The Bahá'í Community Celebrates the 100th Anniversary of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of India
A milestone was reached this year as the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of India, the democratically elected body that administers and represents the Indian Bahá'í community celebrated the 100th year of its establishment.
To mark this occasion a gathering was held on the lawns of the iconic Bahá'í House of Worship also known as the “Lotus Temple.” The event was attended by over two hundred fifty distinguished guests from government, diplomatic and other spheres of Indian society.
The message of the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, to the National Spiritual Assembly of India was read out. Referring to the centenary of the National Spiritual Assembly, the Prime Minister indicated that “…This is a momentous milestone in India’s vibrant landscape of religious diversity and inclusivity…”
The guest of honour Dr. Ram Madhav, President, India Foundation shared his thoughts on this occasion. He mentioned that the essence of the Bahá'í faith is “all about justice” and that Bahá'ís have a “wide worldview” and that is why the people of India who have embraced diversity and stood for unity for millennia “easily connect with it.” It was stressed that “there can be different kinds of prophets coming at different periods of history. They are all bringing the same message of the Divine, …and that kind of message very easily resonates with the people of this country.” He further
emphasized that “we all should live like one family” and shared his hopes that this “message spreads far and wide.” The Secretary-General of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of India, Ms. Rowhani, in her address traced the evolution of the Bahá'í community in India and the role that the National Assembly has had to play in this over the last hundred years.
The Bahá’ís of India reflect our country’s rich diversity in the social, cultural, ethnic, and linguistic backgrounds that they hail from. The central teaching of the Bahá’í Faith, the oneness of humankind, is a principle that echoes the eternal spiritual principle of ‘vasudhaiva kutumbakam’ which maintains that the earth is but one family. The Bahá'í House of Worship, the Lotus Temple of Delhi, with its doors open to all, has come to represent most clearly this principle of oneness.
The Bahá’ís of India, have over the past hundred years striven to uphold and reflect this principle in establishing bonds of fellowship with their compatriots, free of prejudices of all kinds. Similarly, as they strive to uphold other principles of the Baha’i Faith such as the equality of women and men, the need to educate the girl child, the vital importance of dedicated efforts for the education of children and youth and the promotion of scientific advancement, their aspirations and aims coincide with and contribute to the vision of ‘Amrit Kaal,’ a vision of a prosperous, inclusive, and united India contributing to the well-being of the entire human family.