Lotus temple Delhi

Lotus temple – The Lotus temple is worship place of the Baha’i community. It is a fantastic temple in New Delhi. As it is  built in the shape of lotus flower so popularly known as  Lotus Temple it is the 7th largest house of devotion in the Baha’i world. and also a famous attraction in Delhi

 Since its inauguration to public for devotion and visits in December 1986, the Bahá’í House of Worship in New Delhi, India is visited by more than 70 million visitors, making it one of the most visited edifices in the world. On an average, 8,000 to 10,000 people visits the Bahá’í House of Worship every day. These visitors have admired its universal design in the form of a lotus and have been mesmerized by the Teachings of the Bahá’í Faith, especially its tenets of the Oneness of God, the Oneness of Religions, and the Oneness of Mankind.

 The Bahá’í Faith  is  to unite all races and peoples in one universal Cause and one common Faith. Bahá’ are the followers of Bahá’u’lláh, Who they believe is the Promised One of all Ages. The traditions of almost every people is to promise for the future with Peace and harmony  will be established on the earth and human will live with prosparity.

 THE GRAND STRUCTURE

 Fariborz Sahba, Canadian architect of Iranian origin ,worked about 10 years to design and project management, and with the help of  team  of about 800 engineers, technicians, artisans and workers brought to complete one of the most complicated constructions in the world.

 The structure of the House is composed of three ranks of nine petals; each springing from a podium elevating the building above the surrounding plain. The first two ranks curve inward, embracing the inner dome; the third layer curves outward to form canopies over the nine entrances. The petals, constructed of reinforced white concrete cast in place, are clad in white marble panels, performed to surface profiles and patterns related to the geometry. Nine arches that provide the main support for the superstructure ring the central hall. Nine reflecting pools surround the building on the outside, their form suggesting the green leaves of the lotus flower. Translating the geometry of the design, in which there are virtually no straight lines, into the actual structure presented particular challenges in designing and erecting the framework. Not only was it difficult to align, so as to produce accurately the complex double-curved surfaces and their intersections, but also the closeness of the petals severely restricted workspace. Nevertheless the task was carried out entirely by the local laborers. Thanks to each one who contributed in its construction. To avoid construction joints, petals were concreted in a continuous operation for approximately 48 hours. Concrete was carried up the staging by women bearing 50-pound loads in baskets balanced on their heads. All the steel reinforcing for the shells of the lotus petals was galvanized to avoid rust stains on the white concrete in  the prevailing humid conditions, guaranteeing the life of the delicate shell structure of 6 to 18 cm thick shells of the petals. India is well endowed with human resources.

Haridwar temple

Haridwar is an important pilgrimage city  in the Haridwar district of Uttarakhand, India. The River Ganges, after flowing for 253 kilometres (157 mi) from its source at Gaumukh at  Gangotri Glacier,enters the Indo-Gangetic Plains of North India for the first time at Haridwar,which gave the city its ancient name, Gangadwára.Haridwar is regarded as one of the seven holiest places of Hindus. According to the Samudra manthan, Haridwar along with Ujjain, Nasik and Allahabad is one of four sites where drops of Amrit, the elixir of immortality, accidentally spilled over from the pitcher while being carried by the celestial bird Garuda. This is manifested in the Kumbha Mela being celebrated every 3 years in one of the 4 places, and thus at every 12 years in Haridwar. Amidst the Kumbha Mela, millions of pilgrims, devotees, and tourists congregate in

Haridwar to perform ritualistic bathing on the banks of the river Ganges to wash away their sins to attain Moksha. Brahma Kund, the spot where the Amrit fell, is located at

 Har ki Pauri (literally, “footsteps of the Lord”) and is considered to be the most sacred ghat of Haridwar.Haridwar meaning is, Hari means God Hari and Dwar means gate. so Haridwar is the gate to reach the god.Brahma kund is spot where Amrit fell is locatted in Haki Pauri ( footsteps of the Lord) is considered tobe the scared ghat of Haridwar. Haridwar a place for nature lovers. We bath in the river , where chain is knotted to support, who afraid to bath in the river . That water is cold and clean , then we started to walk over the bridge for reaching to MansaDevi . When we passed through it , we saw numbers of sadhus in different clothes ,there we saw othere persons who cloured themselves in the form of God . This seen was really entertaing for us but some real saints is there who , tell everything right, and they always busy in pooja( worship).  you may notice one thing here is cleanness in both side inside or outside.

Main Temples

 Mansa Devi Temple

 Mansa Devi temple is the main and most visited temple in Haridwar. The temple is dedicated to Mansa Devi, an incarnation of Goddess of power, Durga. The temple is perched on a hilltop, called Bilwa hill. The only way to reach the temple is to choose from the options of trekking or ropeway cable car. Both of the ways sound really exciting, as spirituality and adventure come together at Mansa Devi Temple.

 Pawan Dham Temple :

  The Pawan Dham temple in Haridwar, Uttaranchal, India is one of the important religious sites that must be visited during pilgrimage tours. This ancient

temple is located at a distance of 2 kilometers from the town and is famous for the glasswork that has been done on the temple walls. The Pawan Dham Temple is quite popular for the celaborately ornamented idols.

  Maya Devi Temple :

 At the famous Maya Devi temple, the goddess is worshipped as an embodiment of power or Shakti. The temple is the shaktipeeths from India. According to ancient  scriptures, when lord Shiva was carrying his burnt wife Sati, the heart and navel of Sati fell at this place.

ISKCON   temple Delhi

ISKCON Delhi temple is also called as Sri Sri Radha Parthasarathi Mandir famous Vaishnav temple of Lord Krishna and Radharani in the form of Radha Parthasarathi, Opened in 1998, it is located at Hare Krishna Hills, in the East  Kailash area , New Delhi, India. In Vaishnavism Lord Krishna is considered the ‘most merciful’ incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

 Temple Complex

  ISKCON Temple, designed and built by Achyut  Kanvinde who in 1993 agreed to accept a pro-bono commission to build this temple complex for the followers of Srila Prabhupada  . is one of the largest temple complexes in India. It comprises numerous rooms for priests and for service renders. It contains many halls that are used for its administration purposes. It is divided into four broad sections.

 Interesting legends of mythology and their scientific relevance fascinates you, then remember to visit the ISKCON museum, ensconced on two floors of the temple building. Pinned to a common goal to present Indian history in an interactive manner, the temple authority has taken initiatives to organise a light and sight show garnished with life-like figures of Hindu mythology, that makes a huge impact on the audience. Portraying the the best of science and religion, the exhibition is a must see for every visitor. Stroll in the ground floor and you can see beautiful  motifs that brings the forlorn preaching of Bhagwat Gita, back to life. As you will climb higher, the whole backdrop changes to that of Ramayana and Mahabharata stories.

 Worship of Lord

As Vaishnavism, ISKCON has very high standard of worship, daily routine of temple is:-

Twenty four brahmanically trained pujaris worship the Deities according to strict spiritual regulations, it also includes complete purity and auspiciousness of pujaris, mentioned by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Prabhupada

 Six aratis are offered to the Deities everyday, which are as :

    Mangala Aarti

    Tulsi Aarti

    Dhoop Aarti

    Raj-Bhoga Aarti

    Pushpa Aarti

    Sandhya Aasrti

 Six bhoga offerings, corresponding to these six aratis, are made to the Deities.

The outfits of the Deities are changed twice every day, morning and evening.

 Mata Vaishno Devi temple

Mata Vaishno Devi temple is recognized as one of the “Shakti Peeths” of goddess ‘ Durga’.This holy shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi which is situated in the folds of mighty ‘Tirkuta’ Hills’, visits here lakhs of devotees from all parts of India and abroad . . The Holy Cave of the Mother is situated at an altitude of 5200 ft. The Yatris have to undertake a trek of nearly 12 km from the base camp at Katra.

The Town Katra is 50 Kms away from Jammu and 35 Kms from District HQ Udhampur and is linked by road. The Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine is one of the most popular Shrines of India

People who visit here, constitute a heterogeneous profile comprising of wealthy & poor, aged & young, males & females from within and outside the country. The Shrine of goddess ‘Vaishno Devi’ is reached by an arduous climb.

The scenic beauty, the landscape around and the constant chanting of ‘Jai Mata Di’, leaves a mystic effect on the devotees. At the culmination of their pilgrimage the devotees are blessed with the ‘Darshans’ of the deity in her three manifestations as three Pindies, located inside the sanctum- sanatorium, which is open for the devotees through out the year in all seasons.It is truly a spiritually uplifting experience to witness the faith of the devotees, who are motivated to the heart by three words being chanted since the ages.

 ”Jai Mata Di”

 Vaishnavi’ means the one who is related to lord “Vishnu”. Goddess Vaishnavi is the manifestation of the collective spiritual strengths of Mata Maha Kali, Mata Maha Lakshmi and Mata Maha Saraswati. It isseen from Durga sapatshati that the goddess was born as a young girl of extraordinary beauty and strength, out of the collectively pooled ‘Tejas’ of various ‘Devtas’ and three lords Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh . The immediate purpose of the creation of the goddess was the annihilation of Asura (devil) Mahishasura. However another purpose of her creation was that she might usher on earth an era of pious and ascetic life so that the peace could prevail upon the world and she through her penance could rise to higher levels of spirituality and ultimately merge with Vishnu.

Vaishno Devi Temple is a door way to religious affair and tradition. The very important activity lies in the Aarti, performed by the Pujaries. It is performed twice a day with the morning sunrise and evening sunset. The ritual starts with the loud chanting of Mantra’s, accompanied with uttering 108 names of Goddess Durga. Following this the Aatm Puja is performed for their own purification. With applying Tilak on each other’s forehead, the puja further continues with worshiping .Prithvi, Surya, Deep and Dhoop. After a strong devotion of two hours the aarti ends up with a vow to Mata Maha Kali, Maha Lakshmi Vaishno Mata and Mata Maha Saraswati.  At the culmination of their pilgrimage, the yatries are blessed with the Darshans of the Mother Goddess inside the Sanctum Sanctorum- the Holy Cave. These Darshans are in the shape of three natural rock formations called the Pindies. There are no statues or idols inside the Cave. Darshans are open round the clock throughout the year.

Akshardham Temple

Swaminarayan Akshardham in New Delhi epitomizes 10,000 years of Indian culture in all its breathtaking grandeur, beauty, wisdom and bliss. It is a showcases that briliantly presence the essence of India’s ancient architecture, traditions and timeless spiritual messages. The experience in Akshardham Temple  is an enlightening journey through India’s glorious art, values and contributions for the progress, happiness and harmony of mankind.

The glorious Akshardham temple complex stands on the banks of the Yamuna river and has more than a 100 acres of lawn decorated with water fountains and carved pavilions. An amount of 2 billions were spent on the building Akshardham temple, which has complated in 5 years.

The beautiful mandir built without steel, consists of 234 ornately carved pillars, 9 ornate domes, 20 quadrangled shikhars, a spectacular Gajendra Pith (plinth of stone elephants) and 20,000 murtis and statues of India’s great sadhus, devotees, acharyas and divine personalities. The Temple is a fusion of pink stone and pure white marble, where pink stone symbolizes bhakti in eternal bloom and white marble presents absolute purity and eternal peace.

The grand, ancient-styled Swaminarayan Akshardham temple was built in only five years through the blessings of HDH Pramukh Swami Maharaj of the Bochasanwasi  Shri  Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) and the colossal devotional efforts of 11,000 artisans and BAPS volunteers. The Akshardham Temple was inaugurated on 6 November, 2005.

Akshardham means the eternal, divine abode of the supreme God, the abode of eternal values and virtues of Akshar as defined in the Vedas and Upanishads where divine bhakti, purity and peace forever pervades.

 For the first time ever in the world witness the heritage of India in all its facets, insights and beauty at the Swaminarayan Akshardham through its temple, exhibitions, verdant gardens and other attractions.

 Significance

 Height: 141.3 ft

Width: 316 ft

Length: 356 ft

Inauguration: 6-11-2005, Kartik Shukla Panchmi, Labh Pancham, V.S. 2062

Organizer: BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha.

Creator: HDH Pramukh Swami Maharaj