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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 (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. […]
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 […]
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 […]
January 13, 2024, is Roj Hormuzd of Mah Sheherevar, as per the Shehenshahi calendar. Shehrevar (Avestan Khshathra Vairya) is the sixth month of the Zoroastrian calendar and represents Ahura Mazda’s strength, power and ‘desirable dominion’. Shehrevar uses these qualities righteously to usher peace and Ahura Mazda’s ‘desirable dominion’ in this world. To invoke Shehrevar is to aspire for qualities of good […]
Recently a young reader of Parsi Times asked me some interesting questions: “How come we observe a Hindu ‘Ram’ Roj in our Zoroastrian calendar? Why don’t we name our children as Ram? Why do we abstain from consuming gosh (meat) on Gosh Roj?” Mino Ram The twenty-first day in the Zoroastrian calendar is not dedicated […]
We stand ready to welcome the New Year 2024! But on what note shall be welcome it? Should we welcome it with a sense of entitlement to only get and to give back nothing? Should we usher 2024 with thoughts of entitlement or thoughts of gratitude? We clearly have a choice. However, will we exercise […]
We stand ready to welcome the New Year 2024! But on what note shall be welcome it? Should we welcome it with a sense of entitlement to only get and to give back nothing? Should we usher 2024 with thoughts of entitlement or thoughts of gratitude? We clearly have a choice. However, will we exercise […]