Audentes Fortuna iuvat (Latin for ‘fortune favours the brave’) aptly sums up the collective sentiment of fifty-one fellow Zoroastrians, who travelled on the wings of faith and determination, with SVG (Social Voluntary Group), to Iran, from 10^th to 24^th May, 2024. All fifty-one of us had a hearty laugh about the misplaced fears and apprehensions some prophets of doom had about travel to Iran. In truth, Iran felt safer and more peaceful than any other country. To us, Iran felt magical, mystical, majestic and magnificent. The people of Iran are most friendly, fun-loving, warm and courteous. The roads are well maintained. The streets are clean and the food is simply delicious.

Immigration at Tehran airport was smooth and seamless – no visa was required and the passport was simply seen and not stamped on entry or exit. This puts an end to the unnecessary fears some have regarding future travels to other western countries with an Iranian visa or immigration stamp. Iran now welcomes Indians tourists for up to two weeks without visa.

Overcoming Challenges

It is believed that there’s often a divine purpose in the adversities we encounter. They prepare, they purge, they purify, and thus, they bless. While we were at the Caspian Sea, there was heavy rain in the mountains leading to landslides and roadblocks. Thus, instead of the usual Chalus-Karaj route, we went via Rasht, which was a longer but equally beautiful route. Happily, everyone took this unforeseen change in their stride and enjoyed singing, dancing and joking along the way.

Also, during our Iran stay, the President of Iran, Ebrahim Raisi met with a fatal helicopter accident. However, this unfortunate accident did not impact our travel or our scheduled itinerary. Iran handled the tragedy maturely. More importantly, while mid-way into our tour, we were informed that Iran Air had cancelled its flight to India on 24^th May because airplanes were required for Haj pilgrims going to Saudi Arabia.

However, here too SVG managed the crisis with a cool and calm head, and ensured that all fifty-one Zoroastrians could leave Tehran by 24^th evening on a different airline via Delhi to Mumbai and Pune, at no additional cost to the pilgrims, as promised by SVG.

As a not-for-profit initiative, SVG’s vision since inception has been to, “Enable maximum number of Parsi and Irani Zoroastrians to visit Iran on an affordable budget, without compromising on comfort or lavish hospitality, in terms of travel, food or hotels.”

The Capital City Of Iran – Tehran

Having arrived the evening before and adequately rested, the first day in Tehran was spent visiting two palaces and the museum which houses stunning exhibits of the Achaemenian and Sasanian era. The stone bas relief of Darius the Great, seated on his simple throne, and his son and successor – Xerxes the Great, standing behind him, left one spell-bound. The same evening, pilgrims could pray before the Fire at the local Dar-e-Meher. Incidentally, it was the last day of the holy month of Adar and it felt good praying the Atash Niyaesh before the holy fire in the land of our ancestors. The final destination of the day was the Shrine of Behram Yazata, followed by dinner in the open courtyard of the shrine.

Damavand And Caspian

12^th May – Roj Hormuzd, Mah Dae – had the group blessed to witness a Jashan performed in the open, at one of the foothills of Mount Damavand. The Jashan was performed by Er. Homyar Nasirabadwala, who was himself moved to tears by the divine experience. At times, it got so windy, some of us stood close together to create a human wall. Damavand is considered holy by Zoroastrians and the mountain exudes an energy that cannot be described in words – it can only be experienced. It moved many to tears of joy and ecstasy.

After lunch, we made our way to the Caspian Sea, one of the largest landlocked seas. Many woke up early next morning simply to take a stroll on the beach or to pray the Ava Niyaesh. Later, we enjoyed a cable-car ride up into the misty, thick-forested mountain and enjoyed tea and coffee with Bhakhra, that we had specially carried from Mumbai.

Kermanshah And Hamadan

On 14^th May, the group had its first taste of Zoroastrian history – Taq-e-Boustan (Garden of Arches), in Kermanshah. I explained to the group how Ardeshir Babagan established the Sasanian Empire and made Zoroastrianism the State Religion of Iran and how Shahpur the Great brought the might of the Roman Empire to its knees. The image of Khusrow Perviz, on his favourite horse – Shabdiz, was impressive. But what everyone was most excited see was the image of a man with a nimbus around his head and holding barsam rods. Scholars continue to argue whether it is an image of Ahura Mazda or Meher Yazata or Zarathushtra. I’m inclined to believe that it’s the image of Herbad Tansar, who was tasked by Ardeshir to recompile the scattered fragments of the Avesta, or perhaps even the pious priest – Arda Viraf.

The next historic site was Mount Behistun – where one can find the famous inscription of Darius the Great in three ancient languages. Reading about Darius’ achievements at Behistun always gives me goosebumps. In virtually every paragraph, Darius affirms that whatever he had achieved was by the Grace of Ahura Mazda and for this reason Ahura Mazda helped him: “because I was not a liar, nor wicked nor a tyrant, neither I nor my family.”

Next day, the group experienced nature’s beauty at the famous Ali Sard caves, near Hamadan. Excavations and archeological studies of the cave have led to the discovery of ancient artworks, jugs and pitchers, dating back twelve thousand years. Animals, hunting scenes and bows and arrows are depicted on the walls and passages of the exit section. These images suggest that the Mesolithic man used the cave as their abode. The cave was known during the reign of Darius I (521-485 BC), which can be verified by an old inscription at the entrance of the tunnel. However, the knowledge of the existence of the cave was lost and it was only accidentally rediscovered in 1963. It is estimated to be a 140-million-year-old water-cave, with colorful stalactite and stalagmite formations.

Shiraz – Historical And Cultural Capital

In the evening, we flew to Shiraz – the cultural capital of Iran. Next morning, the group was at Naqsh-e-Rustom – also known as Necropolis, because the Darius the Great and Xerxes the Great were laid to rest here. Below the Astodan of the Achaemenian era, lie etchings of the Sasanian era. The most famous etching is the depiction of Shahpur defeating Rome and capturing Marcus Julius Philippus (also known a Philip the Arab) and Valerian – a great moment of triumph for Iran, which had witnessed several ups and downs of history.

While addressing the group, I stressed on the resilience of the people of Iran. There was a time, five centuries before Christ, when the Empire of Darius the Great stretched from the river Indus to the river Danube. The Achaemenian Empire fell, not because of Alexander, but treachery within the empire. Darius III was not killed by Alexander. He was killed by a Satrap or Governor of the Empire. Yet, like a phoenix that rises from the Ashes, arose the Parthian and then the Sasanian Empire. The Last Sasanian king was betrayed, not by an Arab, but a Zoroastrian convert. The only lesson of history seems that we have learned nothing from history.

Post lunch, the group explored Persepolis – the spring capital of the ancient Persians. Even though in ruins, it continues to evoke awe and pride. Each column and doorway tell a story of imperial splendor. I always enjoy making the stones at Persepolis speak to the pilgrims through my heart and head. Just as we were getting done, it started to drizzle. It felt as if the heavens wanted to shower blessings on us all!

The next day, we paid homage at the Astodan of Cyrus the Great. He was an exceptional human – the first to dream of building a World Empire on the foundation of peace, progress and prosperity for all. He gave this world the first Bill of Human Rights and lived his own life with simplicity and high ethics.

Isfahan (Nisf-e-Jehan Or Half The World)

After lunch, we moved to the beautiful city of Isfahan. Some women in the group went out late at night and were amazed how safe and secure they felt. They enjoyed a walk across the river on the bridge of thirty-three arches. The next day, we prayed at the Dar-e-Meher and the evening was spent shopping at the Royal Square.

The Desert Province Of Yazd

From 19^th May, we commenced the spiritual leg of our journey, stopping first at Peer-e-Banu, where according to legend, one of the last Sasanian king’s daughters was taken into, what is known, as the holy living rock. The shrine exudes very powerful vibes and is a great place to simply sit and meditate. The evening was spent at Peer-e-Nauraki, in a remote desert region. Singing monajat (devotional songs) at this shrine was truly soul-lifting, followed by music and dancing.

The next day – Adar Roj saw the pilgrims pray at the Yazd Atash Bahram and also experience the beauty of the legendary ‘flying fires’, which as per their keepers, were originally found burning on tree-tops, and hence believed to have flown to their village. The energy exuded by some of these fires is impossible to describe – leaving many moist-eyed, with divine ecstasy.

21^st May, Ava Roj, and we were blessed to witness a Jashan at Peer-e-Sabz, the most beautiful Zoroastrian, mountain shrine. A mountain oasis, it is surrounded by a desert with no source of water for a radius of several miles. However, atop this mountain, one witnesses a miraculous source of water, which brings life to the mountain. The water is considered as holy and drinking it has a refreshing and healing effect. From here, we travelled to the Shrine of Hrist which rests on the crest of a ridge arising from the shingle of a plain, set in a ring of mountains. A Royal maid (Khanum Morvarid) serving the royal household, fleeing with a child of the royal family, is believed to have been taken in by the mountain here, along with the child from the royal family. Our final pilgrimage stop was the ancient village of Sharifabad, which in ancient times, was a major Zoroastrian stronghold, just like Navsari in India. An ancient fire glows here.

Next day, we flew from Yazd to Tehran, spending the last two days sightseeing and shopping. A major highlight was a buffet lunch at the revolving restaurant at Burj-e-Milad, the sixth tallest tower in the world – the view from the rooftop restaurant was splendid and the buffet was simply sumptuous.

Grateful Thanks

Team SVG (comprising Coover Mehta, Viraf Deboo, Keki Paghdiwala and Noshir Dadrawala) is grateful to Ahura Mazda and the Divine Forces that protected one and all throughout the tour. We are also grateful to Nariman Bomanjee and his team in Iran for handling all logistics and also to Bahram Pashutan Zadeh for his support. More importantly we thank all those who reposed faith in us and ignored the fear psychosis that some negative minded people tried to create. The bold enjoyed the beauty of Iran while the needlessly fearful one’s missed the opportunity of a life-time.

They say there are no coincidences in life. We had selected our date to departure and return randomly. Only later we realized that it would be Roj Hormuzd of Mah Dae when we would perform Jashan at Mount Damavand, or it would be Roj Adar when we would be paying homage to the spiritual fires in Yazd or it would be Roj Ava when we would be at Peer-e-Sabz and offer homage to the holy waters flowing from the mountain in the middle of a dry desert.

Truly, we all are on this planet earth for a divine purpose: to rise to the level of our highest creative possibility, expressing all that we are intellectually, emotionally, psychologically, and physically, in order to make the world around us a more beautiful place.

We feel grateful and blessed!

Feedback:

“This was our second visit to Iran with SVG, for my wife Dinaz and me… Despite initial fears and false rumors, our experienced leader – Cooversha was determined and firm to continue with the tour, firmly believing those who are blessed or chosen by Ahura Mazda will get the divine call to visit Iran… We were fortunate to have Noshir Dadrawala who shared in-depth knowledge about the history, culture and traditions of Iran and our Zoroastrian religion, at various sites, making it very interesting and informative.”

– Tehmasp Bharucha

 “The attention to detail, in terms of travel, comfort and quality, left me spellbound. We were treated to local cuisines, dining at local restaurants and community centres with fresh local produce. The Jashan at Damavand and Pir-e-Sabz, Persepolis in all its glory, Cyrus’ tomb and all the historical places, were brought to life by Noshir Dadrawala’s talk, making the trip a truly memorable one… A trip to Iran with SVG group is an experience of a lifetime and every Zoroastrian must visit Iran to know and feel proud of our culture.”

– Benaifer Bhesania

 “There could not possibly be a better managed Group Tour with such amazing care and concern towards all. It was spiritually uplifting and historically informative. The team work between Coover Mehta, Noshir Dadrawala, Viraf Deboo and Keki Paghdiwala was amazing. The explanations provided by Noshir brought the ruins to life – making us proud to be direct descendents of Darius the Great! I appreciate how smoothly our return tickets were taken care of (at no extra financial burden to us) as Iran Air cancelled our pre-booked tickets.”

– Manijeh Irani

 “To navigate natural disasters, political crises while keeping us entertained and focused is no mean feat. Thank you to the teams, both – in India and Iran!”

– Jeru Jeejeebhoy

 “I’ve traveled extensively all over the world, on tours and on my own, but never have I experienced this level of care, consideration and organization that SVG provided. From our travel kits, food, hotel stays, ground travel and much more, we were mollycoddled and spoiled! We had an exemplary tour guide – our dear “professor” Mr. Dadrawala, without whom the sites would’ve been one dimensional. He truly brought them to life. Iran is NOTHING like the mainstream media portrays. It is a vibrant, beautiful, clean country with warm, welcoming people and parks and gardens everywhere. I would go again in a heartbeat. We boarded the flight as strangers but returned as family.”

– Minaish B. Doctor