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 India
From top, left to right: The Lotus Temple located in New Delhi; a study circle in Bihar Sharif; participants at the Barli Institute in Indore; the National Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds in Delhi; students at City Montessori School in Lucknow; and the Bangalore regional conference in 2008.
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Location of India
National Office New Delhi
National AssemblyIndia
Statistics:
Total Population
 -  UN 2021[3] 1,407,563,842
Bahá'í pop.
 -  Bahá'í source  
 -  Non-Bahá'í source 2,113,089[1] 2,200,000[2]
History:
Firsts
 -  Pioneers Jamal Effendi, 1872
Hájí Sayyid Mírzá
Sayyid Muhammad 
 -  National Assembly 1923, with Burma
1959, Independent 
Official Website http://www.bahai.in/
Atlas    Related media
Categories: India • People

The Bahá’í Faith has been established in India almost since the founding of the Faith in 1844. An important early follower of Bahá’u’lláh, Jamal Effendi, arrived in India in 1872 to promulgate the Faith.[4] Following a period of growth beginning around the 1960s, Indian Bahá’ís numbered 2,113,089 in 2020,[1] making it the largest national contingent of Bahá’ís in the world.

However, the Bahá’í Faith in India has a visibility even exceeding its numbers, thanks to the famous 'Lotus Temple', a major New Delhi landmark that attracts an average of four million visitors per year (around 13,000 each day). Much praised for its striking and graceful architecture, it was for many years the sole House of Worship on the Asian continent. The Lotus Temple attracts tens of thousands of worshippers on Hindu holy days.

The growth of the Bahá’í Faith in India has been greatly assisted by the recognition of Krishna as a Messenger or Manifestation of God, alongside Jesus, Muhammad, Zarathustra and Bahá’u’lláh himself. Bahá’ís have thus been able to reach out to Vaishnava Hindus, as well as to some extent Muslims, Adivasis (or tribal people), and others. Bahá’ís have in fact presented Bahá’u’lláh as the Kalki Avatar of Vaishnava tradition and the Mahdí of Shia tradition.[5] Indian Bahá’ís have incorporated several elements typical of the bhakti movement, including the singing of bhajans, into their worship.[6]

The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of India is the organizational body for the Bahá’í Faith, and is headquartered in New Delhi.

History[edit]

Established[edit]

Bábí Period[edit]

The roots of the Bahá’í faith in India go back to the first days of the Bábí religion in 1844.[7] Four Bábís are known from India in this earliest period.[8] The first was Sa'id Hindi - one of the Letters of the Living from India and second a remarkable believer only known as Qahru'llah.,[9] and Sa'in Hindi and Sayyid Basir Hindi. Additionally four other Indians are listed among the 318 Bábís who fought at the Battle of Fort Tabarsi.[10] There is little evidence of any contact from these early Indian Bábís back to their homeland.

Early Bahá’í Period[edit]

During Bahá’u’lláh's lifetime he encouraged some of his followers to move to India.[11] Some who settled in India including Hájí Sayyid Mírzá and Sayyid Muhammad who had become Bábís after meeting Bahá’u’lláh in Baghdad in the 1850s. Hájí Sayyid Mahmúd also traded in Bombay. These individuals were very successful as general merchants and commission agents but it was near another 50 years before native converts began.[10] A Bahá’í teacher was asked for and Jamál Effendi was sent approximately 1875.[10] Still in these early years another member of the Afnán family, Mírzá Ibrahím, helped establish the first Bahá’í printing and publishing company, the Násirí Press, in Bombay and began to publish Bahá’í books from about 1882-3 onwards.[10] The Book of Certitude and the Secret of Divine Civilization were both published in 1882.[12] Much later - in the 1891 - Jamál Effendi was confused with a terrorist and reported on by British agents among the Indian population and those records have been found (though Indian government national archives.)[10] Following the passing of Bahá’u’lláh ‘Abdu’l-Bahá sent further emissaries in his stead - both Persian and American.[12]

Professor Pritam Singh is believed to be the first member of the Sikh community in India to accept the Bahá’í Faith, and the first to publish a Bahá’í weekly magazine in India. He received the message of Bahá’u’lláh from Mirzá Mahmud soon after his graduation from the University of Calcutta in 1904.[7] By 1908 the work of Bahá’ís and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá's emissaries had produced functioning communities in Bombay, Calcutta, Aligarh and Lahore.[12] Narayenrao Rangnath Shethji is believed to be the first Bahá’í from Hindu background. Better known as Vakil, he was born in a well-known Hindu family in Nawsari. He became a Bahá’í in 1909.[7] Representatives of the Indian Zoroastrian community had been sent to Persia to help their coreligionists. There they came into contact with the Bahá’í Faith and supported its activities. Later, several Iranian Zoroastrian converts traveled to Bombay (notably Mulla Bahram Akhtar-Khavari) and actively promulgated the Faith among local Zoroastrians.[12]

As early as 1910 the national community in India was being urged to distinguish itself from Islam by Bahá’í institutions of America.[13] National coordinated activities began and reached a peak with the December 1920, first All-India Bahá’í Convention, held in Bombay for three days. Representatives from India's major religious communities were present as well as Bahá’í delegates from throughout the country. The resolutions arrived at included the collection of funds to build a Bahá’í temple, the establishment of a Bahá’í school and the growth of teaching and translation work[12] – goals reached before the end of the century (see below.)

Mahatma Gandhi famously commented, "The Bahá’í Faith is a solace to humankind."

Following the passing of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Shoghi Effendi set about the formation of the first round of National Spiritual Assemblies in the world in 1923 and India's was in that first wave.[14] In 1930 notable Bahá’í and world traveler Martha Root made an extensive trip though India.[15][16] The first Bahá’í summer school was able to be held in Simla in 1938 and in 1941 three new local communities with functioning Local Spiritual Assemblies had been established: Hyderabad, Kota and Bangalore. These activities reached a peak with occasional awareness of the social leaders in India like Mahatma Gandhi.[17] In time his comment "The Bahá’í Faith is a solace to humankind." appeared in The Bombay Chronicle newspaper on May 24, 1944, during the centenary of the Bahá’í Faith and the Indian Bahá’í community consisted of twenty-nine Local Spiritual Assemblies.[12]

Through the first half of the twentieth century, the Bahá’ís continue to grow with a focus away from the large cities and had the notable achievement of the conversion of Kishan Lal Malviya, a scheduled caste leader from Shajapur (a district northeast of Ujjain) and another scheduled caste leader, Dayaram Malviya, also converted setting the stage for a rural dynamic of growth called "mass teaching". During this time, Shirin Fozdar rose to prominence and served as a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of India from 1936 to 1951. Her main area of work from 1925 to 1950 was in a large community of Untouchables or Harijans in Ahmedabad.[18]

Growth[edit]

After more than a century the Bahá’í Faith in India had only reached around 1,000[12] and for a significant time there hadn't even been a Indian-based community in India. Various social and religious forces encouraged a broader outreach for the aims of "Mass Teaching".[12] The teachings were adapted for presentation in a clearly Hindu context to the people of the countryside - using principles and language familiar to them.[12] -

  • the presentation of Bahá’u’lláh as the kalki avatar who according to the Vishnu Purana will appear at the end of the kali yuga for the purpose of reestablishing an era of righteousness
  • emphasizing the figures of Buddha and Krishna as past Manifestations of God or avatars,
  • references to Hindu scriptures such as the Bhagavad Gita,
  • the substitution of Sanskrit-based terminology for Arabic and Persian where possible (i.e., Bhagavan Baha for Bahá’u’lláh), and the incorporation in both song and literature of Hindu holy places, hero-figures and poetic images.
  • Hindi translations of Bahá’í scriptures and prayers that appeared during this period which are so heavily Sanskritized as to make it difficult to recognize their non-Hindu antecedents.

Together with the teaching of the unity of humanity these approaches attracted many of the lower castes.[19] In short order most of a tiny village of some 200 people converted to the Bahá’í Faith en masse.[12] The following year hundreds of people were converted thanks to an open air conference where speeches could be heard. In two more years almost as many people converted as had been Bahá’ís through regions of Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat. In 1961 there were a total of 78 Local Spiritual Assemblies and less than 1,000 believers and in 1963 there were some 65,000[20] and by 1970 these figures had risen to 3,350 Assemblies and 312,602 believers.[12] However, in contrast to the Neo-Buddhist movement, no effort was made to denounce Hinduism[12] and progress along Bahá’í ideals advanced: Assemblies formed in response to growing numbers of Bahá’ís, the House of Worship for India was built, and schools were established – all goals of the first All-India Bahá’í Convention in 1920 (see above).

During this period of growth, six conferences held in October 1967 around the world presented a viewing of a copy of the photograph of Bahá'u'lláh on the highly significant occasion commemorating the centenary of Bahá'u'lláh's writing of the Suriy-i-Mulúk (Tablet to the Kings), which Shoghi Effendi describes as "the most momentous Tablet revealed by Bahá'u'lláh".[21] After a meeting in Edirne (Adrianople), Turkey, the Hands of the Cause travelled to the conferences, 'each bearing the precious trust of a photograph of the Blessed Beauty, which it will be the privilege of those attending the Conferences to view.' Hand of the Cause Abu'l-Qásim Faizi conveyed this photograph to the Conference for Asia at India.[22]

India became the largest Bahá’í community in the world in 2000 after less than a century of mass teaching, with an official Bahá’í population of between 1.7 million[23] to over 2 million.[24][2] The expansion of the numbers and organization of the community has helped publishing agencies grow, to the point where the Indian Bahá’í Publishing Trust now enjoys an international reputation.[25]

Emergence from Obscurity[edit]

The Mother Temple of the Subcontinent[edit]

Main article: Lotus Temple
House of Worship

The House of Worship in Delhi, India, popularly known as the Lotus Temple, is a prominent attraction in Delhi. It was completed in 1986 and serves as the Mother Temple of the Indian subcontinent. It has won numerous architectural awards and been featured in hundreds of newspaper and magazine articles[26] and becoming "the most visited building in India, surpassing even the Taj Mahal with some 4.5 million visitors a year."[27] Not a few international dignitaries have also visited. Lists of prominent individuals are listed article with short list of notable visitors[28] and updated most recently in 2004 addition.[29]

Bahá’í Educational Institutions[edit]

Main article: Education in India

There are some seven educational institutions the Bahá’ís of India have undertaken.[30] Two of the more well known are:

  • The New Era High School is located in Panchgani in the state of Maharashtra, India is private internationalist Bahá’í school, drawing students from all over the world and is under the supervision of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of India.[31] It was founded in August 1945, and was one of the first Bahá’í education projects in India.[31]
  • The Barli Vocational Institute for Rural Women in Indore is a Bahá’í inspired, though independent residential vocational education school providing programs for women in the vicinity of the city of Indore, India in the State of Madhya Pradesh as well as a base for outreach/non-residential training centers. The Institute was founded in 1985 under the suggestion and direction of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of India.[32][33]

Prominence[edit]

Following the successes in large scale growth in numbers and organization with commitment to raise up a Temple and schools, the Bahá’í Faith in India has awakened degrees of prominence.

  • Amongst other important engagements during his state visit to India from 5–7 November 1999, Pope John Paul II attended an inter-religious meeting. Against a backdrop of protests by various sectarian groups against ecumenism, this particular function had aroused interest. Distinguished representatives of nine religions, including Mrs. Zena Sorabjee of the Bahá’í community, shared the platform with Pope John Paul. Many ambassadors, highranking government officials, political and civic leaders and intellectuals, as well as cardinals, archbishops and other senior religious dignitaries, were present at this unique event.[34]
  • The situation of the Babri Mosque was commented on by Members of the India Supreme Court highlighting the approach of the Bahá’ís on multi-faith issues.[35]
  • Zia Mody is a prominent Bahá’í[36] Indian legal consultant. She is a member of the Securities and Exchange Board of India's Standing Committee on Mutual Funds, and of the Capital Market Committee of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry. She is the daughter of noted Indian jurist Soli Sorabjee.

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 The ARDA 2023, World Religion Database, 2020 (Baha'is)
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Smith 2008, p.94, 1993 estimate
  3. ↑ "World Population Prospects 2022". population.un.org. United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. Retrieved July 17, 2022.
  4. ↑ Balyuzi, H.M. (1985). Eminent Bahá’ís in the time of Bahá’u’lláh. Oxford, UK: George Ronald. ISBN 0853981523.
  5. ↑ A chapter from The Baha'i Faith and Abortion
  6. ↑ Bahá’í Bhajans: An example of the Bahá’í Use of Hindu Symbols, by William Garlington
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 The Bahá’í Faith - Brief History National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of India.
  8. ↑ Historical Accounts of two Indian Babis: Sa'in Hindi and Sayyid Basir Hindi By Sepehr Manuchehri, Research Notes in Shaykhi, Babi and Baha'i Studies,Vol. 5, no. 2 (April, 2001)
  9. ↑ The Practice of Taqiyyah (Dissimulation) in the Babi and Bahai Religions by Sepehr Manuchehri, Research Notes in Shaykhi, Babi and Baha'i Studies,Vol. 3, no. 3 (September 1999)
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 Jamál Effendi and the early spread of the Bahá’í Faith in Asia by Moojan Momen, Baha'i Studies Review, Volume 9, 1999/2000
  11. ↑ Bahá’í History by Moojan Momen and Peter Smith
  12. ↑ 12.00 12.01 12.02 12.03 12.04 12.05 12.06 12.07 12.08 12.09 12.10 12.11 The Baha'i Faith in India: A Developmental Stage Approach by William Garlington, Occasional Papers in Shaykhi, Babi and Baha'i Studies, No. 2 (June, 1997)
  13. ↑ Letter from the House of Spirituality of Bahais, Chicago, Ill., U. S. A. to the Assembly of Bomday India.
  14. ↑ The Bahá’í Faith: 1844-1963: Information Statistical and Comparative, Including the Achievements of the Ten Year International Bahá’í Teaching & Consolidation Plan 1953-1963, Compiled by Hands of the Cause Residing in the Holy Land, pages 22 and 46.
  15. ↑ "Miss Martha Root in India (I)". Bahá’í News (45): 7–8 (continued...). October 1930.
  16. ↑ "Miss Martha Root in India (II)". Bahá’í News (46): 10–11. November 1930.
  17. ↑ Mahatma Gandhi and the Bahá’ís - Striving towards a Nonviolent Civilization, by M. V. Gandhimohan, Copyright © 2000, Bahá’í Publishing Trust of India, New Delhi, ISBN 81-86953-82-5
  18. ↑ Sarwal, Anil (1989). "Shirin Fozdar: An Outstanding Pioneer". Bahá’í Digest. Retrieved 2008-02-23.
  19. ↑ Notes on Bahá’í population in India by Charles Nolley and William Garlington, 1997-03
  20. ↑ Francis, N. Richard (1998). "Rahmatu'llah Muhajir - Hand of the Cause of God, the Treasure of All Humanity". Bahá’í Faith Website of Reno, Nevada. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  21. ↑ Effendi, Shoghi (1944). God Passes By. Wilmette, Illinois, USA: Bahá’í Publishing Trust. p. 171. ISBN 0-87743-020-9.
  22. ↑ House of Justice, Universal (1976). Wellspring of Guidance, Messages 1963-1968. Wilmette, Illinois: National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. pp. 109–112. ISBN 0-87743-032-2.
  23. ↑ Source: Year 2000 Estimated Bahá’í statistics from: David Barrett, World Christian Encyclopedia, 2000; Total population statistics, mid-2000 from Population Reference Bureau
  24. ↑ National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of India 2016, Baha'is of India.
  25. ↑ Bahá’í Publishing Trust - Publishing Division of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of India
  26. ↑ Bahá’í Houses of Worship, India The Lotus of Bahapur
  27. ↑ Commemorations in Chicago highlight the immense impact of House of Worship OneCountry, Volume 15, Issue 1 / April–June 2003
  28. ↑ An Architectural Marvel by Prof. Anil Sarwal, First published in The Tribune, Chandigarh
  29. ↑ Distinguished visitors praise Baha'i Temple
  30. ↑ Socia-Economic Development Projects
  31. ↑ 31.0 31.1 Background statement of the school
  32. ↑ Empowering Young Women to Improve Rural Lives - The Story of the Barli Development Institute for Rural Women, Indore, Madhya Pradesh, India. A case study in Bahá’í Development. Prepared by The Bahá’í International Community for The World Faiths Development Dialogue (11 July 2003)
  33. ↑ bahaindia.org (2003-08-11). "Barli Development Institute for Rural Women". Retrieved 2006-09-15.
  34. ↑ Pope Addressed by Baha'is in India
  35. ↑ Excerpts from the Supreme Court of India, Oct. 24, 1994 regarding the destruction of the Babri Mosque in the town of Ayodhya
  36. ↑ Zia Mody Profile, AZB & Partners - Mumbai

References[edit]

  • Khianra, Dipchand (1988). Immortals. New Delhi, India: Bahá’í Publishing Trust. ISBN 818509117X.
  • World Almanac and Book of Facts. New York, United States: World Almanac Books. 2004. ISBN 0886879108.

External links[edit]


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