Service at the Bahá’í House of Worship
“Blessed are they that occupy themselves in the House of Worship with the remembrance of Him Who is the Lord of the righteous! Blessed are they that arise in the service of this House!”
– Bahá’u’lláh
The Bahá’í House of Worship in India is supported by a flow of believers from all states in India and diversity of countries and occupations who arise selflessly to offer a period of service, of varying length. The volunteer needs at the House of Worship are changing in light of the evolving demands and currently we wish to induct around 30 volunteers, to various departments of care and maintenance, gardens, security, administration and kitchen.
Bounty of Service
The Bahá’í House of Worship at New Delhi, India was dedicated to humankind in December 1986 by the Hand of the Cause Amatu’l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum. This House of Worship, “the Dawning-place of the Praise of God” in the Indian sub-continent, is one of the most visited structures in the world. Thousands and thousands of waiting souls enter this House of God every day seeking subconsciously the Water of Life. Impressed by its architectural beauty and serene ambience, the multitude of humanity throngs to its doors for inspiration and this silent teacher of the Faith does not disappoint them. The volunteers at the House of Worship warmly welcome everyone with love and empathy, guide them in their search to contemplate on the fundamental questions on life and thereby enrich their spiritual experience. “It is better to guide one soul than to possess all that is on earth…”, said the Blessed Bab. “Whoso openeth his lips in this Day,” the Blessed Beauty says, “and maketh mention of the name of his Lord, the hosts of Divine inspiration shall descend upon him from the heaven of My name, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. On him shall also descend the Concourse on high, each bearing aloft a chalice of pure light.”
The Bahá’í House of Worship, the beloved Guardian states, is the symbol and harbinger of the World Order of Bahá’u’lláh and the Universal House of Justice states that it weds two inseparable aspects of Bahá’í life: worship and service, and he who arises in the service of the House of Worship, beloved Master says, “…shall be imbued by God with a power emanating from His mighty Kingdom, and upon him shall rain such spiritual, heavenly blessings as shall fill his heart with a wondrous light and illumine his eyes to behold the glory of the Ancient of Days.” The Master urges the believers, “Let the love and light of the Kingdom radiate through you until all who look upon you shall be illumined by its reflection”. Love for God, and it burns away all veils of estrangement, binds hearts together, leads to the field of service and enables to see in every soul the capacity to know and worship Him.
Regards to service, the Guardian says that it is the magnet that draws divine confirmations. He said, “…work of the Cause…is done by the sacrifice of loving and devoted souls who arise selflessly to undertake work they feel themselves incompetent, sometimes, to achieve. God works through them and endows them with gifts they did not dream they could ever possess”. The Guardian underlined the absolute necessity of individual initiative and explained that without his support, the plans of the institutions are subject to failure and the divine plan of beloved Master gets impeded. The role of individual is of unique importance in the work of the Cause and he remains at the crux of every progress, says the Universal House of Justice. And the Supreme Body emphasizes, “For the present generation, the moment has come to reflect, to commit, to steel themselves for a life of service from which blessing will flow in abundance”.
The Revelation of Baha’u’llah calls for profound change in the individuals and the society. Translating this into reality is evidently no easy task. Though, the Bahá’ís do not believe that the transformation envisioned will be realized exclusively through their efforts, yet they remain at the forefront of actions for the well-being of humanity. The Supreme Body says that the Bahá’ís are among the most active and earnest of humanity’s well-wishers and urged all believers to make their mark at this critical time of our history. Let us recall the immortal sacrifices of our dearest Master, Who with failing health at the age of sixty-six arose to champion the Cause of His illustrious Father. He even emphasized that there is no deed in the world nobler than service to the common good and no greater blessing for a man than that he becomes the cause of the education, development, prosperity and honour of his fellow-creatures. Following our beloved Master, Whose whole existence was an example of selfless service to others, let us rise to the occasion and guide the disoriented humanity closer to the life-giving teachings of the Lord of the Age. The House of Worship, the beacon of light against the gloom of hatred and inequity as the Supreme Body calls it, if not the only avenue of service, it certainly offers abundant opportunities to demonstrate the complementarity of “being” and “doing” in the life of a believer, and above all to be the pure channels of His grace for the whole humankind.
Over the years, hundreds of the devoted believers from various part of India and numerous other countries had the privilege to serve at the House of Worship and they offered their selfless service in various capacities, especially as volunteer guides. However, during the recent years, the volunteer needs at the House of Worship have been changing owing to the evolving demands and it requires services of the believers in several other areas which includes the following:
Visitors’ Desk & Interaction
The volunteers serving in this area are called ‘guides’. The beloved Guardian explained that “The essential requisite of guides is that they should know the Temple and the teachings so as to be able to answer questions and attract the hearts of the people through their spirit as well as their words. It is a very important position as it often marks the very first contact of a person with the Faith and on it may hinge that individual’s future attitude towards the Cause”.
He emphasized that “the work which the Bahá’í guides at the Temple are called upon to undertake is truly difficult and delicate, and requires such combination of qualities as sound knowledge of the teachings, ability, tact and wisdom for their adequate and effective presentation…” The beloved Guardian stated that the guides “…should, in all their contacts with visitors, maintain full dignity of the Cause, and provide the inquirers with accurate information regarding the faith, stress the universal aspects of the teachings such as world unity, and its various implications”.
Keeping the above guidelines in view, the volunteers are deputed at several places in the House of Worship where they have ample opportunity to interact with the visitors. They have the opportunity to welcome the visitors, request them to maintain silence inside the prayer hall, and to offer prayers if they wished to.
Care and Maintenance
“Be ye the very essence of cleanliness amongst mankind. This, truly, is what your Lord, the Incomparable, the All-Wise, desireth for you”. – Bahá’u’lláh
Though Care and Maintenance is a support service in the House of Worship, it is nonetheless quite vital. The volunteers serving in this area play an essential role to maintain the sacred edifice to uphold its beauty, cleanliness and sanctified character. They assist to maintain the cleanliness of the premises of House of Worship which includes the prayer hall, information and education centre, and all other areas. They are responsible to ensure the cleanliness of the dormitories, equipment used for maintenance and cleaning, and all other related items.
Maintenance is an important support service at the House of Worship. The friends desiring to serve in this area should preferably have a technical mind and the required skills. They are expected to have the basic knowledge about plumbing, carpentry, polishing, electricity, water recycling plants, functioning and safety aspect of machines, facility management and general repair and maintenance works.
Security
“…rectitude of conduct, with its implications of justice, equity, truthfulness, honesty, fair-mindedness, reliability, and trustworthiness, must distinguish every phase of the life of the Bahá’í community. ‘The companions of God’, Baha’u’llah Himself has declared, are, in this day, the lump that must leaven the peoples of the world. They must show forth such trustworthiness, such truthfulness and perseverance, such deeds and character that all mankind may profit by their example”.
– Shoghi Effendi
Security is a crucial area of service at the House of Worship. The volunteers serving in this area are responsible for the security and protection of the premises of House of Worship and this includes ensuring the safety and security of the temple staff and volunteers, as well as the visitors. They are expected to have a high presence of mind, remain vigilant by regular patrolling, and maintain good rapport with the police and other authorities in case of any eventualities.
The volunteers serving in this area are expected to function in a manner that is compatible with the Bahá’í teachings. While interacting with the visitors, handling the crowd, and even the trespassers, they are required to be highly respectful considering the underlying principles of the Faith.
Gardens
“Nature in its essence is the embodiment of My Name, the Maker, the Creator. Its manifestations are diversified by varying causes, and in this diversity there are signs for men of discernment. Nature is God’s Will and is its expression in and through the contingent world…” Baha’u’llah
The Bahá’ís believe that the nature represents the sacred. It is to be valued and respected which is fundamental to the Bahá’í belief. The friends serving in this area are responsible to maintain the cleanliness and beauty of the gardens and the surrounding areas of the House of Worship. The volunteers serving in the gardens are expected to have general understanding or skill about plant care, pest control, horticulture, lawn mowing and weeding, watering and planting of new flowers, nursery operations and all tasks related to garden and its beautification.
Administration & IT Support
“O God, my God! I implore Thee with a throbbing heart and streaming tears to aid whosoever expendeth his energy for… this House… O God! Send down Thy divine increase on whosoever endeavoureth to serve this edifice…” -Abdu’l-Baha
The believers desiring to serve in administration are expected to have the basic knowledge of English an d Hindi in order to be able to draft introductory letters, make and receive telephone calls, read documents, make reports, and perform all related tasks in the front office.
The friends desiring to support in IT area are expected to have a basic knowledge of computers and networking (both software and hardware), troubleshooting, and all related tasks.
Kitchen
“O God, my God! I implore Thee with a throbbing heart and streaming tears to aid whosoever expendeth his energy for… this House… O God! Send down Thy divine increase on whosoever endeavoureth to serve this edifice…” -Abdu’l-Baha
The friends serving in the kitchen are responsible to plan and prepare the food and refreshments for the volunteers serving at the House of Worship in a clean and hygienic manner. They are responsible to maintain the cleanliness of the kitchen, the utensils, cooking equipment and preserve all the items in an orderly manner. They are expected to have the basic knowledge of cooking, the nature of the fruits, vegetables and other food items suited to the various seasons of the year.
It is an immense privilege to serve at the House of Worship as the beloved Master says, it is “the lodestone of divine confirmations”. He says that “the House of Worship hath a powerful influence on every phase of life…” The friends have the privilege to offer prayers at the Temple before they start their daily work. As the volunteers are from all over India and various other countries, they get ample opportunities to learn new language, skills, qualities, culture, and many other abilities from other believers.
After a tiring day of work, the friends have the wonderful opportunity for love and fellowship with his fellow volunteers in the early evening hours and later of course at the dining table.
The rules of the House of Worship allow a weekly day off when the volunteers go out and visit various scenic attractions of New Delhi. The friends also get reasonable recreation time to relax that enables them to rejuvenate their zeal and energy to serve better. Nutritious food and modest accommodation are provided to the volunteers within the premises of House of Worship to make them feel comfortable and serve with undiminished enthusiasm and vigour.
The friends also have the opportunity to participate in the weekly study classes to enrich their spiritual insight, knowledge and understanding about the Faith. Even periodically, they get the opportunity to participate in the activities of local Bahá’í community.
These interesting and diverse elements of their service at the House of Worship certainly leaves an indelible imprint in their hearts and their experience become truly endearing and unforgettable in their life. When the friends return home after completing their service at the Temple, they are able to live a modest life and continue to serve with the help of the skills and capacities acquired during their service at the House of Worship.
Essential Requirements
The believer desiring to apply for service at the House of Worship must fulfil the following conditions:
- The applicant must have completed 18 years at the time of application.
- The applicant must be a Bahá’í in good standing.
- The applicant must be in good health and be able to work for eight hours a day.
- The applicant should be able to offer service for at least one month. However, long term service is preferred in certain areas of work at the House of Worship.
- The applicant should have the basic knowledge of English or Hindi.
As you read the brochure, you must be already motivated to apply for service. We invite you to rise to the occasion, embrace these immortal words of Blessed Beauty: “Free thyself from the fetters of this world, and loose thy soul from the prison of self. Seize thy chance, for it will come to thee no more.” and apply now to embark in the path of service.
Apply Now
The application form is at the end of this brochure. Please detach it to use. A couple of essential points are delineated hereunder that will clarify your doubts, if any and facilitate your application.
- At the outset, we suggest you to offer a few prayers seeking the confirmations of Blessed Beauty and then complete the application form. It is preferable if your application is recommended by a Bahá’í Institution and the form is countersigned before it is mailed it to the House of Worship.
- Please remember that volunteering in any area of service is undoubtedly of equal significance and value. Therefore, kindly feel free to apply for service as per your interest, and experience. By no means one should ponder on his own deficiency or lack of experience as confirmations of God, beloved Master says, “…alone can change a gnat into an eagle, a drop of water into rivers and seas, and an atom into lights and suns…”
- The spirit of the Faith requires some level of sacrifice on the part of the volunteers while rendering their service at the House of Worship. However, to facilitate the services of the believers of limited means and those offering for a long-term service, a small provision is kept aside to support their personal expenses to some extent.
- The House of Worship has a limited number of accommodations for its volunteers. Therefore, it is encouraged that the friends should apply for service well in advance and their invitation for service may depend at times on the availability of the accommodations.
- Applicant’s knowledge of any foreign language is highly appreciated to respond effectively to the queries of the visitors from different countries. The applicant may even like undertake a language crash course to be more effective in service at the House of Worship.
- In case the applicant has any health complications, it is advised that he/she consults with doctors before applying for service. The health issues, if any, and any support that one may require during the service at the House of Worship should be mentioned in the application form.
- It is preferable for the applicants to have their own medical insurance. The House of Worship, however, has a modest provision to take care of the medical emergencies.
- The application process comprises of several steps. The completion of application form and mailing it to the House of Worship is only the first step. After initial screening, there will be an exchange of supplementary information and interactions, if the applicant is finally invited for service, he/she will receive detailed Advisory Notes related to his spiritual and physical preparations for service, travels, visa and all other ancillary and logistical issues.
- Undoubtedly, the service at the House of Worship is an important milestone in the spiritual life of a believer. For sure, the believer carries back with him substantial learning, spiritual insight and undying inspiration for continuation of service in his/her local community in the months and years ahead.
- In case the applicant has any queries, he/she is most welcome to write to the Volunteer Recruitment Desk at the House of Worship for clarifications.
Download the Application form in Docx format or fill up the Google Form.