arthra
Baha'i
Birthday for a beacon
Sydney, 09 Aug 2011
A helicopter was used in the construction of the Temple
The Sydney Baha’i Temple, a beacon for the North Shore and the city of Sydney, is to celebrate its 50th anniversary from 18-25 September 2011.
A week-long public celebration will include special mini-services every week day and three services per day on the weekend of 24 and 25 September, guided tours and children’s events. (For more information, click here)
Since it opened in September 1961, the Baha’i House of Worship at 173 Mona Vale Road,Ingleside, has been a spectacular beacon from land, sea and air, its shining white dome rising above the surrounding bushland.
The Temple has also been a welcoming and inclusive spiritual beacon, open to all and encouraging a diversity of people to attend regardless of their spiritual beliefs or national and ethnic background.
The Temple’s nine sides symbolise the underlying unity of the world religions, and since its opening it has hosted interfaith services, a national pioneer in the field.
For the local community it has been a special spiritual haven to privately reflect, pray and meditate.
Many locals have also attended the regular 11am public services on Sunday.
Thousands from throughout Sydney, Australia and the world have also attended those services and special events focusing on such themes as peace, the equality of women and men, refugees, UN Day, and community harmony.
More than 10,000 attended a peace expo held in the Temple grounds, and other events over the years have also attracted big numbers. Two Governors-General of Australia have attended services.
Opened by a woman
The Temple is one of the few major religious buildings in Australia to be opened by a woman, appropriate for a faith which has gender equality as a key principle.
Madame Ruhiyyih Rabbani (1910-2000), a high official of the Faith, who opened the Temple, was given a special mayoral reception in her honour, hosted by Sydney Lord Mayor, Harry Jensen.
Even before its opening, the Temple attracted wide media attention when a helicopter was used to place the crown of the dome in place – there were no cranes tall enough in Sydney at the time.
Built before the Sydney Opera House was constructed, the Temple project was a challenge because builders were used to rectangular structures, not a nine-sided building with a 34 metre dome.
At the public inaugural service on Sunday, 17 September 1961, more than 2000 people were accommodated in two devotional services in the packed Temple auditorium.
Around the time of its opening, the Temple was the subject of stories in the Sydney Sun, the Daily Telegraph, the Sydney Morning Herald, the Australian Woman’s Weekly, Woman’s Day, the Readers Digest and cinema newsreels, including Movietone News. Since then it has been the subject of countless media reports, features and footage.
In 2003 its image was seen around the world as bushfires reached, but did not cross, its boundaries.
As thousands converged for its opening a half century ago, a busy policeman was interviewed by a news reporter and received fleeting fame when he described the Temple as “the angel of Sydney”.
Source:
Birthday for a beacon
Sydney, 09 Aug 2011
The Sydney Baha’i Temple, a beacon for the North Shore and the city of Sydney, is to celebrate its 50th anniversary from 18-25 September 2011.
A week-long public celebration will include special mini-services every week day and three services per day on the weekend of 24 and 25 September, guided tours and children’s events. (For more information, click here)
Since it opened in September 1961, the Baha’i House of Worship at 173 Mona Vale Road,Ingleside, has been a spectacular beacon from land, sea and air, its shining white dome rising above the surrounding bushland.
The Temple has also been a welcoming and inclusive spiritual beacon, open to all and encouraging a diversity of people to attend regardless of their spiritual beliefs or national and ethnic background.
The Temple’s nine sides symbolise the underlying unity of the world religions, and since its opening it has hosted interfaith services, a national pioneer in the field.
For the local community it has been a special spiritual haven to privately reflect, pray and meditate.
Many locals have also attended the regular 11am public services on Sunday.
Thousands from throughout Sydney, Australia and the world have also attended those services and special events focusing on such themes as peace, the equality of women and men, refugees, UN Day, and community harmony.
More than 10,000 attended a peace expo held in the Temple grounds, and other events over the years have also attracted big numbers. Two Governors-General of Australia have attended services.
Opened by a woman
Madame Ruhiyyih Rabbani (1910-2000), a high official of the Faith, who opened the Temple, was given a special mayoral reception in her honour, hosted by Sydney Lord Mayor, Harry Jensen.
Even before its opening, the Temple attracted wide media attention when a helicopter was used to place the crown of the dome in place – there were no cranes tall enough in Sydney at the time.
Built before the Sydney Opera House was constructed, the Temple project was a challenge because builders were used to rectangular structures, not a nine-sided building with a 34 metre dome.
At the public inaugural service on Sunday, 17 September 1961, more than 2000 people were accommodated in two devotional services in the packed Temple auditorium.
Around the time of its opening, the Temple was the subject of stories in the Sydney Sun, the Daily Telegraph, the Sydney Morning Herald, the Australian Woman’s Weekly, Woman’s Day, the Readers Digest and cinema newsreels, including Movietone News. Since then it has been the subject of countless media reports, features and footage.
In 2003 its image was seen around the world as bushfires reached, but did not cross, its boundaries.
As thousands converged for its opening a half century ago, a busy policeman was interviewed by a news reporter and received fleeting fame when he described the Temple as “the angel of Sydney”.
Source:
Birthday for a beacon
