– How Iranian Zoroastrians Kept The Faith Alive – By Firuzeh Irani Long before Parsis built a thriving community in India, the story of Zoroastrian survival was being written in the rugged mountains, hidden villages and quiet homes of Iran. For centuries after the Arab conquest of Persia, in the seventh century, Zoroastrians faced pressure, […]
The Spring equinox this year falls on 20th March, at 8:16 pm IST, marking equal day and night, which occurs when the sun is directly over the equator. We observe this celestial event as Jamshedi Navroz. This year’s Spring Festival of Navroz coincides with the Year of the Horse, symbolizing vitality, speed and dynamic progress, encouraging […]
Adarbad, the son of Mahrespand, was the Mobedan Mobed (Supreme Pontiff) and Prime Minister during the 70-year-long reign (309-379 A.D.) of Shapur Hormazd or Shapur II. According to the Pahlavi Dinkard, from his father’s side Adarbad Mahrespand belonged to the family of Zarathushtra and from his mother’s side, to the family of Shah Vishtasp of […]
A Parsi Times reader asked who Dastur Dinyar (also known as Salman-e-Fars) was and whether he was a close companion of Hazrat Mohamed, the Prophet of Islam? The reader has also asked whether the Prophet of Islam had issued various Firman (edict) called Ahadnameh decreeing that Zoroastrians should not be harmed? While it seems that […]
Last week we featured Shahpur, son of Ardashir, and his new statue installed in Tehran. This week, we explore Ardashir himself – Founder of the Sasanian dynasty, who established Zoroastrianism as Iran’s State Religion in the third century. In the third century AD, Iran experienced a significant revival and consolidation of the Zoroastrian faith. During […]
Parsis in India observe ‘Homaji ni Baaj’ every year on Roj Govad of Mah Dae. However, few have heard about Cama Homa who, long before Homaji, also sacrificed his life and was hailed by the community, especially in Bharuch, as a martyred religious hero. While Homaji (Behdin Homa Behdin Jamshed) was falsely accused and hanged in Mumbai […]
Dr. Rashna Writer, scholar and author of ‘The Story of the Zoroastrians: An Historical Perspective’, has made her acclaimed work freely accessible as an audiobook and a printable PDF on her website: www.rashnawriter.com. In her preface, Dr. Rashna Writer shares how her childhood curiosity about her small Parsi community in Calcutta shaped her journey from […]
– Jamshed Kekobad Irani – History often tells the tale of how Zoroastrians fled Persia and sought sanctuary in India. The sugar-in-milk legend, Sanjan’s arrival and our rise in colonial Bombay form the spine of our community’s narrative. But there’s another chapter, rarely remembered, yet deeply inspiring… the story of a reverse migration. A time […]
Long before Parsis landed on Indian shores with the promise to sweeten the milk of Gujarat, Zoroastrianism was the lifeblood of one of the world’s greatest empires. In ancient Persia, the religion wasn’t confined to temples and rituals. It walked the corridors of power, whispered into the ears of kings, and shaped the very fabric […]
The Framji Dadabhoy Alpaiwalla Museum, Mumbai’s only institution dedicated to Parsi-Zoroastrian history, reopened its doors on 27th March, 2025, following an extensive restoration and modernization effort. The grand reopening, held at the museum’s historic location in Khareghat Colony, was a momentous occasion attended by prominent figures from the Zoroastrian community, marking a new chapter for […]