The Baha’i Faith is one of the youngest world religions. It is also one of the most receptive religions in the world. The first Baha’i temple built in Battambang province, Cambodia, lives up to its international reputation by providing a safe space for Cambodian as well as foreign worshipers of any religion to worship their god freely, be it, Christ, Mohammad or Buddha. The goal of the faith is to foster a unified world of religion for the benefit of humanity. It encourages believers to live logically side by side with both religion and material. The House of Worship in Battambang took two years to build, costing around $1.5 million. Baha’i House of Worship welcomes people of all race, religion and status for a visit and serves as a refuge for people to seek a peace of mind.
In Photos: First Baha’i Temple in Cambodia Hopes to Bring Peace and Unity
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The First Baha’i Faith’s house of worship in Battambang province, Cambodia costs $1.5 million to build and two years to complete. The religion teaches its believers to embrace all religions be it, Buddhism, Christianity or Islam. The temple welcomes worshippers from all faiths. Photo is taken on October 22, 2018. (Hor Singhuo/VOA)
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The Baha’i house of worship is designed by a Cambodian architect, Tang Sochet Vitou. The temple core design centers around the nine-sided designs, nine mini-gardens, and round building with low pointed roof, representing a largely Cambodian-style architecture. (Hor Singhuo/VOA)
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San Sopheak, a Baha’i coordinator from Takeo province, visited the Baha’i temple for the monthly coordinator meetup. He is actively conducting workshops to teach Baha’i religious teachings that is based on both religion and science, to people from his community. (Hor Singhuo/VOA)
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Baha’i believers relax in the temple compound during a break from the monthly meet up in Battambang province. The religion has more than 12,000 followers in Battambang province alone. (Rithy Odom/VOA)
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A fan shape pond sits directly in front of the nine-sided Baha’i temple, representing the nine great world religions in unity. The temple is built with a style that is supposed to keep with the community, way of life and natural environment of Battambang. (Rithy Odom/VOA)
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25-year-old Ing Sothearat is a full-time administrator at the Baha’i temple. She was drawn to the faith because of its teachings on adolescence and the importance of spirituality as opposed to ‘material’ emphasized by ‘formal education’. (Rithy Odom/VOA)
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Baha’i temple shot from a Bamboo train, also known as ‘Norry’. The temple compound occupies approximately less than 2 hectares of land with another 7 hectares providing a scenic view of the surrounding meadow and vast rice field. (Rithy Odom/VOA)
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A panorama shot of the Baha’i temple at dusk. (Rithy Odom/VOA)