Tag: April

Is April 21 important to you?

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Ridvan Garden - meaning 'paradise' in Arabic.
Ridvan Garden - meaning 'paradise' in Arabic. Reprinted with permission of the Bahá’í International Community.

The Festival of Ridvan, celebrated from April 21 to May 2 1863, commemorates the 12 days when Bahá’u’lláh resided in a garden called Ridvan (Paradise) in Baghdad.

At this time, He publicly proclaimed His mission as God’s messenger – that He was the Promised One of all earlier religions. 

The first (April 21), ninth (April 29) and twelfth (May 2) are holy days when work is suspended. They mark the day of Bahá’u’lláh’s arrival in the garden, the arrival of His family and the group’s departure for Constantinople (present-day Istanbul) – where he was exiled.

Throughout Ridvan, Bahá’is gather for prayers and meditations and attend social gatherings. It is also during this time that elections take place for Bahá’i governing bodies.

In the Garden of Ridvan . . .

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Saturday (April 21) marks the start of the 12-day Festival of Ridvan for Bahá’is across the world. It’s a time of commemmoration for the time Bahá’u’lláh spent in the Garden of Ridvan before being exiled from Baghdad to Constantinople (present-day Istanbul).

Bahá’u’lláh spent 40 years of his life in exile (he was originally sent from his native Tehran in Persia – present-day Iran – in 1853).

The Festival of Ridvan marks the anniversary of Baha’u’llah’s declaration in 1863 that He was a new messenger of God. He called Ridvan the “King of Festivals” and the “Festival of God,” among other names.

Bahá’is throughout the Thames Valley are gathering on April 21 for prayers and meditations at the start of the Festival of Ridvan. April 21 is one of the nine holy days of the year when work is suspended.