As the sacred days of Muktad approach, culminating in Navroze on 15th August, few embody the spirit of this deeply spiritual observance like Ervad Zarrir Bhandara. With over five decades of dedicated service, his journey reflects not just personal devotion but a powerful preservation of Zoroastrian ritual and legacy. In this heartfelt conversation with Parsi Times, Er. Zarrir recounts the early mornings, intense prayers, and cherished memories that shaped his spiritual path – from Mumbai’s Agiaries to California’s Atashkadeh – offering rare insights into the soul of Muktad and the enduring echoes of ancestral remembrance.

Parsi Times (PT): Er. Zarrir, as we approach the holy days of Muktad, beginning on 5^th August, with the Gatha days starting on 10^th and Navroze on 15^th August 15th, it’s a time of profound reflection. You’ve dedicated over five decades to these sacred observances. Can you take us back to your earliest memories of Muktad?

Er. Zarrir: It takes me back to a different lifetime! My journey began in 1973, when I performed my first Muktad prayers, though the training started even earlier at the MF Cama Athornan Madressa. I remember being just nine, walking hand-in-hand with my father at 4:00 am, through the dark streets of Mumbai, to catch a bus to the Agiary. It was an intensive training ground, serving the community every weekend, with my mother picking me up around 11 AM.

PT: That sounds incredibly demanding for a young boy! What was the atmosphere like during those initial Muktad days?

Er. Zarrir: For my first three years, I performed Muktad at the Rustom Framna Agiyary in Dadar Parsi Colony. The Muktad there spanned 18 days, and I would literally live at the Agiyary for the entire period. The fragranceof pure sukhad and loban always filled the air, mingling with the delicious aroma of fresh breakfast – Bhakhra, Dar-ni-Pori, Chapti, Malido! Of the 50 mobeds beginning the day at 5:30 am, I was the youngest and the favourite! Prayers typically ended around 1:30 pm with only two brief 15-minute breaks for meals.

PT: Your commitment clearly deepened over the years. Where did your journey take you next?

Er. Zarrir: In 1976, at age thirteen, I began praying at the Anjuman Atashbehram on weekends and holidays, guided by the late Dasturji Dr. Kaikhuhroo JamaspaAsa and Panthakis Cawasji and Soli Masani. That period shaped me deeply. My learning soared, and I formed lifelong bonds with fellow Ervads like Burjor Tarachand, Darayas and Homiyar Karkaria, Jasi Bagli, Khushroo Daruwalla, Yezdi Nagporewalla, Freddy Dastur, Adil Masani and others. Our day began at 5:30 AM, ending around 11:30. During Muktad, Adil and I would down three jugs of fresh juice before prayers. Breaks meant steaming ‘market’ chai with Soli and the gang. Despite the rigorous schedule, there was always room for laughter.

I eventually became assistant Panthaky, managing over 75 Muktad tables – our largest clientele. I’d assist Soli from morning till night, sleeping in the very hall where prayers were held. Even after Gatha night prayers ended at 3:00 am, Adil and I would walk to Nariman Point and back before New Year prayers began. What mattered most to me was performing rituals with heart. I prayed loud and slow, letting the vibrations carry. It was an honour to serve alongside revered priests like Ervad Kersasp Kotwal, Burjor Bode, and the deeply humble Ervad Darabji Masani. He was a man of few words, but had immense respect for everyone, from a child to a high priest.

PT: That’s an extraordinary testament to your commitment. You even served at Doongerwadi. What was that experience like?

Er. Zarrir: From 1977 to 1992, I prayed at Doongerwadi (Tower of Silence). I was still a teenager when I joined. It was profoundly challenging; sometimes I’d pray next to a corpse all night, my longest stretch being 13.5 hours. While others my age were enjoying adolescence, I was striving to master my prayers and rituals. Priests from all over Bombay gathered there, truly the ‘cream of the crop’. It was there that I received the highest compliments of my career, from elderly, experienced priests, some practicing for 50-60 years. They’d say, “We have never seen, and we will never see a mobed praying like you.” Those words deeply humbled me.

PT: Beyond your priestly duties, what other passions did you pursue and how did you advance your religious education?

Er. Zarrir: Alongside my academic studies and priestly work, my second passion was Karate. I earned my Black Belt in 1983 under the world-renowned Hanshi Vispy Kapadia and became an assistant instructor for the Maharashtra State Police, teaching at about 50 schools across Mumbai. Simultaneously, I began teaching Navjote prayers to young children. In the late eighties, I enrolled in AET, an Advanced Priestly Training post-graduation course, chaired by Dasturji Dr. Firoze M. Kotwal. We had incredible teachers, including Khojeste Mistree on world religions, Dr. Huzan Kharas/Davar on social work, and Dr. Farokh Buchia on psychology/counseling. A very impactful experience was volunteering at Asha Daan, Mother Teresa’s home. Upon completing the course, I received the best student award, presented by the then Vice-Chancellor of Bombay University, Mehroo Bengali.

PT: After achieving so much, what led you to California, and how did your Muktad tradition continue there?

Er. Zarrir: Despite my accomplishments, I felt a longing for more. I was keen to uphold stricter ritual purity and avoid shortcuts in prayers, concerns that, if implemented, might have displaced many priests in Mumbai. So, this desire remained until I came to California, USA. From 1992 to 2016, my family and I performed the Muktad ceremony for the Southern California community in our own home for twenty-five consecutive years, entirely on an honorary basis. Our small home would be packed with community members bringing Muktad vases, fragrant flowers, Sukhad, Loban, delicious fruits, and Parsi vegetarian food. One year, we even had the privilege of a visit from the high priest, the late Dasturji Kaikhushroo Meherjirana.

PT: That’s a remarkable act of dedication to your community. We are told a unique family member joined you in this sacred practice?

Er. Zarrir: Indeed! In 2008, a very special addition arrived when my wife, Tinaaz, spotted a lost, stray white dog. My daughter, Danish, brought him home, and we adopted him. Coincidentally, this was the day before Muktad began, on Ashishwangh Roj, Asfandarmad Mah. So, we named him Ashish. He’s incredibly calm, sweet and quiet. He even sits with us during many ceremonies, including Muktads, remaining still and never touching the chasni. Thanks to Ashish, we’ve been able to maintain the Sagdid ritual here in California, showing the deceased’s body to a dog during Geh Sarna ceremonies. His physical journey ended at the age of 21 in 2024.

PT: It’s wonderful to see the tradition carried forward not just by you, but by your son as well.

Er. Zarrir: Absolutely! In 2016, ZAC completed building our Atashkadeh/Agiyary, and we held our first Muktad there in 2017. This year, by the grace of God and the blessings of our Hama Ashofarohars, it will be my 53^rd year performing Muktad prayers, alongside my son, Ervad Zerkxis Bhandara. Zerkxis began assisting me in 2007, making this his 19^th Muktad. As a father and a Zoroastrian priest, it fills me with immense pride and joy to perform these ceremonies with him. Given the scarcity of regularly practicing priests here, his presence is invaluable. Zerkxis is also an aspiring religious academic, currently a PhD student with a BA and Master’s degrees in Religious Studies. I am further blessed that he shares my passion for meticulously adhering to our ritual customs, ensuring our traditions, including Muktad, are accurately carried forward for generations to come.

We thank Er. Zarrir for sharing these captivating insights and for his extraordinary dedication to our faith and community. Through his unwavering commitment to prayer, community, and ritual purity, Er. Zarrir Bhandara has become a bridge between generations, honouring the past, inspiring the present and nurturing the future. As he now performs Muktad alongside his son, Er. Zerkxis Bhandara, this legacy continues to flourish. Their journey is a powerful reminder that when rituals are performed with heart, their echoes carry across continents… and time.