Baha'i Temple in Chicago

The Baha'i Temple is an extraordinary place right outside of Chicago. I had many opportunities to visit the Temple, because I live about twenty minutes away from it. The glorious gardens, intricate stone art, and overall beauty awes me every time I go and visit there. However, it was not until I learned more about the Baha'i Faith in my religious studies class that I was able to connect aspects of the temple to their unique belief system. I never realized that there were so many connections present between the temple and the religion.

One of the things that is very predominant in the Baha'i Temple of Chicago is the number nine. For example, on the dome of the temple, there are nine angles/ridges. In addition, there are nine entrances into the Baha'i Temple. The number nine is significant for two reasons. The first reason is that it symbolizes completeness and fulfillment. In addition, it symbolizes the nine prophets that have been present in this world. (Baha'is believe that whenever a new prophet comes, people should follow them and not fixate on a former prophet. The last prophet was Baha'u'llah.) Due to this idea of former prophets, the temple is also decorated with many other religious symbols. These symbols include the cross, star of david, and the crescent moon to name a few of the symbols.

Finally, the last thing that is really important in the Baha'i Temple are the gardens that surround it. During Baha'u'llah's life, the Ridvan Gardens were very important. The Ridvan Gardens were where he spent the latter part of his life. The Ridvan Gardens are also where he told his followers the essence of the Baha'i Faith, the idea of the changing of prophets, for example. Moreover, Baha'is believe that everyone is an individual and when they come together a strong unity and power can be formed. This same concept can be applied to the gardens. The gardens have so many different kinds of flowers, and they come together to make something truly powerful and beautiful!