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Bahá'í House of Worship at New Delhi

摘要: Justification of Outstanding Universal Value  The Baha’i House of Worship at New Delhi stands in testimony to the efforts of the Baha’is community of Indian subcontinent towards the promotion of commu

Justification of Outstanding Universal Value

  The Baha’i House of Worship at New Delhi stands in testimony to the efforts of the Baha’is community of Indian subcontinent towards the promotion of communal harmony. An independent worldwide religion, the Baha’i Faith recognizes the unity of God, the unity of all religions, and the unity of mankind. A true cross-section of humanity, adherents of the Baha’i Faith, who currently number about six million globally, come from virtually every nation, ethnic group, culture, profession and socio-economic class.

  Multi-faith prayer services feature readings and chanting from the Holy Writings from all major world religions, in recognition of the universal spiritual essence of all Faiths. There are no clergy or rituals associated with the Baha’i Faith, and the Temple is reserved solely for silent prayer and meditation.

  Against the pluralistic backdrop of India’s religious milieu and in a country of immense diversity, the Baha’i Temple incorporates one universal symbol of Lotus respected by most religions worldwide and is the only place of worship which gathers all the people under the one dome as a unique beacon of harmony, a place for worship and prayer without distinction of race, nationality, religion or caste. Even though the House of Worship is a modern architectural work of the 20th century, its roots go deep into the ancient culture and religious symbolism of Indian civilization.

  More importantly, there are no similarly well known lotus shaped structures across the world. The Baha’i Temple is an exceptional building that beautifully combines the physical beauty of this form to religious and spiritual emancipation, including none of the other six Baha’i Houses of Worship across the world.

  The Baha’i Temple has received many national and international awards and accolades for its unique design and symbolism. It has been declared a ‘Symbol of Communal Harmony’ in the international Incredible India campaign conducted by the Ministry of Tourism, Govt. of India. Among the more notable international honours, the House of Worship received the international GlobArt Academy Award (Vienna Austria) for “promoting the unity and harmony of people of all nations, religions and social strata, to an extent unsurpassed by any other architectural monument worldwide” in the year 2000 CE. It was also recognized as an ‘outstanding achievement of the time’ in the ‘Architecture’ section of the 1994 edition of Encyclopaedia Britannica.

  The Bahá'í House of Worship provides opportunities for children, junior youth, youth and adults to participate in spiritual classes for their overall growth and development. It also houses institutions of higher learning for intellectual training of the youth in order to prepare them for meaningful participation in social discourses, and to be of service in their local communities.

  Such efforts at contributing to society and promoting unity in diversity, serve to justify that the Baha’i House of Worship is of Outstanding Universal Value in the community.

  Criterion (i): The ancient, multi-religious Indian symbol of the lotus has been used to create a monument of ethereal beauty that belies the complex geometry underlying its execution in concrete. Twentieth–century architecture is characterized by a high degree of technological prowess. The House of Worship provides one of the rare exceptions with its remarkable fusion of ancient concept, modern engineering skill, and architectural inspiration, making it the focus of attention amongst engineers and architects the world over. In the absence of sophisticated equipment, the extremely complex design called for the highest order of engineering ingenuity to be implemented by means of traditional workmanship.

  From the design phase through construction, the process took nearly a decade. Much of the Temple was built using traditional building methods and tools and equipment. Forty engineers and around 800 skilled and unskilled laborers from different parts of the country, including many women, who worked day and night, took part in the raising up of the complicated and perfect white exposed- concrete shell structure in the world.

  The marble used to cover the petals was quarried from the Mount Pentelikon mines in Greece and thereafter sent to Italy, where each panel was cut to the required size and shape before being transported to the site at Delhi. Once on site, the 10,000 pieces of marble, each a slightly-different size, were assembled like a giant jigsaw puzzle.

  Indeed, in 1990, the Bahá'í Temple has been recognized by the American Concrete Institute as “one of the finest concrete structures of the World”. In September 1991, John Bland, Head, School of Architecture, McGill University remarked that “The building must be among the most remarkable conceptions of our time. I cannot think of another like it – clearly symbolic, sculptural – yet impressively accommodating and heroically structural. Truly inspired in form, pattern and material, it is powerfully appealing”. Arthur Erickson, renowned Canadian architect wrote “One of the most remarkable achievements of our time, proving that the drive and vision of spirit can achieve miracles”.

  Criterion (iv): The Baha’i House of Worship is an outstanding example of a religious congregation hall illustrative of the propagation of Baha’i faith, a world religion that is uniquely inspirational in its purpose and represents ‘Unity in Diversity’ in the times of many social conflicts across the world.

  Though funded entirely from voluntary contributions within the Baha’i community, the House of Worship is considered as a gift offered to all humanity. The value of the Baha’i House of Worship does not lie solely in its beauty; the symmetry of the architecture is not sufficient to immortalize a building. The uniqueness of this building is the response that it evokes in the hearts of the people.

  Built as a symbol of unity and dedicated to the worship and praise of the Creator of all religions, it provides a unifying link in a land of myriad religions. It brings divergent thoughts into harmony by virtue of its principle of oneness - oneness of God, religion and mankind. This perhaps, is the secret of its unabated and ever-increasing popularity.

  Criterion (vi): The Baha’i House of Worship is directly associated with the Baha’i World Faith uniquely inspirational in its purpose: to represent the Oneness of God, the Oneness of all Religions, and the Oneness of Mankind, a truly universal aspiration.


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