Haifa (Israel), July 6 (SocialNews.XYZ) High above the Mediterranean port city of Haifa, 19 terraced gardens unfold in precise symmetry across the slopes of Mount Carmel, forming one of Israel's most visited cultural and spiritual landmarks. Cypress-lined pathways, geometric flower beds and flowing water channels create a landscape that feels suspended between nature and design, leading down to a golden-domed shrine that rises above the city overlooking Haifa's port, coastline and the open sea.
From the upper terraces, the view stretches across Haifa Bay, ships in the harbour, the layered cityscape below and the horizon merging into the Mediterranean. The site is widely known for its architectural beauty and panoramic setting, drawing visitors from around the world, while for followers of the Baha’i Faith it is among the most sacred places in the world and home to the Shrine of the Bab, regarded as the second holiest site in the faith after the Shrine of Baha’u’llah in nearby Acre (Akko).
“This golden-domed building you see here is the second most holy place for Baha’is around the world,” says Tjireya Tjitendero Juzgado, Senior advisor within the Bahá’i’ international community. “The remains of the Prophet-herald of the Baha’i Faith are buried here.”
She explains that the gardens are designed as part of a spiritual journey.
“These gardens are designed to prepare you to enter the holy place and to help you leave it in a spirit of calm, spirituality and beauty.”
The Baha’i Faith is an independent world religion founded in 19th-century Persia, rooted in the teachings of the Bab and Baha’u’llah, who is regarded as its founder. It teaches the oneness of God, the unity of all religions and the oneness of humanity.
“There is only one God, and we believe that this God sent religion as a way of educating humanity,” says David Ruhestein, Secretary General of the Baha’i International Community. “We believe in Muhammad, Krishna, Buddha, Moses, Jesus Christ. There is unity among religions because it comes from one divine source.”
The faith emphasises that humanity is one race, despite differences in culture, language and background.
“The human race is one race,” Ruhestein says. “We are diverse in culture, background and history, but fundamentally we are one.”
India is home to the largest Baha’i community in the world, with an estimated two million followers according to community estimates. The country also hosts the Lotus Temple in New Delhi, one of the most visited religious buildings in the world and the Baha’i House of Worship for the Asian continent.
“Our community in India is very significant. It happens to be the country on earth with the largest Baha’i community,” Ruhestein says. “From all walks of life, from all castes and from all religious backgrounds.”
Despite the global importance of the Baha’i World Centre in Israel, there is no local Baha’i community in the country.
“This is a showpiece for the world,” Ruhestein says. “We don’t establish local communities here out of respect for the host country.”
Instead, volunteers from more than 90 countries serve at the World Centre for fixed periods, maintaining the holy sites and supporting administrative work.
One of the distinctive features of the Baha’i Faith is the absence of clergy.
“We have no priests, no mullahs, no rabbis, no monks,” Ruhestein says. “There is no intermediary between the individual and a divine source.”
Instead, governance is carried out through elected Spiritual Assemblies at local, national and international levels.
On global conflicts, Ruhestein says the Baha’i approach is rooted in human transformation.
“For Baha’is, military conflict is a failing of inter-human relations,” he says. “Peace comes through changing the hearts of individuals one at a time.”
The status of the Baha’i Faith varies across countries, with full recognition and freedom in many parts of the world, while facing restrictions in some others.
The Baha’i World Centre in Haifa continues to remain a major site for international visitors, known for its gardens, symmetry and panoramic views over the Mediterranean city. Community members say the site remains open and welcoming to visitors, and hope that people from around the world will continue to experience the gardens and the spiritual atmosphere they are designed to reflect.
The World Centre thus stands as both a religious headquarters and a global cultural landmark, connecting Israel with India through a faith that emphasises unity, service and the oneness of humanity.
Source: IANS
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