ZOROASTRIANISM
Zoroastrianism, also known as Mazdayasna, is one of the world’s oldest continuously practiced organized religions. It originated in Persia around 6-7 BCE, founded by the prophet Zarathustra. As a monotheistic
faith, Zoroastrians believe in one eternal god, Ahura Mazda, the embodiment of justice and goodness. Opposing Ahura Mazda is Angra Mainyu, the spirit of evil and bad behavior. These two forces engage in an eternal struggle, with the belief that good will ultimately triumph over evil on the last day. In Zoroastrianism, fire and water are seen as symbols of purity.
Zoroastrians first arrived in India in 936 AD, fleeing Persia due to Islamic conquests. Known as Parsis, they are now one of India’s smallest (and rapidly declining) communities, primarily residing in Mumbai, Goa and Ahmedabad.
Zoroastrian places of worship are called fire temples, which feature an altar with a perpetually burning flame. These temples, known as Atash Bahram are rare, with only eight existing in India. Zoroastrians revere fire but also consider air, water and earth sacred. They believe that the corruption of death contaminates everything, so they leave the bodies of the deceased in the open to be consumed by vultures. These open-air burial sites, called ‘Dakhma’ or ‘Towers of Silence,’ are unique to Zoroastrianism. Once the vultures have stripped the bodies, the bones are collected and placed in ossuaries or lime pits.
The Zoroastrian sacred text, the Zend Avesta, is written in Old Avestan and contains 17 sacred hymns (gathas) and the Athuna Vairyo, a sacred chant attributed to Zarathustra. Translations and glossaries of these texts are collectively known as Zend. This collection is divided into five parts:
Yasna: Worship with ceremony and offerings
Vendidad: Laws against the demons or evil spirits
Yashts: to worship through praise
Khordeh Avesta: Book on common prayers
Gathas: These are part of yasna texts and are further divided into five parts called the Ahunavaiti, Ushtavaiti, Spenta-Mainyu, VohuKhshathra and Vahishto-Ishti.
The Parsis are divided into three primary sects:
Shahenshai - Calculate their calendar using Yazdegerd III, the last Sasanian ruler.
Kadmi - Claim to be the oldest and most accurate calendar.
Fasli - They observe the Persian calendar as it has been passed down through the generations.