Zoroastrianism began in the ancient Iranian world and has continued through communities in Iran, South Asia and the wider diaspora. The Parsis are a historic South Asian Zoroastrian community with roots in Iran. Their story is one part of the religion’s wider history. A migration poem, the history of a sacred fire and a shared religious centre in North America show three ways communities have carried their tradition into new settings. Qissa-i Sanjan, English translation · Encyclopaedia Iranica, Zoroastrian history · FEZANA directory of North American associations and Dar-e Mehrs
Sanjan and the Parsi account of migration
The Qissa-i Sanjan, or Story of Sanjan, is a Persian poem completed in 1599. It tells of Zoroastrians leaving Iran and eventually reaching Gujarat. The poem describes a priest explaining the faith to a local ruler, who grants the newcomers a place to live subject to conditions. It also tells how the community established a sacred fire. The account was written centuries after the events it describes. It tells us how Parsis remembered and explained their settlement, while the date and details of the early migration remain subjects of historical inquiry. Qissa-i Sanjan, English translation · Martina Palladino, study of Parsi textual history · Encyclopaedia Iranica, Zoroastrian history
A sacred fire with a history of movement
Atash Bahram names the highest grade of consecrated Zoroastrian fire and can also refer to the temple that houses it. The history of the Parsi fire now known as Iranshah involves several places in Gujarat. It is associated with Sanjan in the community’s tradition, was kept for a period at Navsari and was taken to Udvada in the eighteenth century. Its history shows how a ritual institution can retain continuity even as its custodians move. The history of this particular fire is also distinct from that of other Atash Bahram fires established in cities such as Bombay, now Mumbai. Qissa-i Sanjan, English translation · Encyclopaedia Iranica, Zoroastrian history
Initiation in Parsi and Iranian traditions
The initiation ceremony is commonly called navjote among Parsis and sedreh pushi among Iranian Zoroastrians. During it the initiate receives a sacred shirt, the sudreh or sedreh, and a cord, the kushti or koshti, worn around the waist. In his 1922 account of Parsi ceremonies, J. J. Modi distinguishes this initiation from later rites of priesthood. The clothing brings an act of communal recognition into everyday life as a reminder of religious commitment. J. J. Modi, Religious Ceremonies and Customs of the Parsees · FEZANA, Zoroastrian Religion and Tradition
Building institutions in the diaspora
In North America, Zoroastrian associations support religious and communal life. The Federation of Zoroastrian Associations of North America lists the Arbab Rustam Guiv Dar-e Mehr in Suffern, New York, as a centre associated with both the Zoroastrian Association of Greater New York and the Iranian Zoroastrian Association. This is one example of organizations sharing a place for community life. It shows how people with different migration histories can maintain institutions together. FEZANA directory of North American associations and Dar-e Mehrs
Conclusion
The history of Zoroastrian communities includes movement from Iran to South Asia and the formation of institutions farther afield. The story of Sanjan preserves a memory of settlement. The sacred fire at Udvada, the garments given at initiation and the centre in Suffern illustrate different ways communities transmit religious practice across generations. Zarathustra, the Gathas and the Yasna
Published by Ralf. About our editorial process.
