Bahai Temple in Uganda : The Bahá’í mother temple is also known as the Mashriqu’l-Adhkar and is the only Bahá’í temple on the African continent out of the only 9 around the world. The temple on the hill is located about three kilometers (two miles) from Kampala, the capital city of Uganda. The Baha’i Temple is located on Kikaya hill in the suburbs of Kampala. From the moment you enter through the gates of this lovely and magnificent temple you are wowed by its beauty and the commitment of the people who keep the place neat. It is the only building of its kind and serves as the temple of Baha’i faith on the African continent because the Baha’i faith in the past had one temple per continent.
As there are large numbers of followers in neighboring countries, including Chad and Kenya, it is not entirely evident why Uganda was chosen as the location for the first African temple. What is known is that English and Iranian followers of the faith arrived in Uganda in 1951 hoping to introduce Bahá’í to local citizens. By 1952, there were over 100 followers of Bahá’í’ in Uganda. The following year, the pioneers left to spread the faith in other parts of the continent. Six years later, the foundation stone was laid for the first and only Mother Temple of Africa, and the Bahá’í Intercontinental Conference for Africa was held in Kampala to mark the occasion.
The origins of the Bahá’í faith
The Bahá’í faith was founded in 1844 by Bahá’u’lláh, born Mírzá Ḥusayn-‘Alí Núrí from Persia, present-day Iran. Bahá’u’lláh means ‘the glory of God’ in Arabic. Followers of Bahá’u’lláh are called Bahá’í’s and they follow a religion that seeks to unite all races. The Bahá’í faith is all-inclusive and centres on the idea that human rights are a priority in teaching the true values of humanity. It’s because of this idea that many Ugandans became Bahá’ís.
Over half a century after it was founded, the Mother Temple of Africa continues to open its doors to thousands of visitors from all walks of life, believers and non-believers alike. Uganda’s Bahá’í Temple is one of only nine temples around the world while the others can be found in Chile, Germany, USA, Panama, Samoa, India, Australia and Cambodia.
Bahá’í temples around the world are designed in a way that fuses traditional, spiritual and artistic values. Africa’s only temple is modelled on a traditional African hut. The dome-like shape symbolises the divine circle, a reflection of heaven on earth and the spirituality of sacred borders.
The Bahai Temple in Uganda is an outstanding building which the architect invested time in using materials sourced from all over the world giving it a global touch. This temple serves both the religious people who come to worship here, the local people who enjoy the shade of the trees and the tourists who come to admire its beauty. Its location on the hilltop offers great views to across Kampala, the capital and its suburbs. It stands at nearly 38 metres (125 feet) tall, and at the time of construction it was the tallest building in East Africa. It has a circular covered porch on the lowest level providing protection from the seasonal strong winds and heavy rains. The outer facade is covered in green and white mosaic tiles, while on the inside the dome is painted blue. Its seating capacity is just over 400. The moment you step over the threshold of the temple you feel a sense of peace and tranquillity, allowing you to forget everything in the outside world.
What makes Bahai faith unique?
There is a daily minimum of three mandatory prayers, as written in their holy book of prayer – the Kitáb-i-Aqdas which was written by the Bahá’í founder Bahá’u’lláh in 1873 and contains the laws by which Bahá’ís must abide. The Bahá’ís do not have a dedicated day of the week, set by holy law, on which to meet. Instead it is up to the Bahá’í community to decide which day is the most convenient for them. In Kampala, followers go to the temple on Sundays. There is no strict attire, either, but believers are expected to dress modestly. The temple fills to capacity on special days like the Twin Holy Birthdays, two consecutive days commemorating the birth of Bahá’u’lláh and Báb, the most important figures in the Bahá’í faith. These days fall in either October or November. Altogether, there are 11 holy days. On most Sundays in Kampala, the temple receives a little over 100 worshippers.
There is no baptism in the Bahai faith but rather when children turn 15, they declare their faith and are thereby issued with declaration cards just like the new converts. There are 10 Bahai centres around Uganda so for those that cannot make it for worship at the Mother Temple in Kampala. you are expected to observe silence so as not to disturb others. They hold weekly Sunday services for anyone interested in joining and learning more about their faith.
The temple is surrounded by beautiful, tranquil grounds offering a beautiful view of the surrounding area well-taken care of by committed workers making them an attraction. The Bahai temple is open to followers of the faith and curious visitors alike or anyone who wants to visit it for prayer, enjoying a quiet moment or just admire the architecture. It’s a great place to see the beautiful indigenous birdlife. The gardens and several trees provide a home to about eighty bird species that build nests in them. On a good day, early morning bird watching can yield over forty bird species from the environs of Baha’i temple.
The bird Species sighted here include; Palmnut Vulture, Grey Parrot, Brown Parrot, Black and White Casqued Hornbill, Pied Crow, Hadada Ibis, Ring-necked dove, Red eyed Dove, Laughing Dove, Blue spotted Wood-dove, Double toothed Barbet, Speckled Mousebird, Lizard Buzzard, Common Bulbul, Black Kite, Great blue Turaco, Eastern Grey Plantain Eater, Woodland Kingfisher, Stripped Kingfisher, Ruppels Long tailed Starling, Bronze Sunbird, Marico Sunbird, Scarlet chested Sunbird, Fork tailed Drongo, Red Cheeked Cordon bleu, Grey woodpecker, African Thrush, Ross’s Turaco, African green Pigeon, Red billed Firefinch, White-browed Robin chat and many others.