Baháʼí House of Worship
On Sunday the forecast was for hot weather. We had already done a lot of walking the previous day, so we decided to fetch the car and go for a drive. We walked to the public garage and gave the valet our ticket, trying not to think of that joyriding scene in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. Of course, our car was fine. It was the first time we’d seen our car or driven in more than two weeks!
After a tasty brunch at a brand new Filipino restaurant in Lakeview, we drove a half hour north to the town of Wilmette. I was curious to see the Baháʼí House of Worship for North America, which is one of only eight Baháʼí temples in the world (there is one for each continent).
Baháʼís believe in One God, One Human Family, and One Unfolding Religion. A Baháʼí temple is a place of prayer that is open to people of all faiths, religions, and beliefs. The only design requirements are a round shape, a dome, and nine sides. (For Baháʼís, the number nine symbolizes perfection and completion.)
The Chicago Baháʼí temple was designed by Louis Bourgeois and built over several decades (1912-1953), with delays due to the Great Depression and World War II. It was the second Baháʼí temple ever built, and the oldest one still standing. The ornate white exterior was cast from concrete made with crushed quartz.
We reached Wilmette and drove through a pretty residential neighborhood with tall oak trees lining the road. The temple, on a hill near Lake Michigan, was easy to spot; it towered nearly 200 feet over its surroundings.
We stopped first at the Visitor Center, where there were exhibits and videos about the temple construction and the Baháʼí faith. Then we strolled the pathway around the temple. Each of the nine sides had a doorway and a landscaped garden with flowering plants and a fountain or pool. We walked up the steps for a closer look at the intricate designs on every surface. There were inscriptions over each door, and symbols from different religions on each column. It was beautiful, and peaceful.
This was the second Baháʼí temple I have visited; the first was the lotus-shaped temple in New Delhi, India. Most of the other temples are on my travel wish list.
