A Parsi Times reader recently inquired if there was spiritual merit in paying homage at all the eight Atash Bahram in India in one day? In our opinion, faith and belief are deeply personal and arise from one’s own experience and spiritual inclination. What gives one person spiritual joy or meaning may not necessarily resonate with another. Spirituality is a journey and faith does not demand that everyone’s belief should be alike. Each person has his or her freedom to seek, question, discover and find his or her own truth.

In Zoroastrianism, offering homage at consecrated an Atash Behram is considered spiritually meritorious. Fire is a manifestation of Ardibehesht (Avesta Asha Vahishta or the Highest Truth) and an Atash Bahram grade fire bestows victory to those seeking to dispel the darkness of ignorance or other deficiencies.

No Scriptural Mandate

While visiting all eight Atash Bahram in one journey can be a meaningful act of devotion, there’s no scriptural testimony that visiting all Atash Bahram in one day earns any specific or greater spiritual merit. The merit lies not in completing a geographical checklist from Mumbai to Surat via Udwada and Navsari. What matters is quality of time spent praying or simply meditating at these great centres of spiritual energy.

‘One-day pilgrimage’ enthusiasts need to understand that visiting Atash Behram is an act of reverence, offering prayers and spiritual communion. It’s not a race. The value of any pilgrimage lies in the quality of one’s devotion rather than the number of Holy Fires visited or the speed at which they are visited. Standing before the Atash Padshah with humility, offering Atash Niyayesh and reflecting upon Asha can be deeply spiritual even if one visits just only one Atash Behram.

Posting on social media or telling family and friends about visiting all eight in one day, is shifting the emphasis from devotion with humility to accomplishment with a tinge of superiority! The eight Atash Bahram in India are not destination to be conquered with speed in one day and nor is the act of visiting all eight in one day a mark of achievement to wear as a spiritual badge. The journey should be spiritual, not competitive.

One should remember that when our ancestors came to India from Iran there was not a single Atash Bahram for many years. Even after Iranshah was consecrated, the second Atash Bahram in Navsari was not consecrated until 1765. The Dadiseth Atash Bahram was consecrated in the year 1783 and the eighth and final Atash Bahram was consecrated in Mumbai only in 1897.

Thus, seven of the eight existing Atash Bahram in India date from 1765 onward. For decades, even after the eight Atash Bahram was consecrated in 1897, the means of travel were limited and our ancestors never thought of visiting all eight in one day!

In a one-day pilgrimage of all eight Atash Bahram, ritual purity is usually compromised. A meaningful pilgrimage is not about hastily hopping from one Atash Bahram to another. It’s about experiencing mental tranquillity and maintaining ritual purity. Ritual purity is more than following external rules. It is a conscious discipline that acknowledges the sacredness of creation, preserves harmony with Asha and prepares one for prayer and communion with the Divine.

Across many religions, bathing before entering a place of worship symbolises cleansing the body, mind and spirit, while expressing reverence for the sacred space. Zoroastrianism similarly places great emphasis on purity, reflecting the belief that cleanliness is Godliness. An unclean body or polluted environment represents movement away from Godliness. Washing, therefore, becomes an act of purification, restoring Asha and preparing the devotee for worship.

Before commencing formal prayers or entering the room where the sacred fire is enthroned, the devotee is required to wash with clean well water the exposed parts of his body (hands and face) and ritually untie and retie the sacred kusti. This is an act of cleansing one’s aura or one’s personal atmosphere before entering the sanctified atmosphere surrounding the consecrated fire.

Dress Code

It’s important to wear clean, comfortable and decent clothes. One must remember that one is going to a place of worship for an uplifting spiritual experience and not to a party or to a fashion show. Appropriate attire when visiting an Atash Behram or Agiary is essentially a matter of respect and religious decorum. Consider this: if invited to meet an important dignitary, would we arrive dressed casually or in shorts? Certain clubs and institutions also prescribe appropriate attire. When we reverentially address the consecrated fire as Atash Padshah, meaning Monarch, surely our appearance before the sacred fire should reflect similar respect.

Covering the head is equally important. In Zoroastrian tradition, hair is regarded as naso, or dead matter, which is why the head should remain properly covered during prayers and religious ceremonies. There is also a practical parallel: chefs, surgeons and medical staff cover their heads for hygiene. More importantly, covering one’s head has traditionally signified respect before elders and the Holy Fire. Ancient Achaemenian, Parthian and Sasanian representations rarely depict kings, priests or ordinary people bareheaded. Parsis carried this custom from Iran to India – rarely would you see an old portrait of a bareheaded Parsi lady or gentleman.

Footwear should similarly be removed before stepping onto carpeted areas within the fire temple. This helps prevent dirt carried on shoe soles from entering a ritually sanctified space. Wearing socks is encouraged rather than walking barefoot on uncarpeted surfaces. Ultimately, these practices are not about inconvenience or rigid formality. They reflect a simple principle: when entering sacred space, cleanliness, dignity and respect should accompany our prayers.

Offering to the Fire

Offering fragrant sandalwood to the Holy Fire carries a beautiful spiritual symbolism. As sandalwood releases its fragrance into the surroundings, devotees can visualise their offering as a gift to the Divine. It reminds us that throughout life, we too should spread the fragrance of good thoughts, good words and good deeds. Applying the holy ash to the forehead creates a ritual connection with the fire while reminding us of life’s ultimate reality: eventually, all return to ash.

While sandalwood offers fragrance, it is Baawal Kaathi, logs from the Babool tree, that helps sustain the fire. Offering Kaathi along with sandalwood, or contributing to the Kaathi fund, is therefore considered meritorious. Devotees also traditionally light oil lamps at an Atash Behram or Agiary, ideally during the evening and near the Holy Well. This practice dates back to a time before electricity, when oil lamps illuminated fire temples and helped priests and devotees move around safely after dark. Even today, there is no electricity within the building where sacred Iranshah is enthroned. Priests and devotees navigate the main hall by the gentle glow of oil lamps burning in ancient glass chandeliers. Their flickering flames lend a serene and timeless atmosphere to this sacred place of worship.

There is a special charm in sitting quietly at a place of worship, illuminated by natural sunlight during the day and by the Holy Fire and flickering oil lamps at night. The fragrance of burning sandalwood further elevates the spirit. Devotees should pray softly without disturbing others, pay respects at the sanctum threshold and make way for those waiting. Prayer books borrowed from shelves should always be respectfully returned to their proper place after use. Ensure that you do not carry mobile phones inside and if you do, ensure they are silenced or switched off. The focus should be on the Divine and not phone calls or messages beeping on the phone.