Bahá’í World/Volume 19/The Institution of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár

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THE INSTITUTION OF THE MASflRIQU’L-ADHKAR

1. FOREWORD

Blessed is he who, at the hour of dawn, centring his thoughts on God, occupied with His remembrance, and supplicating His forgiveness, directeth his steps to the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár and, entering therein, seateth himself in silence to listen to the verses of God, the Sovereign, the Mighty, the All—Praised. Say: The Mashriqu’l-Aih'kdr is each and every building which hath been erected in cities and villages for the celebration of My praise. Such is the name by which it hath been designated before the throne ofglory, were ye of

those who understand.

MANY discerning minds have testified to the profoundly significant change which has taken place during recent years in the character of popular religious thinking. Religion has developed an entirely new emphasis, more especially for the layman, quite independent of the older sectarian divisions.

Instead of eonsiderin g that religion is a matter of turning toward an abstract creed, the average religionist today is concerned with the practical applications of religion to the problems of human life. Religion, in brief, after having apparently lost its influence in terms of theology, has been restored more powerfully than ever as a spirit of brotherhood, an impulse toward unity, and an ideal making for a more enlightened civilization throughout the world.

Against this background, the institution of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár stands revealed as the supreme expression of all those modern religious tendencies animated by social ideals which do not repudiate the reality of spiritual experience but seek to transform it into a dynamic striving for unity. The Mashriqu’l-Adhkár, when clearly understood, gives the world its most potent agency for applying mystical Vision or idealistic aspiration to the service of humanity. It makes Visible and concrete those deeper meanings and wider possibilities of religion which could not be realized until the dawn of this universal age.

The term ‘Mashriqu’l-Adhkár’ means literally, ‘Dawning—place of the praise of God.’

To appreciate the significance of this Bahá’í institution, we must lay aside all customary

Baha’u’llah, Kitáb-i-Aqdas

ideas of the churches and cathedrals of the past. The Mashriqu’l-Adhkár fulfils the original intention of religion in each dispensation, before that intention had become altered and veiled by human invention and belief.

The Mashriqu’l-Adjkar is a channel releasin g spiritual powers for social regeneration because it fills a different function than that assumed by the sectarian church. Its essential purpose is to provide a community meeting—place for all who are seeking to worship God, and achieves this purpose by interposing no man-made veils between the worshipper and the Supreme. Thus, the Mashriqu’l-Aglfihkér is freely open to people of all Faiths on equal terms, who now realize the universality of Baha’u’llah in revealing the oneness of all the Prophets. Moreover, since the Bahá’í Faith has no professional clergy, the worshipper entering the Temple hears no sermon and takes part in no ritual the emotional effect of which is to establish a separate group consciousness.

Integral with the Temple are its accessory buildings, without which the Mashriqu’l-Agihkér would not be.a complete social institution. These buildings are to be devoted to such activities as a school for science, a hospice, a hospital, an asylum for orphans. Here the Circle of spiritual experience at last joins, as prayer and worship are allied directly to creative service, eliminating the static subjective elements from religion and laying a foundation for a new and higher type of human association.

HORACE HOLLEY

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2. THE SPIRITUAL SIGNIFICANCE OF THE MASflRIQU’L-ADEKAR

A LETTER FROM SHOGHI EFFENDI

IT should be borne in mind that the central edifice of the Mashriqu’l-Adfikar, round which in the fullness of time shall cluster such institutions of social service as shall afford relief to the suffering, sustenance to the poor, shelter to the wayfarer, solace to the bereaved, and education to the ignorant, should be regarded apart from these dependencies, as a house solely designed and entirely dedicated to the worship of God in accordance with the few yet definitely prescribed principles established by Baha’u’llah in the Kitdb-i—Aqdas. It should not be inferred, however, from this general statement that the interior of the central edifice itself will be converted into a conglomeration of religious services conducted along lines associated with the traditional procedure obtaining in churches, mosques, synagogues, and other temples of worship. Its various avenues of approach, all converging towards the central hall beneath its dome, will not serve as admittance to those sectarian adherents of rigid formulae and manmade creeds, each bent, according to his way, to observe his rites, recite his prayers, perform his ablutions, and display the particular symbols of his faith within separately defined sections of Baha’u’llah’s Universal House of Worship. Far from the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár offering such a spectacle of incoherent and confused sectarian Observances and rites, a condition Wholly incompatible with the provisions of the Aqdas and irreconcilable with the spirit it inculcates, the central House of Bahá’í worship, enshrined within the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár, will gather within its chastened walls, in a serenely spiritual atmosphere, only those who, discarding forever the trappings of elaborate and ostentatious ceremony, are willing worshippers of the one true God, as manifested in this age in the Person of Baha’u’llah. To them will the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár symbolize the fundamental verity underlying the Bahá’í Faith, that religious truth is not absolute but relative, that Divine Revelation is not final but progressive. Theirs will be the conviction that an all-loving and everwatchful Father Who, in the past, and at various

stages in the evolution of mankind, has sent forth His Prophets as the Bearers of His Messages and the Manifestations of His Light

to mankind, cannot at this critical period of ‘

their civilization withhold from His children the guidance which they sorely need amid the darkness which has beset them, and which neither the light of science nor that of human intellect and wisdom can succeed in dissipating. And thus having recognized in Baha’u’llah the source whence this celestial light proceeds, they will irresistibly feel attracted to seek the shelter of His house, and congregate therein, unhampered by ceremonials and unfettered by creed, to render homage to the one true God, the Essence and Orb of eternal Truth, and to exalt and magnify the name of His Messengers and Prophets Who, from time immemorial even unto our day, have, under divers circumstances and in varying measure, mirrored forth to a dark and wayward world the light of heavenly guidance.

But however inspiring the conception of Bahá’í worship, as witnessed in the central edifice of this exalted Temple, it cannot be regarded as the sole, nor even the essential, factor in the part which the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár, as designed by Baha’u’llah, is destined to play in the organic life of the Bahá’í community. Divorced from the social, humanitarian, educational and scientific pursuits centring around the dependencies of the Masl: riqu’l-Adhkár, Bahá’í worship, however exalted in its conception, however passionate in fervour, can never hope to achieve beyond the meagre and often transitory results produced by the contemplations of the ascetic or the communion of the passive worshipper. It cannot afford lasting satisfaction and benefit to the worshipper himself, much less to humanity in general, unless and until translated and transfused into that dynamic and disinterested service to the cause of humanity which it is the supreme privilege of the dependencies of the Magriqu’LAQhkar to facilitate and promote. Nor will the exertions, no matter how dis [Page 546]546 THE Bahá’í WORLD

interested and strenuous, of those Who Within the precincts of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár will be engaged in administering the affairs of the future Bahá’í commonwealth, fructify and prosper unless they are brought into close and daily communion with those spiritual agencies centring in and radiating from the central shrine of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár. Nothing short of direct and constant interaction between the spiritual forces emanating from this House of Worship centring in the heart of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár, and the energies consciously displayed by those Who administer its affairs in their service to humanity can possibly provide the necessary agency capable of removing the ills that have so long and so grievously afflicted humanity. For it is asshredly upon the con sciousness of the efficacy of the Revelation of Baha’u’llah, reinforced on one hand by spiritual communion With His Spirit, and on the other by the intelligent application and the faithful execution of the principles and laws He revealed, that the salvation of a world in travail must ultimately depend. And of all the institutions that stand associated with His Holy Name, surely none save the institution of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár can most adequately provide the essentials of Bahá’í worship and service, both so Vital to the regeneration of the world. Therein lies the secret of the loftiness, of the potency, of the unique position of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár as one of the outstanding institutions conceived by Baha’u’llah.

25 October 1929.

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Friends gathered for the dedication of the first MaLhr‘iqtt’l-Afikdr Of the Pacific Islands file into the Samoan Temple on 2 September 1984 to view a portrait of Bahá’u’lláh, and to be individually anointed with the essence ofroses by the H and Of the Cause of God Amatu ’I—Bahd Rdhl'yyz'h K_hcinum.

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THE Bahá’í WORLD

3. THE DEDICATIQN OF THE FIRST MAS_H_RIQU’L—AI_)1_1KAR OF THE PACIFIC ISLANDS AND THE INTERNATIONAL TEACHING CONFERENCE APIA, WESTERN SAMOA 30 August—Z September 1984

A. REPORT OF THE DEDICATION AND CONFERENCE

A Beacon of Unity

THE Samoan House of Worship (Maota T apua ’i Bahá’í Samoa) stands as a beacon of unity about 600 metres up the gentle northfacing slope of a mountain about nine kilometres south of Apia, Western Samoa. The plot of land on which it stands was purchased in 1975 and subsequently additional plots were acquired to permit direct access to the temple from the main road.

The Mashriqu’l-Adhkár was designed by a prominent Iranian architect, Mr. Husayn Amanat (Husayn Aménat), who was appointed architect at Riḍván 135 of the Bahá’í Era (21 April 1978) and whose design for the Temple was approved by the Universal House of Justice in September 1978. Influenced, he said, by the simplicity of life of the Samoan people and by the lush and verdant landscape, Mr. Amanat created a building of striking beauty which is at once unique and yet sympathetically and harmoniously related to its setting. He has used the form of the traditional Samoan dwelling, the fale, and the open plan of such structures, in conceptualizing the design of the House of Worship. The building successfully pays homage to the warmth and nobility to which Mr. Amanat was strongly drawn in the character of the Samoan people, yet it manifests the ineffable grandeur which befits a House of Worship raised to the glory of Baha’u’llah. The building is crowned by a dome, tiled in white mosaic, which rests atop nine pairs of buttresses clad in granite of a soft red hue, and although imposing and dignified, the structure is of a

scale and proportion compatible with the surroundings.

‘The nine ribs of mirrored glass, the graceful arch windows, and the wide expanse of glazing over each portal appear to draw the light through the structure itse1f,’ Michael Day wrote in the Autumn 1985 issue of Tusz‘tala. ‘Modern building techniques have allowed the dome to be built in this way, providing an iridescent effect when lit at night. The shell of the dome and the internal structure are of a white reinforced concrete, bushhammered to a soft texture and accented with distinctive native ifilele wood joinery and a warm red tile floor finish. The main hall seats 500 and a cantilevered mezzanine 1eve1 rings the perimeter providing additional seating for 200 people including the choir.

‘During the day, worshippers can gaze upward to the blue tropical skies. At night the glass reflects the interior light, the interplay of the shadows making a marvellous mosaic in the interior.’

The foundation stone of the Mother Temple of the Pacific islands was laid on 27 January 1979 by His Highness Malietoa Tanumafili II, the first Head of State to embrace the Cause of Baha’u’llah. The Hand of the Cause Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khanum, the representative of the Universal House of Justice on that occasion, participated by placing in a niche in the stone a small casket of Dust from the sacred Shrine of Baha’u’llah.

Materials for the construction of the Temple were brought from various parts of the Pacific,

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Mr. Husayn Amdnat, architect of the Samoan T emp/e, holdinga scaled model of the House of Worship with the completed building in the background.

and in the interior, at mezzanine level, wooden carvings and tappa designs, adapted from the traditional bark cloth patterns used throughout the Pacific, provide effective ornamentation that does not conflict with the portals above which are carved quotations from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh.

From the top of the dome t0 the basement floor is a height of 31 metres (102'); from the top of the dome to ground level is 28 metres (92'). The dome itself is 19 metres (62') in height and 27 metres (88') in width.

Great excitement swept through the Bahá’í community of Samoa as the day drew near for the official dedication of the Mafiriqu’LAdhkár and its opening to public worship.

Setting the Stage

During the week prior to the dedication of the first Mashriqu’l-Adhkár of the Pacific islands, Bahá’ís from all over the Pacific began to arrive in Apia, where, for at least a month in advance of the dedication, the local believers of Samoa had been busily engaged in preparing the

Temple grounds for the great event. But much remained to be done: the grounds needed levelling and cleaning; shrubs and flowers had to be planted; the chairs required assembling. The guests who arrived early lent their aid willingly. It was a colourful scene with Bahá’ís of all ages and races working to gether cheerfully from 6:00 am. until late in the evening. As they worked, they sang melodious songs with Bahá’í themes. For some, a drink of coconut juice or a piece of papaya sufiiced for lunch. Those With greater physical strength assembled and carried the chairs to the Temple auditorium, unearthed huge rocks and carried them away, and also created a rock garden; others, including women and children, greatly assisted in levelling the ground, preparing the soil, planting shrubs, carrying water for the new plants. The women and youth worked far into the night collecting palm fronds and weaving garlands, hundreds of yards in length, of fragrant frangipani. The garlands were looped along the entire length of the main paths leading to the Temple, the electric standards in the gardens were decorated

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Bahci’z’ youth with baskets of flowers they have brought on 31 August 1984 to decorate the grounds

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and buildings for the Samoan Temple dedication ceremonies.

with plaited palms and flowers, and the Temple balcony was hung with chains of ferns. Counsellor Suhayl Ala’i (Suhayl ‘Ala’i), Mr. Hugh Carden, and the members of the National Spiritual Assembly of Samoa met for long hours Virtually every evening attending to details necessary to ensure the success of the dedication and conference. A tremendous spirit of unity and love developed throughout the week. Attracted by the lights used at night, a plague of moths invaded the interior of the Temple by the thousands necessitating two fumigations the day before the official opening, and requiring that the building be cleaned again and again by teams of voluntary workers. Despite their physical exhaustion and lack of sleep, nothing dampened the enthusiasm of the believers. On the night before the dedication, the friends worked all through the night as though it were broad daylight. As morning approached, the tired workers came down the mountainside to prepare themselves to return for the day’s events. The stage had been set by the people of Bahá for the dedication ceremony, a momentous occasion in the history of the Pacific islands.

The Arrival of Amatu’l—Baha Rfihl’yyih Khánum Prior to the dedication of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár in Samoa, the Hand of the Cause of God Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum had completed a journey, of three months’ duration, Which took her to Korea and through many islands and countries of the South Pacific. Having learned that His Highness Malietoa Tanumafili 11 would be at the airport in Apia to greet the distinguished Visitor who was to represent the Universal House of Justice at the dedication, Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum, the members of the National Spiritual Assembly assembled at the exit of the airport’s VIP lounge to greet their honoured guest and her travelling companion, Mrs. Violette Nanavani. The National Spiritual Assembly had brought garlands of fresh flowers as a symbol of welcome, and a young child stood by ready to present a beautiful bouquet t0 Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum. Hundreds of Bahá’ís had also gathered at the airport as a token of love and respect. The plane arrived, the door opened, and Rúḥíyyih Khánum and Mrs. Naghjavani were the first ones out. By that time the Deputy Prime

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Minister was on the tarmac waiting to greet the party. The Hand of the Cause, Mrs. NamaVani, Counsellor Tinai Hancock, and other members of Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum’s party were escorted by the deputy Prime Minister towards the VIP lounge where they spent a brief time. His Excellency the Prime Minister of Samoa, Tofilau Eti, escorted His Highness and Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum towards the official car, a black limousine, which transported them to the city with police escort and full motorcade ceremony.

In addition to the Prime Minister, among those who received Rúḥíyyih _K__hanum at the airport were cabinet ministers, as well as diplomatic and Government officials. The Bahá’ís experienced a deep sense of happiness, feeling that the befitting and gracious reception accorded Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum at the airport was a most auspicious beginning of the occasion for which they had laboured so strenuously.

The Arrival of the Hand of the Cause H. Collis Featherstone and Other Guests

For a week in advance of the dedication and conference, groups of Bahá’ís arrived in Apia almost every hour, filling up many seats on the airplanes and occupying all available space in hotels and guest houses in town. Bahá’ís from various parts of the world were also billeted in the homes of local friends. At the National Centre the lights burned practically all night as people gathered there to obtain information and to be directed to the various service committees to which they were assigned. Everyone had work to do and those who were not on committees volunteered to assist at the Temple site or to answer questions about the Faith asked by members of the public. Despite the busy schedule and the long hours, there was a sense of purpose and direction to the friends’ efforts, and the feeling that all were being aided by a spiritual and physical strength drawn from an invisible source.

The Hand of the Cause H. Collis Featherstone and Mrs. Madge Featherstone arrived, as did Pa Ariki Lady Davis and her Cook Islands group. The film crew settled in, and Gina and Russ Garcia were welcomed and immediately started training the special choir that was to perform in the Temple.

The International Teaching Conference

The conference opened on Thursday evening, 30 August. The chairman of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Samoa and the local chiefs welcomed the Hand of the Cause Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum in the custornary Samoan way. A warm and loving Welcome was conveyed to the distinguished friends from all over the world who had travelled long distances to be present. Words of greeting were extended to the Hand of the Cause H. Collis Featherstone and to Mrs. Featherstone, to all the Counsellors, the members of the Auxiliary Board, and the Knights of Baha’u’llah. The message from the Universal House of Justice to the friends gathered in Apia for the occasion of the dedication of the Temple was read by Arnatu’l—Baha Rúḥíyyih Khánum.

It was noted that there were present approximately 1,400 Bahá’ís from forty-five different countries and islands around the globe; all islands of the Pacific were represented, and all six continents. The conference was held in the gymnasium which had been built for the 1983 South Pacific Games.

The opening session the following day was devoted to the reading of greetings which had been received from other National Spiritual Assemblies, other institutions of the Faith, individual Counsellors and other friends and wellwishers. An especially moving event was the reading aloud of the letter from the Hand of the Cause Dr. Ugo Giachery whose devotion to the advancement of the Faith of Baha’u’llah in Samoa is both heart-warming and noteworthy. Counsellor Joy Stevenson presented a talk on ‘The Significance of a House of Worship” which was followed by an address delivered by Rúḥíyyih Khánurn on ‘The Development of the World Centre’.

On Friday afternoon representatives of the National Spiritual Assemblies were invited to speak on the history and development of the Faith in their own countries. The presentations were moving, Vivid and informative, and the speakers took the opportunity to present gifts to the National Spiritual Assembly of Samoa for the Temple, and to His Highness Malietoa Tanumafili II.

Although the Cook Islands do not yet have a National Spiritual Assembly, their representative, Pa Ariki Lady Davis, was requested

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to talk about the progress made towards the establishment of the first National Assembly. She began by expressing herjoy at being present, conveyed greetings to all the guests, and said she would like to begin ‘in the Pacific way’—the signal for the Cook Island friends to play their ukuleles and sing as she danced, inviting others to join her. It was a happy outpouring of spirit, completely in keeping with the joyousness of the occasion. She then proceeded to outline the rise and development of the Faith in the Cook Islands.

The friends from Tonga, before delivering their addresses, chanted a Tongan song while presenting to the National Spiritual Assembly of Samoa a gift of a tapa, 100 feet in length, which extended the full length of the gymnasium, as well as a very large Tongan fine mat.

The Knights of Baha’u’llahu—those Bahá’ís so named by Shoghi Effendi in 1953—54 for their service in opening an island, country or territory to the Faith—were called forward and introduced to the gathering by Rúḥíyyih Khánum, and each was asked to address the conference. A number of these friends who first brought the Cause to the Pacific are still at their posts. Tribute was also paid to Bahá’ís who settled in areas not named as virgin territories because others had previously Visited those places briefly.

An address then followed by the Hand of the Cause H. Collis Featherstone who stressed the role of women and youth in building the world of tomorrow. He also urged support of the purpose and activities of the United Nations International Youth Year, 1985.

Interspersed between the presentations mentioned above were musical items and songs sung by the choir under the guidance and direction of Gina and Russ Garcia.

A banquet was held on Saturday night at Aggie Grey’s Hotel. The friends then gathered at the gymnasium where Dr. Arthur Lyon Dahl addressed a well-attended public meeting which was followed by spirited performances of music and other entertainment presented by representatives of various islandsof the Pacific.

The Dedication Ceremony

On 1 September 1984, most of the Bahá’ís had assembled at the aneilliary building and were ready to enter the House of Worship. Among

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the distinguished guests present for the dedication ceremony were His Highness Malietoa Tanumafili 11, Princess Tooa Salamasina Malietoa, his sister, and Her Highness Masiofo Lily Malietoa, his wife; His Excellency the Prime Minister Tofilau Eti and four members of his cabinetwthe Minister for Finance, the Minister for Education, the Minister for Public Works, and the Minister for Agriculture; the Australian and New Zealand High Commissioners; the representative of the United Nations; the representative of the Republic of Nauru; the representative of the island of Niue; and a number of high-ranking dignitaries of various churches. In addition, the guests included heads of various Government departments, private companies, leaders of various non-governmental organizations, members of the diplomatic corps, parents and friends of the local believers, and Bahá’ís from around the world. The Temple was filled to overflowing.

His Highness was met by Amatu’l—Baha Rúḥíyyih Khánum at the ancillary building and they were escorted into the House of Worship. When they were seated, the ceremony began. The choir sang the song composed by Mr. Charles Wolcott, ‘Blest Art Thou, 0 House’. Listening as the choir sang the uplifting words one could truly say, ‘This is, indeed, the House of God’.

In his brief remarks before Rúḥíyyih Khánum officially dedicated the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár, His Highness Malietoa Tanumafili II emphasized that the House of Worship stands as a symbol of the three fundamental verities of the Bahá’í Faith, the unity of God, the unity of His Prophets and the unity of mankind; the Temple is a gift to the peoples of the world and is open to all people regardless of race, religion or creed.

In fitting words, with dignity and graciousness, Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih ~{Khanum then dedicated the first Mother Temple of the Pacific islands and declared it open to public worship.

An inspiring programme of devotions touched the hearts of the listeners. In every respect, the ceremony was perfect. The auditorium was filled, and still there were friends listening from outside. The service lasted for about an hour—an hour of solemnity touched with the sweetness of Victory; the climax of one major triumph but simultaneously the starting point of another phase in the development of

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The Hand of the Cause of God Amatu’l—Bahd Rdlzz'yyih Kildnum speaking during the dedication

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ceremonies in the Samoan Temple on 1 September 1984.

the Faith of Baha’u’llah in the Pacific.

The dedication was followed by a traditional and extremely joyous Samoan Sua ceremony held in an area adjacent to the Temple, a ceremony calling for the customary gift of fine mats and large roast pigs, presented, on this occasion, to His Highness and Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum by the Bahá’ís of Samoa. Sua gifts were also presented to other guests. Gifts for the Universal House of Justice, and for His Highness Malietoa Tanumafili II, were also presented. Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum, on behalf of the Universal House of Justice, presented His Highness with a model of the Samoan Temple. Then the local Bahá’ís sang an original song composed by them and performed in the traditional Samoan way. This was followed by traditional dancing and other light entertainment. As twilight descended the programme concluded with His Highness and all the guests standing and singing the national anthem of Western Samoa, a moving moment as the words wafted over this particular piece of land, ‘Arise, Samoa, and raise your flag. This is your crown. Look at the stars that are on it, the sign that Jesus died for Samoa . . . do not be afraid, Samoa is founded on God, our freedom. . .’

The Banquet

A banquet for more than 200 guests was held at Aggie Grey’s Hotel on Saturday evening. Although His Highness was indisposed and could not attend, Princess Tooa Salamasina Malietoa, his sister, and Her Highness Masiofo Lily Malietoa, his wife, were present, as were a number of heads of Government departments, members of the diplomatic corps and other invited guests. Toward the end of the evening, Amatu’l—Baha Rúḥíyyih _1§_hanum gave a brief talk. On behalf of the guests, the Consul for Nauru, Mr. Ted Annandale, responded.

Viewing of the Portrait of Bahá’u’lláh

On Sunday morning, in three sessions the first of which began at 8:00 am, the friends Visited the Temple to View the portrait of Baha’u’llah and were anointed individually by Rúḥíyyih Lhénum with attar of rose. With only a brief break, Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum stood in the House of Worship for five hours as the Bahá’í friends quietly assembled and filed through, awed and moved by the experience of Viewing the portrait of their Lord, JOHspicuously reverent, and fully conscious of the privilege which was theirs. This was undoubt [Page 554]554 THE BAHA

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The Hand offhe Cause of God Amatu ’l—Bahd Rtihz'yyih K_hcinum, left, sits with H is H ighness M alietoa T anumafilz‘ II and Her Highness Masiofo Lily during the Samoan Sua ceremony held after the Temple dedication on I September 1984.

edly the high point of the dedication, as many of the Pacific island Bahá’ís who were present had not had the privilege ofmaking a pilgrimage to the Holy Land.

Later, in her closing remarks, the Hand of the Cause Amatu’l-Bahá Ri’ihiyyih Khánum stated that as she watched the friends walking up, one by one, to View the portrait, she could hear the words of the song ‘We are the people of Bahá’ ringing in her ears. She pointed out that as spiritual tidal waves carrying Baha’u’llah’s message of love and unity will spread throughout the Pacific region as a result of there being a Bahá’í House of Worship standing on the mountain at Tiapapata, the Bahá’ís must fearlessly ride the crest of these spiritual waves as they go forth to teach the Faith. The great silent teacher, the Mashriqu’l-A_dhkar, having already started its work, she remarked, it is now entirely up to the believers to work together to win new Victories and triumphs for the Cause of Baha’u’llah.

A 30-minute 16mm film ‘The Dawning Place’, also available as a Video, was made by

Martine Dahl and is being distributed by Arc Productions and the International Bahá’í Audio-Visual Committee.

In concluding its report, upon which this account is based, the National Spiritual Assembly of Samoa noted that the Head of State of Western Samoa had, in his dedicatory address, expressed his gratitude to the Universal House of Justice for choosing Samoa as the place where the Mother Temple of the Pacific would be erected, and for the presence of Amatu’l—Baha Rúḥíyyih Khánum as its representative. On behalf of all Bahá’í communities throughout the islands of Samoa, the National Assembly extended its thanks to the Universal House of Justice for its guidance and prayers, to Counsellor Suhayl Ala’i and Mr. Hugh Carden and the many volunteers for their assistance, and to ‘our dearest mother, the Knight of Baha’u’llah Lilian Ala’i’ who brought the Faith of Baha’u’llah to Samoa in January 1954 and who, through her example and counsel, ‘directs our thoughts in channels which in future will bear fruit.’

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B. MESSAGE OF THE UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE

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The Hand of the Cause of God Amatu’I—Bahd Rtiltzjiyilt Khimum reading the message from the Universal House of Justice during the opening session of the International Teaching Conference, on 30 August 1984, in Apia, Western Samoa.

TO THE Friends gathered in Apia, Western Samoa on the occasion of the Dedication of the Mother Temple of the Pacific Islands. Dearly-loved Friends,

In these historic days we are witnessing a major triumph in the development of the Faith of Baha’u’llah. Not only is the raising up of this House of Worship a further significant fulfilment of the Blessed Beauty’s promise, it also presages a brilliant future in the Pacific for His Faith, whose quickening light is casting its rays on the peoples of this vast ocean. In his message to the Bahá’í world in April 1957 the beloved Guardian, referring to the Pacific, wrote, ‘ Bahá’í exploits bid fair to outshine the feats achieved in any other ocean, and indeed in every continent of the globe. . .’

In reviewing the religious history of the Pacific during the Bahá’í Dispensation we recall that it was only a short time prior to the Declaration of the Báb that the Teachings of Christ spread throughout these islands; that the Teachings of Baha’u’llah were first proclaimed there when the Hand of the Cause Agnes Alexander arrived in the Hawaiian Islands in December 1901; that at the beginning of the World Crusade in 1953 only a handful of islands had had any contact With the Faith; and that at Riḍván 1959 when

the first regional National Spiritual Assembly of the South Pacific was established in Suva there were in its area but twelve Local Spiritual Assemblies in nine island groups. Witness now what has happened in the quarter century since 1959.

—The first reigning monarch in the world to embrace the Faith of Baha’u’llah is the Head of State of Western Samoa whose official residence is near the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár.

—There are now a total of thirteen National Spiritual Assemblies in the homelands of the Polynesians, the Melanesians and the Micronesians.

The Caroline Islands Fiji

The Hawaiian Islands Kiribati

The Mariana Islands The Marshall Islands New Caledonia and The Loyalty Islands Papua New Guinea Samoa

The Solomon Islands Tonga

Tuvalu

Vanuatu

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—Two additional National Spiritual Assemblies are to be formed at Riḍván 1985, those of: The Cook Islands and the Western Caroline Islands.

—Nearly five hundred Local Spiritual Assemblies are established.

-Bahá’ís reside in nearly 2,000 localities.

—There are more than 31,000 believers in the

Pacific.

—Bahá’ís constitute more than one per cent of the total population in eight national communities in the Pacific.

-~The seventh Mashriqu’l-Adhkár of the world stands in all its glory on the mountainside at Tiapapata. This spot has now become the spiritual heart of the Bahá’í communities in the Pacific basin.

The new Temple of light is the outward expression of the illumination of hearts and minds by the Revelation of Baha’u’llah, that process initiated in these islands at the turn of the century and now reaching a mighty crescendo. The effulgent light of His Teachings has aroused stirrings in the friends, impelling them to apply these heavenly principles in their personal lives and in the daily activities of their communities. Just as the spiritual illumination of the Bahá’ís is symbolized in the Temple, so the development of local community life in all its aspects, whether administrative or social, which flow from the fountain—head of faith in God’s Revelation, will reach a fuller expression in the form of various dependencies around this edificewdependencies which the Guardian described as ‘institutions of social service as

shall afford relief to the suffering, sustenance to the poor, shelter to the wayfarer, solace to the bereaved, and education to the ignorant.’

The dedication of this noble edifice will undoubtedly mark the beginning of a new phase in the growth of the Faith in this hemisphere. The portents of success are many and varied. The friendliness and spiritual perceptiveness of the people of the Pacific, the freedom enjoyed by the friends in travelling and sharing their faith with others, the absence hitherto of organized and concerted opposition to the Faith, the relatively low level of infection by the forces of materialism so rapidly invading every part of the world, and the genuine simplicity of the mode of life of the peoples of these islandsall combine to make of the Pacific a region rich with promise for the further dramatic spread of the Faith and for the efllorescence of its community life.

Let the joyous spirit generated at this conference, reinforced by your common endeavours and crowned by your participation in the dedicatory ceremony, be the generating impulse for a mighty surge of teaching activity which will yield a vast increase in the number of followers of Baha’u’llah throughout the far-fiung islands of the Pacific. As the Seven Year Plan hastens towards its conclusion, you have a priceless opportunity to take advantage of the favourable conditions in your region to win Victories in the Plan which will astonish the world and will fulfil the great promises enshrined in our Writings. Our prayers ascend at the Holy Threshold for the success of your selfless endeavours in the path of His Cause.

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C. TEXT OF ADDRESS OF HIS HIGHNESS MALIETOA TANUMAFILI II HEAD OF STATE OF WESTERN SAMOA 1 September 1984

FIVE years ago the corner—stone for this House of Worship was laid with thanksgiving to God. Today we are doubly joyful and filled with gratitude, for its doors are now open to all.

As Head of State of Western Samoa I warmly welcome each of you.

I am deeply grateful to the Universal House of Justice for choosing Western Samoa as the recipient of such a gift. Five years of creativity, hard work, and craftsmanship have gone into this unique and exquisite building.

My sincere and warmest thanks to the Bahá’ís all over the world, high and low, who gave so generously and with such sacrifice to build this Temple.

There are many who deserve our gratitude: Mr. Amanat, who designed such an inspirational Temple; the National Spiritual Assembly of Samoa, who was entrusted with the project of raising it; the contractors, Mainzeal Construction Ltd., and the engineers whose

efforts ensure that this structure will last for centuries. There were also specialists from abroad and workers and craftsmen from our own country who toiled diligently. I offer sincere thanks and gratitude and may Almighty God amply reward all of you.

Special thanks also to the Prime Minister and Cabinet and other government officials who facilitated construction of this building. Particular mention should also be made of the government of Niue, from whose country the white aggregate used in the Concrete was carefully quarried and shipped.

My special gratitude for Madame Rabbani who has once again graced our shores as the representative of the Universal House of J ustice. She is present today and will dedicate this House of Worship to the significant principles of the oneness of God, the oneness of religion, and the oneness of humanity so eloquently expressed in the teachings of Baha’u’llah, F ounder of the Bahá’í Faith.

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Mr. Fat‘z’burz Sahbd, right, architect of the Indian T emple, explaining the method of construction to the Canadian High Commissioner to India Mr. William Warden, and to Mrs. Warden, as they examine a model showing the structure of the shells in New Delhi in May 1986.

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559

4. THE MOTHER TEMPLE OF THE INDIAN SUBCONTINENT

Progress Report 21 April 1983—21 April 1986

THE fascinating story of the beginnings of the Mother Temple of the Indian subcontinent will be found in previous volumes of the international record} In brief, the National Spiritual Assembly of India, Pakistan and Burma, as it was then known, was assigned, during the Ten Year Crusade (1953—63), the goal of acquiring a site in New Delhi for the construction of a House of Worship. A site consisting of 22 acres of land was acquired but was subsequently requisitioned by the Government for a green belt area. On 1 February 1978, the Government agreed to release the entire 22 acres as a result of representations by the National Spiritual Assembly and after Viewing the arresting design for the House of Worship. The inspired design of the Iranian architect, Mr. Fariburz Sahba, of a Temple in the form of an unfolding lotus, was approved by the Universal House of Justice and he was appointed architect of the building, his appointment being confirmed by the House of Justice on 3 August 1977.

On 17 October 1977, the Hand of the Cause Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum laid the foun dation stone for the Mother Temple of the '

Indian Subcontinent in a special ceremony. In her address on that occasion she stated that in addition to the lotus having ancient associations With Buddhism and Hinduism and other great religions and cultures, it stood as a symbol of the Manifestation of God. ‘The lotus,’ she said in part, ‘is probably the most perfect flower in the whole world. It is symmetrical; it is exquisitely beautiful. And how does it grow? It raises its head out of the slime absolutely clean and perfect. Now this is what the Manifestation of God is in the world.’

The cost of the five separate parcels comprising the site was approximately US $15,000a sum raised by voluntary sacrificial contributions from among the then numerically

1See ‘The Laying of the Foundation Stone of the Mother

Temple of the Indian Subcontinent’, The Bahá’í World, vol XVII, pp. 368—70. An article bearing the same title by the architect, F. Sahba, and one entitled ‘The Lotus of Bahapur’ by Sheriar Nooreyezdan, will be found in vol. XVIII, pp. 571—84.

small Bahá’í communities of India, Pakistan, Burma and Ceylon. Although the sums contributed by individual Bahá’ís are known only to the treasurer of the community, it is now the pride of the Indian believers that the late Ardashir Rustampur (1901—82), a Bahá’í of Zoroastrian background who came from humble origins and who operated a modest restaurant in Hyderabad, offered his entire life savings toward the purchase of the largest and most expensive of the plots; and that only through strenuous insistence on the part of the treasurer of the National Spiritual Assembly did he agree to accept back a small amount for his own use. Questioned about his gift, he said, ‘I did not have a penny when I started. All that 1 accumulated was given to me by God. Now the money was needed for His purposes I am only a temporary trustee.’ Not the finished temple but the mere idea of it was already exerting an influence on hearts.

After a three-year odyssey of study and prayerful search, Mr. Sahba, who had been an associate architect associated with the design of the permanent Seat of the Universal House of Justice, and who began for the first time to think seriously of creating a Temple design only when it was suggested to him that he do so by the Hand of the Cause Dr. Raḥmatu’lláh Muhájir, captured in 400 blueprints his chosen design in readiness for translating concept into tangible reality.

After considerable study and negotiation, Mr. Sabha chose the firm of Flint and Neill, a renowned structural engineering firm that also worked on the Bahá’í temple located in Panama, to assist in the translation of his Vision into a building of structural reliability. For about 18 months, Mr. Sahba and Dr. Flint, with the assistance of specialist engineers and the use of computers, collaborated in working out all the details of the building’s structure. Finally, it was time to call for tenders.

The contract was awarded in April 1980 to Engineering ConstructionCorporation Ltd. of India. Mobilization of the site took about two

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1 WORLD

The construction Site for the Indian Temple on 12 March 1984, with a boom extended for concreting operations.

months and witnessed the growth of a small township at Bahapur, including site offices, storage facilities, housing for the 400 labourers (including approximately 90 families), and a primary school for their children. Labour intensive, employment—creating construction methods were favoured: for example, all the excavated rocks and earth were carried in headloads. A total quantity of 6,000 cubic metres of rock was excavated in this manner, enough to build a stone wall five feet high and one foot thick extending over twelve kilometres. The foundation was completed in December 1980.

On 30 July 1980 the first trowelful of concrete was poured into the first pit of the innermost circle of columns by Mrs. Golnar Sahba, an occasion marked by the traditional offering of prayers and the distribution of sweets. The happy and historic occasion took place in the presence of representatives of the Continental Board of Counsellors, the National Spiritual Assembly, the Delhi Bahá’í community, and Visiting Bahá’ís. REJOICE NEWS COMMENCEMENT CONSTRUCTION MASHRIQULADHKAR HEART INDIAN SUBCONTINENT, the Universal House of

Justice cabled, in part, and went on to draw a contrast between this Victory and the sad events transpiring in the land of Baha’u’llah’s birth where the members of the community bearing His name were being arrested, imprisoned, tortured and martyred.

The progress made toward construction of the Lotus Temple between the commencement of construction and Riḍván 140 BE. (21 April 1983) has been recorded in V01.XVIII of The Bahá’í World. Below, in the words of the architect, is set out a description of the progress made during the period covered by this book, up to Riḍván 143 BE. (21 April 1986).

The achievement of constructing a building such as this in India is more fully appreciated when one considers the magnitude and multiplicity of problems that were confronted and creatively overcome. In a report in which the architect takes the reader behind the scenes, at a crucial juncture in the erection of the building, one finds confirmation of the principle that nothing of significance, in art as in life, is realized without consecrated effort, commitment, and love expressed as co-operation.

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561

m

The Hand of the Cause of God Amatu’l—Bahd RLZH'yyi/z fldnum, centre, touring the Indian T emple site accompanied by Counsellor Burhdni’d—Dz'n Afglzz’n, left, and architect Salzbd, right, during a visit in April 1984.

‘With the completion of the formwork of the inner leaves scale of the building’, the architect wrote, ‘the complexity of the task became more and more evident. A total of 60,000 cubic feet of timber was now exposed to the sun. Temperatures of over 45° centigrade, followed by monsoon rains, were threatening the formwork. The fire hazard was very high. We were trying very hard to give encouragement and assurance to the contractor and workers who were looking at this impossible “mountain” and were asking hundreds of questions: How could we protect the formwork from moving and cracking? How could we work on staging which stored heat and would burn one’s hand from a distance of 10 centimetres? How could we fix the reinforcement in such small working spaces and make sure that the reinforcement cage, which was 30 metres high, would not break away from its position? How could we pour concrete in such extreme heat when the temperature of the aggregate and sand are above 54° centigrade, and the concrete sets inside the mixer, while employing labourers who, for the most part, have never seen a Vibrator and who converse in ten different languages?

‘Day after day was spent talking to the contractors and engineers, none of whom were experienced in such high quality work, trying to come up with answers to all of these questions. I was growing more anxious by the moment. Their total co-operation was Vital to the success of this phase of the project and they were completely dismayed. Several times previously, I had informed the management of the company that such delicate and complicated construction required the attention and involvement of their most experienced and qualified engineers and that not just anyone could manage it, but I failed in convincing them of this.

‘The tension between the contractor and the site engineers intensified and became increasingly apparent in their relationship with the workers on the site, until after a few months, relations completely broke down. This development, together with other complications in the contractor’s organization, created total labour unrest. In spite of several requests and warnings by us, our contractor decided that a large number of labourers who were not following the instructions of the engineers should be retrenched. As was expected, this move resulted

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in a full labour strike. The labourers, while showing great respect for the Temple and the Bahá’í staff, refused to allow the contractors and engineers to enter the site, and to negotiate. It became our task to mediate between the labourers and the contractor in order to settle this very complicated situation. '

‘Often I would request prayers of the Universal House of Justice, and there were times when I thought that this would be the end of my dreams in India. Labour disputes sometimes take years to settle, and there existed a real possibility that all the formwork and timber staging might be ruined. If this were the case, it would then become a very basic contractual issue of who should pay for the damage, and resolution of that question by itself could take years. On the other hand, if by chance these problems were resolved and we started work again, even then there was little hope, for these reluctant engineers had no Vision and without this we could not complete such a enormous task. The tension was excruciating. However, in spite of all these complications I regularly received guidance and assurances from the Universal House of Justice, which expressed confidence that ‘this beautiful Temple in India will be built without interruption", and that the ‘challenges’ would be met and the ‘complexities’ resolved successfully within the desired time range.2 With the House of Justice reposing such trust in me and offering this kind of assurance, how could I dare not grapple with and overcome every problem which arose.

‘Later on, when the problems were worked out and we were able to resume work, on 16 January 1984, I realized that everything that had happened was a part of Baha’u’llah’s plan. After months of negotiations with labourers and contractors, with us acting as mediator, ultimately all contractor—labour problems were resolved. Our efforts proved to senior contractor management that they could trust us and that even the severest difficulty could be resolved in a spirit of team-work and co-operation. The contractor finally understood that such a special venture required special people. Those who were reluctant and unqualified left the project, and the old team was replaced with

1Letter From the Universal House of Justice to Mr. Sahba dated 26 April 1979.

2Letter From the Universal House of Justice to Mr. Sahba dated 29 December 1981.

a fresh and devoted crew who believed in teamwork and who were not intimidated by new challenges. We started again with confidence. Once again we began to wrestle with our technical questions and problems.

‘I was faced with a gigantic task. I had to build confidence among all those connected with the project and convince them that they could accomplish things that not only had never been done before in India, but which would be considered impossible anywhere else in the world.

‘One day, Mr. Arthur Erickson, one of the most distinguished architects in North America, told me that perhaps the only reason that such complicated quality work was achieved was the fact that no one truly knew what they were doing. Otherwise, if they had been experienced, they would have been so daunted by the Challenge that they never would have attempted it.

‘Days, weeks and months were spent in endless meetings, discussing how to overcome the problems that continually plagued us. We had no modern, sophisticated equipment to help us. We had to invent our own equipment, find or “create” our own technicians and devise our own techniques. For instance, we did not have refrigerated concrete mixers to cool the concrete. We built special sealed storage for materials. We put 20 workers to work crushing tons of ice blocks by hand into a powder, and instead of water, we used ice. Everything had to be shaded, protected from the elements. Each shell was covered with a tarpaulin umbrella to protect the formwork and the workers from the heat and the rain during the concreting operation. When there was no rain, this huge shed constituted a serious fire hazard and required to be kept under surveillance round the clock; and when there was rain, we worked like sailors, as the tarpaulin shed which shielded the newly laid concrete and which was 30 metres high, tended to billow like a sail in the wind and heavy rain, and hundreds of workers struggled to stop the water from entering and spoiling the freshly laid concrete. Examples of such splendid teamwork, and of human relationships being strengthened through unified and cooperative overcoming of adversity, are usually only found in old fairy tales and heroic legends.

‘In order that no construction joints would show, I wanted to concrete the shell which was 22 metres high and 13 centimetres thick in one operation. Our consultants had recommended

[Page 563]THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHA’U’LLAH 563

2 metres as the maximum practical height. The difference sounded absolutely impossible. F inally, the contracting team came to my rescue and told me that they wanted to see my dream become a reality. They said that if I believed it was possible to concrete the shell in one oper‘ ation, they believed it was possible—we would work together and find a way. After months of consultation, we developed a system which, at first, sounded totally impractical, as each operation involved about 300 people, and they needed to be co-ordinated to act with the precision of a watch and absolutely without error, as just one mistake could ruin the shell, and it was unthinkable that we should have to demolish a defective shell and reconcrete it.

‘We were so sceptical of the system that we decided to do only half of the first shell, and, if we found it practical, to proceed with the other shells in one piece. Earlier, the inside formwork of the entire shell had been erected with a special, elegant pattern, accurate within a millimetre, and representing absolute perfection. Then, galvanized reinforcement was fixed with a complicated system which allowed for the adjustment of the double-curved reinforcement cage and guaranteed the required concrete cover to the reinforcement. Now, the external formwork was to be fixed: but how could we concrete at 22-metre high shell between two layers of form with a gap of only 13 centimetres? This is what prompted the invention of our own climbing shutter system. The back form was built in hundreds of pieces about 60 centimetres in height. These pieces, each in a different shape and size, were fixed in their exact location with the help of special guides which we called “shaped templets”, and these would dictate the geometry of the shells. These pieces had all been erected and checked in their locations then we numbered them from 1 to, say, 500 or 600. Then they all were removed from their positions and kept on different platforms waiting for their turn, for the big concreting day. More than 30 engineers, technicians and almost 300 workers were involved in this operation. These workers came from many different backgrounds and spoke several different languages, and none understood English. How could we recognize who was a mason, who was a carpenter and who was the Vibrator operator? We decided for the purpose of identification of the tradesmen to use coloured armbands—red for carpenters, yellow

for masons, green for Vibrator men, and so on. Work commenced with traditional prayers (Puja) and a coconut breaking ceremony. Each of us participated, and then, with hearts full of anxiety, commenced work.

‘In brief, the system worked like this. First, a row of back formwork was fixed in position by the carpenters so the concrete workers could start. The concrete was carried by crane from the mixers to the platforms, and from there, was carried by headloads to its place. Needle Vibrators were placed in pre-planned locations within the cage of galvanized reinforcement and could be moved up by workmen who were standing on the platform a distance of 10 metres higher up. As soon as the concrete reached the full height of the first row of back formwork, then the masons and concrete team stepped back and the reinforcement team checked the reinforcement. After approval, this team then stepped back and again the carpenters came forward. They had only ten minutes to fix the second row of back forms which were numbered. Each of these was a different size and had to be fixed in its exact place. The reinforcement team then stepped back and the supervisors checked the form. The supervisors then stepped back and the whole process was repeated. This entire procedure looked like an ancient Roman battle. Every move had to be carefully calculated, like in a game of chess or in working a.gigantic three-dimensional jigsaw puzzle.

‘We had to work at a fast pace, as the concrete in the previous row might set and a cold joint might appear on the concrete surface which would be a permanent defect. This recurrence of the operation was to follow for 48 hours and in between, the labourers were to change shifts, but even this had to be smoothly planned so that it would not affect the concrete operation. During the 48-hour operation, all types of accidents could happen—a storm could hit, the equipment might break down. Power failure was a common problem and had to be anticipated. Labour safety was an important concern as there were so many workers in such small working spaces, especially when after ten hours of work in such heat, they grew sleepy and nervous. I don’t know how we managed to get through that first operation, but I know that after the first half shell was concreted, none of us could talk. Everyone had shouted so much that we lost our voices, but we were so proud

[Page 564]564 THE Bahá’í WORLD

( I y; , i me Q“ » N fiat t

5: 33 ,.

i

T wo views of construction work on the Indian Temple in May 1985. At left, wood frames on an outer leaf being covered by plywood to provide a back form. At right, special staging placed for the work of applying marble t0 the sulface.

and happy that the system had worked, nothing else mattered. We were jubilant!

‘After the dust had cleared, and our voices came back, extensive meetings were held in which we reviewed our shortcomings and mistakes. New ways were proposed to improve on the system. We all gained confidence, and afterwards, the other shells were concreted in

one piece. During those long days and nights.

of concreting, everybody had a wonderful feeling of elation. You could see this in the faces of each worker. Everyone cared. Everyone helped. I have many unforgettable memories of those days and nights which extended over a two-yeaf period. Our supervisory team worked with a truly admirable spirit of sacrifice. Everyone worked a minimum of 12 hours a day, and in addition, due to the lack of sufficient personnel, we had to work night shifts. No one wanted to miss such historical moments. Sometimes I had to insist that they should go home and rest.

‘One night when I was climbing up the ladder on the edge of a shell which was 35 metres high, suddenly I felt totally exhausted and could not

climb a single step further. I looked up to see more than twenty thin, boney hands of the workmen reaching for me, and I seized them gratefully. When I relaxed on the platform above and looked around, I saw all the love and concern of the world in those compassionate, beautiful faces, and I thought how fortunate we were to work with such noble people and construct such a befitting tribute in the name of Baha’u’llah. I am sure that everyone on the site shared this same feeling. One night one of our carpenters came to me and told me, ‘My mother tells me: It is not good that you work on a temple for money. I tell her: You know I need money to be able to survive and provide food for the children. But I tell her: I work hard. That is my contribution.’ This is illustrative of the feelin g and spirit which went into the making of the Lotus of Bahapur.

‘Another major problem was vibration. In order to ensure that the concrete was going down inside the thin shells and around the heavy reinforcement cage, we had to use numbers of mold Vibrators. When operating, these Vibrators would shake the entire structure making an

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Concreting Of the last part of the mzperstructure Of the Indian T emple, the roof of the fan chamber at the top of the dome, during December 1985.

enormous noise and one could Visualize thousands of nuts and bolts which held the entire staging together, becoming loose and falling down. This could cause serious damage to the temporary structure. Dozens of carpenters were in charge of tying the bolts, starting from the top of the building, working their way down, and when they reached the bottom of the structure, repeating this same operation. ‘Dehydration was a prevalent problem.

Working in such odd locations, in such extreme 4

heat and humidity, for hour upon hour, and constantly perspiring, the workers would become dehydrated and sometimes one would suddenly faint. To prevent this, a number of labourers were designated to distribute lemon and salt water among the workers. In addition, a safety device was designed consisting of several layers of net and mesh which were positioned so that if anyone working without a safety harness were to lose control and fall inside or outside of the building, he would be caught by the net and would not be hurt.

‘At the same time that the concreting operation of the shells was proceeding, another major operation was in progress. This was the

supply of the marble panels for the cladding of the external surfaces of the shells and the inner arches of the building. I had chosen white pentelikon marble from Greece for this work and a distinguished marble contractor, Marmi Vincenti, in Italy, was awarded the contract for supplying, cutting and shaping the marble. The fixing of marble would be done locally in India. This was yet another “impossible” task, as great risk was involved. First, we had to shape the double curved slabs. Each piece of marble was a curved quadrilateral of a different size and dimension, and had to be cut and curved to a very exact geometry by one contractor, then, these would be fixed to their location by another contractor. The dimensions of each panel had to be calculated very carefully. A full scale model of the arches was constructed in Italy to the exact geometry, and a dummy of the marble slabs was made out of gypsum. Then, a marble slab was made in accordance with the shape and size of the dummy of every single piece. A quantity of approximately 10,000 square metres of marble was checked in Italy and only then was it shipped to India.

‘The whole operation was to be done under

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M I a A

4: ,1 at am?

A model of the Indian T emple, in the foreground, is compared with the actual building in progress on 13 January 1986. The photograph shows that the exquisite geometry of the design has been peifectly replicated in reality.

close supervision and some of the Bahá’í youth of Bombay came to our assistance. They accompanied every shipment of marble from Italy to avoid damage Which could occur from the loading and unloading of the crates from ship to truck and, finally, to road transport destined for Delhi. Then we had to solve the problem of fixing the marble to the building.

‘A method had to be devised to allow for the movement and deflection of the thin shells. It was decided that the marble should be free from the shell and each piece should act independently. Special stainless steel anchors were designed and fabricated to allow for tolerance from three dimensions and to be used to fix the marble panels to the concrete shells with bolts. This method was absolutely unheard of in India, and this being the case, not even an experienced marble worker could be used. We required a much more meticulous and careful craftsman. We decided that our own carpenters were the best candidates for this exacting work. They were familiar with the geometry of the shells as they had produced the framework for them.

However, they are reluctant to work with a totally new material which bore no relation to wood. In order to familiarize them with the work, in consultation with the contractors, a practical new system was devised. As an initial step, part of the first dummy shell panels were made with wood to the exact size of the marble panels. The carpenters could then easily fix these wooden panels to their exact position with the same stainless steel anchors. We then instructed them to remove the wooden panels and replace each one with its assigned marble piece. In a matter of a few weeks, they mastered the skill of marble fixing and started to fix the marble in place with complete confidence.’

Thus, at 21 April 1986, the construction of the Temple was proceeding apace and it was confidently expected that it would be finished by the date established for its completion, December 1986, when it was scheduled to be dedicated by the Hand of the Cause Amatu’l-Bahá Ri'ihiyyih Khánum and opened for public worship, a gift of the Bahá’ís t0 the people of India and of the world.

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5. THE JEWEL IN THE LOTUS1

CHARLES MACDONALD

IN his Encyclopaedia of T raditional Symbols, J . C. Cooper has described the lotus as ‘an almost universal symbol’, ‘the flower that was in the beginning, the glorious lily of the Great Waters’.

Certainly in the context of the rich and diverse culture of India it was a happy and inspired choice by the architect, Mr. F. Sahba, as his design for the Bahá’í House of Worship, Mother Temple of the Indian subcontinent.

Reverence for the sacred lotus is deeply rooted and widespread throughout the country among Hindus, Buddhists and J ains alike. For all, it represents the Manifestation of God and is a symbol of piety, purity and tenderness. In Buddhist tradition the Bodhisattva, Avokokileswara, is represented as born from a lotus and is the object of the sacred mantra 0m M am‘ Padme Hum—‘O Jewel in the Lotus’. Jamshed Fozdar, in his Buddha Maitrya-Amitabha Has Returned,2 identifies the Báb with this promised Buddha, who is to appear with Buddha Maitrya at the end of the aeon. Baha’u’llah is MaitryaAmitabha, Lord of Infinite Light, for whom the Lotus is also a symbol. And now, high in the dome of this beautiful edifice, translucent to the sky by day, and illumined by night, the Symbol of the Greatest Name will appear, and surely for many will be recognized as the Object of their quest for the most precious ‘Jewel in the Lotus’.

In Hinduism the lotus is the highest form or aspect of earth, the procreative power of eternal substance, the mover on the face of the waters, the self—generative, the self-born, immortal and spiritual nature of man. It is an emblem of the Sun-gods—Surya and Vishnu. The Goddess,

1Reprinted from Herald of the South, Vol. 6, January 1986. 2New Delhi: Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1976.

Lakshmi, beloved of Vishnu, is always portrayed as sitting or standing on a lotus and holding aloft a lotus flower in each hand. On the threshold of a temple it signifies the dwelling place of divinity.

It is the universal ground of existence; opening with the sun and closing with sunset it represents solar renaissance, hence all renaissance, creation, fecundity, renewal and immortality. The lotus also represents spiritual unfolding as with its roots in the slime it grows upwards and flowers in the sun and in the light of heaven. It is thus a symbol of superhuman and divine birth issuing unsullied from the muddy waters.

Ancient Jain sculptures at Mathura depict the lotus as a medallion or floral decoration. The shape of the lotus can even be seen in the ornamentation of the Malik mosque in Kirman, suggesting that it has some religious significance for Muslims—Certainly it is one of the oldest designs woven into Persian carpets, and in Iranian tradition it symbolizes the sun or light. It is thus a unifying symbol for many Indian religions and has also deep spiritual significance in many other cultures including Chinese and Egyptian.

The choice of the elevated site to the South East of New Delhi appears to have been divinely ordained because many years ago Baha’u’llah had put His own name on the area. It is Bahapur (Place of Baha). Efforts to track the origin and local significance of the name have so far not been successful but further research may prove rewarding.

Only a few hundred yards away, on the opposite side of the road, the Kalkaji Temple is a centre of pilgrimage for thousands of Hindu devotees who on special days converge from many Villages of India, often approaching the

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object of their veneration with frequent prostrations. Recently a number of them were seen sitting on the road and turned in prayer towards the great silhouette of the Bahá’í Temple—their explanation, that Kalki (not to be confused with the goddess Kalka to whom the Temple is dedicated) now dwells. in this new Temple (the promised Avatar and Tenth Incarnation of Lord Krishna). Whence this insight remains a mystery, but for Bahá’ís it is an exciting promise of things to come when the great Silent Teacher finally emerges in all its beauty and purity.

Four hundred years ago the unrealized dream and fondest wish of the greatest of the Mogul Emperors, Akbar, in his palace near Agra, a little over one hundred miles to the south, was that all men might be united in a single universal religion for which he saw himself as the creative instrument. Conqueror of all northern India, with people of many faiths in his realms, he had great religious tolerance and he hoped that his new eclectic religion would unite all creeds, castes and peoples. But few embraced this new movement, even though it had the authority and backing of the great despotic Emperor.

In Tennyson’s famous poem ‘Akbar’s Dream’, the Emperor recounts his Vision and the frustration of his hopes to his counsellor and friend Abul Fazl, but he foresees an ‘alien race’, from the west who would make it a reality.

Well I dreamed

That stone by stone I rear’d a sacred fane,

A temple, neither Pagod, Mosque, nor Church,

But loftier, simpler, always open door’d

To every breath from heaven, and Truth and Peace

and Love and Justice came and dwelt therein (and then despairingly)

I- watching my son

And those that follow’d loosen stone from stone

All my fair work, and from the ruins arose

The shriek and curse of trampled millions even

as in the time before; but while I groan’d

From out the sunset pour’d an alien race

Who fitted stone to stone again, and Truth,

Peace, Love and Justice came and dwelt therein.

THE Bahá’í WORLD

And now after four hundred years, the sacred fame of his dream, ‘always open door’d’ is being rear’d (by aliens from out the sunset) for Peace, Love, Justice, to dwell therein forever.

That Alfred, Lord Tennyson, was one of those sensitives and seers, unconsciously moved by the presence on earth of the Promised One, is also amply demonstrated in these verses from his poem Locksley Hall:

For I dipt into the future, far as human eye could see,

Saw the Vision of the world and all the wonder that would be

Saw the heavens fill with commerce, argosies of magic sails

Pilots of the purple twilight, dropping down with costly bales

Heard the heavens fill with shouting and there rained a ghastly dew,

From the nations airy navies grappling in the central blue

Far along the world-wide whisper of the south—wind rushing warm

With the standards of the people plunging through the thunder storm

Till the war drums throbb’d no longer, and the battle flags were furl’d

In the Parliament of Man, the Federation of the World.

There the common sense of most shall hold a fretful realm in awe

and the kindly earth shall slumber lapt in universal law.

Poets and seers through the ages, from the time of the Upanishads and Vedas up to the messianic stirrings of nineteenth century Europe, and particularly England, have caught glimpses down the corridors of time of a great climacteric in human affairs and of the features and symbols of the golden age of peace and harmony which would follow. And now this lotus Temple, reaching to the heavens, is a glorious, triumphant symbol, proclaiming the dawn of that promised age.

At Agra, another architectural masterpiece, the lovely Taj Mahal, has for centuries captured the imagination of the world and has attracted a constant stream of many thousands of Visitors, eager to gaze on and marvel at its beauty. In future years this magnificent House of Worship, reflecting the majesty and glory of the Lord of the New Age, may well rival or even surpass it.