
Plants of Nepal and India (1989, M. Gupta, Lashkar, India): "The Taittiriya Brahmana describes
how Prajapati, desiring to evolve the universe, which was then fluid, saw a lotus-leaf, pushkara
parna, coming out of water. It is described that when divine life-substance was about to put
forth the universe, the cosmic waters grew a thousand-petalled lotus flower of pure gold,
radiant like the sun. This was considered to be a doorway, or an opening of the mouth of the
womb of the universe. Hindu texts describe that water represents the procreative aspect of the
Absolute, and the cosmic lotus, the generative. Thus, lotus is the first product of the creative
principle." The role of Lord Brahma was to re-create the universe after the great flood on this
planet. In order to create the universe, He used the different parts of the lotus plant.
Goddess Lakshmi, patron of wealth and good fortune, sits on a fully bloomed pink lotus as Her
divine seat and holds a lotus in Her right hand. It is also mentioned in the Mahabharata that
Lakshmi emerged from a lotus flower which grew from the forehead of Lord Vishnu, and a
garland of 108 lotus seeds is today used for the worship of Lakshmi.
The Goddess of Power, Durga, was created by Lord Siva to fight demons and was adorned with
a garland of lotus flowers by Varuna.
Goddess of Wisdom, Saraswati is associated with the white Lotus. Virtually every God and
Goddess of Hinduism; Brahma, Vishnu, Siva, Lakshmi, Saraswati, Parvati, Durga, Agni, Ganesha,
Rama and Surya; are typically shown sitting on the lotus flower, often holding a lotus flower in
their hand. The lotus which serves thus as the seat of the Deity, signifying their divinity and
purity, is called padmasana or kamalasana.
"Visualize within yourself a lotus, centered right within your heart."
Hindu scriptures say that the Atman dwells in the lotus within the heart. Visualize within
yourself a lotus, centered right within your heart. Try to mentally feel and see the heart as a
lotus flower right within you. Within the center of the lotus, see a small light. Hindu
scriptures state that the Atman within the heart looks like a brilliant light about the size of
your thumb, just a small light. This light is an emanation of your radiant being. It is dwelling
right within. The Self God is deeper than that. The lotus is within the heart, and the Self God
dwells deep within that lotus of light.
1. Growth, purity, birth – some of the terms that one correctly hears when learning about
the dharmic symbolic importance of the lotus.
 Lotus Flower is one of the most popular symbols in Hindu religion. It is believed that
Lord Brahma emerged from the navel of Lord Vishnu sitting on a lotus. Goddess
Saraswati, the Hindu Goddess of learning, is shown sitting on a lotus. Lotus flower is a
symbol of eternity, plenty and good fortune and Goddess Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess
of wealth, is usually depicted with a lotus flower. The symbolism of Lotus flower is
mentioned in the 5th chapter of the Bhagavad Gita by Lord Krishna:

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 One who does all work as an offering to the Lord, abandoning attachment to the results,
is as untouched by sin (or Karmic reaction) as a lotus leaf is untouched by water. (5.10).
Thus Lotus is a symbol of purity and enlightenment amid ignorance (the smutty swamps
in which it grows).
 Lotus in spite of being in water never gets wet. It is not bothered about its
surrounding but it blooms and performs its job and vanishes. The ultimate aim of
living beings is to perform its karma without bothering about the external factors.
2. In Hinduism, Lotus represents the concept of primordial birth from the cosmic waters of
creation. Lord Brahma emerging from the navel of Lord Vishnu symbolically represents that life
begins in water.
 Lord Vishnu represents that force which is responsible for all living and non-living. It
also symbolically suggests that all living and non living are connected to the ultimate
source through an invisible thread but we unfortunately don’t realize it.
The Sahasra Chakra is the top most chakra (lotus with a thousand petals) in the chakra system
.According to yoga when it opens (blooms) its petals one is said to be enlightened.
This enlightened State is known as Bramham A state of PURE CONSCIOUSNESS.
Hence it is said Bramhan is born out of lotus. Thats the reason lotus flower holds such
importance in (hinduism).And birth to a layperson happens only
though female genitalia.so they reffer to it as such.
Nizhal Thangal, Attoor, Kanyakumari Temple SYMBOL
1000 Petal Temple Nizhal Thangal, Attoor, Kanyakumari Temple

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.5 Kms from Thiruvattaru, 15 Kms from Thuckalay, 6 Kms from Marthandam, 6 Kms from
Kulasekharam, 28 Kms from Nagercoil, 20 Kms from Colachel, 49 Kms from Kanyakumari and 50
Kms from Thiruvananthapuram is the Nizhal Thangal, Attoor temple - one among the few
renowned Worship centers of Ayyavazhi in the western Kanyakumari.
It is also the second Thangal built in the Thamarai Thangal series only after the Nizhal Thangal
of Nelli-Ninra Vilai, and the first ever Temple built with the Sahasrara architecture.
The Pathis and Nizhal Thangals, are centers of worship and religious learning for the followers of
Ayyavazhi which are established in different parts of India. They served as centres for
propagation of the beliefs and practices of Ayyavazhi. There are more than 8000 worship centers
throughout India, mostly in Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Nizhal Thangal, Attoor, Kanyakumari is a
pathi and larger temple.The Pathis are given religious importance than the Nizhal Thangals
and are considered as primary worship centers. Since Ayyavazhi is not an organised
religion, Swamithoppepathi serves, religiously but not officially, as the headquarters of all.
Ayyavazhi "Path of the Master") is a henotheistic belief[
that originated in South India It is
cited as an independent monistic religion by several newspapers, government reports, journals
and academic researchers. In Indian censuses, however, the majority of its followers declare
themselves as Hindus. Thus, Ayyavazhi is also considered a Hindu denomination. Officially
(legally), it exists within Hinduism as a Hindu denomination.
Ayyavazhi is centered on the life and preachings of Ayya Vaikundar; its ideas and philosophy are
based on the holy texts Akilathirattu Ammanai and Arul Nool. Accordingly, Vaikundar was the
Purna avatar of Narayana.
Lord Ayya Vaikundar (c.1833–c.1851; Tamil: அய்யா வைகுண
் டர்), known to his followers
as tenth avatar or incarnation of Lord Vishnu, also called as Sriman Narayana Vaikundaswamy or
Narayana Pandaram, was a 19th-century social reformer and iconoclast who worked for the
upliftment of downtrodden people in the Kingdom of Travancore. He is central to
the Hindu denomination of Ayyavazhi, as per holy scripture.
Ayyavazhi shares many ideas with Hinduism in its beliefs and practice, but differs considerably in
its concepts of good and evil and dharma. Ayyavazhi is classified as a dharmic belief because of
its central focus on dharma.
Ayyavazhi first came to public attention in the 19th century as a Hindu sect. Vaikundar's
activities and the growing number of followers caused a reformation and revolution in 19th-
century Travancorean and Tamil society. surprising the feudal social system of South India. It
also triggered a number of reform movements including those of Narayana Guru and Ramalinga
Swamigal.
Though Ayyavazhi followers are spread across India, they are primarily present in South
India especially concentratedin Tamil Nadu and Kerala. The number of practitioners is estimated
to be between 8,000,000 and 10,000,000 although the exact number is unknown, since
Ayyavazhis are reported as Hindus during censuses

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The Design: The 100 petal symbol is the Sahasrara or Sahastrar
(Sanskrit: सहस्रार, IAST: Sahasrāra, English: "thousand-petaled") or crown chakra is generally
considered the seventh primary chakra, according to most tantric yoga traditions.
Architectural -Appearance
The Sahasrara or Sahastrar is described as a lotus flower with 1,000 petals of different colors.
These petals are arranged in 20 layers, each layer with approximately 50 petals. The pericarp is
golden and within it a circular moon region is inscribed with a luminous triangle, which can be
either upward- or downward-pointing.
Often referred to as a thousand-petaled lotus, it is said to be the most subtle chakra in the
system, relating to pure consciousness, and it is from this chakra that all the other chakras
emanate. When a yogi is able to raise his/her kundalini (energy of consciousness) up to this
point, the state of Nirvikalpa Samādhi is experienced. Sahasrara or Sahastrar is related to the
crown of the head. It is typically associated with the fontanelle and the intersection of
the coronal and sagittal sutures of the skull. Various sources will relate it to the pineal
gland, hypothalamus or the pituitary gland although these are often given instead as locations
of Ajña Chakra. The crown wheel is important within the Anuttarayoga Tantra tradition
of Buddhist Vajrayana. It is triangular, with 32 petals or channels that point downwards, and
within it resides the white drop or white bodhicitta. Through meditation, the yogi attempts to
unite this drop with the red bodhicitta in the navel, and to experience the union of emptiness
and bliss. It is very important in the Tantric practice of Phowa, or consciousness transference. At
the time of death, a yogi can direct his consciousness up the central channel and out of this
wheel in order to be reborn in a Pure Land, where he can carry on his tantric practices, or
transfer that consciousness into another body or a corpse, in order to extend life.
In the West, it has been noted by many (such as Charles Ponce in his book Kabbalah.) that
Sahasrara expresses a similar archetypal idea to that of Kether, in the Kabbalistic Tree of Life,
which rests at the head of the tree, and represents pure consciousness and union with God.

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History
Though this Thangal was built in 1988, the new structure with Sahasrara architecture was built
recently. The foundation stone for the new structure was laid in 2005 by Bala Prajapathi
Adikalar and was inaugurated by him on 23 April 2007.
Architecture
This is one of the Nizhal Thangals in Kanyakumari district (west) built in 'Lotus
architecture'(Sahasrara). It's top-roof is covered by 1008 lotus petals. The Thangal was
constructed facing the geographic east and daily Panividais are conducted here twice (5.00 am
and 5.00 pm) and Ucchi-Panividais are conducted on every Sundays at 12.00 noon. The newly
built structure was inaugurated on 23rd April 2007 by Bala Prajapathi Adikalar, the present
Pattathu Ayya of Swamithoppu Pathi.

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Festivals
Thiru Edu-Vasippu is the main festival conducted here. The festival includes a celebration for 10
days starting from the second Friday of the Tamil month of Chithirai (April/May) every year.
The 15141 verses of holy text Akilathirattu Ammanai is ceremonially recited during the 10
festival days. Religious conferences are also held every year. Ayya Vaikunda Avatharam is the
second most popular festival which is held usually on the 18th of the Tamil month of Masi.
Special Panividais are conducted and Annual celebration of the Akila-Ara Patasalai (spiritual
schools) are held along with the Masi Celebration. Other festivals
including Thirukarthigai, Diwali etc. are also celebrated with high fervor.
The Pathis and Nizhal Thangals, are centers of worship and religious learning for the followers of
Ayyavazhi which are established in different parts of India. They served as centres for
propagation of the beliefs and practices of Ayyavazhi. There are more than 8000 worship centers
throughout India, mostly in Tamil Nadu and Kerala. The Pathis are given religious importance
than the Nizhal Thangals and are considered as primary worship centers. Since Ayyavazhi is not
an organised religion, Swamithoppepathi serves, religiously but not officially, as the
headquarters of all.
Generally two facts are required to accredit a site as Pathi, They are
1. The site(place) should be historically associated with the incarnational activities
of Vaikundar.
2. The site should be mentioned in Akilam by referring it using the term 'Pathi' .
Nizhal Thangal (Tamil: நிழல் தாங்கல்; also called Inai Thangals) are secondary worship
places of the Ayyavazhi, often smaller in size compared to Pathis, built per the instructions
of Akilattirattu Ammanai. Cleanliness is strictly enforced.
Though the common people, mainly in early times call them as Narayanaswami
koil or Narayanaswami pathi, the Ayyavazhi scriptures consider these centers distinct from
The Pathis. They call these worship centers, which were not associated with the religious
activities of Vaikundar as 'Inai Thangals'.

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Unlike Pathis this Thangals were of small size. Inside the Nizhal Thangals, no murti or idol is
used. The Palliyarai of Thangals generally seems similar to Pathis. But inside, in most of the
Thangals instead of raised pedestal, chairs were placed as asanas in which the saffron or silk
cloths are wrapped-around. A garland made of rudraksha (string of rudraksha beads) is placed
around the neck of the asana. Mirrors were placed behind. In front of these there will be two
standing oil lamps(kuthu vilakku)made of brass, each placed on the either side of the asana.
In some of the Thangals there will be inner corridors as pathis to circumambulate the Palliyarai.
A hall is attached to this palliyarai for the worshippers. In some of the Thangals there are flag
masts, Vahanas and temple cars etc.
Ayyavazhi Symbols representing 1000 lotuses
Ayyavazhi: The Sociological and Mystical Teachings, Benjamin Grove,
2013https://sites.psu.edu/themaskswewear/2013/10/03/ayyavazhi-the-sociological-and-
mystical-teachings/
Do you ever feel that you are acting as a bystander to all of the terrors happening around you?
Do you wish to take the initiative to prevent such atrocities from damaging the lives of others as
well as yourself? This may seem like a daunting task, but it is available with a reminder

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with t he right type
of
Perhaps you do not have to directly make a significant change, but you can still others to help
reestablish social justice throughout the world. Hopefully, then, you will have the means to
reveal the true divine knowledge that has been veiled by the injustice of modern human
relations and governmental policies. But let’s not get carried away here.
Kali, Goddess of Change and Time
If this is your goal, then the teachings of Ayyavazhi will certainly lead you in the right direction. A
South Indian dharmic belief system achieving official recognition in the nineteenth century as a
Hindu Sect, Ayyavazhi breaks its teachings down into two main categories. These are the
mystical teachings and the social teachings. The mystical teachings are primarily concerned with
the individual finding the means to reveal divine knowledge into his life. However, the Ayyavazhi
practitioner must be aware of the nefarious intents of the evil of Kali, who tries to disturb the
connection between the soul and the universe, giving the individual a false sense of identity that
is often just feeding into the ego.With this, members of the sect may develop a sense of hubris
that will make them feel that they are more powerful or successful than the people around
them, when they are actually just making it more difficult for themselves to gain genuine respect
and admiration from their peers. The second aspect of Ayyavazhi teachings is sociological. This
facet is concerned with ensuring that the people on earth are treated equally and fairly.
Naturally, Ayyavazhi holds a general distaste for the caste system, a long-running tradition
throughout India that was based on social stratification, dividing labor and wealth to the Indian
citizens based on hereditary background and social class.
In regards to ethics, Ayyavazhi places most of its value in a concept known as Neetham. The idea
behind Neetham is that the citizens, authority, and rulers all live in complete harmony and thus
allow nature to be their ultimate protector. At a young age, practitioners always act in support of
God, so they can then make this a habit for the rest of their lives. The Ayyavazhi people strive to
live in union, so if an outside threat ever comes, they will always have strength in numbers.

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I think it would actually be really difficult for many of us to bring the teachings of Ayyavazhi into
their lives. As I was looking into the evil of Kali, it too accurately described how we view
individuality. They constantly feed us this idea that our lives are predominantly “personal,” and
have forgotten what it truly means to be in union. Ayyavazhi emphasizes the importance of
“oneness,” which means oneness with the world. It is one of those belief systems that can truly
improve how you feel about your own life while also giving you the tools to improve the lives of
others, having both mystical and sociological facets, because it can help you control reality as
well as your imagination.
Borobudur as a LOTUS
The architecture of Borobudur itself suggests a lotus depiction, in which Buddha postures in
Borobudur symbolize the Lotus Sutra, mostly found in many Mahayana Buddhism (a school of
Buddhism widely spread in the east Asia region) texts. Three circular platforms on the top are
also thought to represent a lotus petals. The Borobudur monument combines the symbolic
forms of the stupa (a Buddhist commemorative mound usually containing holy relics), the
temple mountain (based on Mount Meru of Hindu mythology), and the mandala (a mystic
Buddhist symbol of the universe, combining the square as earth and the circle as heaven). Many
believe the aerial view of Borobudur takes the shape of a lotus, the Buddhist symbol.
Researchers believe Borobudur symbolically depicts the path of a Buddhist from samsara to

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nirvana. Also known as the gigantic stone textbook of Buddhism, Borobudur illustrates the life of
Buddha and his teachings. It has ten floors; the first through the sixth floors are square and the
seventh through tenth floors are round. Each floor replicates the Buddhist’s universe divided
into three levels: Kamadhatu (desire), Ruphadatu (forms), and Arupadhatu (formlessness).
Interlocking honeycomb inspired at Borobudur Temple in the form of geometric and
construction of stone composition.
Aerial photography depicts real images and reality requirements of the real images on scientific
encoding, presenting objects clearly, accurately, without any manipulations. Accurate
consideration and exact flying direction coordinate will capture objects of miles away in minutes
for time is too precious too loose in the air. Aerial photography has flexibility. It can move on the
physical reality, abstract reality, as well as reality which deliver messages to public. By means of
aerial photography Borobudur temple can be seen as a whole to complete the familiar

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horizontal perspective. Borobudur temple has plenty of geometrical forms on its whole parts, i.e.
diagonal lines, curves, upright lines, triangles, horizontal, cones, cubes, squares, and circles.
These geometrical forms symbolize Buddhist cultural and spiritual messages. This research
attempts to explicate the connections of symbols and messages on the Borobudur, its nature
landscape and cultural landscape using vertical approaches as recorded in aerial photography.
The explication applies semiotics theory of Roland Barthes, completed with photography
theories. This explication aims to enrich the former readings fulfilled from horizontal view, in
order to reveal more signs and messages carried by the physical shape of the temple.
____________________________________________________________________
Cultural Messages of the Borobudur Temple’s Symbols Seen from Aerial Photography Media, Ade Dani
Setiawan, Journal of Visual Art and Design 4(2):162-181, November 2013
Relief at Borobudur Temple, Indonesia. Depicts women carrying lotus offerings
The Lotus, Nelumbo nucifera, is an aquatic plant that plays a central role in the art of Indian
religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism.
In Asian art a lotus throne is a stylized lotus flower used as the seat or base for a figure. It is the
normal pedestal for divine figures in Buddhist art and Hindu art, and often seen in Jain art.
Originating in Indian art, it followed Indian religions to East Asia in particular. In the Aṅguttara
Nikāya, the Buddha compares himself to a lotus (in Pali, paduma), saying that the lotus flower
raises from the muddy water unstained, as he raises from this world, free from the defilements
taught in the specific sutta.

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In Buddhist symbolism, the lotus represents purity of the body, speech and mind, as if floating
above the murky waters of material attachment and physical desire. According to
legend, Gautama Buddha's first steps made lotus flowers appear everywhere he stepped. In
Tibet, Padmasambhava, the Lotus-Born, is considered the Second Buddha, having brought
Buddhism to that country by conquering or converting local deities; he is normally depicted
holding a flower. Lotus thrones are the normal pedestal for most important figures in Buddhist
art.
TheSymboloftheLotus in Buddhism: Origins and Developments, Barbara O'Brien,2018
The lotus has been a symbol of purity since before the time of the Buddha, and it blooms
profusely in Buddhist art and literature. Its roots are in muddy water, but the lotus flower rises
above the mud to bloom clean and fragrant.
In Buddhist art, a fully blooming lotus flower signifies enlightenment, while a closed bud
represents a time before enlightenment. Sometimes a flower is partly open, with its center
hidden, indicating that enlightenment is beyond ordinary sight.
The mud nourishing the roots represents our messy human lives. It is in the midst of our human
experiences and our suffering that we seek to break free and bloom. But while the flower rises
above the mud, the roots and stem remain in the mud, where we live our lives. A Zen verse says,
"May we exist in muddy water with purity, like a lotus."
Rising above the mud to bloom requires great faith in oneself, in the practice, and in the
Buddha's teaching. So, along with purity and enlightenment, a lotus also represents faith.
The Lotus in the Pali Canon
The historical Buddha used the lotus symbolism in his sermons. For example, in the Dona Sutta
(Pali Tipitika, Anguttara Nikaya 4.36), the Buddha was asked if he was a god. He replied,
"Just like a red, blue, or white lotus—born in the water, grown in the water, rising up above the
water—stands unsmeared by the water, in the same way I—born in the world, grown in the
world, having overcome the world—live unsmeared by the world. Remember me, brahman, as
'awakened.'" [Thanissaro Bhikkhu translation]
In another section of the Tipitaka, the Theragatha ("verses of the elder monks"), there is a poem
attributed to the disciple Udayin:
As the flower of a lotus,
Arisen in water, blossoms,
Pure-scented and pleasing the mind,
Yet is not drenched by the water,
In the same way, born in the world,

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The Buddha abides in the world;
And like the lotus by water,
He does not get drenched by the world. [Andrew Olendzki translation]
Other Uses of the Lotus as a Symbol
The lotus flower is one of the Eight Auspicious Symbols of Buddhism.
According to legend, before the Buddha was born, his mother, Queen Maya, dreamed of a white
bull elephant carrying a white lotus in its trunk.
Buddhas and bodhisattvas are often portrayed as either seated or standing on a lotus
pedestal. Amitabha Buddha is nearly always sitting or standing on a lotus, and he often holds a
lotus as well.
The Lotus Sutra is one of the most highly regarded Mahayana sutras.
The well-known mantra Om Mani Padme Hum roughly translates into "the jewel in the heart of
the lotus."
In meditation, the lotus position requires folding one's legs so that the right foot is resting on
the left thigh, and vice versa. According to a classic text attributed to Japanese Soto Zen Master
Keizan Jokin (1268–1325), "The Transmission of the Light (Denkoroku)," the Buddha once gave a
silent sermon in which he held up a gold lotus. The disciple Mahakasyapa smiled. The Buddha
approved Mahakasyapa's realization of enlightenment, saying, "I have the treasury of the eye of
truth, the ineffable mind of Nirvana. These I entrust to Kasyapa."
Significance of Color
In Buddhist iconography, the color of a lotus conveys a particular meaning.
 A blue lotus usually represents the perfection of wisdom. It is associated with the
bodhisattva Manjusri. In some schools, the blue lotus is never in full bloom, and its
center cannot be seen. Dogen wrote of blue lotuses in the Kuge (Flowers of Space)
fascicle of Shobogenzo.
"For example, the time and place of the opening and blooming of the blue lotus are in the midst
of fire and at the time of flames. These sparks and flames are the place and time of the blue
lotus opening and blooming. All sparks and flames are within the place and time of the place
and time of the blue lotus opening and blooming. Know that in a single spark are hundreds of
thousands of blue lotuses, blooming in the sky, blooming on the earth, blooming in the past,
blooming in the present. Experiencing the actual time and place of this fire is the experience of
the blue lotus. Do not drift by this time and place of the blue lotus flower.

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A gold lotus represents the realized enlightenment of all Buddhas.
 A pink lotus represents the Buddha and the history and succession of Buddhas.
 In esoteric Buddhism, a purple lotus is rare and mystical and might convey many things,
depending on the number of flowers clustered together.
 A red lotus is associated with Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva of compassion. It also is
associated with the heart and with our original, pure nature.
 The white lotus signifies a mental state purified of all poisons.
Conscious or not, if you consider the location of the Borobudur temple turned out to be in place
"unusual". It is located on a hill surrounded by two pairs of twin mountains, that Sindoro-
Sumbing and Merbabu-Merapi. In fact, other temples built on flat land just ordinary. Actually, in
1931, an artist and expert on Buddhist architecture named W.O.J. Nieuwnkamp had proposed a
theory that Kedu Mainland (which is the site of Borobudur in Java legend) is an ancient lake.
According to him, Borobudur was built based on the symbol of a lotus flower floating on the
surface of the lake. But the hypothesis is still a debate scientists at that time.
The lotus is one of Buddhism’s most recognizable symbols of enlightenment and is important in
many Buddhist traditions.
According to legend, everywhere the baby Buddha stepped, a lotus flower bloomed. The famed
Lotus Sutra is one of the most important texts of Mahayana Buddhism and is the foundation of
the Pure Land schools. Because the lotus grows in muddy water, it symbolizes the purity of
enlightened mind arising amidst the suffering of samsara. It also represents nonattachment, as it
is rooted in mud (attachment and desire) but its flowers blossom on long stalks unsullied by the
mud below. The famous Tibetan mantra OM MANI PADME HUM, meaning “OM the Jewel in the
Lotus HUM,” invokes Chenrezig (Avalokiteshvara), the bodhisattva of compassion. In this case,
the lotus represents wisdom and the jewel symbolizes skillful means.Different-colored lotuses
have different meanings. The white lotus represents mental purity and spiritual perfection. The
red lotus is the symbol of love and compassion. The blue lotus represents wisdom and
intelligence and is always pictured partially opened. A gold lotus represents the achievement of
complete enlightenment.
In some Buddhist schools, the flower’s stage of growth represents different stages on the path
to enlightenment. A closed bud symbolizes the time before enlightenment, while a fully
bloomed lotus represents full enlightenment. Sometimes a flower is partly open, with its center
hidden, indicating that enlightenment is beyond ordinary sight.Lotus in Buddhism-[Allan, Baillie]
and [Suzanne, Ostro]

38
Throughout early history, in Asia and much of the ancient Near East, the lotus was associated
with the sacred. The ancient Persians viewed the open lotus flower as a symbol of the sun, the
giver of life, and the Phoenicians depicted it being borne to heaven on wings, surrounded by the
moon and stars. In China the lotus was esteemed, not only for religious reasons, but for
medicinal use and as food. The profusion of gorgeous lotuses in the many lakes and waterways
of China have been the source of inspiration of Chinese poets for centuries. Robert Graves,
in The White Goddess, recounts a Greek myth of the half god, half mortal hero Hercules, who
borrows a lotus-shaped golden cup of the sun.
In the myths and legends of ancient Egypt, the lotus is a recurring theme. The king of the
Egyptian gods, Osiris, judge of the dead, wore a crown of lotus blossoms, and Isis, his queen,
was represented by the budding lotus. Another myth depicts the god Horus being reborn each
day from a blossoming lotus. The Egyptians also thought that stalks of the lotus plant supported
the heavens, emulating this by carving lotuses on the columns that supported the roofs of their
temples.
The lotus has been especially revered in India. One Hindu creation legend is an interesting
parallel to the Egyptian story. A golden lotus arises from the primal water, and as it opens
Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva emerge from the flower’s center. According to Hindu belief, the core
of the lotus is the center of great vitality and power. An early Indian literary work, the Rig Veda,
tells of the ancient Indian mother goddess “Lotus Goddess Lakshmi,” alluding to her as “the
mother of created beings.” Another name for Lakshmi is Padma, or “lotus”, and she is called the
“lotus-born,” “lotus-eyed,” and “lotus-colored” and is often depicted standing above or seated
upon a lotus.

39
Flowers on Borobudur
relief
The Buddha, in his enlightenment state, is often portrayed seated upon an open lotus flower,
and in all the forms of Buddhism the lotus is symbolic of the highest spiritual attainment. In
Asian art works, buddhas and bodhisattvas are frequently shown seated on lotus flowers. Kwan
Yin, the Chinese bodhisattva of mercy, is represented carrying a lotus in her arms. There is a
legend about the revered teacher, Padma Sambhava, also known as Guru Rinpoche, who
introduced Buddhism to Tibet in 762 AD. His name which means “Preacher of the Lotus”
originated from the Sanskrit word “Padma,” or lotus. Long ago in India, Padma meditated with
his wife, a beautiful princess named Mandarava. The king became so furious when he learned
that Padma had converted his daughter to the Buddhist faith that he had Padma seized and
burned alive. But, when the king’s soldiers returned to collect the charred remains of his body,
they discovered that Padma Sambhava was still very much alive and meditating on a
magnificent lotus above a lake. From that time forth, this very spot has been known as Tso
(“lake”), Pema (“lotus”).
During the last eight years of his life, Shakyamuni Buddha preached the sutra Saddharma-
Pundarika which is Sanskrit for “The Lotus of the Wonderful Law.” At that time the Buddha sat
with his legs crossed in what is now known as the lotus position, and while meditating in this
position, he entered into a state where his mind and body never moved. Then, he announced to
his disciples that he had “not yet revealed the truth” and predicted that the lotus teaching would
be propagated in the distant future when the world is defiled by the poisons of stupidity, greed,
and anger and all other teachings have lost their capacity to save mankind. We do not know
what language the Lotus Sutra was originally preached, but it was translated into Chinese from
Sanskrit by the Central Asian scholar-monk Kumarajiva (344-413 AD) and later translated into
Japanese and English. Today, the chanting of “Nam Myoho Renge Kyo” from the Lotus Sutra as
taught by the priest Nichiren is practiced worldwide. Renge literally translates as lotus but the

40
mystic meaning is hidden within the teaching. The text of the Lotus Sutra refers to thousands of
lotus blossoms, and it is said that the roots of goodness are planted deeply to save living beings,
a Mahayana Buddhist vow.
The Dalai Lama, leader of Tibetan Buddhists, is known as the “Lord of the White Lotus” because
the color white is made up of all other colors and is the symbol of spiritual perfection. Many
mandalas used in meditation are stylized lotus flowers representing the wheel of birth, death,
and rebirth. Shambhala, the pure land depicted in Tibetan Buddhism, is portrayed in the shape
of a lotus flower with eight petals, representing the eightfold path of the Buddhist. The Tibetan
Buddhist teaching of the sacredness of reality considers five styles of energy also called five
Buddha families. One is the padma lotus family which has both enlightened and negative
associations. The padma is symbolized by a beautiful delicate lotus which emerges from the
mud. It emits energy in the form of passion, its color is red, and the negative aspect is described
as clinging and grasping, the deluded side of passion. But, when the passion energy is freed of
fixation, it turns into discriminating awareness and has the wisdom of experience. The positive
enlightened state of the heat of padma passion is the warmth of genuine compassion.
What is this almost magical plant that has inspired so much reverence and so many legends
over the centuries? What is the reason for its great symbolic power? The botanical family of the
lotus is Nymphaeacea, the water-lily family, which is made up of nine genera and about fifty or
sixty species. These are aquatic plants which grow from rhizomes buried in mud at the bottom
of lakes and ponds; when the temperature is warm enough they send up petioles or stalks to the
water’s surface. From these grow large jade green leaves which repel drops of water on the
surface, then flowers rise up which often span ten to twelve inches, and leaves and flowers can
tower higher than the average person. The flowers open at dawn and close again at sunset.
__________________________________________________________________________
Allan Baillie was the photographer for The Art of Practice. This essay is adapted from his
work in progress, "The Lotus: A Spiritual Journey with Poetry," written in collaboration
with
https://tricycle.org/magazine/the-lotus/
Also seeWard, W. E.(1952). TheLotus Symbol:Its MeaninginBuddhist Art and Philosophy. The
Journalof Aesthetics and Art Criticism, 11(2), 135–146. https://doi.org/10.2307/426039

41
The name “lotus” causes a certain confusion, since it is used for plants within the family which
are not true lotuses. The “lotus” of ancient Egypt was actually a water lily, Nymphaea caerulea,
the blue lotus. There is still another blue lotus in India (N. stellata) which is probably the same
lotus that the Greeks used as an ornamental element in their architecture. “Lotus” is also a name
used commonly for the trefoil, which is grown in many parts of the world. In the United States,
we are most familiar with the pond lily, Nuphar, which grows throughout North America. But it is
the genus Nelumbo that contains the sacred lotus of Asia.
The American lotus Nelumbo is the Nelumbo lutea which grows in the eastern United States
from Minnesota to Florida and westward to eastern Texas. It has bluish green leaves that span
one to two feet across and deep yellow flowers that grow to about a foot in diameter. It grows
to a height of two and a half feet. Its seed pods are yellow when they are young, later turning to
green. The Indians used the rhizomes of the Nelumbo lutea for food, cooking them like potatoes
and boiling the seeds when they were green for eating.
Nelumbo nucifera—the well known “sacred lotus” or “Hindu lotus”—grows in tropical Asia. It is
this lotus that is shown holding the seated Buddha. Its leaves are three feet across and range
from a deep yellow green to a true green. When it is grown, a few of its leaves lie flat on the
surface of the water, like a water lily, and the rest stand anywhere from a foot to five feet above
the water. The leaves are coated with a waxy substance that makes them completely water
repellent.
The flowers of Nelumbo nucifera are larger than the American Nelumbo lutea, greater than a
foot across. They have a wonderful full fragrance, are usually white, rose, red, or various
combinations of these colors, and they can grow over six feet high.
The seed pod is one of the lotus’s most distinctive parts. It is a large, flat topped receptacle,
resembling as one writer pointed out, a small watering can! When the pods dry out, they are
long lasting and are often used in flower arrangements, or, with their empty seed containers, as
a purely decorative element, sometimes gilded. Almost all of the plant is used for food: the stalk
is sometimes served cold in salads; the root is cooked in many different ways; and the seeds can
be either cooked or eaten fresh like nuts. The leaves are used as wraps for steaming food. In
Japan, even the flower, which is bitter, is used in tempura.

42
All lotuses bloom in the daytime, usually for three days, although several last a few days longer.
They open early in the morning and close towards the end of afternoon, closing earlier on the
first day, interestingly enough. With most Nelumbo, on the fourth day of bloom the flowers fall
off, leaving the seed pod standing. The pods stand until they dry out enough to become brittle,
then break off and flower on the water until they rot, at which point the seeds fall, sink, and
germinate in the mud at the bottom.
Researchers have found that one of the most striking attributes of the lotus is a remarkable
ability to adjust its temperature. As the sun sets and the air cools, the lotus produces enough
energy to raise its temperature. And when the sun rises, the lotus’s heat subsides. A single lotus
flower can produce one watt of energy and forty plants generate the equivalent energy of one
light bulb! The energy that was attributed to the lotus in early Vedic Hinduism actually exists. It
is clear that the manner in which the lotus grows is the main reason for the reverence in which it
is held. It begins in the mud, where its rhizome is buried; then the petiole makes its way up
through murky water toward the surface; once it has reached the air, high above the water in
clear light, an unsullied blossom opens among the leaves that themselves are untouched by the
water. What better image for the journey of the soul, born in ignorance and mired in the
material world, seeking enlightenment on its passage though life; what better display of
tranquillity than the great green leaves lying quietly on the water with the splendid blossom
glowing in the air above them?
Poems
The moon’s the same old moon,
The flowers exactly as they were,
Yet I’ve become the thingness
of all the things I see!
Bunan (1602-1676)
Whoever in this world overcomes his selfish cravings,
his sorrows fall away from him,
like drops of water from a lotus flower.
From the Dhammapada. Early Buddhist teachings.
When you contemplate the waters
at day break, you can hear
the lotus blossom.
Kyokusai (1816-1874)
He drifts on blue water
under a clear moon,
picking white lilies on South Lake.
Every lotus blossom speaks of love
until his heart will break.
Li Po (701-762)

43
I cook the lotus soup,
Slice fine the lotus roots
I await my husband’s return
to relieve the hunger.
If he should covet
pairs of chopsticks elsewhere
Just so he forgets not
The key in his heart.
1. The Hindu goddess Lakshmi holding and standing on a lotus, Raja Ravi Varma;
modern///
2. The boy Buddha rising up from a lotus. Crimson and gilded wood, Trần-Hồ dynasty,
Vietnam, 14th-15th century///
3. From left-to-right, Mani, Zoroaster, Shakyamuni, and Jesus depicted seated atop lotus
flowers.
Nieuwenkamp's propositionIn 1931, a Dutch artist and scholar of Hindu and Buddhist
architecture, W.O.J. Nieuwenkamp, developed a theory that Kedu Plain was once a lake and
Borobudur initially represented a lotus flower floating on the lake. Lotus flowers are found in
almost every Buddhist work of art, often serving as a throne for buddhas and base for stupas.
The architecture of Borobudur itself suggests a lotus depiction, in which Buddha postures in
Borobudur symbolize the Lotus Sutra, mostly found in many Mahayana Buddhism (a school of
Buddhism widely spread in the east Asia region) texts. Three circular platforms on the top are
also thought to represent a lotus petals.

44
Nieuwenkamp has suggested that the landscape near Borobudur included lakes, and that the
temples were arranged around these lakes in form of flowers and mathematical patterns
considered to be auspicious, and that the temples were connected by paved brick roads lined by
walls. These lakes and roads were later filled with metres of volcanic ash from the multiple
eruptions of Mount Merapi, which lies very closely to the east of the area.
Nieuwenkamp's theory, however, was contested by many archaeologists, such as Dumarçay and
Soekmono, arguing the natural environment surrounding the monument was dry land. This
theory is controversial, but recent geological evidence supports Nieuwenkamp proposal.
Purnomo (Director of Taman Wisata Candi (TWC) Brorobudur Prambanan Ratu Boko (Persero)
which has been mentioned in point 2) also gives his opinion on the alleged Borobudur was built
in the middle of this ancient lake. According to him around the temple there is a well salty. But
the salty wells are not located in all regions, only at certain points only. He also mentioned that
the question of the Van Bammelen attract the attention of foreign scientists so as to make them
arrive and undertake specific research to uncover the truth of the ancient lake that is still a
mystery. Usually they stay for one to two weeks there.
One way to uncover the mystery is by researching rivers located in the neighborhood of the
temple, including the Progo and Elo and the people living around the temple.
Curiously, like many other ancient structures around the globe, pyramids, for example, there are
no known records of construction or the intended purpose of Borobudur. Forgotten and
rediscovered.
It is commonly acknowledged that Borobudur was constructed between 750 and 850 by the
Shailendra dynasty’s rulers. The name is traced back to the Sanskrit Vihara Buddha Ur, which
translates as “the Buddhist temple on the mountain,” although its exact meaning is disputed.
The ninth-century world-heritage Buddhist monument of Borobudur (Java, Indonesia) stands
above the floor of a dried-out palaeolake, but it remains uncertain as to whether it was ever
constructed on a lake shore. Here we reveal through new chronological and
palaeoenvironmental data on the extant sediment record of the area that Borobudur
intentionally stood by an existing lake. For the first time, evidence of this conjunction validates
quite literally the debated cosmological interpretation of the edifice as an aquatic lotus symbol
upon which Buddha is seated. The fluctuating life history of the lake spanned at least 20 000
years.
The generally accepted belief regarding the 9th century world-heritage Buddhist temple of
Borobudur (Java, Indonesia) is that it stands above the floor of a dried-out palaeolake but was
never constructed on a lake shore. Here we reveal through new chronological and
palaeoenvironmental data on the extant sediment record of the area that Borobudur
intentionally stood by an existing lake. Evidence of this conjunction validates the debated
cosmological interpretation of the edifice as an aquatic lotus symbol upon which Buddha is
seated. The fluctuating life history of the lake spanned at least 20,000 years. Borobudur temple
stood by a lake: chronostratigraphic evidence and historical implications.

45
The temple was eventually ‘forgotten’ as evidence points to the fact that Borobudur was
abandoned after the fourteenth century with the decline of the Buddhist and Hindu
kingdoms in Java and the conversion of the islanders to Islam. After its abandonment, the
massive pyramid temple remained hidden for centuries under layers of volcanic ash and
jungle growth, like many other pyramids across the planet. However, scholars have still not
agreed upon the exact cause of its abandonment.One theory suggests religion had
something to do with its abandonment. Theories argue that the temple was abandoned
because much of the population was converted to Islam during the 15th century. Another
hypothesis suggests the abandonment was due to a famine caused by a volcanic eruption
(in the year 1006), which forced the inhabitants to abandon their lands and the monument.
Borobudur was rediscovered in 1814 by Thomas Stamford Raffles, the British governor of
Java. When Raffles had heard about the ancient monument’s possible existence, he sent
Dutch engineer H.C. Cornellius to investigate the area.Cornellius and his men spotted the
ancient pyramid temple. Cornellius and his 200 men cut trees, burned vegetation, and dug
to clear the monument for the next two months. Due to the dangers of collapse, they could
not explore the galleries. Cornellius would eventually report his findings to Raffles, including
several drawings. Raffles is credited with focusing the world’s attention on the monument.It
wasn’t until 1835 that the temple was completely excavated. In his book entitled "The
Geology of Indonesia", a scientist named Van Bemmelen also mentionedthat pyroclastics of
Merapi, which erupted on a large scale in 1006 has covered the lake Borobudur thus making
the lake dried up and disappeared in history.

46
Versak
pic
However researchers were unable to discover any pollen or spore samples that were
characteristic of any vegetation known to grow in an aquatic environment. The area surrounding
Borobudur appears to have been surrounded by agricultural land and palm trees at the time of
the monument’s construction, as is still the case today. Dumarçay together with
Professor Thanikaimoni had taken soil samples in 1974 and again in 1977 from trial trenches
that had been dug into the hill, as well as from the plain immediately to the south. These
samples were later analysed by Professor Thanikaimoni, who examined their pollen and spore
content in order to identify the type of vegetation that had grown in the area around the time of
Borobudur’s construction.
Again to refute that in 2000s, geologists, on the other hand, support Nieuwenkamp's view,
pointing out clay sediments found near the site. A study of stratigraphy, sediment
and pollen samples conducted in 2000 supports the existence of a paleolake environment near
Borobudur, which tends to confirm Nieuwenkamp's theory.
The lake area fluctuated with time and the study also proves that Borobudur was near the lake
shore c. 13th and 14th centuries. River flows and volcanic activities shape the surrounding
landscape, including the lake. One of the most active volcanoes in Indonesia, Mount Merapi's
has been very active since the Pleistocene.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
1. Urubshurow, V. (1988). Transformation of Religious Symbol in Indian Buddhism: Reflections on
Method from a Reading of Mus’s Barabuḍur. Numen, 35(2), 260–279.
https://doi.org/10.2307/3269974

47
Architectural Details: The Bahá’í Temple of South America-A worship
space draws together cast glass and translucent marble.
Eric Baldwin
The 10th Annual A+Awards is still accepting entries! New this season, firms can gain recognition
for their entire portfolio of work thanks to the addition of the new Best Firm categories
celebrating practices of all sizes, geographies and specializations. Start your entry today.
When harnessed to maximum effect, light can give shape to form and space. Inspired by light
as a material in itself, Hariri Pontarini Architects‘ A+Award-winning Bahá’í Temple of South
America was borne from an exploration of cast glass and translucent Portuguese marble.
Comprising nine monumental glass veils, the worship space is designed to express an inclusive
faith.
Embodying a community’s aspirations, the temple is set within the foothills of the Andes
bordering the metropolis of Santiago, Chile. 14 years in the making, the project represents the
last of eight continental temples commissioned by the Bahá’í Community. The open and
accessible space has become a major destination in South America since its opening in 2016,
now welcoming up to 36,000 visitors each weekend.

48
Conceptually, the project encapsulates the interplay of contradictions: stillness and movement,
simplicity and complexity, intimacy and monumentality; a solid structure capable of dissolving
in light. Surrounded by reflecting pools and a landscape of native grasses, the Bahá’í Temple is
a domed, luminous structure that echoes the rolling topography of the Andes.
Built to last 400 years, the temple was designed to draw humanity closer to the Divine, to that
quest for personal and collective perfection, betterment, refinement and a longing for
togetherness and unity. Stone, glass, wood and steel become spiritual, and in turn, the
measurable becomes immeasurable.
An investigation into material qualities that embody light culminated in the development of
two cladding materials: translucent marble from the Portuguese Estremoz quarries for the
interior layer, and cast glass panels for the exterior.
Designing a structure as complex and varied as nature required the most advanced computer
technology. Led by Siamak Hariri, the team at Hariri Pontarini Architects innovated its own
system for rendering the sculptural building, using machine-to-machine fabrication to create
highly irregular, organic shapes in glass.

49
The
exterior layer of cast-glass panels was developed in collaboration with the Canadian glass
artist Jeff Goodman. Around 20 percent of the exterior cladding is curved, with the curved glass
pieces made by slumping flat glass over shotcrete-covered polystyrene forms in a kiln.
The glass casting was completed by Goodman and CGD Glass, while the fabrication was done
by EDM. The team used borosilicate glass for the site’s extreme temperature variations.
Standing next to the temple, visitors can appreciate the complex subtlety of the exterior
cladding manufactured from this melted glass, which recalls the configuration of snowflake
crystals.

50
eanwhile, translucent marble panels form the interior walls of the temple. Flat pieces were
water-jet cut from slabs to the exact shape defined by the computer model. Each wing of the
nine-sided Temple contains over 870 unique pieces of marble.
The final fabrication of the steel superstructure — manufactured by Gartner Steel and Glass —
was made possible only through advanced fabrication techniques. The multitude of parts was
assembled in Germany into manageable sections, and then shipped and assembled on site in
Chile.
The Temple is designed to withstand extreme earthquakes and wind. The super-structures of
the wings are comprised of hundreds of unique, individually engineered slim-profile steel
members and nodal connections. Each of the wings rest on concrete rings and columns on
elastomeric seismic isolators, so that in the event of an earthquake, the concrete pads slide
horizontally to absorb the shock.

51
Openness and transparency are fundamental to both the structure and its site. The Bahá’í
House of Worship can be accessed by nine entrances located at regular intervals around the
domed structure, while curving paths lead visitors on walking meditations through the sloped
landscape.
The building combines advanced engineering solutions, cutting-edge material innovation, and
computerized fabrication methods to create a space that is at once monumental and intimate.
The structure works with the idea of light being captured, embodied and catalyzed within the
material structure of the temple.
As a result, the Bahá’í Temple is alive with light.
https://architizer.com/blog/practice/details/bahai-temple/
The Lotus Temple / Baha'i Temple, Delhi
One of the outstanding structures of the 20th
century is the Bahai Temple in Delhi, popularly
known as the Lotus Temple. Indeed, it has been referred to as the modern day Taj Mahal, a
comparison which would seem improbable but one which is justified in reality. The Baha’i
Mother Temple at Kalkaji in New Delhi is a place for assembly, contemplation & prayer. The
Baha’i faith is said to embody in itself the nine major faiths of the world and in order to
symbolise this, each component of the temple is repeated nine times. The temple manifests
itself as a half open lotus flower, afloat, surrounded by its leaves. Designed by architect Fariburz
Sahba, the structure is a complex form, one which would have been very challenging to
conceive, solve and ultimately construct. Yet, today it stands testament to the ingenuity of all the
people involved that it is one of the modern marvels of construction.

52
The temple complex consists of the main House of Worship, the ancilliary block which houses
the reception centre, the library and the administrative building. Set in the middle of a large
sprawling lawn, the temple rises up on its large basement cum plinth to a lotus shaped
superstructure which houses the assembly area. All around the structure are walkways with
beautiful carved balustrades, bridges and stairs which surround the nine pools representing the
leaves of the lotus.
The lotus as seen from the outside, has three sets of leaves or petals, all of which are made out
of thin concrete shells. The outer-most set of nine petals, called the entrance leaves, open
outwards and form the nine entrances all around the outer annular hall. The next set of nine
petals, called the outer leaves, point inwards. The entrance and the outer leaves together cover
the outer hall. The third set of nine petals, called the inner leaves, appear to be partly closed.
Only the tips open out, somewhat like a partly open bud. This portion, which rises above the
rest, forms the main structure housing the central hall. Since the lotus is open at the top, a glass
and steel roof at the level of the radial beams provides protection from the rain and facilitates
entry of natural light into the auditorium.
The finishing is in the form of exposed concrete on the interiors and white marble cladding on
the outer surface of the shells as well as the inner surface of the arches. For the walls, columns,
and soffits of slabs in the basement, the grey concrete surface shows an exquisite pattern of
joints of planks and the grains of wood. Above the basement, the inner surfaces of of white
concrete of all the shells have a uniform bush hammered surface with architectural patterns.

53
Fariburz Shahba’s own words – ‘It was an Indian Baha’i friend in a small city who for the first
time spoke to me about the lotus flower as an idea for the temple. Next, in the Ajanta & Ellora
caves the impression of the lotus flowers on the surface walls depicting the ‘throne of flowers’
drew my attention to this flower. In South India, another Baha’i gentleman showed so much
enthusiasm that he took great pains to locate a pond covered with this beautiful flower, and
brimming over with excitement, took me to view the magnificent blooms. His earnest
description and explanations of whatever he knew about the lotus impressed upon me the deep
rooted significance of this flower in India. Later, I studied the art, culture and religions of India
from books I had collected. The deep respect for the lotus that spontaneously evoked from
Indian hearts everywhere, the excitement in the eyes and their loving attachement to this sacred
flower kept me from considering other ideas for the design. May attention was now focussed
upon this concept. However, the critical question had yet to be answered as to how a flower
could be translated into a building. However symbolic and sensational it may be, such a design
could also be regarded as trite and formalistic and consequently vulgar and bereft of any
architectural value.
The lotus represents the manifestation of God and is also the symbol of purity and tenderness.
Its significance is deeply rooted in the minds and hearts of Indians. In the epic poem of the
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 scared flower, being associated with worship
throughout many centuries. In Buddhist folklore the Bodhisattva Avalokiteswara is represented
as born from a lotus and is usually depicted as standing or sitting in a lotus pedestal and
holding a lotus bloom in his hand.
The temple superstructure is so designed as to function as a skylight. The interior dome is
spherical and patterned after the innermost portion of the lotus flower. Light enters the hall in
the same way as it passes through the inner folds of the lotus petals. The interior dome
therefore is like a bud consisting of 36 petals and light filters through these inner folds and is

54
diffused throughout the hall. The central bud is ringed by three sets of nine petals as they
appear in a natural flower – the just-opening petals, the semi-open petals and the completely
open petals. The just-opening or inner petals constitute the external dome; the semi-open or
outer function as high skylight; the completely open or entrance petals form a canopy over each
of the nine entrances’.
Regarding the use of water, the nine pools around the building form the principal landscaping.
At the same time, they represent the green leaves of the lotus plant, thus completing the picture
of a lotus afloat on water. Moreover, the pools with fountains in them help to cool the air that
passes over them into the hall. The superstructure, the podium and the pools are designed as an
integrated whole and the parts cannot be separated’.

55
AD Classics: Sydney Opera House / JørnUtzon
OPERA HOUSE- SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA/Architects : Jørn Utzon-Year : 1973
Text description provided by the architects. There are few buildings as famous as
the Sydney Opera House in Sydney, Australia. Arguably considered the eighth wonder of
the world, the opera house has a long history behind its design. The story behind this
magnificent structure began in 1956 when the New South Wales Government called an
open competition for the design of two performance halls, for opera and for symphony
concerts, that would put Sydney on the map.
The Danish architect Jørn Utzon was unknown for his work at the time, yet his entry for
the competition which consisted of a few simple sketches intrigued the famous Eero
Saarinen who was part of the jury. The drawings submitted for this scheme are simple to
the point of being diagrammatic," observed the jury. "Nevertheless, we are convinced
that they present a concept of an opera house that is capable of becoming one of the
great buildings of the world."

56
Concert Hall
Construction of the Sydney Opera House began in March 1959 after the demolition of
the existing Fort Macquarie Tram Depot. The project was built in three phases: the
foundation and building of the podium overlooking the Sydney Harbor, the construction
of the outer shells, and the construction of the interior.
Opera Theater
The construction of the podium began when Utzon was not yet done with the design of
the opera house, and was overseen by the renowned engineering firm Ove Arup &
Partners. Due to the fact that construction began abruptly without certain structural
problems still unresolved, certain aspects of the podium had to be modified and rebuilt
after its completion in 1963 in order to hold the weight of the massive concrete
structures it was supporting.

57
Between 1957-1963 in the midst of the construction of the podium, Utzon and Arup
worked on developing a shell system that would make the original spherical scheme
structurally possible. Twelve iterations later, they came up with a solution that consisted
of a ribbed system of precast concrete shells created from sections of a sphere.
This system permitted each rib to be built up of a number of standard segments cast in
a common mold at the site. Utzon wanted the shells to be portrayed like large while
sails in contrast to the deep blue waters of the ocean it stood upon. In order to achieve
this aesthetic the shells are covered with 1,056,066 ceramic tiles made in Sweden from
clay and crushed stone. Along with the placement of the tiles, it took eleven years to
complete the iconic roof structure.

58
On February 28, 1966 after a long battle with the New South Wales
Government because of the rising construction costs as the concrete shells were
progressing towards their completion, Utzon resigned from the project. Despite a 3000-
signature protest for Utzon's reinstatement the government appointed three Australian
architects, Peter Hall, DS Littlmore, and Lionel Todd, to complete the project. After the
2,194th precast shell segment was installed in 1967 the second stage of the project was
finished.
At the third and final stage of the project under the supervision of the newly appointed
architects Utzon's original design was signifcantly changed. At the request of the
Australian Broadcasting Commission the proposed main hall that was originally

59
designed as a multipurpose opera/concert became a space solely for concerts, thus
titled the Concert Hall which is able to accomodate 2,800 people.
The minor hall, originally intended for stage productions, was changed to house operas
and ballets and was called the Opera Theatre. Grand external staircases lead into the
two these two main auditoriums marking an entrance that visitors are unlikely to
forget. Due to the switch of the main halls, however, the Opera Theatre is now too small
to stage large opera and ballet productions. Three smaller theatres, a library, and a
cinema were also added to the original design along with three restaurants, six bars, and
sixty dressing rooms. The building has a total of 1000 rooms with access through a
concourse that encircles the entire building and links the five performance spaces.
The design for the large exterior glass walls was also left in the hands of the appointed
architects. They are supported by vertical steel mullions which extend all the way up the
mouth of the shells. Bronze glazing bars run from these mullions to help support the
2000 panes of glass, which was designed by Ove Arup & Partners, and consists of two
layers of glass joined by an interlayer of plastic in order to strengthen the windows and
provide better sound insulation.The building was completed and opened by Queen
Elizabeth II in October of 1973. With an original estimate of 7 million dollars the budget
was vastly exceeded with a final cost of 102 million dollars. In 1989 the government was
informed the opera house would need repairs that would cost approximately 86 million
dollars due to fallen tiles and deterioration of the structural ribs.

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