The Iranshah Udwada Utsav 2024, commencing 27^th December is a three-day fest aimed at promoting community bonding and a better understanding of our religion, history, culture and values, alongside showcasing and recognising talent. And all this is at Udwada, the spiritual hub of our community in India. The festival makes this otherwise quiet and sleepy town come alive with hundreds of devotees, who after paying homage to Iranshah, congregate to celebrate their cultural heritage with gusto.

Fortunately, the Zoroastrian religion is pro-life and about happiness and it only adds to the auspiciousness as the worldwide community comes together, in the true spirit of Parsipanu. While discipline and decorum is expected and maintained at the Pak Atash Bahram, community members unite in merriment with festivities held in the village, at a distance from the Holy Makaan. It is, after all, the Zoroastrian way of life to be positive, cheerful and treat each day of life as an ‘utsav’ to celebrate, with joyfulness and gratitude.

The IUU is an opportunity to appreciate, value and cherish all that binds us spiritually, historically and culturally as a community. It’s an opportunity to remind us about our deep spiritual roots, all the way from Iran (our spiritual motherland) to India (our current motherland), where our ancestors found sanctuary to preserve our unique ethnic identity and practise our religion in peace. It is also an opportunity to thank India for sheltering our ancestors in the wake of Arab persecution in Iran, after the fall of the Zoroastrian Sasanian empire in Iran.

The story of Iranshah is one of faith and fortitude, a saga of struggle and survival. But, above all else, it’s about duty and devotion amid trials, tears and tribulation that our sagacious ancestors went through. We respect with gratitude the sacrifices made by our ancestors and rejoice knowing that their sacrifices were not in vain and that today, we as community, continue to thrive and flourish, not only in India but across the world.

The Story Of Iranshah

According to Qissa-e Sanjan (written in 1599 A.C. – six centuries after Parsis came to India),, the first Fire of Victory (Atash Behram) on Indian soil was installed on day nine of the ninth month, Samvat 777 or 721 AC. The Atash Bahram was named Iranshah or ‘King of Iran’, probably because our ancestors were without a monarch after the fall of the Sasanian empire in Iran. Away from their original motherland in Iran, they came to recognize this fire of victory as their Spiritual Sovereign.

The Qissa-e Sanjan states that when oppression under Arab rule became intolerable in Iran, some of our ancestors left their homes in the Khorasan mountains and migrated to Hormazd (in Iran), living here for fifteen years. They then set sail for India, arriving at Div on the Saurashtra coast. Since Indo-Iranian trade had flourished since the time of Darius the Great (522 BC), our ancestors were probably familiar with this route.

While the stay at Div was peaceful, the harsh climate resulted in our ancestors setting sail southwards. It was the monsoon period, and their voyage met with a terrible thunderstorm. All on board began to pray – priests, laity, women, children and even non-Parsi helpers – chanting, “Parsi taro thabariyo” (Parsi your Yatha ahu vairyo) and made a vow that if they survived this ordeal, they would install an Atash Bahram (Fire of Victory). Their prayers were answered and our ancestors reached a port they later named ‘Sanjan’ after the ancient city of Sanjan located in the Greater Khorasan region of Central Asia.

Consecrating The Holy Fire

The Alat or ritual requisites for consecrating the Atash Behram were brought to India from Khorasan (Iran) by road (horseback and by foot), and thus Iranshah Atash Bahram, which was installed at Sanjan has a direct ritual connect with Khorasan’s Atash Bahram. How challenging this must have been to traverse through the rugged, cold and often treacherous mountain terrain over a thousand years ago!

Sixteen types of fires used in various professions (e.g. brick kiln, mint, distillery etc.) are required to consecrate an Atash Behram, including the fire of lightening (i.e. lightening naturally striking a tree which should have been witnessed by two Zoroastrians). In the case of Iranshah, it is said that the fire of lightening was invoked with the power of prayers. Various ceremonies are were over all sixteen fires, after which they were all ritually merged and ceremonially enthroned.

Sanjan Under Attack

After Iranshah was duly installed, Parsis lived peacefully in Sanjan for several centuries. However, when Sultan Mahmud (Mahmud Begdo) attacked Sanjan with an army of thirty thousand soldiers, led by General Alfkhan, the Governor of Sanjan asked Parsis to join his army in battle. One thousand four hundred Parsi men enlisted in the army, led by General Ardashir, fighting for three days. Though Ardashir emerged victorious in the first round, Alfkhan returned with a bigger army, killing Ardashir and several men. Sanjan fell into the hands of Alfkhan.

From Sanjan To Bahrot

Even as the battle was being fought, the Sanjana Priests, fearing desecration of the Holy Fire, carried Iranshah away to safety in a cave on Mount Bahrot, for twelve years. From Bahrot, Iranshah was moved to Ajmalgadh in Vansda for fourteen years. Parsis across Gujarat and Navsari in particular, would pay homage to Iranshah in Vansda. But Vansda being a forest posed hardships and danger for pilgrims. At the request of an influential Behdin, Changa Asa, the Atash Behram was brought to Navsari in 1419, and remained here for over three centuries. Due to growing threats from Pindaras (ruthless bandits), Iranshah was moved to Surat for two years and then back to Navsari.

Later, a major dispute arose between the Sanjana Priests and the Bhagaria priests of Navsari over Panthak or ritual rights. A Panth is an religious jurisdiction (followed to this date), within which a clan of priests is entitled to perform religious ceremonies. For eg., only a priest belonging to one of the nine families of Sanjana priests can offer the Boi ceremony at Iranshah.

Journey To Udwada

When this dispute escalated, the Sanjana priests shifted Iranshah to Bulsar/Valsad, for two years, but as Valsad was still within the jurisdiction of Bhagaria priests, Iranshah was finally moved to Udwada. Some believed this was a temporary stop as the Sanjana priests wished to take Iranshah back to Sanjan where it was originally consecrated. However, the pak Iranshah has been enthroned in Udwada since. Thus, the Holiest of Holy Iranshah was consecrated on Indian soil, at Sanjan, over a thousand years ago or ever twelve hundred, as per the Qissa-e-Sanjan.

Iranshah is not only the first and oldest consecrated Atash Behram in India but, also a spiritual link with Iran – our spiritual motherland. Historically, Iranshah has been housed in mountain caves, forests and humble abodes of pious priests. It has been moved on a number of occasions to several territories all over South Gujarat and blessed thousands of devotees over a millennium.

The Iranshah Udwada Utsav is not only a tribute to this Spiritual Monarch of the community, but also to India and to our ancestors, thanks to whom our community continues to thrive In India and the world over.