# Architectural Blossoming of the Lotus

*Exported from [Holy-Writings.com](https://www.holy-writings.com/) on 2026-06-18 — 1 clipping.*

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> Source: Bahá'í Library Online (bahai-library.com), curated by Jonah Winters. Used by permission of the curator. Original citation: S. Naharoy, Architectural Blossoming of the Lotus, bahai-library.com.
> ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
> 
> ARCHITECTURAL BLOSSOMING OF THE LOTUS
> 
> by S. Naharoy
> 
> The temples of the Baha'i Faith are well known for their     administrative building; and the restrooms block. The
> architectural splendor, and the Temple constructed in        temple proper comprises a basement to accommodate the
> Delhi is a continuation of this rich tradition. Before       electrical and plumbing components, and a lotus-shaped
> undertaking the design of the temple, the architect, Mr.     superstructure to house the assembly area.
> Fariborz Sahba, had travelled extensively in India to            All around the lotus are walkways with beautiful
> study the architecture of this land and was impressed by     curved balustrades, bridges and stairs, which surround
> the design of the beautiful temples, as well as by the art   the nine pools representing the floating leaves of the
> and religious symbols wherein the lotus invariably           lotus. Apart from serving an obvious aesthetic function,
> played an important role. He was influenced by this          the pools also help ventilate the building.
> experience, and in an attempt to bring out the concept           The lotus, as seen from outside, has three sets of
> of purity, simplicity and freshness of the Baha'i Faith,     leaves or petals, all of which are made out of thin
> he conceived the Temple in Delhi in the form of a lotus.     concrete shells. The outermost set of nine petals, called
> The temple gives the impression of a half-open lotus         the 'entrance leaves', open outwards and form the nine
> flower, afloat, surrounded by its leaves. Each component     entrances all around the outer annular hall. The next set
> of the temple is repeated nine times. Flint 8: Neill         of nine petals, called the 'outer leaves', point inwards.
> Partnership of London were the consultants and the ECC       The entrance and outer leaves together cover the outer
> Construction Group of Larsen 8: Toubro Limited were the      hall. The third set of nine petals, called the 'inner leaves',
> contractors responsible for constructing the Temple.         appear to be partly closed. Only the tips open out,
> The temple complex, as seen from the layout, consists   somewhat like a partly opened bud. This portion, which
> of the main house of worship; the ancillary block which      rises above the rest, forms the main structure housing the
> houses the reception centre, the library and the             central hall. Near the top where the leaves separate out,
> nine radial beams provide the necessary lateral support.                                Geometry
> Since the lotus is open at the top, a glass and steel roof
> The beautiful concept of the lotus, as conceived by the
> at the level of the radial beams provides protection from
> architect, had to be converted into definable geometrical
> rain and facilitates the entry of natural light into the
> shapes such as spheres, cylinders, toroids and cones.
> auditorium.
> These shapes were translated into equations, which were
> Below the entrance leaves and outer leaves, nine
> then used as a basis for structural analysis and
> massive arches rise in a ring. A row of steps through
> engineering drawings. The resultant geometry was so
> each arch lead into the main hall (see Fig. 1).
> complex that it took the designers over two and a half
> years to complete the detailed drawings of the temple.
> Fig 1. Top view of entrance and outer leaves        An attempt is made below to describe this complex
> geometry in simple terms (see Fig. 2).
> 
> Entrance leaves and outer leaves.
> The shell surfaces on both sides of the ridge of the
> entrance and outer leaves are formed out of spheres of
> different radii, with their centres located at different
> points inside the building. There is one set of spheres for
> the entrance leaves, some of which define the inner
> 
> Fig 2. Section through entrance leaf and interior dome
> (Plan and section at crown of dome also shown)
> 
> 1. Entance leaf
> 2. Outer leaf
> 3. Interior dome shell
> 4. Arch
> 5. Interior dome rib
> 
> The inner leaves enclose the interior dome in a
> canopy made of crisscrossing ribs and shells of intricate
> pattern. When viewed from inside, each layer of ribs and
> shells disappears as it rises, behind the next, lower layer
> (see section on p. 29). Some of the ribs converge radially
> and meet at a central hub. The radial beams emanating
> from the inner leaves described earlier meet at the centre
> of the building and rest on this hub. A neoprene pad is
> provided between the radial beams and the top of the
> interior dome to allow lateral movement caused by the
> effects of temperature changes and wind.
> 
> surfaces, and others which define the outer surfaces of        of adjacent arches, thus forming an intricate pattern.
> the shells. The diameters of the spheres have been fixed       Other radial ribs rise from each of these intersections and
> to satisfy the structural consideration of varying shell       all meet at the centre of the dome.
> thickness. Similarly, for the outer leaves, another set of
> Up to a certain height, the space between the ribs is
> spheres defines the inner and outer surfaces of the shells.
> covered by two layers of 60mm-thick shells. The intricate
> However, for the outer leaves, the shell is uniformly 133
> pattern of the interior dome is illustrated in section on
> mm thick towards the bottom, and increases to 255 mm
> page 29.
> up to the tip, beyond the glazing line.
> 
> The entrance leaf is 18.2m wide at the entrance and                                 Setting out
> rises 7.8m above the podium level. The outer leaf is
> The setting out of the surface geometry posed a difficult
> 15.4m wide and rises up to 22.5m above the podium.
> task. Unlike conventional structures for which the
> The inner leaves.                                              elements are defined by dimensions and levels, here the
> Each corrugation of the inner leaf, compnsmg a cusp            shape, size, thickness, and other details were indicated
> (ridge) and a re-entrant (valley), is made up of two           in the drawings only by levels, radii, and equations.
> toroidal surfaces. A toroid is generated when a circle of      These parameters, therefore, had to be converted into a
> a certain radius, 'r', is rotated around the centre of a       set of dimensions in terms of length, breadth, height,
> circle of much larger radius, 'R'. A cycle tube is a typical   and thickness, easily understood by a site engineer or a
> toroid. The shaded portion of the toroid is a part of the      carpentry foreman. To achieve this, a system of
> inner leaf shell.                                              coordinates along x, y and z axes for every 40 degrees.
> segment of the temple was worked out with the help of
> The inner leaves rise to an elevation of 34.3m above
> a computer. The problem was then further simplified by
> the inner podium. At the lowest level each shell has a
> working out from these co-ordinates levels and distances
> maximum width of 14m. It is uniformly 200mm thick.
> 
> The arch.                                                                 Fig 3. Station points for setting out of arch,
> entrance, outer and inner leaves
> All around the central hall are nine splendid arches
> placed at angular intervals of 40 degrees. The shape of
> these arches is formed by a number of plane, conical and
> cylindrical surfaces. The intersection of these surfaces
> provides interesting contours and greatly enhances the
> beauty of the arches. The nine arches bear almost the
> entire load of the superstructure (see Fig. 2 and 4).
> 
> The interior dome.
> Three ribs spring from the crown of each arch. While the
> central one (the dome rib) rises radially towards the
> central hub, the other two (the base ribs) move away
> from the central rib and intersect with similar base ribs
> which a carpenter or a reinforcement fitter could easily                        Fig 5. Setting out of surface
> 
> comprehend and then arrive at the surfaces and
> z               ~yel
> boundaries. Eighteen reference stations were established
> plum~T
> B
> outside the building for setting out the arches, entrance,                                                      Stepped template
> outer and inner leaves (see Fig. 3).                                                                bob  I
> 
> First, 18 radial lines were established from the centre
> of the building (see Fig. 4). Along these lines, using
> inclined and vertical distances, end points A and B for
> surface (1) were established. By using a set of curved
> templates, each of varying curvature, surface (1) between
> y
> these lines was developed. From this surface the other
> surfaces of the arch were set out by using stepped
> templates with respect to surface (1).
> Sequences of construction
> The stations shown in Fig. 3 were used to set out the     The basement and the inner podium were constructed
> cusp, re-entrance and edge lines for the entrance, outer       first. Thereafter, for casting the arches and shells, the
> and inner leaves. For example, to arrive at curve AB,          structure was divided into convenient parts, taking into
> point A with coordinates XA, YA, ZA was defined with           consideration that when deshuttered, the portion of the
> respect to O. AB was then established by a second              shells cast would be self-supporting until the remaining
> theodolite and the curve AB determined by a stepped
> shells were completed. The structure was divided as
> template. Accurately made curved templates of required         follows:
> radii were then used to develop the surface between
> these boundaries (see Fig. 5).                                 Arch.
> All 9 arches were cast one after the other in two lifts
> Fig 4. Setting out of arch                 until the circle was completed. The deshuttering of the
> soffit of each arch was taken up after the adjacent arches
> had attained specified strength (see Fig. 8).
> 
> Inner leaf, radial beams and central hub.
> After the completion of all the arches, the structural
> steel staging for the inner leaf was erected. Three shells,
> 120 deg. apart, were taken up at a time and cast in two
> Building                                                 lifts, one after the other, up to the radial beam level,
> R                                     ensuring always that the difference in height between
> the shells cast was not more than one lift (see Fig. 6).
> The process was repeated until all 9 segments were cast.
> \ Theodolite                                              Casting of the central hub was taken up as an
> independent activity, and after all the shells were cast,
> they were connected to the hub by casting the radial                outer leaves and followed by the intermediate entrance
> beams. After sufficient curing, the inner leaf along with           leaf. In this manner the remaining leaves were
> the radial beams were dewedged, leaving the central hub             deshuttered as and when the concrete attained strength
> supported. The remaining portion of the inner leaf was              and the leaves adjacent to the shell to be deshuttered
> then taken up (see Fig. 7).                                         were cast.
> 
> Fig 6. Sequence of co nstruction of entrance leaf, outer leaf                   Staging and !ormwprk
> and in ner leaf
> Deflection was an important consideration in the design
> of the formwork. The maximum deflection was limited
> to 3mm over a distance of 1m (including errors in
> fabrication and erection).
> 
> The following aspects were considered in arriving at
> the general arrangement of the staging supporting the
> inner leaf and interior dome formwork:
> a. The concreting of the shells should be taken up 3 at
> a time, 120 deg. apart, so that the lateral loads on the
> staging supporting the formwork were reduced as far
> as possible.
> b.   Construction joints were to be avoided as far as
> possible so that the exposed concrete surface did not
> Interior dome.                                                           show any lines other than the architectural pattern.
> After de-wedging of inner leaf, the steel staging was                    For the inner leaf, construction joints were to be
> modified and two folds of shells of the interior dome                    located above 24.8m level so that they did not show
> taken up one after another. For each fold, three shells,                 from the floor level. All other shells were to be cast
> 120 deg. apart, were taken up at a time and cast one after               in a single continuous pour.
> another. For each shell the boundary ribs were taken up             c.   The staging should support the radial and base ribs
> first and then the shell cast in one single lift. The process            without interfering with the structural steel
> was repeated until all the shells were completed.                        members. After deshuttering of inner leaf, the
> structure should be able to support the formwork of
> Entrance and outer leaves.
> the inner layers of shells of the interior dome with
> The construction of the entrance and outer leaves was
> minimum modification.
> taken up as a parallel activity with the casting of the
> inner leaves and interior dome. Two entrance leaves and                  From the above considerations, a space frame
> one intermediate outer leaf were taken up first.                    consisting of 9 radial cusp frames and 9 re-entrant
> Thereafter, the outer and entrance leaves were cast                 frames, with circumferential and diagonal members
> alternately, the outer leaf first and then the adjacent             closely following the profile of ribs and shells, was
> entrance leaves. Deshuttering was started with a pair of            considered most suitable (see Fig. 7).
> Fig 7, Inner lear and radial beams delihulterrd       deflections due to slippage of joints would be avoided and
> with c~n!ral hub supported on staging
> fabrication and ereclion would be comparatively easier.
> The inner surfaces of all the shell s have a uniform,
> bush-hammered, exposed concrete surface with
> archit«tural patterns. For the inner leaves, these patterns
> were formed out of radial and venical planes intersecting
> the surface of the torus. For the outer and efilrdnce leaves,
> and the interior dome, the patterns were formed out of
> longitudes and latitudes of spheres. The form work was
> designed in a manner thai limber joists support the panels
> instead of the regular pauern of the structural steel
> supporting members of the space frame (see Fig. 8).
> Full-scale mockups of the bottom surface of each of
> the shells were first made at ground level and the
> archi leclUra l patterns marked on this su rface. The fra me
> Various alternatives were considered for the steel        of each form panel was fabricated according to
> staging. Standard pipe scaffolding was found to be             calculated dimensio ns and cross-checked with
> unsuitable, considering that the slippage of members at        measurements from the mockUp. The fo rmwork pattern
> joints would be uncertain and it would be difficult to          is seen in the photograph on page 70.
> compute and control the deflection, particularly due to             The inner fo rmwork for every petal was fully fixed
> lateral loads. Structural steel framework with boltedjoints    from bottom to lOp and aligned accurately. After the
> was found to be unsatisfactory, considering that a very        form work was approved, the sheathing joints where sealed
> high degree of accuracy in fabrication and erection of         with putty made out of epoxy resin and plaster of Paris.
> structural work would be required to match the boll holes      and a protective coating was applied over the
> at junctions of members meeting at different inclinations      plywood surface, In the case of the interior dome shells,
> in all three planes. Structural steel framework with welded   the plywood sheathing was lined by fi ber-reinforced
> joints was considered to be most suitable because              plastic sheets and thejoinrs sealed with epoxy resin. After
> this, the locatio"n of each reinforcement bar was marked on
> Ihe fomnvork along latitudes and longitudes and the bars
> placed over (he markings. To avoid impressions of cold
> joints on the inner surface, the casting of petals of the
> inner leaf was carried out in three lifts, some of them 14m
> high. To facilitate placement of concrete and si multaneous
> compaction in each pour, the oUier form work was placed
> one row of panels at a time, and as the level of co ncrete
> rose, the next row of panels was fixed. These panels,
> therefore, had to be fixed in position and aligned
> Vi~w showing n~wly concreted    main archeli        accurately in the shonest possible lime.
> Fig B. Formwork details of entrance leaf                             rv. The greater of dead load of concrete (or) liquid
> pressure at any point corresponding to the rate of
> 
> 1      placement 0.45 m/hr and minimum temperature of
> 10 deg. C (during winter). Concrete pressure was
> calculated as per ACI publication - SPA.
> Liquid pressure p = 7.2 + ([785Rl/[Tc + 17.8])
> P = Lateral liquid pressure - KN/m2
> R = Rate of placement - m/hr
> Tc= Temperature of concrete in the forms deg. C
> V. Basic wind pressure = 1000 N/m2
> 
> ~    _    _ _ _ _ _ __    _   _ _ __       _   _   _ _ _ __ __ _ 1
> Fig 9. Details of formwork in inner leaf
> 
> Through selected points matching with the architectural
> pattern, pipe supports were taken from the inner leaf
> staging. These pipes supported a structural steel grid closely                                         Detail of shaped member and back fonn
> 
> following the profile of the outer surface of the shells. The
> grid supported the outer formwork against the concrete
> pressure and also accommodated the working platforms at
> all levels. Through-ties connecting the inner and outer
> forms were provided at selected points so as to reduce the
> load on the steel staging and limit the deflection of
> formwork.
> The longitudinal support members of the backform
> had accurately aligned shaped members, such that when
> the backform panels were placed in position and wedged,
> the outer surface of the shell was attained without
> further alignment (see Fig. 9). To ensure that the panels
> fitted exactly between the shaped members and there
> was no delay, the fixing of the panels for the entire shell
> was carried out in advance.
> 2. Inner form
> 3. Outer form
> 4. Outer steel staging
> Loading                                5. Working Platform
> 6. Concrete shell
> The following loads were considered for the design of the            7.   10 mm thi ck rubber washer
> B. 40 mm di ameter pipe
> formwork:
> 9. 60 mm di ameter pvc sleeve
> 10. Shaped member
> I.   Dead load of formwork - 750 N/m2 of surface area.               II. Back form panel
> II. Self-weight of structural steel members.                         12. Longitudinal member
> III. Live load 2000 N/m2 of plan area.                               13. Wedg es
> 
> For the inner leaf, various combinations of the above loads                                     Based on the above loads, a computer analysis for all
> were considered for the following conditions (see Fig. 4):                                        possible combinations was carried out using SAP N
> program. One cusp frame and one re-entrant frame along
> Stage I Concrete from top of arch to +24.8m level
> with inter-connecting bracings were considered as a unit.
> Stage II Concrete from +24.8m to +38m level
> Stage TIl Concrete from +38.8m to the top                                                              A computer model indicating the loads due to one of
> the combinations of loading for Stage II is shown in Fig. 10.
> The combination of loads considered were:                                                              Similar loading conditions were considered for the
> entrance and outer leaves as also the shells of the
> 1. Self-weight of space frame (symmetrical)
> 2. Dead load of shutter                                                                           interior dome, the only difference being that all the
> 3. Live load + dead load of concrete Stage I (unsymmetrical)                                      shells were cast in a single pour.
> 4. Live load + dead load of concrete Stage I (symmetrical)
> 5. Live load + dead load of concrete Stage II (unsymmetrical)
> 6. Live load + dead load of concrete Stage II (symmetrical)                                                            Reinforcement
> 7. Live load + dead load of concrete Stage TIl (unsymmetrical)
> 8. Live load + dead load of concrete Stage TIl (symmetrical)                                      The reinforcement used in the white concrete shells as
> 9. Wind load for full height (unsymmetrical)                                                      well as the binding wires was entirely galvanized so as
> to   prevent   the   long-term     effect   of rusting    of
> reinforcement on the white concrete. Since galvanized
> Fig 10. Computer diagram of nodal lo ads for inner lea f                                          reinforcement for concrete is seldom used in this
> country, several tests were carried out to ensure that the
> mechanical properties of reinforcement did not become
> 5.45        adversely affected due to galvanizing. Sandblasting was
> 1'1 3.61          carried out to reduce pickling time with a view to
> 15.83 778
> /               avoiding hydrogen embrittlement. The bottom formwork
> 18.52
> for one shell for each of the leaves was first erected and
> aligned. The edge lines and surfaces of this formwork
> were then used as a mockUp to decide the length and
> shape of each bar in the shell. To avoid the impression of
> cover blocks on the exposed surface of the shells, the
> inner layer of reinforcement was held in position by
> special steel spacers supported from the outer formwork.
> 
> Concrete
> Forces a re in Kn
> All the ribs and shells up to radial beam level are in
> 3.1(1"0.84
> 1.09          CuSp frame                                     Re-entrant frame                white concrete. To avoid crazing and shrinkage cracks, a
> (    Out of plane horizontal load
> mix of M 30 grade white concrete was designed
> In Plane/ l ' "
> horizontal load            ' " Out of plane                                                       considering that the cement content should be below 500
> Vertical load
> horizontal load
> I "'"
> Vertical load
> In plane horizontal load
> kg/m3 and the quantity of water reduced to a minimum.
> Tests carried out on Indian cement revealed that the           constructed in in-situ concrete using formwork on both
> strength and other properties varied considerably and          faces. Considering that each shell had to be cast in a
> the colour did not meet the architectural requirement.         single pour, the fIxing of formwork and reinforcement,
> Trial mixes also showed a higher cement requirement of         as also the placement and compaction of concrete
> 430-450 kg/m3. The entire quantity of white cement was         between two faces of formwork only 60 mm apart, posed
> therefore imported from Korea. With the imported               serious problems. Not only was the formwork diffIcult to
> cement, it was possible to produce concrete having 28          align so as to accurately produce the complex, doubly
> days cube strength of 55-60 N/mm2 with a cement                curved surface and the intersections, but also the
> content of 380 to 400 Kg/m3. A mix of 1: 1.44:3.36 and         closeness of the petals, one fold behind the next, caused
> w/c ratio of .42 was adopted. To achieve a high                serious problems of work space for fIxing formwork,
> workability, slump 1-120 mm, super plasticiser, .5 to          reinforcement and concreting.
> .75% by weight of cement was used.
> Specially graded dolomite aggregates were procured                           Quality assurance
> from the Alwar mines near Delhi and white silica sand
> Based on the sequence of construction envisaged, the
> from Jaipur. The maximum temperature of concrete at
> assumptions made in the design of the formwork, the
> the time of placing was limited to 30 deg. C. During the
> procedures developed from mockups, and the tests
> summer months, when the ambient temperature was as
> carried out on materials, detailed method statements and
> high as 45 deg. C, the temperature of the concrete was
> criteria of acceptance were established. Checking of
> controlled by adding a measured quantity of ice and by
> workmanship was done at each stage to produce the
> the precooling of aggregates in air-cooled aggregate
> required quality and accuracy and also to ensure that
> storage bins. To avoid cold joints due to stoppage of
> there was no deviation from the conditions of loading
> work during heavy rains, as also to protect rain water
> assumed in the design of the formwork. A full-fledged
> entering the forms, the entire concreting area was
> concrete laboratory carried out mix designs for different
> covered by tarpaulins.
> grades of concrete and exercised strict control on the
> After removal of the outer forms, the surface of the
> quality of concrete.
> concrete was covered with hessian and cured for 28
> days by keeping it wet continuously by a sprinkler
> arrangement fIxed at the top of the shells.
> Marble cladding
> The outer surface of the shells, as also the inner surface of
> the arches, are cladded with white marble panels fIxed to
> Trials and mockups                            the concrete surface with specially designed stainless steel
> The shells of the interior dome were initially 50mm thick      brackets and anchors. 10,000 sq.m. of marble was quarried
> and proposed to be cast by in-situ guniting. Full-scale        from the Mount Pentilekon mines of Greece and thereafter
> mockups were used to study the problems of working             sent to Italy, where each panel was cut to the required size
> space and accessibility, and it was felt that due to limited   and shape to suit the geometry and architectural pattern
> space available between the shells, the working                before transporting them to the site in Delhi.
> conditions for guniting operations would be diffIcult. As          After waterproofIng of the top surface of each shell,
> an alternative, the shells were therefore proposed to be       timber templates of the same size as the marble panels
> were used to define the location of the bottom-most rows                       that the marble fixing could be carried out without any
> of marble panels first. The geometry of the cusp re-entrant                    hindrance from the supports of the staging.
> and edge lines was then accurately checked with respect                           It may be interesting to note that all the marble work
> to these panels, and the marble pieces were fixed in                           was carried out by carpenters who learned the skill of
> position from bottom towards top and cusp towards re-                          marble fixing within a few weeks, and were able to
> entrants and edges. Edge holes were drilled at ground                          complete the work, to the required accuracy, two months
> level for each marble panel before the panels were placed                      ahead of the scheduled completion time.
> in position. Holes were drilled in the concrete to
> accommodate the anchor fasteners of the stainless steel                                       Project management
> brackets to suit the holes in the marble, after each panel
> The complexity of the structure, and the very high
> was aligned. After fixing of the brackets, the area around
> standards of workmanship expected to be achieved,
> the bracket hole was sealed with a special waterproofing
> demanded a dynamic construction management with a
> compound (see Fig. 11).
> high degree of innovativeness, team spirit and quality
> Fig II . Marble ftx in g deta ils                             consciousness on the part of staff and workmen.
> Anticipating problems in advance and solving them
> through trials and mockups was an essential part of site
> planning. Further, great emphasis was laid on the
> completion of the project within the stipulated time and
> cost. Resources were planned and physical progress
> 1.Stainless steel bracket             monitored through constant review of PERT/CPM
> 2.Stainl ess steel anchor fastene r
> 3.Waterp roof resin                   networks.
> 4.Marble panel
> 5.Mo ulded rubber cordon with
> silico n sealant
> 6. Sili con sea la nt
> 7. 8 to IO mm joints between pane ls
> 8. Concrete shell
> 9. Curved surface
> 
> The alignment of the panels was adjusted at each
> layer so that the surface geometry and pattern lines were
> maintained. The pieces near edge, re-entrant and cusp
> lines were cut to suit the boundary lines. Gaps 8 to 10
> mm wide at the joints were filled with moulded rubber
> cordon, and the top of the joints, as also the holes in the
> marble, sealed with silicon sealant. The entire marble
> surface was, lastly, washed with a solution of 30%
> muriartic acid mixed in water, to remove dirt and stains.
> A specially designed structural steel framework was
> provided to accommodate access and working platforms.
> The platforms were free from the surface of the shells so
> a. house of worship
> h. ancillary building
> c. public utilities
> d. parking
> e. main gate
> a.- i. pool
> j. outer podium
> k. bridges
> 1. entrance
> nl. inner haJJ
> Ullder COllstructioll
> Oh lotus in the heart!
> Growing up from the soil
> Of mother India.
> Drawing deep springs
> Up from the depths of Asia,
> Rising a mighty fountain
> Of mystic power unseen
> Felt, almost heard,
> As it overflows
> From petals clasped in prayer
> To carry the voices
> Of the singers praising God
> To be scattered far and wide
> By the scattering angels-
> Armfuls of prayer they carry
> Like pan nie rs of invisible flowers
> Scattering the Words of God
> Scattering His Glorious Words
> Up to the snow clad Himalayas
> Down to the lapping edge of t he seas
> A rain of perfume
> A rain of blessing
> It seeps into every crevice
> Showers every jungle
> Spatters the deserts' sands
> Passes above every meadow "
> Blows into every cavel
> The scattering angels
> Rank on rank, tile on file,
> Deploying the promise
> Of their Lo rd the Alm ighty.
> 
> Madame Ru~!yyih RabMni
> Thr Shrinr of the Bab, Martyr-Herdld of the Baha'i Faith, on thr slopes of Mount Carmel. Haifa, Israel.
> 
> The Shrine of the Bab is one of the holiest places of pHgrimagr for thr followers of the Baha'i religion.
> The monumental terraced gardrns surrounding it are commonly known as -Hanging Gardens of Mount
> Cannrl-, and were designed by Farihorz Sahba, the architett of the Baha'i HOllsr of Worship in India,
> I
> 
> L
> I
> I NTERNATIONAL R ECOGNITION
> 
> The B:1 h:i'j lI ou~t of Wo~ h i p in New Delhi. India has hem rccog n i~cd :1' one of t h e maS\(Tpirn.'s of [W(,lH il'lh-
> rt.' llI ury art hi lccltm', :md !la .. WOII ma ny award.. ind uding [Il(' following :
> 
> •
> rir..l lion our award from Ill(' 11I1l'rrailh Fonml on Rrligiouo; An and Arrhiu'Cl urC. Am li;HC or the American Instilut\'
> of Arch itl'I'IS. Wa\hi ngto ll. D.C .. in 1987
> 
> •
> Spl't:i'l l award from the InslilUlion of Slru('lUrai Enginccrs of Ihl' United Kingdom in 1987
> 
> •
> The P:lUl Wall:rhury Outdoor Light ing Dl'!>ig n Award- Spl'd:11 Ci lalitJI1. from tlw Ill um ina ting Engi nl'{'ring $ocie1Y                  or
> Non h Amcrica in 1988
> 
> •
> Recognition f rolll the Arl1l:riC;1Il CO IKn' tt l n~l i l utc:1:. one of the n lll" ! t'o rH.'r<'iC ~1n1(,lllr{'" of Ihl' worl d in 1990
> 
> •
> TIll' GlullArt AcadclIlY 2000 award for -promoting till' II nily a nd harmony or p~oplc or all 11:llion", religio n!> and
> !toria] Si rala, 10 an eX\('1lI unsurpassC'd by any Olhtr ,Irchil~clural 1II0nUlll l' Il I worldwidt-
>
> — *Architectural Blossoming of the Lotus (Used by permission of the curator)*