Design unveiled for Nepal’s first local Bahá’í temple

KANCHANPUR, Nepal — The parcel of land set aside in Kanchanpur for Nepal’s first local Bahá’í House of Worship has been a place of prayer since the temple’s establishment was announced by the Universal House of Justice in 2023. For nearly three years, families from neighborhoods and villages across this region in Nepal’s southwestern lowlands have come to the site at dawn, after work, before school—gathering in prayer on land where the temple does not yet stand, and drawing from those moments the strength to live more fully for one another. The design unveiled today gives form to what these communities have come to embody over the past decades.

The unveiling drew over 1,000 people to the site of the future temple in Kanchanpur, where government officials, civil society leaders, and residents of surrounding localities gathered to witness a moment long in preparation.

Speaking at the ceremony, Yam Prasad Acharya, a member of the Continental Board of Counsellors in Asia, explained that the design of this temple emerges organically from both spiritual symbolism and cultural context.

The overall form of the temple is shaped by the natural and cultural context of the region, drawing on local traditions—such as the patterns of Tharu attire and woven fishing nets—to inform its layered forms, material textures, and a sense of enclosure.

In a separate conversation with the News Service, Mr. Acharya described a culture of prayer that has long shaped daily life in the area. “Here, the concepts of prayer, service, and worship are very strong,” he said. “In every family there is that practice—when they rise in the morning, they pray, then leave for work.” The announcement of the temple itself has intensified this rhythm and turned it ever more outward with many arriving to volunteer at the site, asking whether there is mud to be cleared or plants to be set. “Each and every person in this community will have contributed to the temple in one way or another,” he said.

Auxiliary Board member Rajesh Kumari Rana, who lives near the temple site, described the experience of gathering in prayer. “When people come to the site to pray, they cease to think of distinctions—who is sitting beside them, what community they come from, or what differences may exist between them,” she said. “In the atmosphere of prayer, hearts are brought closer together, and a feeling of unity and harmony begins to grow.”

Devraj Rana, a member of the National Spiritual Assembly, spoke to the same connection between worship and service. “Worship and service are two inseparable aspects of life,” he said. “Through worship, love for God is deepened; and within the life of a community, that devotion finds expression in service to others.”

Such a House of Worship, Mr. Devraj Rana added, will be open to people of all backgrounds—a place where all are welcome to gather in prayer and praise.

Inspired by visits to surrounding communities, the designs draw from both the natural landscape and the spirit of its people. Sarosh Pradhan, one of the project architects, said: “We met the residents of the area, and they really touched us. Through the design, we wanted to absorb all their feelings and all the cultural aspects of their lives.”

This spirit of love for God is reflected in the timeless and dignified design itself, as mentioned by Mr. Pradhan: “In the end, as architects, we have to produce a form that reflects the infinite in some manner.”

Nirmal Rana, one of several other mayors of nearby municipalities in attendance, recalled an earlier visit to the Bahá’í House of Worship in New Delhi, India, and the hope it had inspired in him to see a place of worship in his own community. “This temple will stand as a symbol of peace. It will bring harmony to all who gather around it.”

When complete, the House of Worship will be the first to rise in Nepal. Around it, a facility to promote education in community life is being built and is nearing completion. In parallel with the House of Worship, this facility will play a vital role in further fostering a pattern of collective life of service and worship, giving permanent form to a way of life that, in this quiet corner of the country, has been taking shape for many years.