The Image of the Mystic Flower : Exploring the Lotus Symbolism in the Bahí House of Worship
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The Journal of Bahá'í Studies 10, 11-26Abstract: The most recently constructed Bahá'í House of Worship, situated in Bahapur, India, was dedicated in December 1985. The attractive and compelling design of this building creates the visual effect of a large, white lotus blossom appearing to emerge from the pools of water circled around it. The lotus flower, identified by the psychiatrist Carl Jung as an archteypal symbol, carries many meanings. This article explores these meanings both in the traditions of the Indian subcontinent and other cultures. The article shows that the flower imagery relates also to symbols employed in the Bahá'í writings and, while reiterating the meanings of the past, also functions as a powerful image announcing the appearance of Bahá'u'lláh, the Manifestation of God for this day.
The most recently constructed Bahá'í House of Worship, situated in Bahapur, India, was dedicated in December 1985. The attractive and compelling design of this building creates the visual effect of a large, white lotus blossom appearing to emerge from the pools of water circled around it. The lotus flower, identified by the psychiatrist Carl Jung as an archteypal symbol, carries many meanings. This article explores these meanings both in the traditions of the Indian subcontinent and other cultures. The article shows that the flower imagery relates also to symbols employed in the Bahá'í writings and, while reiterating the meanings of the past, also functions as a powerful image announcing the appearance of Bahá'u'lláh, the Manifestation of God for this day.