for this age, is telling the peoples of all religions that they are one, even though they have come from different direc- tions, and now is the time of their reunion in His Faith; united they will help to establish world peace. When we arrived in the dry, and ragingly hot vil- lage of Naraindapur, with no government bungalow avail- able, and bringing no food with us because we had counted on a Rest House, the doors of the only school there were hos- pitably opened to us. The Headmaster, Mr. R. M. with that kindness and courtesy so miraculous and unfailing in In- dia, offered all he had for our comfort, even putting his and his wife’s bed in an empty classroom for our use. Rúhíyyih Khánum’s dinner that night consisted of four soda crackers and a of water with salt added, which was all she could eat as the virus infection which had made her ill in Bombay had never really left her. It was typical of our trip that no hour was ever wasted; that evening the Headmaster and other new friends arranged a meeting at short notice in the home of the President of the Women’s Development Committee. Rúhíyyih Khánum told them, other things, that we firmly believe in the unity of religions, that all religions spring from the same source and have the same purpose of causing the human race to progress, that in our Bahá’í Temples we read from all the Sacred Scriptures of other Faiths. The audience was not only a highly receptive one, but consisted of those in the forefront of educational and social activities in the village. Next day, before we left, one of them became a Bahá’í. Among other things, Orissa is famous for its temples, and in between visits to the Bahá’ís in various villages, we were able to see some of them, in spite of the heat, which was of- ten 108° in the daytime. Konarak, the impressive temple built to the glory of the Sun God, in the form of a gigantic chariot, was one of them and is truly a unique masterpiece with its
fine statues and massive carved stone wheels. Meetings were held both in Niyali and Barhana. In the latter, under an immense tree, a very animated meeting took Many young men asked pertinent questions; one I re- member quite well: “Why should we accept a religion that comes from Iran originally? We have our own religion any- way, and don’t need another.” To this Rúhíyyih Khánum replied that few people challenge the great role of re- ligion itself and how it spiritualizes man and guides him on his way in this world. But today we live in a new world, sci- ence has brought us not only close to each other through trains, airplanes, radio, and so on, but we are dangerously to each other. If we do not find a force strong enough to unite us all, now that we live, so to speak, in a small world, we are in danger of being killed by an even more terrible war than past ones. “If the Hindus”, she said, “go to America and try to convert people there to Hinduism, they will no more accept than the Hindus in India will accept to be converted to Christianity or Islám. The hatred between the old religions, made by the foolish little minds of men and not by the great Founders of these religions, is too great. The Bahá’í Faith is a new Religion; when you become a Bahá’í you do not give up anything, you add to it; the Hindu adds faith in Christ, Muhammad, Buddha, and the other great Prophets to his faith in Krishna. The same is true of the Christian or the Muslim when he becomes a Bahá’í; he has to accept Buddha and Krishna. It is like the hub of the wheel.” She gave the example of the She then said that once a famous American doctor had asked her the same question: “Why should you accept a religion that came from Iran?” She asked him: “Doctor, if they find a cure for cancer in Iran, will you refuse to accept it because it was not developed in America?” This answer had silenced the doctor and it silenced this au- dience too. There was great enthusiasm at this meeting. Bhubaneswar, the new capital of Orissa, was a place where