Amandi (ࡌࡀࡍࡃࡉࡀmandia),mashkhanna[1] (ࡌࡀࡔࡊࡍࡀmaškna),[2] orbeth manda (beit manda,ࡁࡉࡕ ࡌࡀࡍࡃࡀbit manda, 'house of knowledge'; alsobimanda[3]), is aMandaean building that serves as acommunity center andplace of worship. A mandi is traditionally built on the banks of ayardna, or flowing river.
Although mandis are traditionally "cult-huts" made of straw, bamboo, and mud that are built by the river,[4] nowadays mandis can also be modern buildings that serve as community houses and localadministrative centers. A mandi typically holds weekly worship services,weddings, and many other important events and rituals.[2]
Unlike in Islam, Christianity, orYazidism, the mandi itself is not considered to be a shrine or pilgrimage site. This is because Mandaeism does not have shrines or holy sites tied to specific geographical locations, sinceany river with flowing water can be used for religious rituals.[5]
The Mandaic wordmandi (written Mandaic:mandiaࡌࡀࡍࡃࡉࡀ) is derived fromPahlavimʾnd (mānd) 'dwelling place'.[6]
A contemporary-style mandi is located inNasiriyah, Iraq.
The historical village of Liṭlaṭa inQal'at Saleh District, southern Iraq was also the site of aMandaean mandi that the British scholarE. S. Drower often visited.[7]
In Baghdad, the main mandi is called theSabian Mandi of Baghdad.[8] It is located on the western banks of theTigris River in the central Baghdad neighborhood ofAl-Qadisiyah.[9] In addition to Baghdad and Nasiriyah, mandis can also be found inAmarah,Kirkuk,Erbil, andDiwaniyah.[citation needed]
The main mandi of the Mandaean community in Iran is located inAhvaz. It is administered and maintained by theMandaean Council of Ahvaz.
On 15 September 2018, Beth Manda Yardna was consecrated inDalby,Skåne County, Sweden.[10][11] It contains an indoor baptismal pool, since Sweden's rivers cannot be used for baptismal rituals during the winter.
In Australia, theSabian Mandaean Association in Australia purchased land by the banks of theNepean River atWallacia, New South Wales in order to build a mandi called Mandi Wallacia.[12][13][14] The current mandi inLiverpool, Sydney isGanzibra Dakhil Mandi, named afterGanzibra Dakhil Edan.[15] Another mandi exists inPrestons, New South Wales, namedMandi Yehya Youhanna.[16]
There is a mandi inWarren, Michigan, United States that is run by the local Mandaean community.[17] In the United States, there are also mandis inSan Antonio, Texas,Amarillo, Texas, andWorcester, Massachusetts.
InNieuwegein,Utrecht,Netherlands, there is a mandi calledVereniging Mandi van de Mandeeërs Gemeenschap in Nederland (Mandi Association of the Mandaean Community in the Netherlands).[18]
Thebit manda is described asbiniana rba ḏ-šrara ("the Great building of Truth") andbit tušlima ("house of Perfection") inMandaean texts such as theQulasta,Ginza Rabba, and theMandaean Book of John. The only known literary parallels are inEssene texts fromQumran such as theCommunity Rule, which has similar phrases such as the "house of Perfection and Truth in Israel" (Community Rule 1QS VIII 9) and "house of Truth in Israel."[19]
