April 28, 2011, The Lotus Temple (Baha’i), New Delhi, India

Published in the A Year in Resist: March 15, 2011-March 15, 2012, Journal, The Indian Notebook

We wait outside for an introduction, first in Farsi, followed by one in English. We will enter the Temple as a group once the previous group is through. Once we are in the Temple, the doors will be closed and we will not be able to leave except in the case of emergencies. There will be hosts at all of the doors to assist anyone in difficulty. What is not mentioned is that there have been instances of terrorists at several sacred sites popular to tourists in India lately, and this is one of them, and it is particularly dangerous because it was founded as a multi-faith organization devoted to peace among all peoples and religions. This has made it a target for extremists in every religion.

Once everyone is settled, there will be a five-minute prayer service. There are no photographs, no recordings, and no cell phones allowed. At the end of the service, the doors will be opened and we will be asked to leave quickly, because the next group will be waiting to enter. There will be no wandering around the temple on our own. The maximum amount of time allowed in the Temple is fifteen minutes.

Young women walk the aisles inside the temple, directing people wordlessly where to sit, encouraging them to take their seats quickly, to turn off their cameras and cell phones, to remain silent. The young women keep their hands clasped at their chests at all times, facing the crowds with their backs to the three speakers who wait their turn to address the crowd, scanning the crowd for anything unusual. When someone looks the hostesses in the eye and acknowledges them, they smile and raise their fingertips to their lips and whisper Namaste (“I acknowledge the divinity in you as the same divinity in me.”).

Families of bluebirds fly overhead through the silence to nest among the concrete rafters.

An elder cantor sings a prayer from the Koran.
A young Palestinian reads a passage from Jewish scripture.
A young Islamic woman sings a Christian song of praise,
and the mandatory five-minute prayer session is over.