Bahai Faith
Also called: Bahaism · Topic: India, a Home to Many: Diasporas and Refuge · NCERT: Class 7, Ch 5 "India, a Home to Many"
Meaning
The Baha'i Faith is a religion that began in Persia (Iran) in the mid-1800s, led by Baha'u'llah. It teaches the unity of all people and harmony between religions, and it welcomes people of every faith. Iran's ruling religious leaders called Baha'is heretics, meaning people who go against the accepted faith, and persecuted them. Baha'is began coming to India in the late 19th century, and India was among the first safe homes they found. Today most Baha'is in India are Indians who joined the faith.
Example
The Baha'i Lotus Temple in New Delhi, opened in 1986, is shaped like a lotus flower. People of all religions can pray there.
Don't confuse with
- Zoroastrianism: it also came from Persia, but it is far older. Its followers, the Parsis, reached Gujarat between the 8th and 10th centuries.