Editor's Note: Over the years since the inauguration of the Bahá'í House of Worship in December 1986, its architect, Mr. Fariborz Sahba, has been interviewed a number of times about his wonderful lotus-shaped creation. Below are a sampling of questions posed to the architect by different people and publications at different times, and his responses.
Q. Every phase of the construction of the Temple must have had its own unique challenge in terms of architecture, design, and engineering. Which stage was the most exciting to you?
A, I think the design period was the most challenging and exciting part of the project for me. To design a temple which would reflect the rich cultural heritage of India, and at the same time be compatible with the cardinal principle of the Bahá'í Faith - the unity of religions - provided me a most unusual and remarkable chance for witnessing the power of Baha'u'llah's Revelation. I was looking for a concept that would be acceptable to the people of all the different religions that abound with such rich diversity in India. I wanted to design something new and unique, at the same time not strange but familiar, like the Bahá'í Faith itself, something which would be loved by the people of different religions. It should, on the one hand, reveal the simplicity, clarity and freshness of the Bahá'í Revelation, as apart from the beliefs and man-made concepts of the many divided sects. On the other hand, it should show respect for the basic beliefs of all the religions of the past and act as a constant reminder to the followers of each faith that the principles of all the religions of God are one. People should intuitively find some sort of relationship with it in their hearts. This was the most exciting part of the project for me. The rest of the challenges were technical matters which somehow could be dealt with.
I began without preconceptions, ready for ideas. I visited hundreds of temples all over India, not for architectural guidance but to discover a concept that would integrate the spiritual heritage of this sub-continent. As I delved deeper and deeper into the cultural and architectural heritage of India, 1 became profoundly fascinated by the task before me.
I was concentrating and praying. I was convinced that God would guide me towards a concept, and this is just what happened. Is it not strange that just by chance I had to change my route while travelling, and go to a different place where a pure soul, whom I had never met before, was waiting to tell me about the lotus? This was an Indian Bahá'í friend, Mr. Kamrudin Bartar, who for the first time spoke to me about the lotus as an idea for the Temple. No doubt he was Baha'u'llah's messenger to me, though I did not know it at that time, and was more impressed by his pure heart, simplicity, and kindness, than his concept and idea for a temple. Then, in the Ajanta and Ellora caves, the impression of the lotus flowers on the walls, depicting the throne of the gods, drew my attention to this flower. In South India another Indian Bahá'í, on learning of my interest in the lotus flower, showed much enthusiasm. 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 explanation 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, spontaneously evoked in Indian hearts everywhere, and their loving attachment to this sacred flower, convinced me to end my search for further ideas for the design. My 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 ordinary, and, consequently, vulgar and bereft of any architectural value.
When T recall my visit to India, I am convinced that at every step the blessings of Baha'u'llah assisted and guided this work. The difficulties and problems resolved themselves in an amazing manner. This could not have been possible without the prayers of the Universal House of Justice (the highest governing body of the Bahá'í Faith), which I had solicited before coming to India. No doubt, it was destined that the Temple be built in this shape.
Q. What is the significance of the lotus design?
A. In brief, the lotus represents the Manifestation of God, and is also a symbol of purity and tenderness. Its significance is deeply rooted in the minds and hearts of the Indians. In the epic poem 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 sacred flower associated with worship throughout many centuries. In Buddhist folklore the Boddhisatva Avalokiteswara is represented as born from a lotus, and is usually depicted as standing or sitting on a lotus pedestal and holding a lotus bloom in his hand. Buddhists glorify him in their prayers, "Om Mani Padme Hum", "Yea, 0 Jewel in the Lotus!" Lord Buddha says you have to be like a lotus which, although living in dirty water, still remains beautiful and undefiled by its surroundings.
So, we realise that the lotus is associated with worship, and has been a part of the life and thoughts of Indians through the ages. It will seem to them as though they have been worshipping in this Temple in their dreams for years. Now their vision has become a reality and. God willing, some day they will all enter and worship in it.
Q. You mentioned the importance of water and light. What is the concept of lighting and the use of water in your design?
A. The whole superstructure is designed 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 27 petals, and light filters through these inner folds and is diffused throughout the hall. The central bud is held by nine open petals, each of which functions as a skylight. The nine entrance petals complete the design.
The external illumination is arranged to create the impression that the lotus structure is afloat upon water and not anchored to its foundation, by having the light focussed brightly on the upper edges of the petals.
Regarding the use of water, a glance at the design will show that the nine pools around the building form the principal landscaping. At the same time, they represent the green leaves of the lotus afloat on water. Moreover, the pools and fountains 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 from the whole.
Q. You must have worked certain requirements of the environment into the design. Can you explain something in that regard?
A. This is a matter to which a great deal of thought has been given. Since the climate in Delhi is very hot for several months of the year, and the degree of humidity varies, it seemed as though the only solution for the ventilation problem would be air-conditioning. However, this is very expensive to install and maintain, and, therefore, not feasible for a temple in India. On the basis of the methods of ventilation used in ancient buildings, a different, though complicated, solution for the ventilation problem of the Temple has been devised.
This, in a way, can be called "natural ventilation", and is based upon the results of "smoke tests" which were performed in the Imperial College of London on a model of the Temple. The results demonstrated that with openings in the basement and at the top, the building would act like a chimney, drawing up warm air from within the hall and expelling it through the top of the dome. Thus, constant draughts of cool air passing over the pools and through the basement flow into the hall and out through the opening at the top. This ventilation is complemented in two other ways: a set of exhaust fans is arranged in the dome to cool the concrete shell and prevent transference of heat into the Temple, while another set of fans funnel air from the auditorium into the cold basement, where it is cooled and recycled back into the auditorium. This system, and its maintenance, is by far cheaper than air-conditioning, and our calculations forecast pleasant and agreeable temperatures inside the Temple.
Q. How were the funds provided for the construction of the House of Worship?
A. It is very important to know that only Bahá'ís can contribute towards the construction cost of the Temple, and this is regarded as a great privilege and bounty for the Bahá'ís. The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of India (the governing council at the national level) printed a large number of coupons valued from one rupee to one hundred rupees to raise funds from Bahá'ís scattered in several thousand localities in India. Contributions were also received in kind, such as rice, wheat, and handicrafts from the villages. Bahá'ís from all over the world also contributed for the construction of the Temple. The amount is not important. What is important is that the maximum number of Bahá'ís participated in giving. An Indian scholar who visited the site told me, "The Taj Mahal was built with the power of a king, but you are building this majestic edifice with the power of love."
Q. You said that this House of Worship is open to all people irrespective of race, caste, religion, and class. Does this mean that people can practice their traditional forms of worship here, for instance, Hindus chant their Mantras, Muslims say Namaz, Christians hold Mass, Buddhists use their prayer wheels, and so forth?
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