A little while ago we visited the Casa de Adoracion de Baha’i (the Baha’i temple) in Penalolen.
It’s glorious moment of calm, just a short drive from Santiago centre.
It’s a breath of fresh air, both literally and spiritually.
The foundation of this place of worship is openness to all. Bahá’u’lláh, the founder of the Bahá’í faith describes it as follows:
’Build houses of worship in all countries in the name of the Lord of all religions … Then, celebrate there, with joy and the praise of your Lord, the Most Compassionate.’
It’s a place to take a moment out of the stresses of daily life. It’s enchanting, inspiring and grounding.
‘Just as daily our body needs food to nourish itself and stay healthy, in the same way our spiritual life is strengthened with prayer, meditation and generous actions.’ – Bahá’u’lláh
The temple reaches 30m into the sky and perched up in the Andes, it offers incredible views of Santiago city.
It’s actually rather new. It was built in October 2016 out of translucent marble and cast glass cladding.
The building is made up of nine petals which reach to the sky and is surrounded by gently landscaped gardens with some of the most beautiful flowers of the Andes region.
Nature is at the very heart of the Baha’i faith. Adherents regularly organise reforestation events with the local community, travellers from afar, expats and local children.
‘Blessed is the house… the city, the mountain, the refuge, the cave, the valley, the land, the sea, the island and the meadow where God has been mentioned and He has glorified His praise.’ – Bahá’u’lláh
Whether you’re religious or atheist, with kids or travelling alone, it’s a beautiful place to spend an afternoon.
Need to know:
While you won’t be turned away for wearing shorts, it is a religious site, so dress respectfully without showing too much skin.
Inside the temple it’s prohibited to take photos, and visitors are asked to respect the silence.
Dogs are not allowed in the temple. We did spot several dogs on the walkway up there however.
While ramps are provided for wheelchair and buggy access, bicycles are not allowed on the walkway up to the temple.
There’s no cafeteria but there’s a great picnic spot just down from the temple. Eating inside the temple is not allowed. There are also toilets and baby changing facilities.
Guided group visits for students, architects or general tours are available in Spanish, English and Portuguese. Email informacion@templobahai.cl for details.
To get involved in a gardening / reforestation project email jardines@templobahai.cl
Open from Tuesday to Sunday from 9.00am to 7.00pm. Diagonal Las Torres 2000, Peñalolen, Santiago de Chile. Tel. +56 2 32209940, email: informacion@templobahai.cl
