Buildings

House of Worship serves as backdrop for TV art series

Award-winning artist Roger Bansemer and his wife, Sarah, are currently travelling across the U.S. working on a TV series called "Painting on Location with Roger Bansemer."

In October the pair - both members of the Baha'i Faith - stopped at the Baha'i House of Worship. There Roger painted a single rose in one of the nine gardens that surround the temple, while Sarah had a tour of this sacred space.

Watch the video for a brief tour of the temple and a painting lesson.


Painting on Location with Roger Bansemer "THE WHITE ROSE" from Roger Bansemer on Vimeo.

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Golden Baha'i dome to get first renovation

The Baha'i Temple in Haifa will soon undergo its first renovation since the building was completed in 1953. As a result, its famous gilded dome will be covered for almost two years. The project includes reinforcement against earthquakes, replacing iron with steel, upgrading the electrical system and replacing the gilded panels of the dome. Preparations began this week for the work, which is expected to take four years and cost an estimated NIS 25 million, covered entirely by Baha'i donors worldwide. The dome will be covered in the middle of next year.

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Class faces 'landmark' choice


In hindsight, Central School's election to choose the Ultimate Wilmette Landmark might have been a bit lopsided from the get-go.

The school's third grade pupils came up with a formidable field of candidates, to be sure.

Homer's Restaurant and Ice Cream Parlor had the cache of once being a favorite spot of Al Capone, the legendary bootlegger and gangster. (Slogan: "Homer's Is the Best, Come Find Out the Rest.")

{josquote}Don't be weak, choose the mashriq!{/josquote}

Plaza Del Lago had more than shops and sweet treats in its favor. The center was built on a triangular piece of property once known locally as "No Man's Land". The campaign also had a particularly catchy slogan: "Where Ya Gonna Go? Plaza Del Lago!"

But how many suburbs can boast an attraction like the Baha'i House of Worship, with its lace-like dome of sparkling quartz crystals? Built over four decades, the nine-sided temple was described in a Time magazine article in 1943 as "one of the most fantastic pieces of architecture in the U.S."

The Baha'i won the ultimate-landmark title by capturing 35 percent of the ballots cast Nov. 3 by more than 200 third and fourth grade students and staff. The Baha'i even pulled crossover votes from rivals working for other candidates.

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Now, Coconuts under scanner

{josquote}While the Bahai Lotus Temple is secured, the temple can be an easy target.{/josquote}

NEW DELHI: Devotees have enough reasons to be worried this festive season. Not only they fear more blasts, they are also concerned about the preparedness of temples to tackle huge crowds, especially after Tuesday’s stampede in Chamunda Devi temple near Jodhpur which left over 150 dead. In the wake of call to upgrade security and the unfortunate Jodhpur stampede, Times City visited prominent city temples on Tuesday to do a reality check.

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Baha'is buy military base to open up space at Acre compound

The Baha'i World Center recently bought an old military base blocking the view of its sacred Baji compound in Acre. It plans to create an open vista, making the compound's landscaped gardens visible from the north.

The center paid the Defense Ministry some NIS 40 million for the 90-dunam base, with structures dating back to the pre-state British Mandate era.

The deal was completed several months ago after around two years of negotiations. A source close to the deal said the talks focused mainly on the price, and that the sum was not particularly high for that part of Acre.

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