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Baháʼí Faith in India

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The Baháʼí House of Worship in Delhi, commonly referred to as the Lotus Temple, has won numerous
architectural awards.

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The Baháʼí Faith is an independent world religion that originated in 19th century Iran,
with an emphasis on the spiritual unity of mankind. [1][2] Although it came from Islamic
roots, its teachings on the unity of religion and its acknowledgement of Krishna as a
divine Manifestation of God have created a bridge between religious traditions that is
accepting of Hinduism.[3]
During the lifetime of its founder, Baháʼu'lláh, several Baháʼís settled in Mumbai, and the
community in India remained relatively small but active for its first 100 years. [4] Baháʼís in
India were mostly urban and of an Islamic or Zoroastrian background until teaching
efforts in the 1960s gained numerous enrollments in rural areas, initially in the state
of Madhya Pradesh.[5][6] By the mid-1990s the Baháʼí community of India claimed a
membership of 2 million,[7] the highest of any country, though the active participation was
only about 5% (100,000) in 2001,[8] the lowest of any region. According to the Annual
Report of the Baháʼí community, there were 61,650 Baháʼí core activities taking place in
July 2020, with 406,000 participants. [citation needed]
New Delhi's Lotus Temple is a Baháʼí House of Worship that opened in 1986 and has
become a major tourist attraction that draws over 2.5 million visitors a year and over
100,000 visitors a day on some Hindu holy days,[9] making it one of the most visited
attractions in the world.[1] In 2021, construction began on a local House of Worship
in Bihar Sharif.[10]
The Indian Baháʼí community is overseen by a national Spiritual Assembly, a nine-
member body elected annually at a convention of delegates. There are also elected
regional and local councils that run teaching and consolidation at the state and local
levels, and four appointed Baháʼí Continental Counsellors have jurisdiction over India.
[11]
 Baháʼí community life in India is similar to that of Baháʼís elsewhere in the world.
Communal study of Baháʼí scripture is done in classes designed for children, youth, or
adults. Prayer meetings, along with celebrations of Baháʼí Feasts and Holy Days, the
observance of the fast and other social behavior, are all practiced to varying degrees.
Baháʼí teachers in India generally approach Baháʼí practices gradually and do not
require converts to abandon traditional patterns of behavior, though no distinctions
based on caste are recognized.[12]
Baháʼís in India have developed a number of educational institutions, some organized
by the national Baháʼí organization, and others run by individual Baháʼís, known as
"Baháʼí-inspired".[13] The New Era High School is an example of the former, and the Barli
Development Institute for Rural Women is an example of the latter.[14] Other educational
institutions in India are designed to teach the Baháʼí Faith directly, such as Indore
Teaching Institute, which was established in 1962 during mass-teaching to help
consolidate and train new Baháʼís in remote villages. [13]

Contents

 1History
o 1.1Bábí period
o 1.2Early Baháʼí period (1863-1892)
o 1.3Ministry of ʻAbdu'l-Bahá (1892-1921)
o 1.4Shoghi Effendi (1921-1959)
o 1.5Mass-teaching (1960-1991)
o 1.6Modern India (1992-present)
 2Statistics
o 2.1Census data
o 2.2Warburg's research
 3Houses of Worship
o 3.1Lotus Temple
o 3.2Plans for Bihar Sharif House of Worship
 4Educational institutions
 5Notable events
o 5.1ʻAbdu'l-Bahá's rescue
o 5.2Reference by the Supreme Court
o 5.3Lotus Temple arrests
o 5.4Letters protesting persecution in Iran
 o 5.5Cemetery vandalized
 6Notable Indian Baháʼís
 7See also
 8Notes
 9Citations
 10References
o 10.1Books
o 10.2News media
o 10.3Journals
o 10.4Other
 11Further reading
 12External links

History[edit]
Bábí period[edit]
The roots of the Baháʼí Faith in India go back to the time of the Báb in 1844.[15] Four
Babís are known from India in this earliest period. [16] The first was Sa'id Hindi, one of
the Letters of the Living. When the Báb planned to go to Hajj, he instructed Sa’id Hindi
to go to the Indian subcontinent and preach the message to the people of India. [17] The
second was only known as Qahru'llah. Two other very early Bábís were Sa'in Hindi and
Sayyid Basir Hindi. Additionally, four other Indians are listed among the 318 Bábís who
fought at the Battle of Fort Tabarsi.[18] There is little evidence of any contact from these
early Indian Bábís back to their homeland.
Early Baháʼí period (1863-1892)[edit]
During Baháʼu'lláh's lifetime, as founder of the religion, he encouraged some of his
followers to move to India,[19] which Hájí Sayyid Mírzá and Sayyid Muhammad did. Hájí
Sayyid Mahmúd also traded in Mumbai. These individuals were very successful as
general merchants and commission agents but it wasn't until the 1870s that the religion
spread beyond the small network of mostly Iranian expatriates in Mumbai and northern
India.[20][21]
Jamál Effendi, also known as Sulayman Khan, was sent by Baháʼu'lláh to India
approximately 1875. He became the leading figure of teaching efforts across the
subcontinent, lasting over a decade, that brought in hundreds of new Baha'is, changing
the community to a more diverse and widespread group. [21][18] Jamál Effendi was trained
as a Sufi mystic and dressed accordingly, giving him prestige among Indian Muslims.
[21]
 It was during this period of travel teaching that Jamál Effendi met with Mirza Ghulam
Ahmad, who, after hearing of the teachings of Baháʼu'lláh and studying Baháʼí literature
made his own claim to prophethood and founded the Ahmadiyya sect.[22] Effendi
eventually settled in Burma and established a community of Baháʼís there. [20]
Around 1882 Mírzá Ibrahím, a relative of the Báb, helped establish the world's first
Baháʼí printing and publishing company in Mumbai, the Násirí Press. [18] The Book of
Certitude and The Secret of Divine Civilization were both published in 1882
using lithography.[23][18] As the first place to print Baháʼí materials, India was instrumental
in the distribution of key texts during this period. [24]
Ministry of ʻAbdu'l-Bahá (1892-1921)[edit]
During the leadership of ʻAbdu'l-Bahá, the Baháʼí groups around India were active and
received frequent travel teachers from the Middle East and America. The 1900s saw the
conversion of several Indians outside of the predominantly Muslim and Zoroastrian
backgrounds that had made up the community to that point. [25] By 1908, there were high-
functioning Baháʼí communities in Mumbai, Calcutta, Aligarh and Lahore.[23]
During this period the community started producing literature in Urdu, in addition to
English, and another effort of nationally coordinated teaching projects advanced in
1910–11.[25] ʻAbdu'l-Bahá desired to visit India after his 1912 visit to America and
Europe, but couldn't due to poor health.[23]
Two notable converts during this period were Professor Pritam Singh and Narayanrao
Vakil, both of whom went on to play significant leadership roles in the Indian Baháʼí
community.[25] Pritam Singh was possibly the first Sikh in India to accept the Baháʼí Faith,
and the first to publish a Baháʼí weekly magazine in India. He learned of the religion
from Mírzá Mahmúd soon after his graduation from the University of Calcutta in 1904.
[15]
 Narayenrao Vakil (aka Narayenrao Rangnath Shethji) was a high-caste Hindu,
possibly the first to accept the Baháʼí Faith. Vakil was born in Nawsari and became a
Baháʼí in 1909 after learning of it from Mirzá Mahram. [15]
In December 1920 the first All-India Baháʼí convention was held in Mumbai for three
days.[25] Representatives from India's major religious communities were present as well
as Baha'i delegates from throughout the country. The resolutions arrived at included the
collection of funds to build a Baha'i temple, the establishment of a Baha'i school and
the growth of teaching and translation work[23]—goals reached before the end of the
century (see below).
Shoghi Effendi (1921-1959)[edit]

Mayor of Mumbai, Nagindas Master attended a Baha'i programme in 1944.

Following the passing of ʻAbdu'l-Bahá in 1921, Shoghi Effendi was appointed head of

the religion and he soon set about organizing Baháʼí communities around the world. In
1923, the first National Spiritual Assembly of India and Burma was elected.[26] In 1930
notable Baháʼí and world traveler Martha Root made an extensive teaching trip through
India,[27] organized teaching plans were implemented from 1938 to 1953, and the
expansion of Baháʼí literature into most of the major Indian languages continued to
advance.[26]
The first Baháʼí summer school was able to be held in Simla in 1938[26] and in 1941 three
new local communities with functioning Local Spiritual Assemblies had been
established: Hyderabad, Kota and Bangalore. These activities gained occasional
awareness from social leaders in India like Mahatma Gandhi.[28]
In 1944, there were twenty-nine Local Spiritual Assemblies in India, [23] and by 1945,
there were around 2,000 Baháʼís in all of South Asia. [29]
Through the first half of the twentieth century, the Baháʼís continued to grow with a
focus away from the large cities and remained very active, but their numbers remained
relatively small. By 1960 they had around 900 Baháʼís in India, with very few from Hindu
backgrounds, but that changed dramatically in the 1960s. [26]
The Baháʼí Faith had the notable achievement of the conversion of Kishan Lal Malviya,
a scheduled caste leader from Shajapur (a district northeast of Ujjain), and of Dayaram
Malviya, another scheduled caste leader, setting the stage for a rural dynamic of growth
called "mass teaching." Shirin Fozdar also rose to prominence and served as a member
of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baháʼís of India from 1936 to 1951. Her main
area of work from 1925 to 1950 was in a large community of Untouchables
or Harijans in Ahmedabad.[30]
Mass-teaching (1960-1991)[edit]
Baháʼís in South Asia were predominantly urban and of an Islamic or Zoroastrian
background until the 1960s.[6] In 1961, there were 850 Baháʼís in India, mostly urban. [citation
needed]
 Various social and religious forces encouraged a broader outreach and a time of
intensive missionary work, or mass teaching.[23] The Baháʼí teachings were adapted for
presentation to a clearly Hindu context familiar to the people of the countryside, using
principles and language familiar to them:[23]

 the presentation of Baháʼu'lláh as the Kalki Avatar who according to

the Vishnu Purana will appear at the end of the Kali Yuga for the purpose of
reestablishing an era of righteousness
 emphasizing the figures of Buddha and Krishna as past Manifestations of
God or Avatars
 references to Hindu scriptures such as the Bhagavad Gita
 the substitution of Sanskrit-based terminology for Arabic and Persian where
possible (i.e., Bhagavan Baha for Baháʼu'lláh), and the incorporation in both
song (bhajan)[31] and literature of Hindu holy places, hero-figures and poetic
images
 Hindi translations of Baháʼí scriptures and prayers that appeared during this
period which are so heavily Sanskritized as to make it difficult to recognize
their non-Hindu antecedents
Together with the teaching of the unity of humanity these approaches attracted many of
the lower castes.[32] Also, in contrast to the case of the Neo-Buddhist movement, no
effort was made to denounce Hinduism.[23] In short order most of a tiny village of some
200 people converted to the Baháʼí Faith en masse.[23] The following year hundreds of
people adopted the religion thanks to an open air conference where speeches could be
heard. In two more years almost as many people converted as had been Baháʼís
through regions of Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat.[citation
needed]

During this period of growth, six conferences held in October 1967 around the world
presented a viewing of a copy of the photograph of Baháʼu'lláh as part of the
commemoration of the centenary of Baháʼu'lláh's writing of the Suriy-i-Mulúk (Tablet to
the Kings). After a meeting in Edirne (Adrianople), Turkey, the Hands of the
Cause travelled to the conferences, "each bearing the precious trust of a photograph of
the Blessed Beauty [Baháʼu'lláh], which it will be the privilege of those attending the
Conferences to view." Hand of the Cause Abul-Qasim Faizi conveyed this photograph
to the Conference for Asia in India.[33][better  source  needed]
In 1986 the Baháʼís in India opened the Lotus Temple in New Delhi and pioneered
regional (state) Baháʼí councils to devolve administrative work to more manageable
levels.[26]
Modern India (1992-present)[edit]
1992 was the 100th anniversary of Baha'u'llah's death, and was commemorated by the
second Baháʼí World Congress in New York. The event was attended by about 30,000
Baháʼís, the largest ever gathering of Baháʼís up to that time. [34] The event was broadcast
live to eight notable centers of Baháʼís around the world, one of which was New Delhi. [34]

Statistics[edit]
Baháʼís in India

Date Size Source

1900 100 World Christian Encyclopedia 1982, p. 370

1954 1,000[a] Smith 2008, p. 83

1961 850 World Christian Encyclopedia 1982, p. 371

1961 900 Smith 2008, p. 94

1963 65,000 World Christian Encyclopedia 1982, p. 371

1963 65,000 Garlington 1997

1970 730,000 World Christian Encyclopedia 1982, p. 370

1973 222,000 World Christian Encyclopedia 1982, p. 371

1973 400,000 Smith 2008, p. 94

1975 870,000 World Christian Encyclopedia 1982, p. 370

1988 1,900,000[a] Smith 2008, p. 83

1990 1,400,000 World Christian Encyclopedia 2001, p. 2:360

 1993 2,200,000 Smith 2008, p. 94

1995 1,440,000 World Christian Encyclopedia 2001, p. 2:360

2001 1,900,000 Warburg 2006, p. 226

2005 1,880,700 ARDA[citation needed]

2008 2,000,000 Momen 2008, pp. 154–5

2009 1,000,000 Hartz 2009, p. 10

2010 1,898,000 ARDA[citation needed]

The question of how many Baháʼís are in India has been the source of much debate.
[35]
 From 1960 to 1990 the number of estimated Baháʼís went from under 1 thousand to
as much as 2 million mostly poor, rural, and illiterate people from Hindu scheduled
castes.[26] Unlike other religious conversions that require a rejection of Hinduism, Baháʼí
teachers were affirming of Hindu beliefs, leaving some converts to continue with Hindu
traditions side by side with the Baháʼí ones, each to varying degrees. [36] Without the need
to change a convert's name, dress, or rituals, it is difficult to identify how many of the
conversions were sustained and consolidated in the Baháʼí religion. The Baháʼís in India
seem to have overextended themselves by accepting the large number of adherents
and not having the resources to consolidate and maintain Baháʼí principles and
practices among many rural villages.[37]
Based on activity data, about 100,000 Baháʼís in India were actively practicing the
religion in 2001, representing an impressive growth of 10,000% in 40 years, but the
larger number of self-identifying but inactive Baháʼís remains elusive to researchers.
[35]
 According to the Annual Report from the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baháʼís of
India, there were 61,650 Baháʼí core activities taking place in July 2020, with 406,000
participants.[citation needed]
On the question of whether the number of Baháʼís in India was inflated by Baháʼí
authorities, sociologist Margit Warburg studied the data and concluded that it was not.
She wrote,[38]
Inactive Baha'is constitute a burden rather than a resource for the Baha'i
administration... The Universal House of Justice would have to adopt the radical policy
of instructing the national spiritual assemblies to remove inactive Baha'is from the
membership lists, if the goal was to count only active Baha'is. I therefore conclude that
the issue of inflated official membership data stems from the present practice of not
expelling inactive Baha'is; the numbers are not rooted in any sinister manipulation of
data.

Census data[edit]
The census of India recorded 5,574 Baháʼís in 1991, [39] 11,324 in 2001,[40] and 4,572
Baháʼís in 2011.[41]
The Indian census counts Baháʼís that are from scheduled castes as Hindu. The 1971
census directions stated, "Scheduled castes can belong only to the Hindu or Sikh
religions."[42] William Garlington, who studied the Baháʼís in India, said that none of the
88 thousand converts in Madhya Pradesh in the early 1960s were counted as Baháʼís
on the census of 1971, the majority of which were from scheduled castes. [43]
The World Christian Encyclopedia of 1982 and 2001 both state that Baháʼís are counted
as Hindus on government censuses (though it did not specifically mention India), and
not shown separately.[44][45]
Professor Anil Sarwal, member of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baháʼís of
India, wrote of the 1991 census, "these figures do not reflect the true picture of the
statistics of the Bahá'í community in India for various reasons. Bahá'í is included in the
others category in the column of religion and many enumerators don't know about the
Faith, or they tend to write religion as per the name of the person." [39]
Warburg's research[edit]
Margit Warburg is a Danish sociologist who studied the Baháʼí faith for 25 years. [46] She
believes that the World Christian Encyclopedia is not a reliable source of data on Baháʼí
membership, and she produced her own analysis of Baháʼís in regions of the world, with
a focus on India, based on the number of localities, Local Spiritual Assemblies, fund
contributions, and other activity data.[35] She estimated that in 2001 there were reliably
100,000 active Baháʼís in India, representing 5% of the 1.9 million enrolled, noting that,
"The number of adherents who are active participants in their local Baha'i communities,
of course, will always be smaller than the number of registered Baha'is." By contrast,
she found that worldwide the activity rate was 18%, and in some western countries as
high as 91%.[35]

Houses of Worship[edit]
Lotus Temple[edit]
Main article: Lotus Temple

The Baháʼí House of Worship in Delhi.

The Lotus Temple, located in Delhi, is a Baháʼí House of Worship that was dedicated in
December 1986.[47] Notable for its flowerlike shape, it has become a prominent
attraction in the city. Like all Baháʼí Houses of Worship, the Lotus Temple is open to all,
regardless of religion or any other qualification. The building is composed of 27 free-
standing marble-clad "petals" arranged in clusters of three to form nine sides, with nine
doors opening onto a central hall with a height of slightly over 34.27 metres and a
capacity of 2,500 people. The Lotus Temple has won numerous architectural awards
and has been featured in many newspaper and magazine articles. In
2001, CNN reporter Manpreet Brar referred to it as the most visited building in the
world.[48]
Plans for Bihar Sharif House of Worship[edit]
In 2012, the Universal House of Justice announced the locations of the first local Baháʼí
Houses of Worship that would be built. One of the specified locations was in Bihar
Sharif, Bihar, India.[49] In April 2020, the design for the Bihar Sharif House of Worship
was unveiled.[50] In February 2021, a groundbreaking ceremony for the temple was held.
[10]

Educational institutions[edit]

Rabbani Baháʼí School, in Gwalior, operated from 1977 to 2016.

The Baháʼís in India run several educational programs that are open to people of any
religious background.[51] Many are in rural areas that focus on the vocational
development of women, teaching marketable skills such as sewing and agriculture, as
well as advancement in academics, hygiene, consultation, and spiritual qualities. [52]
[51]
 Some of the educational institutions integrate the Baháʼí teachings and the functioning
of Baháʼí communities. The programs in India usually follow the model of training
villagers in a way that they can return to their village and teach others. [51]
Some examples are:

 The New Era High School is an internationalist Baháʼí school in Panchgani,

Maharashtra state. It was founded in August 1945, and was one of the first
Baháʼí education projects in India. It expanded in 1953 and has attracted a
considerable number of Indians from various castes and religions, along with
students from around the world.[53] The school is under the supervision of the
National Spiritual Assembly of the Baháʼís of India.
 The Barli Development Institute for Rural Women in Indore, Madhya Pradesh,
is a Baháʼí-inspired educational project, independent of the Baháʼí
organization of India. It offers training in agriculture, literacy, health, and
nutrition for rural women,[14] and serves as a base for outreach/non-residential
training centers. It was founded in 1985 under the suggestion of the National
Spiritual Assembly of the Baháʼís of India,[54] and in 1992 it won a Global 500
 Environmental Action Award.[51] The institute was recently profiled as part of a
documentary on the religion.[55]
 The City Montessori School in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, is the largest private
school in the world, with 20 branches offering K-12 education. It was started
by a Baháʼí couple and integrates Baháʼí principles such as academic
excellence, globalism, and interfaith harmony.[56][57]
 The Baháʼí Academy is an institution based in Panchgani, Maharashtra state.
[58]

 The Rabbani Baháʼí School in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, was built in 1977.
[59]
 The school was closed down by the National Spiritual Assembly of the
Bahá’ís of India in 2016.[60]

Notable events[edit]
ʻAbdu'l-Bahá's rescue[edit]
ʻAbdu'l-Bahá was sentenced to death by the Ottoman authorities for activities that were
believed to be seditious. A British Military Intelligence Officer, Major Wellesley Tudor
Pole, passed this information to the London office. Lord Balfour immediately took steps
to ensure the safety and rescue of ʻAbdu'l-Bahá. All Indian Cavalry Brigade,
under British imperial control, was tasked to execute the mission. The Indian soldiers
consisting of the Jodhpur Lancers and the Mysore Lancers were able to rescue ʻAbdu'l-
Bahá with relatively few casualties.[61]
Reference by the Supreme Court[edit]
In 1994, the situation of the Babri Mosque was commented on by Members of the India
Supreme Court highlighting the approach of the Baháʼís on multi-faith issues, quoting
the statement Communal Harmony of the National Spiritual Assembly of India,[62] which
had been distributed to ministers, bureaucrats, district county workers, the
superintendent of police, NGOs, and faith communities, in most of the official languages
of India.[63]

Baháʼí house in Chandigarh.

Lotus Temple arrests[edit]

In 2006, some former employees of the Lotus Temple made a complaint to the police
that the trustees of the temple had been involved in various crimes including spying,
religious conversion and producing false passports. The trial judge directed the police to
arrest nine specific trustees, but the High Court later stayed the arrests. [64][65]
Letters protesting persecution in Iran[edit]
Further information: Persecution of Baháʼís §  Iran
The governments of India and Iran generally maintain good relations. In 2001, the
government of India voted against the United Nations resolution Situation of Human
Rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran raised in response to the persecution of Baháʼís in
Iran,[66] and it has voted against many such resolutions since that time. [citation needed] Despite
this, many officials and prominent citizens of India have expressed serious concerns
about the persecution of Baháʼís.
In June 2008 several leading jurists of India's legal system, journalists, and civil rights
activist signed an open letter urging Iran to abide by international human rights
conventions and calling for the immediate release of Baháʼís detained in the country.
Signatories included: former Chief Justice of India Justice Jagdish Sharan Verma,
former Supreme Court judge Justice V.R. Krishna Iyer, former Chief Justice of Delhi
High Court Justice Rajinder Sachar, former Attorney General Soli Sorabjee, member,
Law commission, Tahir Mahmood, former chairperson, National Commission for
Women, Dr. Mohini Giri, editorial director, Hindustan Times, Vir Sanghvi, senior
columnist Kuldip Nayar, president, World Council for Arya Samaj, Swami Agnivesh,
among others.[67]
A similar open letter was published in February 2009, and signed by more than 30
prominent Indians, including Justice Iyer, actor Aamir Khan, Maulana Khalid Rasheed,
Swami Agnivesh, and many more. Calls for the release of imprisoned Baha'is have
continued since that time, with many prominent Indians expressing their concern. [68][69]
Cemetery vandalized[edit]
The Baháʼís of Jaipur registered a complaint (technically a First Information Report) with
police that their community burial ground had been attacked by a mob of about 40-50
Hindu people "led by a sarpanch", or head of the local gram panchayat, on Friday
October 31, 2015 about 11:30 AM in Shri Ram Ki Nangal village. [70] The
Hindu newspaper claimed the Sarpanch was Nathu Jangid, head of the village
government, member of the right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party based on witness
statement.[71] The security guard was injured and the guard's room and prayer house
were damaged. The FIR was registered by the local assembly treasurer for the Baháʼís.
[72]
 In a public meeting representatives of the Baháʼís stated that they believe this is the
first such incident in the history of the religion in the country, named the sarpanch, and
recalled that it had been theirs since 2002. The Baháʼís made no comment on the
political statement then because "it is in our religion to be apolitical." [70] Indian
newspaper The Wire published pictures of the site and damage and a claim by
Sarpanch Jangid that the land had been illegally sold to the Baháʼís. [72] The People's
Union for Civil Liberties of India has taken an interest in the case.[72]

Notable Indian Baháʼís[edit]

 Zia Mody is a corporate lawyer and businesswoman.
 Rehana Sultan is an Indian film actress.
See also[edit]
 Religion in India
 Baháʼí Faith and Hinduism
 Baháʼí Faith in Asia
 Baháʼí Faith in Pakistan

Notes[edit]
1. ^ Jump up to:a b Number is cited as "South Asia" and doesn't separate India

Citations[edit]
1. ^ Jump up to:a b Hartz 2009, p. 8.
2. ^ World Christian Encyclopedia 2001, p. 8.
3. ^ Garlington 2006, p. 251.
4. ^ Garlington 2006, pp. 248–9.
5. ^ Garlington 2006, p. 249.
6. ^ Jump up to:a b Momen 2008, p. 157.
7. ^ Garlington 2006, p. 250.
8. ^ Warburg 2006, pp. 225–6.
9. ^ Garlington 2006, p. 254.
10. ^ Jump up to:a b Bahá’í World News Service 2021.
11. ^ Garlington 2006, p. 256-7.
12. ^ Garlington 2006, p. 253,254-5.
13. ^ Jump up to:a b Garlington 2006, p. 255.
14. ^ Jump up to:a b Hartz 2009, p. 120.
15. ^ Jump up to:a b c National Baha'i Centre 2021.
16. ^ Manuchehri 2001.
17. ^ Fareed 2015.
18. ^ Jump up to:a b c d Momen 2000.
19. ^ Momen & Smith 1993.
20. ^ Jump up to:a b Hartz 2009, p. 70.
21. ^ Jump up to:a b c Warburg 2006, p. 188.
22. ^ Shah 2002.
23. ^ Jump up to:a b c d e f g h i Garlington 1997.
24. ^ Smith 2008, p. 37.
25. ^ Jump up to:a b c d Smith 2008, p. 49.
26. ^ Jump up to:a b c d e f Smith 2008, p. 94.
27. ^ Root 1930.
28. ^ Gandhimohan 2000.
29. ^ Warburg 2006, p. 189.
30. ^ Sarwal 1989.
31. ^ Garlington 1998.
32. ^ Nolley & Garlington 1997.
33. ^ Universal House of Justice (1976).  Wellspring of Guidance, Messages 1963-1968.
Wilmette, Illinois: National Spiritual Assembly of the Baháʼís of the United States. pp. 109–
112.  ISBN  0-87743-032-2.
34. ^ Jump up to:a b Hartz 2009, p. 114.
35. ^ Jump up to:a b c d Warburg 2006, pp. 217–22.
 36. ^ Garlington 1984.
37. ^ Momen 2008, pp. 154–5.
38. ^ Warburg 2006, p. 227.
39. ^ Jump up to:a b Vijayanunni 1991.
40. ^ Census 2001.
41. ^ Census 2011.
42. ^ Garlington 1984, p. 184, Note 44.
43. ^ Garlington 1984, p. 167-8.
44. ^ World Christian Encyclopedia 1982.
45. ^ World Christian Encyclopedia 2001, p. 2:653.
46. ^ Warburg 2006, p. 24.
47. ^ Baháʼí News 1987.
48. ^ Brar 2001.
49. ^ Baháʼí World News Service 2012.
50. ^ Bahá’í World News Service 2020.
51. ^ Jump up to:a b c d Momen 2008, p. 159-60.
52. ^ Hartz 2009, p. 123.
53. ^ Smith 2008, pp. 305–6.
54. ^ Baháʼí International Community 2003.
55. ^ Odess-Gillett 2009.
56. ^ Hartz 2009, p. 61.
57. ^ Baháʼí World News Service 2002.
58. ^ Baháʼí News 2006.
59. ^ India9 2014.
60. ^ "पूर्व छात्र रब्बानी स्कू ल शु रू करने सभा को लिखें गे पत्र". Dainik Bhaskar  (in Hindi). 2017-11-13.
Retrieved 2021-12-01.
61. ^ Pillay 2020.
62. ^ One Country 1995.
63. ^ Bodakowski & Marshall 2011.
64. ^ "HC stays arrest of Lotus temple trustees".  webindia123.com. 18 August 2006.
Retrieved September 22, 2017.
65. ^ "High Court stays arrest of Lotus temple trustees".  The Hindu.com. March 22, 2016 [August
19, 2006]. Retrieved September 22, 2017.
66. ^ Baháʼí International Community 2008.
67. ^ The Tribune 2008.
68. ^ The Hindu 2010.
69. ^ NSA India 2011.
70. ^ Jump up to:a b Khan 2015.
71. ^ Pupadhyay 2015.
72. ^ Jump up to:a b c Mishra 2015.

References[edit]
Books[edit]
 Adamson, Hugh C. (2009). The A to Z of the Baháʼí Faith. The A to Z Guide
Series, No. 70. Plymouth, UK: Scarecrow Press. ISBN 978-0-8108-6853-3.
 Barrett, David B., ed. (1982). "Global Adherents of all religions". World
Christian Encyclopedia: A comparative survey of churches and religions in
the modern world (1st ed.). Nairobi: Oxford University Press.
 Barrett, David B.; Kurian, George T.; Johnson, Todd M. (2001).
"Countries". World Christian Encyclopedia: A comparative survey of
 churches and religions in the modern world (2nd ed.). New York: Oxford
University Press.
 Gandhimohan, M. V. (2000). Mahatma Gandhi and the Baháʼís. New Delhi:
Baháʼí Publishing Trust of India. ISBN 81-86953-82-5.
 Garlington, William (2006). "Indian Baha'i tradition". In Mittal, Sushil; Thursby,
Gene R. (eds.). Religions of South Asia. London: Routledge. pp. 247–
260. ISBN 0415223903.
 Garlington, William (1984). "Baha'i Conversions in Malwa, Central India". In
Cole, Juan; Momen, Moojan (eds.). From Iran East and West. Kalimat Press.
pp. 157–85. ISBN 978-0-933770-40-9.
 Grim, Brian; m. Johnson, Todd; Skirbekk, Vegard; Zurlo, Gina (2016). Grim,
Brian; Johnson, Todd; Skirbekk, Vegard; Zurlo, Gina (eds.). Yearbook of
International Religious Demography 2016. Yearbook of International
Religious Demography. Vol. 3. Brill. pp. 17–
25. doi:10.1163/9789004322141. ISBN 9789004322141.
 Hartz, Paula (2009). World Religions: Baha'i Faith (3rd ed.). New York, NY:
Chelsea House Publishers. ISBN 978-1-60413-104-8.
 Momen, Moojan (2008). The Baha'i Faith. Beginner's Guide.
Oxford: Oneworld Publications. ISBN 978-1-85168-563-9.
 Shah, Muhammad Ali (2002). The Bahá'í Faith and Ahmadiyya: A
Comparative Analysis (in Urdu). Pakistan: Rawalpindi Baha'i Publishing
Trust.
 Smith, Peter (2000). "Indian religions". A Concise Encyclopedia of the Baháʼí
Faith. Oxford, UK: Oneworld Publications. p. 195. ISBN 1-85168-184-1.
 Smith, Peter (2008). An Introduction to the Baha'i Faith. Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-86251-6.
 Warburg, Margit (2006). Citizens of the world: a history and sociology of the
Bahaʹis from a globalisation perspective. Leiden: Brill. ISBN 978-90-474-
0746-1. OCLC 234309958.
News media[edit]
 Root, Martha (October 1930). "Miss Martha Root in India". Baháʼí News.
Vol. 45. National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of the United States and
Canada. pp. 7–8. Retrieved 2021-11-30.
 Brar (14 July 2001). "Encore Presentation: A Visit to the Capital of India: New
Delhi". Cable News Network. Retrieved 19 January 2015.
 "Achievements of the Seven Year Plan"  (PDF). Baháʼí News. July 1987. p. 3.
Retrieved 2021-12-01.
 "Baha'i Academy enters training agreement with top Indian University" .
Baháʼí World News Service. 2006-08-17. Retrieved 2021-12-01.
 Pillay, D. P. K. (2020-09-24). "Forgotten tales of valour and courage:
Chivalry and courage at the Battle for Haifa". The Economic Times.
Retrieved 2021-12-01.
  One Country (April 1995). "Supreme Court of India highlights Baha'i views on
communal tolerance in Ayodhya decision". Vol. 7, no. 1. Retrieved 2021-12-
01.
 "Iran asked to stop persecution of Bahaʼis" . The Tribune, Chandigarh, India.
The Tribune Trust. 2008-06-19.
 "Concern over persecution of Bahaʼis in Iran" . The Hindu. 2010-01-09.
 Baháʼí World News Service (2002-01-02). "In India, the world's largest school
succeeds by focusing on globalism and morality". Baháʼí International
Community. Retrieved 2021-12-07.
 Baháʼí World News Service (2012-04-22). "Plans to build new Houses of
Worship announced". Baháʼí International Community. Retrieved 2012-04-
22.
 Bahá’í World News Service (2020-04-29). "Local Temple design unveiled in
India". Retrieved 1 November 2020.
 Bahá’í World News Service (2021-02-21). "Ground broken for first local
Bahá'í temple in India". Retrieved 25 February 2021.
 Khan, Mohammad Hamza (November 1, 2015). "FIR lodged after mob
vandalises Jaipur's lone Bahaʼi burial ground". The India Express. Jaipur.
Retrieved November 1, 2015.
 Pupadhyay, Kavita (2015-11-01). "Baha'i burial place vandalised". The
Hindu. Jaipur. Retrieved November 1, 2015.
 Mishra, Sudhanshu (2015-11-01). "Bahaʼi Burial Ground Vandalised, Hand of
BJP Sarpanch Alleged". The Wire. Archived from the original on November
3, 2015. Retrieved November 2, 2015.
Journals[edit]
 Garlington, William (June 1997). "The Baha'i Faith in India: A Developmental
Stage Approach". Occasional Papers in Shaykhi, Babi and Baha'i
Studies. 1 (2).
 Garlington, William (January 1998). "Baha'i Bhajans: An example of the
Baha'i Use of Hindu Symbols". Occasional Papers in Shaykhi, Babi and
Baha'i Studies. 2 (1).
 Garlington, William (February 1999). "The Development of the Baha'i Faith in
Malwa: 1941-1974". Occasional Papers in Shaykhi, Babi and Baha'i
Studies. 3 (1).
 Garlington, William (July 2001). "Baha'i Proselytization in Malwa,
India". Occasional Papers in Shaykhi, Babi and Baha'i Studies. 5 (2).
 Manuchehri, Sepehr (April 2001). "Historical Accounts of two Indian Babis:
Sa'in Hindi and Sayyid Basir Hindi". Research Notes in Shaykhi, Babi and
Baha'i Studies. 5 (2).
 Momen, Moojan; Smith, Peter (1989). "The Baha'i Faith 1957–1988: A
Survey of Contemporary Developments". Religion. 19 (1): 63–
91. doi:10.1016/0048-721X(89)90077-8.
 Momen, Moojan (2000) [First published 1999]. "Jamál Effendi and the early
spread of the Baháʼí Faith in Asia". Bahaʼi Studies Review. 9.
  Sarwal, Anil (1989). "Shirin Fozdar: An Outstanding Pioneer". Baháʼí Digest.
Retrieved 2021-11-30.
Other[edit]
 Census data
o Vijayanunni, M., ed. (1991). "Bahá'í Population of India, 1991".
Baha'i Library Online.
o Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner
(2001). "C-1 Appendix: Details of Religious Communities Shown
Under Other Religious and Persuasions in Main Table C-
1". Census Digital Library. Retrieved 2021-12-01.
o Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner
(2011). "C-1 APPENDIX - 2011 DETAILS OF RELIGIOUS
COMMUNITY SHOWN UNDER 'OTHER RELIGIONS AND
PERSUASIONS' IN MAIN TABLE C-1". Ministry of Home Affairs,
Government of India. Retrieved 2021-11-30.
 Baháʼí International Community (11 July 2003). "Empowering Young Women
to Improve Rural Lives - The Story of the Barli Development Institute for
Rural Women, Indore, Madhya Pradesh, India"  (PDF).
 Baháʼí International Community (2008). "UN General Assembly Resolution
2001". Baháʼí International Community. Archived from the original on 2009-
08-22. Retrieved 2009-04-04.
 Bodakowski, Michael; Marshall, Katherine (2011). "A Discussion with Farida
Vahedi".
 Fareed, Abdul (2015). Religious and Social Life of Religious Minorities (PhD
thesis). International Islamic University, Islamabad.
 Momen, Moojan; Smith, Peter (1993). "Bahá'í History". Baha'i Library
Online.
 National Baha'i Centre (2021). "Bahá'í Faith in India". The Official Website of
the Bahá’ís of India. New Delhi. Retrieved 2021-11-30.
 Nolley, Charles; Garlington, William (March 1997). "India, Notes on Bahá'í
Population". Baha'i Library Online.
 Odess-Gillett, Warren (2009-05-18). "Interview with Jess Firth". WXOJ-LP.
Retrieved 2021-12-01.
 India9 (2014). "Rabbani School in Gwalior India". www.india9.com.
Retrieved 2021-12-01.
 "Petition to the Iranian Government for Immediate Release of the staff and
faculty of the Baha'i Institute of Higher Education". National Spiritual
Assembly of the Baha'is of India. May 2011. Archived from the original on
September 1, 2011. Retrieved September 22, 2017.

Further reading[edit]
  Garlington, William (2006). "Indian Baha'i tradition". In Mittal, Sushil; Thursby,
Gene R. (eds.). Religions of South Asia. London: Routledge. pp. 247–
260. ISBN 0415223903.
 Pearson, Anne M. (2022). "Ch. 49: South Asia". In Stockman, Robert
H. (ed.). The World of the Bahá’í Faith. Oxfordshire, UK: Routledge.
pp. 603–613. doi:10.4324/9780429027772-56. ISBN 978-1-138-36772-2.

External links[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has
media related to Baháʼí
Faith in India.

 Official Website
 Baháʼí Publishing Trust – based in India