Bahá'í Pilgrimage to Israel

Bahá'í Pilgrimage to Israel

G.M. Viswanathan

July 24, 1994


Flower garden near the Shrine of the Báb

Abstract:

Bahá'í pilgrims have been converging at the Holy Land ever since Bahá'u'lláh (1817-1892), the founder of the Bahá'í Faith, was imprisoned in the fortress city of St. Jean d'Acre in 1868. This paper considers Bahá'í pilgrimage in a number of its aspects. The Holy Land's sacredness to the Bahá'í is shown to have a two-fold origin: Bahá'í belief in the oneness of religion and the divine origins of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam; and the Holy Land's association with the history of the Bahá'í Faith. Pilgrimage to the Bahá'í World Centre is presented as serving a collective function in the Bahá'í international community. The purpose of pilgrimage, the pilgrimage schedule, and some common practices associated with pilgrimage are discussed. It is noted that there no rituals associated with pilgrimage in the Bahá'í Faith. The origins, the scriptural basis, and the evolution over many decades of Bahá'í pilgrimage are examined. The two Bahá'í concepts of God and the Manifestation of God are introduced as pertinent to a proper understanding of the religious aspect of Bahá'í pilgrimage. It is argued that pilgrimage in the Bahá'í Faith is a subjective religious experience, and that pilgrimage is primarily not a material but a spiritual journey. It is proposed that the mystical purpose of pilgrimage is to evoke in the pilgrim a spiritual response. The major sites of the Bahá'í Faith in Israel are listed, and a brief treatment is given of the historical significance of the Bahá'í Holy Places in Haifa, Acre, and the surrounding area. The Bahá'í aesthetics of the sacred is explored. Three aesthetic characteristics of the Bahá'í Holy Places are discussed, especially as they relate to the two most important sites. It is concluded that pilgrimage to the Holy Land is one of the most holy Bahá'í observances and that pilgrims constitute the ``life-blood'' of the worldwide Bahá'í community.

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G.M. Viswanathan