BATTAMBANG, Cambodia — Following the design unveiling in mid-July of last year and the groundbreaking in November, work on the local Baha'i House of Worship in Battambang, Cambodia, has reached a new milestone. A major phase of the earthworks has recently been completed, captured in new aerial video footage.

To prepare the two hectare area, 23,000m3 of earth were excavated, moved, and compacted to accommodate the platform where the central edifice of the House of Worship will be raised. This land will also include modest auxiliary structures and pools surrounding the temple, which will be maintained in a similar manner to natural ponds found in neighboring villages.

Work on the foundation to support the House of Worship is scheduled to commence in the coming weeks, and construction of the central edifice is forecasted to begin in June 2016.

The House of Worship in Battambang, which will give expression to the vibrant collective life there—centered on worship of God and service to humanity—has come to reflect the dynamic spirit of the community and is already galvanizing its inhabitants.

Continued progress on the project is being carefully documented through a variety of approaches, such as aerial and time lapse photography, with the hope that the community will have a visual story depicting the emergence of the first local House of Worship in the country.

The Battambang House of Worship is one of two local Baha'i Houses of Worship whose designs have been unveiled. Five local Baha'i Houses of Worship are due to be built in the coming years.