Which one to choose in Delhi
Swaminarayan Akshardham, Delhi vs Lotus Temple (Bahai House of Worship)
Two temples in Delhi. Swaminarayan Akshardham, Delhi has 41 tickets and tours to book; Lotus Temple (Bahai House of Worship) has 8 tickets and tours to book. The table and the two notes below put them side by side; the full pages have what to see, the ticket and the timing for each.
Delhi, India
Entry to the Akshardham complex and the temple itself is free, and there is nothing to book in advance for a simple visit: you queue at the gate, pass the security check and walk in. What costs money are the extras run by the temple: a ticket to the exhibitions, which include animatronic displays on the life of Swaminarayan, a large-format film and a short boat ride through scenes of Indian history, and a separate ticket for the evening water and light show at the stepped tank. Both can be bought on site, and the show sells out on busy days.
The tours sold online are mostly evening trips by car from central Delhi that time the visit so you see the temple lit up and stay for the show;
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Delhi, India
Entry to the Lotus Temple is free and no ticket is needed. Visitors join a queue at the gate, leave their shoes at a counter near the steps and are admitted to the central hall in groups, after a short briefing by volunteers about keeping silence inside. The queue can be long on weekends, but it moves steadily, and there is nothing to book in advance.
Tours sold online therefore offer transport and context rather than access. Private city tours by car often pair the Lotus Temple with the Akshardham complex and the ISKCON temple, which stands on a hill a short distance away, giving a day built around modern places of worship in south Delhi.
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