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Festival of Paradise - The King of Festivals

Thursday, April 20, 2017

The King of Festivals

Ridvan1, the Festival of Paradise, is also known as the King of Festivals. Celebrates the 1863 declaration of Baha'u'llah which occurred in a garden located on an island "in the middle of the Tigris River."2 The declaration of Baha'u'llah took place among blooming roses and singing nightingales in the twelves days prior to his exile from Baghdad to Constantinople3.

In 1853 Baha'u'llah was exiled, by the government of Peria4, from Persia to Baghdad. The government hoped that the exile would stop Baha'u'llah's growing popularity; however, it did not work out as the authorities expected. So in April 1863 a second exile was ordered. Prior to this exile Baha'u'llah withdrew to the garden on the island. This garden was called, by Baha'u'llah's followers, Ridvan which means paradise. Despite his exile and the hostility of government authorities each leg of Baha'u'llah's exile spread his cause to more and more people.

The Days of Ridvan:
The First Day of Ridvan

Transforming sorrow to joy,
Baha'u'llah entered the Garden of Ridvan
and pitched his tent
in the center of paradise.

Surrounded
by the singing of nightingales,
the perfume of roses,
and the tents of the faithful
He declared his glorious mission.

Footnotes
1  pronounced rez-vahn
2  http://bahaiteachings.org/bahai-festival-paradise-first-day-ridvan
3  present day Istanbul
4  Iran