The Mother Temple

In every continent of the world (excluding Antarctica) there is a Baha'i Temple. This makes for a total of 7. As a Sydney sider I have often taken for granted having one of these Temples in my city. The Sydney Baha'i House of Worship is a beautiful temple and although it takes just over an hour for me to drive there from good old Campbelltown now that I have come to Africa I have realised that that's not that far. The 3 months that I was in South Africa and mostly during the last month in Port Elizabeth I have been absolutely craving the temple. My heart had been burning for an opportunity to visit Africa's temple in Uganda and God gave me that opportunity. I was forced to temporarily leave South Africa and it was the ultimate opportunity for me.

I arrived in Entebbe at 7.30pm and made it to Kampala by around 9pm. As we approached the temple I could see it glowing on top of the hill. I was home. I felt such a relief, every stress and anxiety that I had been holding fell away, every tension in my body was eased. Just the sight of the temple brought me joy. I wanted to cry from happiness.

Every Baha'i temple has its own character. The Sydney temple has a relaxed and pure feel. It is a simple yet beautiful temple, for me it has a sense of homeliness. When I'm overseas and I see a picture of it I feel pride and love for my temple.

The Lotus Temple in New Dehli, India has a sense of majesty. As you approach it you fall into a state of awe. It is a magnifiscent temple, a single piece of beauty in an otherwise unattractive city. It truly stands as a flower amongst the weeds. Stepping inside this temple, however, you feel a deep sense of purity and spirituality. I think with this temple you have to visit it a few times as the first time you go it can be difficult to centre yourself and pray as you are so captivated by the amazing architecture and elegance of the temple.

The 3rd temple in the list of those I've been able to visit is the Ugandan temple. Circumstances change your experiences, I came to this temple as a refuge. I came because I wanted to be close to a channel that would connect me to the Holy Land(Akka, Israel). For me this temple has been the most spiritually uplifting of them all. I feel like all the troubles in my life have vanished. This temple relaxes me, it takes me home. It is such a simple and humble temple. It welcomes you, makes you feel fulfilled and allows you to reach a state where all your thoughts are one, where everything is right and nothing can hurt you. During the day the sun shines through the windows and illumines the whole temple, at night it stands on the top of this hill, glowing as a beacon of light, protecting everyone from darkness and guiding you home. I truly adore this temple, every moment I'm away from it I long for it's warmth and love.

On the 15th of January 2011 the Ugandan Temple will celebrate its 50th birthday. Everyone is invited to attend the celebration. The temple is now being renovated and cleaned and the gardens are being remade for the celebration. I hope to be back in Uganda for this occassion and I may even finish the last 5 months of my service here.

If you ever find yourself on this side of the world you must come visit this temple. It has extensive gardens which are so peaceful you can compltely lose yourself in the tranquility.

Also the temple is in urgent need of volunteers in the fields of gardening and cleaning. Accommodation for volunteers is free and living expenses here are minimal, I've been spending around $1 aus a day. Anyone who can offer atleast 1 month to a year of service please apply, there are also lots of opportunities to help work within the community or in any one of the 3 Baha'i schools in Uganda. If you are interested contact the National Baha'i Office of Uganda: ugandabahai@gmail.com

:)