1. Many miracles have been associated with prophet Zarathushtra, starting from much before his birth. He was divinely selected and appointed decades before his birth and the procedure to send his physical and spiritual constituents to this world had started even before the birth of his parents.
2. The account of putting together of his different physical and spiritual constituents is truly miraculous. His Khoreh (divine energy) travelled from Endless Light through all spiritual stations and then to his mother Dogdo. From her, it entered into Zarathushtra when he was in the womb.
3. His Fravashi (guardian spirit) was brought into a stock of Hom plant through 2 birds tree near the house of his father. Bahman and Ardibahesht fixed the thought of Pourushasp to get that Hom. When he thought that the Hom was too high for him, the branch was miraculously brought down to his level. Then Pourushasp gave the branch to Dogdo for safe keeping.
4. The Gohar (essence/nature) of Zarathushtra came to him through water and plants with the help of Khordad and Amardad Ameshaspands. First it was sent to the clouds, then through the rains to grass, which was eaten by six white cows, who without giving birth gave milk with Zarathushtra’s essence in it. Then Dogdo milked those cows.
5. Hom kept with Dogdo for safekeeping was pounded with milk and so the Fravashi and Gohar of his body came together. Pourushasp and Dogdo drank it and so the Fravashi, Gohar and Khoreh of Zarathushtra came together. Then Dogdo gave birth to Zarathushtra
6. Three days after Zarathushtra’s birth, the whole village was illuminated. Wicked persons were terrified by the divine light as they thought that the divine child would put an end to their evil. They decided to kill the child. Dorasrun, the evil chieftain, tried several times to have it killed, but each time the child was miraculously saved.
7. Dorasrun had the baby thrown into a fire, but the fire did not burn the child, as Adar Yazad, made the fire cool, and so the baby was unharmed. Dorasrun then had the child placed in the pathway of a herd of cattle. However when the herd came, a white cow, inspired by Gosh Yazad, stood over the child, protecting it from the rest of the cattle. The infant was then kept in the pathway of horses. There too a white horse, inspired by Dravasp Yazad, stood over the child and protected it.
8. The angry Dorasrun then placed the child in a den of wolves after having the wolf cubs killed, thinking that the wolves will tear the child apart. When the wolves returned, they tried to attack the child, but they were stopped by an unseen fortification, and could not approach the child. Later, Bahman Ameshaspand and Sarosh Yazad came in the form of goats and fed the hungry child.
9. Dorasrun now decided to kill baby Zarathushtra himself. He took a sharp dagger and went to the house of Pourushaspa. As soon as he came near the child, he brought out his dagger and raised it to stab the child. But instantly, he lost strength in his hands and they were paralysed.
10. Another miracle happened when Zarathushtra was 12 years old. Two evil magicians, Bratrokesh and Dorasrub came to his house dressed as physicians and gave him poisonous potions. Zarathushtra was divinely guided not to drink it. He drove them away. When they were returning, they were struck by a fatal disease.
11. The next miracle happened when Zarathushtra was nearing 30 years. One day, near the Vehdāiti river, Bahman Ameshaspand led him to a conference with Ahura Mazda. He received divine knowledge of the Religion through Bahman Ameshaspand and Sarosh Yazad. This was the divine revelation, by which he became the prophet.
12. The next miracle was in the palace of king Vishtasp where he cured his horse Aspe-Siha by the chanting of prayers. Later, he was able to give miraculous gifts to his foremost disciples. After performing a Jashan, prophet Zarathushtra presented offerings to four of his foremost disciples. King Vishtasp was given the consecrated wine and his wish of visiting heaven was fulfilled. Minister Jamasp was made to smell a flower and he got the gift to see into the past and foretell the future. Prince Peshotan was given milk and he gained immortality in the material world. Crown prince Aspandyar was given pomegranate seeds and he became Rooyin-tan, that is, his body became as strong as bronze.
13. Another miracle was the giving of the three gifts by the prophet to King Vishtasp as a proof of his divine mission. He gave the king Adar Burzin Meher, a spiritually burning fire, a Cypress tree by the name Azad-Sarva, which had a message for the king on every leaf and 21 Nasks (Volumes) of Avestan scriptures, containing all the knowledge of the world.
14.  The passing away of the prophet was also miraculous. The elements of his body directly merged into the elements of nature, and his soul ascended directly to the highest Heaven, in the act of destroying the collective evil. True to his lofty stature, the life of our beloved prophet Zarathushtra is full of miracles.

1. The Kasti is the thin woollen waistband worn over the Sadra, which passes thrice around the waist. It is made by weaving together 72 fine threads of lamb’s wool. In the past it was prepared by ladies from priestly families while chanting manthravani prayers. Wool is known to have the inherent property of absorbing and retaining vibrations.
2. The word kasti means a boundary, and it reminds one to keep within the boundary of religious duty. The word Kasti comes from Avesta aiwyāonghana “that which is girded around” and Pahlavi kosht “boundary (of religious duty).” The word is also derived from Avestan word karsha “spiritual boundary which keeps evil away.”
3. The Kasti is to be worn thrice round the waist. The number three, among other things, represent the principles of humata, hukhta & hvarshta “good thoughts, good words and good deeds.” While tying the three rounds, two reef knots are tied, one at the front during the second round and the second one at the end of the third round. Each reef knot includes the tying of two knots – two in the front and two at the back.
4. Hence, in the Kasti there are in all four knots. Each knot is connected to the one of the four promises given by a child while saying the Din-no-Kalmo prayer on the day of the Navjot. The four promises are; I will consider Ahura Mazda as my only God. ii) I will consider Zarathushtra as my only prophet. iii) I will consider Mazdayasni Zarthoshti as my only religion. iv) I will be faithful to my God, prophet and religion all my life.
5. The Sadra and Kasti are the religious implements of the Zoroastrians. They form an invisible circuit of prayers around physical body, which if properly kept, protects one from negative forces, and leads one on the path of piety and duty.
6. Making of Kasti: Lamb’s wool is first woven on a spindle. Then threads from two spindles are combined together in one ball. The double yarn is then twisted and passed 72 times around the loom (Gujarati jantar). These 72 threads are then divided into 6 sets of 12 strands each. It is in a circle, which is then cut by a priest while saying a particular prayer. The rest of the weaving is done by hand. 1 lar and 3 laris are made on each end. Then the Kasti is flattened, washed, dried and fumigated and folded, ready for use.
7. Most of the parts of the Kasti symbolize something and remind us of a religious teaching. Lamb’s wool symbolizes innocence. The 72 threads remind us of the 72 chapters of the holy text of the Yasna which are recited in the Yasna ritual. Hence, the number 72 represents all the sacred Zoroastrian texts and the lofty Zoroastrian rituals.  The six laris (three on each side) reminds us of the six Gahambars – the seasonal festivals and teach us to be in sync with the seasons and nature.

1. Three days in the Zoroastrian calendar year are directly connected with the prophet. They are: Khordad Sal, Din-beh-Mino Marespand and Zarthost-no-diso.
2. Khordad Sal is the birthday of the prophet and it falls on Khordad roj of Fravardin mah. On this day the entire nature rejoiced at the birth of the prophet and exclaimed: Ushtā no zāto āthrava yo Spitāmo Zarathushtro, which means “Rejoice that for us Zarathushtra Spitama is born, who is an Athravan (belonging to the priestly family).” On this day we thank Ahura Mazda for sending the prophet and pray to the Fravashi and soul of the prophet to help and guide us.
3. The festival of Din-beh-Mino Marespand is on Marespand roj of Aspandad mah, which falls during the Muktad days. It is to celebrate the day on which king Vishtaspa accepted and proclaimed Zarathushtra as the chosen prophet of Ahura Mazda.
4. Zarthost-no-diso, or the ‘Day of death of Zarathushtra’ is on Khorshed roj of mah Dae. It is the day when the prophet passed away from the material existence to the spiritual existence in a special manner, wherein his physical body and all the other constituents immediately and simultaneously merged with their sources, bringing an end to his journey in the physical world.
5. Incidentally, the last 5 days of the year, which are called the Gathas, are also connected with prophet Zarathushtra as they are named after the five Gathas which are the celestial metrical prayers personally recited by Zarathushtra.
6.  Zarathushtra is our beloved prophet and the above mentioned days are the special days connected to him. However, the teachings and memory of the prophet should always resonate in the hearts and minds of each Zoroastrian, every day of every month, year after year.

1. In the mid 19th century, the “Persian Zoroastrian Amelioration Fund” was founded in Bombay by a few wealthy Zoroastrians including Sir Dinshaw Maneckji Petit, to improve the conditions of their less fortunate co-religionists who were persecuted in Iran. In 1854, Maneckji Limji Hataria was appointed an emissary by the above organisation to go to Iran.

2. Maneckji was born in 1813 at the village of Mora Sumali near Surat in Gujarat . From the age of fifteen he travelled widely as a commercial agent in India. In his work he gained a lot of experience and self-reliance. These resources proved invaluable in his future work.

3. He arrived in Iran on 31st March 1854, and for a year studied the general conditions of the persecuted community. He found the Zoroastrians to be uneducated and suffering from diseases and malnutrition. Centuries of oppression and persecution had taken a heavy toll on their spirit.

4. To teach the Iranians, Maneckji established schools, published books and employed teachers. He talked about the advantages of collective social work and communal unity. He urged the Zoroastrians of Yazd and Kerman to form societies (anjumans). With his encouragement and support, marriages took place and jobs were provided for the newly wed couples. He was also instrumental in building Dharmashalas and Dokhmas in Iran.

5. Maneckji established a Council of Zoroastrians in Yazd, which persuaded Iranian Zoroastrians to emigrate to India. Many Iranis today are descendants of these people.

6. Manekji met the Qajar king Nasiruddin and negotiated with him several concessions for Zoroastrians in Iran, like the remission of Jaziya in 1882, and lenient laws for Zoroastrians from king Muzaffar-ud-din (1888).

7. He tirelessly worked for the people of Iran for 35 years until his death in 1890. He is fondly remembered even today in Iran. His bust adorns the prayer hall of the present-day Atash Behram at Yazd. His magnificent photograph can be seen at the Wadiaji Atash Behram in Mumbai.

1. The Sadra, is an essential religious garment, along with the Kasti, which a Zoroastrian wears right after the Navjote. The word Sadra comes from the Avesta and Pahlavi word vastra which means “a spiritual garment”. The Persian word for Sadra is sud rāh which means “the beneficial path.”
2. Technically, the Sadra is a ritual implement necessary to offer prayers and do the Kasti ritual. As a ritual implement, the Sadra needs to have certain specifications regarding the colour, size and number of seams (Sāndhās in gujarati). The Sadra is made up of nine seams out of which the two sleeves constitute two seams.
3. Symbolically, the Sadra is a road map that leads a Zoroastrian towards his duties and obligations. The nine parts/seams are to remind him of different teachings. These are:
4. i) Gireban: It is a small pocket like pouch with a perforation in the inner side situated at the font of the Sadra. It is also referred to as kisseh-kerfeh, which means “the pocket of good deeds”. It is symbolic of the goodness and meritorious deeds that a person has to do in life.
5. ii) Girdo: It is the seam on the nape of the neck in the shape of a crescent moon. It looks like a yoke and reminds man of his responsibilities to God, prophet, nation, society, family and his own self. There is a wron idea that only men’s Sadras should have Girdo. All Sadras, either for men or women, should have a Girdo.

iii & iv) Two sleeves, one on each side: Sleeves are made of pieces of cloth stitched on the sides of the Sadra. The Sadras of ladies and gents, both have sleeves, but for purposes of convenience, the sleeves of a ladies sadra are smaller and thinner. The sleeves are symbolic of the Zoroastrian religious injunction of being industrious and hardworking.

v & vi) The two sides: The large piece of cloth at the front and the back, stitched at the sides, form the 5^th and 6^th parts of the Sadra. The two sides remind us of the two worlds – the spiritual world from where we have come and the material world where we are living presently.

vii & viii) Two slanting seams (tiris) on the either side at the bottom of the Sadra, on the right side in gents and on the left side in ladies. They teach us to live in harmony with and to care for and use but not misuse or abuse vegetables and animals. The opposite positions of these Tiris indicate that ladies and gents should complement each other in life, as each have different strengths and capabilities which are required by the other.

ix) One straight seam (Tiri): This seam is parallel to the left side bottom stitch, on the left side in the Sadra of gents and on the right side in ladies. It teaches us to care for the mineral kingdom.

1. The poet known to the world as Firdausi Toosi was born Abul Qasim Hasan Mansur in about 935 AC in the village Shadab in the ancient city of Toos in the province of Khorasan. His father was Fakhruddin Ahmed bin Farrokh. Though Firdausi was a Muslim by birth, he had in-depth knowledge of Farsi and Pahlavi languages, Iranian history and Avestan texts through their translations.

2. He composed the Shahnameh, “Book of Kings” comprising 60,000 Persian couplets containing the history of the Peshdad, Kayan and Sasan dynasties. Though the beginning of the Shahnameh was done much earlier, it was predominantly composed and finished in the court of Sultan Mahmud of Gazni, over a period of about 35 years.

3. When Sultan came to know about the young poet’s poetic prowess and historical knowledge, he invited him to Gazni. Firdausi presented before the Sultan his previously written compositions of Faridun and Zohak. On hearing the beautiful couplets, the Sultan exclaimed that he had transformed his court into Firdaus (the Arabic word for paradise). It is from this incident, that the great poet got his pen name Firdausi. Some scholars also believe that the poet’s grandfather was a keeper of Gardens (in Arabic even a garden is referred to as Firdaus) and hence his pen name Firdausi.

4. In those times, people were generally known from the place they hailed. Since Firdausi came from the city of Toos, he was known as Toosi. However, when the Sultan asked why his city was called Toos, Firdausi had an answer to that, owing to his deep knowledge of Iranian history. He said that the city was named after Toos, a great Iranian warrior, who unknowingly disobeyed King Kaekhushru, and then afraid to face the king, hid in a place for several months. This place later came to be known as Toos.

5. Firdausi’s later life story is heart rending. He passed away in 1020 AC, a  totally  heart-broken, shattered and bitter old man. In 1934, the late Reza Shah Pahlavi, had a splendid memorial erected near his tomb to mark the spot  where  the mortal  remains of the great poet were buried nearly a thousand years ago.

1. Yes. There is a big difference. The first three words humata, hukhta, hvarshta are from the Avesta language and the next three words manashni, gavashni, kunashni are from the Pazand language.
2. They don’t even mean the same. The first three words humata, hukhta, hvarshta mean “good thoughts, good words and good deeds”. The next three words manashni gavashni, kunashni just mean “thoughts, words and deeds.” They could be good or bad.
3. The opposite of humata, hukhta, hvarshta “good thoughts, good words and good deeds” is dushmata, duzhukhta, duzhvarshta “bad thoughts, bad words and bad deeds.” These latter three words occur in the Pazand Ahura Mazda Khodai prayer which is recited while doing the Kasti. While reciting these words, fingers are clicked to ward off evil.
4. The words manashni gavashni, kunashni also come in our Kasti in the Ahura Mazda Khodai prayer. The phrase az ān gunāh manashni gavashni kunashni…pa patet hom means “for all the sins of thoughts, words and actions…I am sorry.”
5. The words humata, hukhta, hvarshta are considered part of the basic tenets of the Zoroastrian religion. However, they are not as simplistic as they sound. They have a much deeper meaning and understanding, as explained in Yasna 19. Humata is the first thought of Ahura Mazda, the thought for an evil free universe. All thoughts leading to this goal can be regarded as Humata. The word Hukhta is used to describe words of Mathra Spenta, that is Avesta-Pazand prayers. Hence all utterances of prayers can be referred to as good words. Hvarshta is to be understood as all actions leading towards bringing the creations to their original pristine purity.

1. Tir Yazad, known as Tishtrya in Avesta, and Teshtar in later Iranian languages, is one of the more important Zoroastrian Yazads. In the Parsi calendar, the 13^th roj (day) and the 4^th māh (month) are dedicated to him. Tirangan festival is celebrated on Tir Yazad on Tir roj of Tir mah in honour of Tir Yazad.

2. The Tirangan festival celebrates a historical event of the Peshdadian times. The Iranian king Minocheher and the Turanian king Afrasuyab were on the verge of a war, a truce was worked out under the condition, that an archer would shoot an arrow (Tir) from Mount Khshutha, and the spot where it landed would be the new boundary between the two countries. Archer Erekhsha was selected, who by his inner strength shot the arrow, which traversed from dawn to dusk, resulting in Iran getting a big territory.

3. Tir Yazad presides over rain. In the Tir Yasht, Tir Yazad in the form of a white horse battles Apaosha the demon of drought, in the form of a black horse. Finally Tir Yazad overcomes Apaosha with the help of the prayers of the people of the world.

4. Tir Yazad also looks after the eyes and hence he is connected with healthy eyesight. In the Khorshed and Meher Nyaishnas we pray tishtrim dravo chashmanem yazamaide that is “We venerate Tishtrya (Tir Yazad), who is the giver of healthy eyesight (chashman).”

5. Tir Yazad is identified with the planet Mercury, which, among other things, presides over communication, Hence Tir Yazad is the giver of good, fluent speech, and the power of effective communication, both essential tools for building self- confidence.

1. Diwali is a Hindu festival of light. Generally Hindus burst fire crackers as a manifestation of light. However fire crackers carry along with them many harmful and negative effects which are extremely dangerous to humans, animals, economy and the environment.  Lighting fire crackers is now denounced by people of almost every faith because of its tremendous negative effects.

2. From a Zoroastrian point of view bursting crackers amounts to an insult to fire, which Zoroastrians regard as sacred and life giving. While lighting crackers, we play with, fling, throw and misuse fire.

3. Bursting crackers is dangerous to human life and limb. Even the lives of people who work in fire cracker industries are jeopardized. Many people, young and old, have lost their limbs and sight and have been scarred for life for no fault of theirs.

4. Fire crackers severely scare birds and animals, especially household pets like dogs, who exhibit a strange and unnatural behaviour when fire crackers are being burst.

5. One of the biggest damage done by fire crackers is that it creates a lot of smoke, smog and pollution in the environment which lasts for several days. Pollution is one of the biggest killers in the world. It is deadlier than war, smoking or hunger. In 2015 alone, ninety lakh people died prematuredly because of pollution.

6. Bursting fire crackers can even be seen as wasting money, since hundreds and thousands of rupees are spent for a few seconds of thrill. The same amount can be used in other constructive and more positive manner.

1. A Zoroastrian fire temple is the building which principally houses a sacred consecrated fire, which could be either of the three grades of Dadgah, Adaran or Atash Behram.
2. The fire temple housing only the first grade of fire (dadgah) as the focal point of worship is referred to as the Agyari. The fire temple housing the second grade of fire (adaran) as the central focal point of worship is referred to as the Agyari or an Adaran. The fire temple housing the highest grade of fire as the central focal point of worship is referred to as the Atash Behram.
3. Another word used for fire temple is Dar-e-meher, which literally means “The house of Meher Yazad.” In the olden times, a Dar-e-meher was a house of worship where there was no permanently burning fire and where only rituals were performed. Nowadays, since almost all rituals are performed in a fire-temple, an Agyari or an Adaran is also referred to as a Dar-e-meher.
4. In the Western diaspora, Zoroastrian places of worship without permanently burning fires, are also referred to as a Dar-e-meher or a Darbe-meher, the latter being a Persianised or Anglicized way of writing Dar-e-meher.
5. In Iran, fire temples are generally referred to as Atash kadeh, which simply means “house of fire.” In colloquial usage a fire temple in Iran is also called a Darbe-meher.