Spring is already in the air and the festival of spring (Jamshedi Navroze) is once again here to remind us of warmth and change – warmth of heart and positive change in our lives. In the poem, ‘The Spring’, poet Thomas Carew contrasts the beauty and joy of spring with the pain of unreciprocated love. […]
Author: Noshir H. Dadrawala
Behram Yazata – Bestower of Success
Among Zoroastrians, Behram or Bahram Yazata is a favourite Divinity. The twentieth day (Roj) of every month (Mah) in the Zoroastrian calendar is dedicated to Bahram Yazata and this Roj is considered very special and auspicious. Many choose to begin a new task, implement a personal new resolution, or undertake a new project on this […]
Celebrating Womanhood – A Zoroastrian Perspective
International Women’s Day, celebrated annually on 8th March, offers an annual opportunity to reflect on progress made, to call for change, and to celebrate acts of courage and determination by ordinary women who have played an extraordinary role in the history of their countries and communities. As we celebrate International Women’s Day this year, the […]
Gahambar – A Time For Collecting… Blessings Or Popularity?
Gahambar (Pahlavi gāsānbār) literally means, ‘a time for collection’. Some scholars believe, that ‘collection’ refers to the community collecting and connecting in prayer, and giving (their contribution of grain or service in cooking or serving food or fire wood) and feasting together – rich and poor, all at the same table. Others feel it is […]
Ten Mares, A Stallion And Camel In The Gatha
The Gatha, consist of seventeen hymns composed by Asho Zarathushtra. Thsey are arranged into five groups based on their meter: Ahunavaiti Gatha (Yasna 28 to Yasna 34) Ushtavaiti Gatha (Yasna 43 to Yasna 46) Spentamainyush Gatha (Yasna 47 to Yasna 50) Vohukhshathra Gatha (Yasna 51) Vahishtoishti Gatha (Yasna 53). The Gatha speak of the twin […]
The Season And Reason To Love
This year, the pre-spring festival of Vasant Panchami coincides with Valentine’s Day on 14th February, 2024. Vasant (meaning spring) Panchami (meaning fifth or the festival falling on the fifth day of the Hindu month of Magha), is considered an auspicious day to begin any new venture. In like manner, Zoroastrians, especially in Iran celebrated Jashn-e-Sadeh on 30th January, 2024, fifty days […]
The Dilemma Of Good And Evil
Religions differ in what they teach about the origins of evil. Some believe evil forces have been present in the world from the beginning. Some believe evil is part of God’s creation and it may have a purpose that humans cannot understand. Some consider evil to be the outcome of ignorance and to have no […]
Similarities Between Consecrating A Hindu Temple And Zoroastrian Fire Temple
The consecration (Prana pratishtha) ceremony, conducted on 22nd January, 2024, of the Ram Lalla (infant form of Lord Ram) Murti (idol) in Ayodhya, received tremendous attention worldwide. This ceremony reminded many of us of how our sacred Agyari and Atash Bahram fire, and the building housing the sacred fire, are also consecrated – first physically […]
શેહરેવર: ન્યાયી શક્તિની ઉજવણી
શેહરેવર (અવેસ્તાન ક્ષત્ર વૈર્ય) એ ઝોરાસ્ટ્રિયન કેલેન્ડરનો છઠ્ઠો મહિનો છે અને તે અહુરા મઝદાની શક્તિ અને ન્યાયી શક્તિનું પ્રતિનિધિત્વ કરે છે જેનો ઉપયોગ શેહરેવર આ વિશ્વમાં શાંતિ લાવવા માટે કરે છે. શેહરેવરને બોલાવવા એ સારા નેતૃત્વના ગુણો અને પ્રામાણિકતા અને જવાબદારી સાથે ધાર્મિકતાનો ઉપયોગ કરવાની અભિલાષા છે. શેહરેવર ઉદ્યોગ અને સખત મહેનતના ગુણોને બનાવે છે. […]
The Nature of Divinity
Zoroastrians worship Ahura Mazda. But, what does the term ‘Ahura Mazda’ mean? Most scholars agree that Ahura Mazda is the Lord of Wisdom – a title or quality based on the interpretation of the Avesta term, ‘Ahu-Ra’, which means ‘existing one’ or simply ‘existence’ or (source of) ‘life.’ Since ‘Ahura’ is the very source of […]
મીનો રામ – આનંદ આપનાર
ઝોરાસ્ટ્રિયન કેલેન્ડરમાં એકવીસમો દિવસ મિનો રામ (અવેસ્તા રામન) – આનંદ આપનારને સમર્પિત છે. મીનો રામ એ સાર્વત્રિક મનની આનંદકારક સ્થિતિ છે જેને આપણે આપણા પોતાના મનમાં આનંદ લાવવા માટે બોલાવીએ છીએ. ઝોરાસ્ટ્રિયન પરંપરામાં, મીનો રામ આનંદ, શાંતિ અને ઘરેલું સંવાદિતાનું નેતૃત્વ કરે છે. તેથી જ લગ્ન પ્રસંગે વરાધ-પટ્ટર બાજ કરીને મીનો રામનું આહવાન કરવામાં આવે […]