We have just celebrated the spring festival of Navruz and commenced Nature’s New Year as per the Fasal or Seasonal Calendar, on 21^st March. However, as per the Shahanshahi (Royal) calendar, today (22^nd March 2025) is Roj Ava of Mah Ava or the sacred Parab of the water Divinity which according to the Fasal calendar is a feast observed during autumn. Despite the mis-match in our three calendars and observation of our key festivals at three different times during the year, let us all – Fasli, Shahanshahi and Kadmi Zoroastrians celebrate unity in our diversity and draw out the best from each other’s festive traditions!

Seasonal Inaccuracy

According the Fasal calendar, Rapithwan Geh or the second watch of the day can be observed and prayed from Navruz or 21^st March. However, those following the Shahanshahi calendar will continue to observe the second Havan despite the day getting longer in the Northern hemisphere. This is because the Shahanshahi calendar does not incorporate any correction in the calendar with intercalation of a leap year every four years (as is done in the Fasal calendar) and nor does it intercalate one month every one hundred and twenty years as was the norm during the Sasanian era in Iran. As a result, the Shahanshahi calendar (including the Kadmi or Kadim calendar) is out of synchronisation with the seasons and length of the day and night.

Concept of Second Havan

In the Zoroastrianism, the day of twenty-four hours is divided into five watches called Gah. The first watch of the day, from sunrise to noon is the Havan Gah; the second, from noon to early evening, is Rapithwan Gah and so on. Rapithwan Gah is observed only from the first day of the New Year (Roj Hormuzd of Mah Fravardin) to the last day of the seventh month (i.e. up to Roj Aneran of Mah Meher). According to the Fasal calendar this makes sense considering the fact that days will now continue to grow longer till 21^st June in the Northern hemisphere.

From Roj Horuzd of Mah Avan to the day of the last Gatha, we observe the second Havan instead of Rapithwan. Incidentally, the month of Ava, as per Fasal calendar, is observed at the beginning of autumn and it makes sense to observe the second Havan from the first day of Ava in autumn and commence observing Rapithwan only from the first day of spring on 21^st March with the days growing longer in the Northern hemisphere.

We observe Rapithwan Gah for seven of twelve months of the Zoroastrian calendar and observing the second Havan gah is an old tradition from the time when we lived way up north and the days were shorter and hence, we prayed the ‘Second Havan’ or Havan gah extended right through Rapithwan. Traditionally, starting from the month of Fravardin we pray Rapithvin Gah till the month of Avan, which occurs in autumn and Rapithwin (the energy of warmth) symbolically goes underground to protect roots and life through the cold winter.

Homage to Ava

The holy month of Ava (Shahanshahi calendar) commenced on 13^th March, 2025, seeing devout Zoroastrians wending their way to river banks, seashores and wells to offer homage to Ava, the Divinity that presides over the waters.

‘Ava’ is derived from the word Aap or Aapo – the Divine Cosmic Force that purifies and sustains the entire universe. In the Avesta, this Divinity is called Ardvisura Anahita – the Pure and Immaculate. When invoking Ava, we attune our inner energies to aspire for Ava’s knowledge and wisdom. We aspire to be like Ardvisura Anahita or as pure and immaculate as we possibly can in thought, words and deeds.

Ava is the Guardian of Universal Knowledge and Wisdom of the ages. Knowledge is empowering and aids us in our battle against the allegorical demon of ignorance. Thus, Ava is invoked for knowledge and wisdom to battle life’s challenges. In the Gatha, Zarathushtra emphasizes that one must think before one believes. It’s knowledge that helps one think objectively and rationally, and wisdom that helps one sift fact from fiction and truth from lies.

What Should One Pray?

One of the best offerings a devotee can make to Ava is the Manthravani (divine chants from the Avesta) and a firm resolve to lead an immaculate life by practicing purity of thoughts, words and deeds. While chanting prayers is important, it’s equally important to comprehend the essence of what one is praying. In the Ava Yasht, we affirm that Ava grants victory only to those who are righteous and invoke Her Blessings for Righteous battles or causes.

The aim of all Zoroastrian hymns and litanies is to attune our finite inner energy with the infinite Divine Energy that sustains our Universe. We often recite the term ‘Yazmaide’, which means we praise the Divinity we pray to. Interpreted more deeply, it also means we attune ourselves (to Divinity) and seek to imbibe the qualities of the Divinity we invoke.

Praying the Ava Niyaesh and the Ava Yasht regularly bestows the devotee with wisdom and strength to face life’s challenges with a positive attitude. Various Kings of ancient Iran used to invoke Ava before going to battle. Praying the Ava Niyaesh or Ava Yasht during the holy month of Ava, is considered highly meritorious. To the righteous who pray with faith and sincerity, Ava grants wisdom, good health, strength, wealth and fertility. Ava, being the Divine Force of fertility, blesses women with offspring and eases their delivery, providing an abundance of milk to nurse them.

During the Holy month of Ava, devotees offer flowers (particularly fresh rose petals) and natural rock sugar (khari sakar) to natural bodies of water such as lakes, rivers, sea or a well. Rock sugar is offered as a sweet symbol of affection and devotion to water, which sustains all life on planet earth.

Significance of Dar-ni-Poli

A favourite Parsi tea-time snack, Dar-ni-Poli is gifted to family and friends as a symbolic gesture of spreading sweetness during the month of Ava. The brown colour and round shape of the dar-ni-poli is believed to represents planet earth with a crusty outer layer and a soft inner filling – just like earth’s composition, while reminding us, while it’s good to be outwardly strong, inwardly one should be soft and sweet – just like the average Parsi – crusty outside but a sweet softie on the inside!

After offering the Ava Niyaesh or Ava Yasht to the waters, the Dar-ni-poli is not to be thrown into the sea, river or well. Perhaps just a very tiny piece could be offered to the waters or better still, left at the sea shore, river bank or edge of the well for birds. The rest may be consumed as Chashni (blessed food) after the prayers are offered. Dal-ni-poli is figuratively offered to the Water Divinity to express gratitude. There is life on earth, thanks to water. In a sense, planet earth itself is allegorically offered (in the form of a sweet bread) to the waters!