We returned yesterday from our Bahá‘í pilgrimage. Pilgrimage to the Bahá‘í holy places is enjoined in Bahá‘u’llá’s Most Holy Book, if one is able to undertake the travel. I was careful to avoid having too many specific expectations, instead being open to all the experiences I would encounter. For some the pilgrimage is a transformative experience. I would not label it thusly for me, but it was certainly a meaningful and memorable experience that I hope I can use to galvanize myself to further personal development.

Terrace 19 on Mt. Carmel

This post will be the first in a series of posts and photos about my experience. Many people have shared their stories on the web, and I don’t expect mine to be particularly unique or illuminating. But compiling them here seems like the best way for me to digest the experience, and stretch it into the future.

For official public information on the “Bahá‘í gardens” in Israel (two of the primary locations we visited), there is a very informative (and relatively new) public web site. As I compile my experiences, I plan on linking to many historical stories regarding the various places visited, which illuminate the importance of these sites to Bahá‘ís.

Posted with : Life Lived Living, On the Subject of Religion, Bahá'í Faith