The history and significance of the µþ²¹³óá'à festival of ¸é¾±»å±¹Ã¡²Ô.
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Last updated 2009-09-28
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Old picture of µþ²¹³óá'³Ü'±ô±ôá³ó's house at ¸é¾±»å±¹Ã¡²Ô ©
The ¸é¾±»å±¹Ã¡²Ô Festival is celebrated from sunset 21 April to sunset 2 May.
The festival marks µþ²¹³óá'³Ü'±ô±ôá³ó's time in the garden of ¸é¾±»å±¹Ã¡²Ô in 1863 and his announcement that he was the prophet promised by the µþá²ú. µþ²¹³óá'³Ü'±ô±ôá³ó ordained this festival 'Most Great Festival'.
The celebrations
Gary Heise has described an example of a ¸é¾±»å±¹Ã¡²Ô celebration:
One of my favorite experiences of a holy day celebration was the ¸é¾±»å±¹Ã¡²Ô Festival I attended at the Evergreen Cabin at the Wilhelm µþ²¹³óá'à Properties in Teaneck, New Jersey.
This twelve-day period (April 21 - May 2) celebrates the time in 1863 when µþ²¹³óá'³Ü'±ô±ôá³ó proclaimed His Mission as God's Messenger for this age at a garden in Baghdad, that became known as the Garden of ¸é¾±»å±¹Ã¡²Ô (Paradise).
At the particular celebration I attended, the walls and even the windows were draped in white muslin, to represent an outdoor canopy. All the chairs had been removed; people sat on the carpeted floor on cushions and pillows.
The scent of rose-water filled the air as children and youth read from first-hand accounts of the early µþ²¹³óá'Ãs as they had experienced that historic day in 1863. To me, the children's reading and prayers were especially touching.
Gary Heise
The 1st, 9th and 12th days are especially holy days. They commemorate the arrival of µþ²¹³óá'³Ü'±ô±ôá³ó at the ¸é¾±»å±¹Ã¡²Ô Garden, the arrival of his family and his departure.
These three holy days are marked by communal prayers and celebrations, and are days on which no work is done.
Since ´¡²ú»å³Ü'±ô-µþ²¹³óá's time, µþ²¹³óá'à elections have normally been held during ¸é¾±»å±¹Ã¡²Ô. Local spiritual assemblies are elected on the first day of ¸é¾±»å±¹Ã¡²Ô, while elections for national spiritual assemblies happen later in the festival.
The declaration of prophethood
µþ²¹³óá'³Ü'±ô±ôá³ó's declaration that he was the prophet heralded by the µþá²ú was not made public for over a year.
µþ²¹³óá'³Ü'±ô±ôá³ó made the annoucement when he arrived in ¸é¾±»å±¹Ã¡²Ô to ´¡²ú»å³Ü'±ô-µþ²¹³óá and four others, but told them to keep it a secret.
µþ²¹³óá'³Ü'±ô±ôá³ó did not just announce that he was the prophet. He also said that there would be no other prophet for 1000 years, that his followers could not fight to protect or promote the µþ²¹³óá'à faith and that "all the names of God were fully manifest in all things".
The last statement is taken by µþ²¹³óá'Ãs to mean that the world had been mystically transformed and that there was now a new relationship between God and humanity.
The ¸é¾±»å±¹Ã¡²Ô Garden
The ¸é¾±»å±¹Ã¡²Ô Garden in Baghdad was originally named Najibiyyih. µþ²¹³óá'³Ü'±ô±ôá³ó renamed it ¸é¾±»å±¹Ã¡²Ô, which means Paradise.
µþ²¹³óá'³Ü'±ô±ôá³ó had been exiled to Baghdad from Tehran in Persia in 1853, but in 1863 the authorities began to fear that he might be a focus for political unrest there. It was decided that µþ²¹³óá'³Ü'±ô±ôá³ó would now be exiled to Istanbul.
So that his family and followers could prepare for the journey, µþ²¹³óá'³Ü'±ô±ôá³ó left his house on 22 April 1863 and moved to the Najibiyyih Garden, where he proclaimed the Festival of ¸é¾±»å±¹Ã¡²Ô. The festival begins 2 hours before sunset on 22 April, as that was the time he arrived in the Garden.
µþ²¹³óá'³Ü'±ô±ôá³ó also had a garden called '¸é¾±»å±¹Ã¡²Ô' outside Akka during the final part of his life.
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