Happy Ridvan: Celebrating life the Bahá’í way

Some might say ‘happy feast’ and some just ‘happy Ridvan’, but whatever one chooses to say, it’s said with a hug. Ridvan is a 12-day festival of the Bahá’í faith. The festival kicks off on April 21 until May 2 to commemorate the commencement of the prophethood of Bahá’u’lláh.

Of the 12 days, there are three holy days that are the most significant of the festival – the first day (April 21), the ninth day (April 29) and the twelfth day (May 2). On these days the Bahá’ís exempt themselves from work and school.

The Bahá’ís across the city will then gather at the Bahá'í Centre at Marine Lines to celebrate the festival. Throughout Ridvan, Bahá’ís gather for devotion and attend social gatherings.

The Bahá’í faith is universal and is a combination of culture and community. The festival is spiritual in nature and so is the celebration. “The Bahá’ís don’t believe in one’s designation in life. It’s all about individual growth, to reach out to people and the society,” states Nargis Gaur, who refuses to reveal her designation as that is not what the Bahá’í faith is about.

On the first day of the festival, an election of the local spiritual assembly takes place where nine Bahá’ís above the age of 21are elected. The election is carried out in a discrete manner and these nine Bahá’ís look after affairs within their jurisdiction. “After the election, prayers are conducted and then a cultural performance takes place,” Gaur says.

Unlike other community festivals there is no special food offered or prepared. It’s all about the joy of meeting one another. Doctor Sunil Hamadani, 23, says, “There is a lot of happiness in the whole community when they come together under one roof in an environment that depicts unity of cultures and backgrounds.”
There is no specific diktat in the Bahá’í festival that lays down what one must do. Everyone does what they feel like. “There are days when we gather at the centre and decide to go for a movie. The idea is to be together and be happy,” smiles Gaur.

The Bahá’í youth are also enthusiastic about Ridvan. Hamadani says, “The majority of the youth from Mumbai have attended moral classes together as children.

So, we have grown up together and that increases the excitement of coming together as everyone is busy and live in different parts of the city.”
Mahvash Rowhan recollects, “A couple has invited all of us to his farmhouse on the outskirts of Mumbai.”

The best part is that you don’t have to be born into a Bahá’í family to be part of this interesting culture. There are many people from different communities who have accepted the Bahá’í way of life.

“You don’t have to go to a particular place to pray, you can pray in the privacy of your home. It’s a connection between you and your creator,” Rowhan says.