Delhi's Lotus Temple

On the last day of a recent trip to India -- my first sojourn to the subcontinent -- I found myself in Delhi with some time to kill before catching a plane home. And I wound up at the famed Lotus Temple, a place I knew little about but which turned out to be an unexpected antidote to the chaotic and occasionally overwhelming capital city. The structure is a Bahá'í sanctuary in which devotees of any faith are invited to pray or meditate in silence. (I simply sat down, collected my thoughts, and gave my ears a rest.) Admission is free; the accompanying information center is also worth a look. Bring your camera, as the place boasts a surreal design and appears to float above the horizon. And if you go in the winter and feel the cold, wear warm socks: visitors are required to remove their shoes, and the walkway outside the temple can get chilly. The Bahá'í House of Worship [official site] Story by Newley Purnell Journalist, living in Bangkok Original post linked through www.newley.com