Cacti, eagles and more gardens!

Yesterday some friends of ours came over in the afternoon with their two gorgeous little children and the poor things were the first to sit through the (slightly abridged) slide show of our travels! Luckily for us, they were quite keen to see our photos and we enjoyed reliving some special moments as the photos flashed up on the screen. So, here are some of the last photos from our pilgrimage (well, there are plenty more, but we need to bear in mind that there are heaps more photos and stories from India still to come)!

The formal garden terraces emanating from the Shrine of the Bab gradually give way to natural bushland, which serves as a wildlife corridor and also tends to make the transition into the built-up areas on Mt Carmel far more easy on the eye.

We spent many a thoughtful hour wandering on the Lower Terraces, with numerous stops to take in our lovely surroundings and to reflect on the future. Andrew spent a lot of time thinking about Wongan Hills and all the dreams and plans he will soon begin to set in motion there. The sound of softly flowing water from the fountains and the watercourse running down the centre staircase helped to block out the sounds of the city and give the terraces their heavenly feel.

Some of the gardens that surround the Shrine of Baha'u'llah and Mansion of Bahji. There is such a great emphasis placed on the beauty of the natural environment through the extensive gardens that surround almost all of the Baha'i Holy Places and it is these gardens that really help to create the reverent, sacred and meditative spirit that seems to encompass all of the places that we visited.

Gardens and ornamental decorations in front of the Mansion of Bahji - the last house that Baha'u'llah lived in and where He passed away in 1892. Baha'u'llah's Shrine is just to the west of this Mansion.

The International Archives Building with the Shrine of the Bab in the background. The Archives Building holds hundreds of original items from the time of Baha'u'llah, including thousands of original texts in His handwriting. This building was the first of the Baha'i Administrative buildings to be completed (in 1957) and is currently undergoing major restorative work to make it earthquake-resistant.

A view from beneath the main entrance to the Shrine of Baha'u'llah, which is a further ten minutes away straight down the path in front of this entrance.

Eagles abound! These majestic birds are an appropriate symbol with which to adorn the surroundings of the Shrine of the Bab.

More gardens! These ones are in front of the Haifa Pilgrim House, which was the main meeting place for all the pilgrims before the new Pilgrim Reception Centre was built nearby.

Cactus gardens, also in front of the Haifa Pilgrim House. I was never particularly taken with cacti but after seeing the gardens here I was somewhat won over, much to Andrew's delight, who is an avid cactiphile (I think I just invented a new word!)

Scenes from Haifa

Hello again folks! Shanks said that he would write the next blog, so while we wait for him to do this (don't hold your breath anyone), I thought I would share a few more photos from Haifa...Enjoy!

Massive marble columns of the Universal House of Justice building, with the Shrine of the Bab in the distance

Gardens near the Shrine of Baha'u'llah in Bahji

The Garden of Ridvan (Paradise) in Akka

The entrance to the Shrine of Baha'u'llah in Bahji

The Shrine of the Bab seen from the first of the terraces behind

One of the many beautiful fountains to be found on the upper terraces

Gardens near the entrance plaza to the Shrine of Baha'u'llah

Fountains immediately below the Shrine of the Bab, lit at night

Gateway near one of the upper terraces

Ten days of sunshine

Here is a very brief summary of some of the things that occurred during our time in Haifa on pilgrimage. Lots more to follow!

We arrived in Haifa at 9:09pm on Sunday 7th January, after an hour-long train journey from the airport in Tel Aviv. Our excitement went through the roof as we saw the distant glimmer of the Baha'i Shrines and terraces on Mt Carmel. We managed to navigate ourselves to our hotel fairly easily and then almost immediately after putting our luggage in our room we headed straight back out into the cool night air towards Ben Gurion Avenue. This is Haifa's main street which leads up to the very foot of Mt Carmel and was in fact realigned in order to provide a seamless transition from road to garden terraces. As you look from Ben Gurion Avenue towards the mountain, the Baha'i gardens and terraces rise magnificently all the way to the top of the mount. We walked to the gate at the bottom of the steps and gazed at an image that has been the subject of millions of photos and is proudly considered by Israelis to be the "Eight Wonder of the World"!

The sight we gazed on upon arrival in Haifa

The association of the Baha'i Faith in the Holy Land, specifically Mt Carmel, goes back to the time of Baha'u'llah, the Founder of the Baha'i Faith, who in 1891 pointed out a site on the mountain which should house the precious remains of the Bab, (pronounced 'barb' and meaning 'gate'), who, although a Prophet in His own right, and in a similar fashion to John the Baptist proclaiming the coming of Christ, prepared the way for Baha'u'llah and foretold His coming. Progressively over the years, land was purchased for the purpose of building a Shrine where the remains of the Bab now lie interred.

The view from the uppermost terraces across the Bay of Haifa towards Bahji

The primary purpose of Baha'i pilgrimage is to visit and pray inside the Shrines of the Bab and Baha'u'llah (in Bahji, across the Bay of Haifa). Imagine what it would be like if we knew the exact sites where the precious remains of Christ, or the Buddha, or Moses lay - how many thousands of people would be making similar pilgrimages across the globe to visit these sacred places! So, for Baha'is, going on pilgrimage is an inestimable privelege that is often a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Many other things occur during pilgrimage - visiting many of the houses and areas associated with the lives of the Bab and Baha'u'llah, as well as visiting the administrative buildings on Mt Carmel which now serve the needs of the Baha'i Faith throughout the world.

Standing at the gates, a security guard suddenly appeared and apparently recognised me (I had no idea who he was!) and we struck up a conversation (later on someone else told me his name!). He was a lad from Perth and is currently at the Baha'i World Centre volunteering there for a couple of years. With our hearts satisified, we turned and headed back to the hotel in great anticipation of the journey still to come.

Standing outside the gates to the lower terraces!

Six days to go...

What is Baha'i Pilgrimage?

I'm not really sure what most people imagine when they think of a religious pilgrimage. For me, images of thousands upon thousands of Muslims circumnambulating the Kaaba (Black Stone) in Mecca is the picture that leaps into my mind most readily.

As I have never been on pilgrimage before, even when I try to describe what it is to others, in some ways, I am only guessing myself. Essentially the Baha'i pilgrimage is an opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of one's Faith by visiting places associated with the history of the Faith e.g. the places where Baha'u'llah and The Bab lived and taught and now where their mortal remains are enshrined. It will be a time for prayer and meditation. A time for reflection and perhaps re-assessment. A time of refreshment and revitalisation. It will be many things perhaps.

The Shrine of Baha'u'llah in Bahji, near Akka

I suppose if you were a Catholic, it would be rather like receiving a personal invitation from the Pope to visit all of the places associated with the birth, life and death of Christ, as well as Rome and the Vatican. It would be like viewing the original relics and materials from the time of Christ, seeing the oldest surviving texts that came to be known as The Bible, and coming to an understanding of how the present-day Catholic Church operates both administratively and spiritually.

Baha'i Administrative Buildings on the Slopes of Mount Carmel

For me, our pilgrimage to the Holy Land as well as Turkey will also help all the places, dates and events seem more real to me...I don't have a particularly good head for history, so to actually see places with my own eyes and hear stories with my own ears will go a long way towards making the history of my Faith seem real and tangible. This will be one history lesson that I will never forget!

Twenty three days to go...

Gate Leading to the Shrine of Baha'u'llah in Bahji

Twenty three days to go...We received our Visas for India today as well as some sound travel advice from sister and brother-in-law, doctors Rachel and Adrian. It doesn't look like we will be able to get out of getting needles after all!