The Bahá'í House of Worship in New Delhi or the "Lotus Temple" is one of the most beautiful monuments in Delhi. It is called the "Lotus Temple" because it is shaped like a half open Lotus flower. The petals consist of three folds of nine concrete portals, each covered outside with marble from Greece. From the ground, the temple is 35 m high and is surrounded by Nine reflecting pools suggesting the green leaves of the lotus flower. Since the Lotus is open at the top, a glass and steel roof provides protection from rain and lets in natural light in the auditorium. Since its opening in 1986, the temple has been visited by over 4 crore people making it one of the world's most visited monuments. This "House of Worship of the Indian subcontinent" joins six other Bahá'í temples around the world. It is the first Baha'i temple in Asia. The other temples are in Panama, Kampala, Illinois, Frankfurt, Sydney and West Samoa, all of which are nine-sided designs, symbolising perfection. Baha-ullah is the founder of the faith of the Baha'is. The Lotus temple was designed by Fariborz Sahba, a Canadian architect of Iranian origin. Apart from being a beautiful building the temple has been designed very scientifically. Ventilation and cooling in the temple are based on techniques traditional to the Indian subcontinent. Fresh air, cooled as it passes over the fountains and pools, is drawn in through openings in the basement, up into the central hall, and expelled through a vent at the top of the interior dome. During the humid season a set of exhaust fans in the basement recycles air from the main hall into the cool basement and back. Did you know ? This temple has no clergy, no idols, no pictures, no sermons, no rituals. The daily public services include selections from the holy books of all religions. Fundu Fact In Indian mythology lotus flower signifies purity and peace, rising pure and unsullied above stagnant, muddy waters. The lotus is the national flower of India. On visiting the Temple Pandit Ravi Shankar, the sitar maestro, wrote, "I am so deeply moved visiting this great, beautiful place that I find no words to express my feelings. I am sure people visiting here will find intense joy, love and peace."