Open religious event set to return

THREE years since their last public get tougher, Ballarat’s Bahá’í community looks to reintroduce themselves.

On Saturday, 30 July the group is hosting an event at Delacombe Primary School, where facilitator Camelia Khosh said people can get a taste of the group’s regular offerings.

“There’ll be music, craft, drama, storytelling elements. This is designed for whole families as well, looking at children’s education and parental needs,” she said.

“This will show people the sorts of things we do with our weekly classes. It’s very much about looking at spiritual qualities, things like love, unity, generosity, justice.

“We look at those things frequently, and discuss how we might incorporate them into our lives. It all starts with consultation, getting people in a room together and realising how similar we actually are.”

Founded in Iran during the 19th century by Baháʼu’lláh, the Bahá’í religion is believed to have about five million practicers with the first Australian devotee, Euphemia ‘Effie’ Baker a Ballarat local.

The Ballarat group meets Saturday mornings at Delacombe Primary School, and the upcoming event will be the first community day since 2019, having traditionally taken place every three months.

Ms Khosh said although the event aims to provide an enjoyable morning for attendees, its purpose is about more than family fun.

“A big focus on these community days is about overcoming all types of prejudice and bringing all different types of people together,” she said.

“It’s about embracing our oneness and our finding that point of unity between our shared human existence.

“It’s about asking what does community look like with all of our different backgrounds and cultural diversity.”