The essential considerations when preparing a concept design – which are also described in the
prequalification letter – are set out below:
The building should be nine-sided, circular or nonagonal in shape;
The building may have a dome;
The design should allow for up to 250 friends to be gathered in the centre of that building
facing the Bahá’í Qiblih (the shrine of Bahá’u’lláh which is in present day Israel, is the spot
towards which Bahá’ís turn to pray);
Design teams will be called upon to design a Temple that is "as perfect as is possible in the
world of being" that harmonizes naturally with the local culture and the daily lives of those
who will gather to pray and meditate therein;
Architects will need to call upon creativity and skill to combine beauty, grace, and dignity
with modesty, functionality, and economy;
Architects should be mindful that the existing continental Houses of Worship – particularly
the House of Worship in Delhi – do not constitute a pattern to be followed;
As architects approach the challenge of developing a design for the Bahá’í House of Worship
in Bihar Sharif, they are encouraged to draw upon concepts, elements or symbols with which
the people of Bihar Sharif naturally identify, striving for a design that unquestionably belongs
to the land from which it has risen;
The design of this local House of Worship must endeavour to create a spiritual atmosphere
and evince elegance, loftiness, purity, and grace;
It will be critical that the design avoids any association with being ostentatious;
In the pursuit of important considerations, such as economy, functionality, and ease of
maintenance, care will need to be taken to ensure that qualities such as beauty and grace are
not inadvertently compromised;
The design should also give preliminary thought to the choice of materials, mindful of
aesthetic and local culture. The durability of materials and ease of future maintenance are
important factors, however, this does not mean that the use of local materials or traditional
approaches to construction, which are often grounded in a wise understanding of the
environment, should be discounted. It is currently envisioned that the House of Worship
would be maintained by the efforts of the local community and local contractors; and
The climatic and physical conditions should be carefully analysed, encouraging the use of
both natural light and ventilation to enhance the interior atmosphere and contribute to
sustainable principles.
It is important to consider that, due to local weather conditions, windows of the Temple will
likely be open in summer. Consequently, the use of soft landscaping or other features that could
serve as sound breaks, should be explored.
Beyond accounting for the site’s physical conditions you should be mindful of the
relationship between the Temple and its natural environment
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The proposed site for the local House of Worship is
farm-land with a total area of 7 acres in close proximity
of the village of Hargawan in the Bihar Sharif block of
Nalanda District. It is located about 8 km southeast of
the town of Bihar Sharif. Other nearby villages are
Tetrawan, Amdaha, Nepura, Singthu and Chabilapur.
The nearest railway station is Bihar Sharif (8 km) and
the nearest Airport in Patna (80 km), which is
connected with the National Highway. The village of
Hargawan, surrounded with green fields, is situated on
the banks of River Panchane. It has a population of
about 14,000, with over 2,250 households, of various
castes and religions, who live in a cordial manner.
Nalanda district has several places, which are known
for historical and religious significance. Rajgir (30 km)
was the capital of the ancient Kingdom of Magadh.
This historic town represents the confluence of five
religions: Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Jainism and
Sikhism. As a result, it bears traces of these diverse
religious influences, within the numerous architectural
and archaeological structures in the area. Pawapuri
(9km) is famous for Jal Mandir, where Lord Mahavira,
the founder of Jainism, attained Nirvana (salvation).
The town of Bihar Sharif contains several mosques and
Muslim tombs, the best-known being the tomb of Malik
Ibrahim Baya that is situated on top of Pir Pahadi Hill.
The old centre of the town has examples of medieval
Islamic architecture, such as the Bukhari Mosque.
Thousands of pilgrims of all religions visit the tombs of
Makhdum Shah Sharif-ud-din, a Muslim saint of 14th
century, and the saintly Syed Ibrahim Malik Biya.
Nalanda (20 km) is known as the ancient seat of
learning. 2,000 teachers and 10,000 students from all
over the Buddhist world lived and studied at Nalanda
Vishwavidhyalaya, the first Residential International
University of the world, founded in the 5th Century
A.D. Bodh Gaya (80 km), is where Lord Buddha, the
founder of the Buddhist religion is said to have attained
enlightenment under the Banyan tree.
N.A.
