Faiths Unite In Mumbai To Celebrate Baha’i Founders With Message Of Love, Peace And Service |
The Inter‑Religious Solidarity Council (IRSC) and the Bahá’í community of Mumbai marked the birth anniversaries of Bahaullah and the Bab, two important figures of the Baha’i faith, with a multi‑religious prayer gathering on Saturday at the Bahá’í Centre in the city.
Representatives from ISKCON, Brahma Kumaris, Islam, Sikhism, Christianity, followers of Zoroaster, and Baha’i faiths joined to invoke love, peace, and unity, affirming Bahaullah’s teaching that “the earth is but one country, and mankind its citizens”.
Participants delivered prayers centering on love, each expressing their tradition’s call for compassion toward all humanity. Speakers highlighted Bahaullah’s teaching that service to humanity is service to God, stressing that acts of service spring from love and oneness the essential quality of the soul.
The gathering announced two programmes: weekly spiritual‑moral lessons for ages 6‑11 that use stories from diverse faiths to nurture virtues such as kindness, honesty, and service, fostering shared values and friendship across religious backgrounds. The other initiative is a ‘Junior Youth Empowerment Programme’ that will have small‑group workshops for ages 12‑15 that develop critical thinking, moral reasoning, and leadership, empowering participants to design and implement community‑service projects together.
Nargis Gaur, secretary of the local spiritual assembly of the Bahais of Mumbai, said that the programmes strengthen social cohesion, create inter‑family networks, and create a pipeline of youth leaders who champion inter‑religious collaboration.
IRSC chairperson Ram Puniyani noted that the 2024 ‘Mumbai Parliament of Religions’ pledged to foster mutual respect.
