1. Ardeshir Bābekān also known as Ardeshir Pāpekān, was the founder of the Sasanian dynasty, the last of the Zoroastrian empire, by defeating the Parthian emperor Artabanus/Ardavan V. His life history is recorded in the Pahlavi book Karnamak-i-Artakhshir-i-Pāpakān “Book of Deeds of Artakhshir-i-Pāpakān.” His father Sasan, was in the service of Pāpak/ Bābak, the king of Pars, whose daughter he later married.
2. Ardeshir became an accomplished prince. When the Parthian Emperor Ardavan heard of him, he invited him to his court at Ray, assuring him royal treatment. During his stay at Ray, Ardeshir excelled in arts, sports and military skills.
3. Emperor Ardavan felt insecure at prince Ardeshir’s bravery and self-confidence. Making him guilty of a crime he did not commit, he placed him under house arrest. Ardeshir managed to escape, raise an army, attack and defeat Ardavan.
4. Ardeshir became the emperor in 226 AC. He was a staunch Zoroastrian. Dastur Tansar was his principle Advisor, with whose help he rejuvenated the Zoroastrian religion and started the process of gathering the scattered Avesta texts and translating them to Pahlavi. He also ordered several Ātash Bahrāms to be established at various places. During his reign, another pious priest Mobed Arda Viraf, journeyed to heaven and hell and returned back to relate his experiences. These are related in the book “Arda Wiraz Namag”.
5.  Ardeshir was a benevolent and wise king, a valiant warrior, a skillful organizer, and an efficient administrator. He was involved in long drawn wars with the Romans, especially the Roman Emperor Alexander Severus. Later Ardeshir conquered Mesopotamia, Kurdistan and Kerman. He passed away in 241 AC leaving his empire to his son Shapur I.

1. The Achaemenian dynasty had three kings by the name Darius. The most well known among them is Darius I or Darius the Great, who ruled from 521 to 486 B.C. After the accidental death of king Cambyses, there was no direct descendant of Cyrus. Rebellions spread throughout the Empire. An imposter seized power. At such a time, Darius, son of Hystaspes, a member of the royal family, quelled the rebellions and became the emperor.
2. Darius was a brave warrior, a benevolent monarch, and a wise and skilful administrator. He had capitals at Persepolis, Susa, Ecbatana and Babylon. He continuously fought against the Greeks. He won many battles but was badly defeated at Marathon in about 499 B.C. The modern Marathon race is named after this battle.
3. His Empire was divided into 30 administrative districts called Satrapies, each of which had three independent heads – the Satrap (Administrator), the Military Commandant, and the Treasurer. The Emperor maintained secret services called “the King’s Eyes and Ears.” Special tribunals paid surprise visits to the provinces. They had powers to investigate and prescribe remedy or punishments for any irregularities found.
4. He built roads and bridges and dug canals to connect his vast Empire. The famous Royal Road, about 2550 kilometres (1,500 miles) long, was built as the highway connecting Susa with Sardis, with rest houses on the way.
5. Darius was the first to introduce postal system in the world. Along important roads, postal stages were fixed at an interval of about 24 kilometres (14 miles). The post was carried by mounted couriers. New couriers were ready with fresh horses at every stage. A dispatch from Susa  reached Sardis in five or six days, covering a distance of about 2500 kilometres (1,500 miles). Describing this postal system, Herodotus had said: “Nothing mortal travels as fast as these Persian messengers.”
6. Darius commissioned the construction of a canal connecting the Red Sea with the Nile. Remains of the same along with inscriptions in four languages were discovered while excavating for the Suez Canal.
7. Darius the Great passed away at the age of 65 years in 486 B.C. His last remains are at Naksh-i-Rustam close to his palace at Persepolis. He left a number of inscriptions which shed light on ancient Persian history. The main one is at Behistun/Bisutun in Hamadan, which is the largest surviving historical document by any ancient Zoroastrian king. In one of the inscriptions the emperor proudly proclaims “I am Darius, the great king, the king of kings….. a Parsi, the son of a Parsi, an Aryan, of Aryan lineage.”
8. Darius introduced the use of a gold coin called Daric. It was a thick coin with a standard weight of 8.4 grams bearing the image of the king as a warrior with a bow and arrow in the hand. It continued to be used till the end of the Achaemenian dynasty in 330 BC. After that, most of these coins were melted and reconstructed as Greek coins.
9. The other two kings by the name Darius in the Achaemenian dynasty were Darius II (424-405 BC) and Darius III (336-331 BC). The latter was the last king of the Achaemenian empire. He was defeated at Gaugamela in the famous battle of Arabela by Alexander the Macedonian in 331 B.C. A year later Darius was killed by Bessus, the Satrap of Bactria, on the battlefield. Thereafter Alexander proclaimed himself the Emperor of Persia. The Greeks, under General Seleucus Nicator, ruled over Persia for the next 80 years.

1. In present Zoroastrian tradition, the word Gathas is used in two different but connected senses. The first is the name of a set of texts, and the other is the name of special days at the end of the Zoroastrian calendar year.
2. In the first sense, the Gathas are the sublime poetical compositions of prophet Zarathushtra in the oldest Avestan language. The word Gatha literally means “a song.” In the Gathas, we come across prophet Zarathushtra’s communications with Ahura Mazda, right from his quest for the Truth to his ultimate acceptance as the Prophet.
3. The 17 chapters of the Gathas are divided into five sections, totally comprising of 896 lines and about 5660 words, forming a part of the larger text of Yasna.
4. Each of the five Gathas are named after the first word of the first chapter of that group. The names of the five Gathas are: Ahunavad, Ushtavad, Spentomad, Vohu-khshathra and Vahishtoisht.
5. The Gathas are highly abstract, metaphysical and philosophical texts and hence very difficult to understand. Many translations of the Gathas are available, each differing somewhat from the other.
6. Several subjects are covered in the 17 chapters of the Gathas. As they are spread all over, no particular chapter covers any one topic in full. The subjects covered are about: Prophet Zarathushtra, Ahura Mazda, six attributes of Ahura Mazda (later known as Ameshaspands), two spirits, Immortality of the soul, Principle of Divine Justice, Maxims for Life, Manthra (prayers) and Rituals. Most of these topics are not dealt with in detail in Gathas. They are elaborated in later texts like the Vendidad. The Gathas also explain the essential Zoroastrian teachings, namely – Belief in One God, existence of the Spiritual world, existence of the two spirits or forces and belief in the immortality of the soul
7. The word Gatha is also used to denote the last five days of a Zoroastrian Calendar year, which form a part of the five Hamaspathmaedhem Gahambar days, and constitute the latter five days of the Muktad. These days were named after the 5 divisions of Gathas of prophet Zarathushtra, as these compositions were held in high esteem by Zoroastrians.

1. The Alburz/Alborz mountain range is situated in the Northern part of modern day Iran. It stretches from the borders of Azerbaijan and Armenia in the west, runs through the southern part of the Caspian Sea, and ends in the east at the borders of Turkmenistan and Afghanistan.
2. Alburz is the longest mountain range in West Asia. It is 60 to 130 kilometers wide and consists mainly of sedimentary rocks over a granite core. Its highest peak is Mount Demavand which is located in the city of Amol in the province of Mazandaran.
3. Alburz is referred to in cosmological, historical as well as religious Zoroastrian writings. In the Avesta, Alburz is referred to as Hara-bereza, and is remembered at several places, including Sarosh Yasht Vadi, where it is mentioned that Haoma worshipped Sarosh Yazad at the summit of Alburz. In  Pahlavi, Alburz mountains are known as Harburz.
4. In the Zamyad Yasht it is referred to as the first mountain to appear on the earth. Ahura Mazda created it for Meher Yazad, so that the heavenly bodies could go around it. At its peak there is no darkness, no night, no cold or hot wind, no pestilence nor diseases. No clouds can reach there. It helps the Ameshaspands to oversee the entire material world. The heavenly bodies stars, moon and the sun moves around its peak. According to Pahlavi sources, rivers flow down from the Alburz to Khvaniras.
5. The Shahnameh has several references to the Alburz range. Firdausi, often used the word Alburz as a simile to indicate anything enormous. Faridun’s mother Faranak left him on Mt. Alburz in the care of a holy man at the age of three, where he was trained. At the age of sixteen he came down from there along with Kaveh to defeat the evil Zohak.
6. Saam, the king of Zabulistan, cast away his son Zaal, who had golden hair all over his body, on the Alburz, where a saintly man, who could metamorphose himself into the bird Simurgh, looked after him. He was found sixteen years later and brought back to the city.
7. Decades later, Zaal sent his son Rustam to Alburz to look for Kae Kobad and bring him to take over the reigns of Iran by commencing the Kayanian dynasty. King Kae Kaus, its second king, ordered the foot of Alburz to be excavated to serve as stables for war horses.
8. The Alburz range is also the dwelling place of Peshotan, brother or king Kae Vishtasp, who was given the blessing of an immortal body by prophet Zarathushtra.
9. According to certain Zoroastrian traditions, the Alburz range, especially Mount Demavand is house to several exalted souls, called Abeds and Magavs, who reside in an invisible dimension and look after the welfare of Zarthoshtis in particular and the people of the world in general.

1. The mode of disposal of death prescribed by each religion is based on the world view of that religion. It is not just a way for disposing the body, it is also a way of following the teachings prescribed by the religion.

4. For Zoroastrians, Dohkmenashini is the prescribed way to dispose the body as it is based on the following teachings of the religion – a. Causing the least possible harm to the natural elements of earth, water and air; b. Letting the body merge back into the most basic form of the elements of nature as soon as possible; c. Not polluting fire in any way by nasa (human dead matter) as fire is regarded as sacred and has a very special place in our religion.  d. Ensuring the timely release of the soul and other non-physical human constituents.
5. However, disposing the body in the religious and best possible manner, is just one aspect of the practice of Dokhmenashini. This system is also meant to help in the speedy evolution of the soul. Zoroastrianism explains that the Kehrpa (astral body), Ushtan (animating life-breath) and the Tevishi (desire body), the semi–spiritual constituents of a human, also need to go back to their respective sources.
6. Dokhmenashini is the only way which ensures that the semi–spiritual constituents go back to their respective sources, ensuring the speedy evolution of the soul. By opting for other modes of disposal, either voluntarily or by necessity, slows down the speed of the evolution of a Zoroastrian’s soul.

5. It is generally believed that in cremation the body immediately gets disposed within a couple of hours by burning, but this is not true. What is actually meant by the disposal of the body is the ultimate merging of the physical elements of the body into the original natural elements. When a body is burnt a large part of the body is just transformed into hundreds of small suspended particles which are either caught in the scrubber or chimney or go out into the air. These are particular elements consist of flesh, muscles, bones, fat etc. which take a very long time to merge back into the natural elements. In burial too, a buried body takes several years to disintegrate.
6. Thus Dokhmenashini, even in its present, marginally weakened form, where it takes a few weeks for the body to disintegrate, is still the fastest and best system for the disposal of the dead, and the most beneficial to the spiritual elements of a human being.

1. Tishtrya or Tir is the name of the Yazad who presides over stars in general and the star Sirius in the constellation of Canis Major in particular. This Yazad also presides over rain. The process of rainfall is described in Tir Yasht and the Vendidad.
2. In the Tir Yasht, it is allegorically described that Tishtrya in the form of a white horse battles Apaosha the demon of drought, who appears in the form of a black horse. Finally Tishtrya overcomes Apaosha and brings rains for the people of the earth.
3. The Vendidad offers a scientific explanation for the rains. It states that rain occurs on account of the evaporation of water from the seas and rivers, which forms into clouds between the earth and the atmospheric planes. The clouds are scattered with the help of the wind (Govad Yazad).
4. The Farvardin Yasht informs us that the Fravashis (Asho Farohars) help in the distribution of the rainfall and dispatch the clouds to places which are needy and deserving of rains.

1. Monajats are Zoroastrian devotional songs. The word Monajat is from the Persian language, and the earliest Monajats were in Persian, many of them composed by Dastur Mullan Firoz bin Kaus.

2. Later, Monajats were composed in Gujarati, the language understood by the majority of Zoroastrians. The earliest Gujarati Monajats were published in the mid 19th century on historical and religious subjects.

3. Some well known Parsis who composed Monajats are: Kaekhushru N. Kabraji, Jivanji Modi, Behramji Malbari, Savaksha Shroff (Firozgar), Ardeshar Khabardar, Dosabhai Desai, Dara Printer, Kariman Adajania, Parvez Katrak, Kersi Mistry, Vistasp Balsara and Irach Kuka.

4. Some popular Monajats are Khudavind Khavind, Nekini Kharidi, O Daadgar O Daavar, Sanjan March etc.

1. What is the meaning of the song ‘Chaiye Ame Zarthoshti’, which is generally regarded as the community anthem. (JJ 11-6-17)
2. The song Chaiye Ame Zarhtoshti is based on an English tune “Blue bell” composed by Theodore F. Morse in 1904. Later that tune was adapted in a song for a Parsi play. It has four verses and a chorus. The Gujarati song was written by poet Firoz Batliwala. His first name appears as the last word of the last line of the lat stanza of the song.
3. The first verse of the song eulogises the characteristics of good Zoroastrians who live with dignity as friends of the whole world. Though being just a handful, they adorn the whole world, and hence all men and women are expected to sing its praises.
4. The 2nd stanza talks about the world famous Zoroastrian virtue of charity. It praises the Parsis as active and efficient who did not forsake their religion even amidst great calamities, which in fact was their secret of receiving God’s help. The 3rd stanza is about education among Parsi girls, which brings out the best in them. It is a combination of skills and goodness, which helps keep her family happy. Even her sense of dress is well appreciated in the world, and these qualities make them proud ladies of this Community.
5. The last stanza lauds the faithfulness of the Parsis to their rulers. The Parsis would fight like lions for their country. They would be grateful to their benefactors and sympathetic to a right cause. The poet Firoz says that the community is happy today because of its sterling qualities.
6. The chorus is the most powerful and meaningful verse of all. It talks about the world famous Kayani lineage (Guj. tokham) of the Parsis is the cause of their virtues, and which has led them to prosperity. The poet exhorts the Parsi Community to always maintain its strength and vigour and remain prosperous.

1. The Gahambars are a special 6 sets of 5 days in a year to thank God for His 6 Good Creations – Sky, Water, Earth, Vegetation, Animal & Man – in their evolutionary order. The word Gahambar comes from the Pahlavi gāsānbār which literally means “the time for collection.”  The ‘collection’ here refers to collecting Nature’s Blessings. It is the time when nature is most generous in distributing her blessings.

2. The celebration of Gahambar includes two components: a. Performance of rituals like Afringan, Baj, Visparad and Yasna, and b. Feasting, where traditionally rich and poor eat on a common platform, without barriers of rank and class. Hence Gahambar is a time for community bonding.

3. Presently, in India, a Gahambar is celebrated as a community event where Zoroastrians congregate for a thanks giving lunch or dinner generally preceded by the performance of a ritual. The feasting may be sponsored either for a living person, in memory of a dear departed or simply as an act of spiritual merit. Generous Zoroastrians sponsor a Gahambar in memory of their dear departed ones as an act of spiritual merit. In Iran the Gambars are still celebrated in the original spirit, with prayers and communal food.

4. Each of the six Gahambars is celebrated during the Zoroastrian calendar year for a period of five days each. They are celebrated on 5 particular roj (days) in the months of Ardibahesht, Tir, Shahrevar, Meher, Dae and on the 5 Gatha days.

5. Religious texts consider the celebration of Gahambar an act of highest religious merit. And one of man’s religious duties. Since some Zoroastrians may fail to celebrate Gahambars when they are alive, Gahambars are also celebrated in their honour after their passing away.

6. The celebration of Gahambar can foster the spirit of unity and harmony in the Community. It can lead beyond the rich and poor divide, beyond the rank and class barriers. Its celebration is an opportunity for the community to come together forgetting the differences and work towards the common end of progress and prosperity.

1. Dasturji Kukadaru (also known as Kukana) is one of the most revered Zoroastrian priests of recent times. People devoutly remember him. His blessings and help are sought, especially on his death anniversary on Roj Behram of Mah Farvarden. He is also remembered on his birthday on Roj Zamyad of Mah Avan. He was born in Surat, but spent most of his life in Mumbai. His name and fame has spread far and wide.

2. He was simple and humble man, who was engrossed in religious studies and prayers for most part of his leisure hours. His needs were frugal. He would eat just one meal a day – usually ghee (clarified butter) and khichdi (yellow rice), which he would himself cook. He used to wash his clothes himself. He preferred to walk and rarely took vehicles to go from one place to another.

3. He was also a reputed astrologer. He had accurately predicted the day and time (to the hour) of the deaths of Dastur Peshotan Sanjana, Queen Victoria and Sir Dinshaw Petit. He had tremendous inner strength. He had outwitted a Muslim pir who had challenged him. Once, when a marriage procession was passing through Chira Bazaar in Mumbai, he sent word asking the procession to halt for an hour, but no one paid heed. Within a short time, a building collapsed and the bridegroom was crushed on the spot. Had they waited for an hour, the accident could have been averted.
4. Dasturji Kukadaru had deep knowledge of Avesta, Pahlavi and Persian languages. He served as a chief instructor at Seth Jijibhai Dadabhai Zand Avesta Madressa at Fort from its inception till it closed down. He translated a few volumes of the Denkard and regularly contributed religious articles to the weekly magazine Yazdan Parast from 1868-1889. He had also published a few booklets on religion and community matters.

5. As an erudite priest, he was invited to deliver lectures on religion as well as on social issues like the census. He commanded tremendous respect as a priest at the Kappawalla Agiary in Mumbai, which he served as a Panthaki right since its inception.

6. Till 1861 he was referred to as Ervad, however since 1862 he was referred to as a Dastur, which was given to him on account of his piety, knowledge, simplicity and the deep understanding of Zoroastrian religion, rituals, history and spiritual practices.

7. Dasturji Kukadaru also knew the art of healing by prayers which he acquired through his ashoi (righteousness) and manthravani (prayers). He was able to cure jaundice, which was quite a fatal ailment in those times, by placing a brass bowl full of clean well water near the ailing person. As he prayed, the water in the bowl turned yellow and the person began to recover.
8. Dasturji Kukadaru is most remembered by the miracle connected to the establishment of the Anjuman Atash Behram in Mumbai. He was a member of the managing committee of the Anjuman Atash Behram during the time of its construction. Dasturji Kaikhushru Jamaspji, while raising funds for the Atash Behram, approached Dasturji Kukadaru for his contribution. Dasturji Kukadaru requested Jamaspji to go to the next room and sell the item found there. The item happened to be a gold brick, which fetched close to ten thousand rupees. He was publicly thanked for this munificent gift. For this magnanimous gesture, it was decided that the ground floor hall be named after him. He was also presented with a shawl at the time of the opening of the Atash Behram, as a mark of respect.
9. Today, his portrait adorns the walls of several Atash Behrams, Agiaries and homes. His Fravashi continues to bless those who remember him in prayers. Spiritual men like Dasturji Kukadaru constantly remind us of the great power in Zoroastrian religion and spirituality and the immense possibilities it offers.

1. The song Chhaiye Ame Zarhtoshti is based on an English tune “Blue bell” composed by Theodore F. Morse in 1904. Later that tune was adapted in a song for a Parsi play. It has four verses and a chorus. The Gujarati song was written by poet Firoz Batliwala. His first name appears as the last word of the last line of the lat stanza of the song.
2. The first verse of the song eulogises the characteristics of good Zoroastrians who live with dignity as friends of the whole world. Though being just a handful, they adorn the whole world, and hence all men and women are expected to sing its praises.
3. The 2nd stanza talks about the world famous Zoroastrian virtue of charity. It praises the Parsis as active and efficient who did not forsake their religion even amidst great calamities, which in fact was their secret of receiving God’s help. The 3rd stanza is about education among Parsis girls, which brings out the best in them. It is a combination of skills and goodness, which helps keep her family happy. Even her sense of dress is well appreciated in the world, and these qualities make them proud ladies of this Community.
4. The last stanza lauds the faithfulness of the Parsis to their rulers. The Parsis would fight like lions for their country. They would be grateful to their benefactors and sympathetic to a right cause. The poet Firoz says that the community is happy today because of its sterling qualities.
5. The chorus is the most powerful and meaning full verse of all. It talks about the world famous Kayani lineage (Guj. tokham) of the Parsis is the cause of their virtues, and which has led them to prosperity. The poet exhorts the Parsi Community to always maintain its strength and vigour and remain prosperous.