Observing The Five Gehs

Query From Parsi Times reader, Adi Zaveri: After change of each of the five Gehs, for how many minutes should one wait before commencing prayers for the next Geh?

 

 

Noshir Dadrawala responds:

When praying during the day-time, one may allow about ten minutes to elapse after the change of Geh. However, it is more important to understand the Zoroastrian concept of Geh and its relevance, to not just time but the time in specific geographical locales.

What is Gah or Geh?

Gah or Geh is a Pahlavi term which denotes ‘a time period’ as also ‘a place’. For example: Havan Gah refers to the first watch or time period of the day while Atash Gah refers place of fire.

Each day of twenty-four hours is divided into five Gah or Geh and each Geh spans over a period of four to five hours. Ushahin Geh and Havan Geh are longer since most rituals and ceremonies are performed during this period.

In fact, during shorter days of winter in Northern Iran, Havan Geh was extended by not observing the Rapithwin Geh, to give priests more time to complete their religious ceremonies. This custom is still observed by the community by observing Rapithwin Geh as the Second Havan Geh, from Hormuzd Roj of Avan Mah to Vahishtoisht Gatha.

The Five Geh:

Interestingly, Asho Zarathushta in Gatha Ushtavaiti, (Yasna 44.5) refers to only three Geh: Usha (early pre-dawn morning to noon), Arempithwa (noon to sunset) and Khshapa (from sunset to early pre-dawn morning). Therefore, it seems likely that the concept of the five Geh was developed later and not before or during Zarathushtra’s time.

The first Geh is ‘Havan’, which in Avesta means time of ritually pounding Haoma (the sacred plant). The second Geh is ‘Rapithwin’, which means half part of the day. The third Geh is ‘Uziran’, which means high part of the day. The fourth Geh is ‘Aiwsruthrem’, which means time for singing (devotional prayers and songs) and finally the fifth Geh is ‘Ushahin’, which means time for enhancing consciousness.

Hoshbaam – Dawn (of Consciousness):

Seventy-two minutes before sunrise is a period known as Hosbaam and this is considered the most auspicious time for praying. The Hoshbaam period of seventy-two minutes is divided between Havan-ni-Hoshbaam, which is thirty-six minutes before sun-rise and Ushahin-ni-Hoshbaam, which is thirty-six minutes before the Havan-ni-Hoshbaam.

Bombay Time or IST?

For all religious ceremonies the priests in Mumbai and Gujarat observe Mumbai time which is the correct solar time in Western India. The time difference between Indian Standard Time (IST) and Bombay Time is thirty-eight minutes and fifty seconds. Today, India has a single time zone, five-and-a-half hours ahead of the Coordinated Universal Time also known as Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).

The Coordinated Universal Time in India is based on the 82.5 E longitude line that cuts the country in half. However, India is approximately one thousand eight hundred miles across, and hence the sun rises and sets in eastern India, almost two hours earlier than it does in western India.

Until the mid-nineteenth century, local timekeeping was tied to the rising and setting of the sun. Bombay used to observe ‘Bombay Time’.  However, with commencement of the railway and telegraph systems in India around the 1850s, it became necessary for colonial India to have a single uniform time. ‘Madras Time’ was chosen by default since the city of Madras (now Chennai) was roughly located (longitudinally) halfway between Calcutta (now Kolkata) and Bombay (now Mumbai).

The first attempt to impose a single time on Bombay in 1870 was unsuccessful, and a second attempt by the colonial government in 1881 also met with opposition. The city of Bombay resisted the change, with even the Bombay University and the Bombay High Court using Bombay Time, even though the railways and some government offices used Madras Time.

In 1884, at the International Meridian Conference, the system of time zones at one-hour intervals was discussed. Calcutta, which falls on the 90E meridian, would be ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) by six hours. Bombay, on 75E, by about five hours.

In 1947, when India became independent, a single time zone became a natural next step with Indian Standard Time, five and a half hours ahead of GMT. In the early 1950s, the Bombay Municipality finally and officially abandoned Bombay Time.

Parsis in Western India, however, to this date, continue to observe Bombay Time for all liturgical purposes as it is more accurate from a geographical point of view. Hence, when the priest says the Uthamna ceremony will be at 3:00 pm Bombay Time he means it will be at 3.38 pm IST.

Also, to reiterate, the time difference between Indian Standard Time (IST) and Bombay Time is thirty-eight minutes and fifty seconds. However, most of us practically round it off to forty minutes.

The Correct Time…

Assuming one is in Western India, Havan Geh should be observed from sun-rise (one can check the exact time of sunrise in most daily newspapers or a phone app) till mid-day or 12:00 noon (12:38 pm IST).

Rapithwan Geh should be observed from 12:00 noon (12:38 pm IST) till 3:00 pm (3:38 pm IST).

Uziran Geh should be observed from 3:00 pm (3:38 pm IST), to sunset (one can check the exact time of sun-set in most daily newspapers or a phone app).

Aiwisruthrem Geh should be observed from sunset to midnight or 12:38 am (IST). However, traditionally Aiwisruthrem Geh commences only after it becomes completely dark, and the stars can be seen in the night sky.

Ushahin Geh should be observed from 12:00 midnight (12:38 am IST) up to sun-rise.

Traditionally the laity is advised not to recite Avesta prayers after mid-night (except recite the Yatha, Ashem and Yenghe hatam prayers) since it is a time when the dark forces of evil attain optimal strength. However, the last seventy-two minutes of Ushahin Geh is the Hoshbam period, and it is recommended that the beautiful Hoshbam prayer is recited during this period.