What is "Ridván" ?

From the 21st April till the 1st of May, The Baha’is will be celebrating the festival called Ridvan. This is known as the King of all Festivals as it starts from the Declaration of the Manifestation on 21st April, 1863 at the place called Ridvan Garden.

The Manifestation, Baha’u’llah, (Mirza Husayn Ali) was born in the year 1817 in Tehran, Iran. He is of royal blood, a descendant of Zoroaster and the Sasaniyan King of Persia. He displayed extra ordinary knowledge and wisdom. Mirza Husayn Ali choose to devote His energies to care for the poor.

In 1852, Baha’u’llah was falsely charged in the attempt of the life of the King of Iran. Thus arrested and sent to the subterranean dungeon prison known as the ‘Black Pit’. Within its walls prisoners languished in the cold, unhealthy air, chained together with unbearably heavy chains.

It is in this grim setting that He received His Revelation. After four months of intense sufferings, he was released and banished to Baghdad. He became the new leader of the community but intense jealousy by his younger half brother, Mirza Yahya made the unity of the community to be questioned.

As such He retired to the Mountains of Kurdistan for two years. During this time He composed 3 of His most important books that is The Hidden Words, The Seven Valley and the Book of Certitude (Kitab – I – Iqan).

At the end of April, 1863 just before His second banishment that is before leaving Baghdad to Istanbul, they resided near the banks of River Tigris for 12 days, where he declared Himself to be The One heralded by the Bab. Thus giving birth to a new revelation to this world.