House of Worship restoration necessitates partial closing

To enable further restoration of the Baha'i House of Worship and begin construction of the new Visitors Center, the lower level of the House of Worship, which currently houses the Visitors Center and bookstore, will be closed to the public for approximately one year, from May 19, 2008, to May 2009.

The auditorium (prayer hall), on the upper level of the House of Worship, will remain open for prayers and meditation. The elevator to the auditorium will not be available so access to the auditorium will be by stairs only during this period. The gardens are wheelchair accessible.

Guides will continue to offer tours of the temple, and restrooms will be available. During the partial closing, visitors will enter the temple from the corner of Linden Avenue and Sheridan Road, walking along the reflecting pool before ascending the stairs to the auditorium.

There will be a limited number of spaces in the House of Worship parking lot to the west of the building. Parking on nearby streets also will be available.

The Ridwan Festival

In April 1863, before leaving Baghdad, Bahá'u'lláh and His companions camped in a garden on the banks of the Tigris River. From 21 April to 2 May, Bahá'u'lláh shared with those Bábis in His company that He was the Promised One foretold by the Báb--foretold, indeed, in all the world's scriptures.

The garden became known as the Garden of Ridwan, which indicates "paradise" in Arabic. The anniversary of the twelve days spent there are celebrated in the Bahá'í world as the most joyous of holidays, known as the Ridwan Festival.

On 3 May 1863, Bahá'u'lláh rode out of Baghdad, on His way to Constantinople, the imperial capital, accompanied by His family and selected companions. He had become an immensely popular and cherished figure. Eyewitnesses described the departure in moving terms, noting the tears of many scholars, government officials and onlookers and the honor paid to Him by the authorities. After four months in Constantinople, Bahá'u'lláh was sent as a virtual state prisoner to Adrianople (modern Edirne), arriving there on 2 December 1863. During the five years He spent there, Bahá'u'lláh's reputation continued to grow, attracting the intense interest of scholars, government officials and diplomats.

He refers to His Declaration as “the Day of supreme felicity” and He describes the Garden of Ridwán as “the Spot from which He shed upon the whole of creation the splendours of His Name, the All-Merciful”.

The Declaration of Bahá’u’lláh is celebrated annually by the twelve-day Ridwán Festival, described by Shoghi Effendi as “the holiest and most significant of all Bahá’í festivals”

Baha'u'llah called Ridwan the Most Great Festival and the King of Festivals. He said:

"Call ye to mind, O people, the bounty which God hath conferred upon you. Ye were sunk in slumber, and lo! He aroused you by the reviving breezes of His Revelation, and made known unto you His manifest and undeviating Path"

The Baha'i House of Worship - Chicago Tribune - March 27,2008

Even if you're completely broke, you can always enjoy the view from this village's lakefront parks.

Baha'i House of Worship

100 Linden Avenue, Wilmette;

One of the most arresting pieces of architecture in the Chicago area is the nine-sided, domed Baha'i temple, one of only seven in the world.

Free and open to the public every day of the year; the temple has an informative visitor's center and the awe-inspiring Auditorium.

Prayer for Mashriqu'l-Adhkar

"O God, my God! I implore Thee with a throbbing heart and streaming tears to aid whosoever expendeth his energy for the erection of this House, and the construction of this Building wherein Thy name is mentioned every morn and every eve.

O God! Send down Thy divine increase on whosoever endeavoreth to serve this edifice and exerteth himself to raise it amongst the kindreds and religions of the world. Confirm him in every good deed in promoting the welfare of mankind. Open Thou the doors of wealth and abundance unto him and make him an heir to the treasures of the Kingdom, which perish not. Make him a sign of Thy bestowals among the peoples and reinforce him by the sea of Thy generosity and bounty, surging with waves of Thy grace and favor. Verily, Thou art the Generous, the Merciful and the Bountiful.

Abdu'l Baha, Baha'i Prayers