1. If the death is of a spouse whose partner is still alive, either male or female, the person can opt for a Jorā nu Uthamnu, that is, the Uthamna in which the name of the living spouse is also taken. This is akin to doing the Jindeh-ravān done of the spouse. If a Jorā nu Uthamnu is done, then along with the the Chahrom ni Baj, other Jindeh-ravān Baj are also performed for the living spouse.
2. If the death is of a married man whose wife is alive, and the widow’s name is to be taken in the Uthamna (jorā nu Uthamnu), she is required to go through a Nāhan ritual and wear white clothes, new ones if possible. Following this, she may not be touched by anyone until the end of the Uthamna, and is assigned a special place close to the carpet on which the ritual is to take place.
3. For the performance of the Uthamna, a carpet is laid on the ground, with the ritual utensils beside it. These include a metallic tray (khumcho) with a Sadra, a second tray containing a sprinkler (pigāni), with rosewater (gulābjal), two little metallic cups one containing jasmine oil (mogrel) and another having spice water (ākho masālo). In another metallic tray sandalwood/babul wood pieces, sandalwood filings (tāchho) and aromatic powders (vaher, lobān) are kept. In the fourth metallic tray, rose petals are scattered over white flowers. Next to this is a fire-vase, an oil lamp and other related metallic implements.
4. In case of a Jorānu Uthamnu, there will be two fire-vases on the carpet. In recent years it has become customary for close relatives and friends to bring flowers and hand these to a family member. The flowers, which are often white, are arranged by family members in vases, to be placed on the carpet. Sometimes wreaths and flower arrangements are laid beside the carpet. When the participants arrive,  they bring sandalwood pieces with them and lay them on a metallic tray provided for the purpose.

What is the significance of the Uthamna ritual (2-9-18)

1. The Uthamna ritual is performed twice on the third day after death, the first time in the Uziran geh at about 3.45 pm (IST) and the other towards the end of the Ushahin geh at around 4.15 am (IST).
2. The ritual can be performed either at the Doongerwadi, Agyari/Atash Behram or in any other ritually clean place. The derivation of the word Uthamnu is not very clear. It is believed that in the past, during Geh-sarna ritual, people had to sit down on mats on the floor and for subsequent rituals they could sit on chairs. Hence the word Uthamnu may have come from uthi javu “getting up.”
3. Uthamna can be considered a sort of a condolence meeting where friends and relatives of the deceased attend the ritual to console the family members of the departed. In a way, this is the last day of the soul in the material world, before the soul begins its heavenly journey on the dawn of the fourth day (Chahrum ni Bamdad).
4. In the past, announcement of charities in memory of the deceased was done by friends and family in the Uthamna. The benefit of this charity would accrue to the soul of the deceased, as its judgment has not yet taken place.
5. In the past, if the deceased did not have a child, then the appointment of a religious heir, the Gujarati word for which is pālak, was done after the Uthamna. It would be the duty and responsibility of this pālak, who would generally be a male, to see that the minimum religious rites are performed for the soul of the deceased at least for a year. The Head Priest would give a token amount in his hand and make him pledge accordingly. This was called sos bhanvi – in which the pālak would say “I will have bist o chahr darun done.” It is said that if the deceased did not have an heir, the priests did not get up from the mat after the Uthamna till the pālak was declared.

1. The veneration of fire was an established practice of the Mazdayasnis much before the time of prophet Zarathushtra. Fire had been venerated not only as a symbol of the divine, but also having a divinity of its own.
2. King Hoshang of the Peshdadian dynasty started the reverence to fire, centuries before the advent of prophet Zarathushtra. While hunting, King Hoshang accidentally came across the brilliance of fire when he tried to kill a huge snake. Regarding this Firdausi says, “Nushad mār Koshtah valiken zarāz, azān tab-e-sang ātash āmad farāz “The snake did not die, but from the latent energy of the stone fire came out.” He asked the Mazdayasnis to make a Kebla (centre of worship) of fire and pray before it.
3. In the Shahnameh, Firdausi says, ke urā kurughī chunin hadayah dād, hamīn ātesh ān gāh kebleh nehād, be goftā kurughīst in izadi, parastī be āyad agar bekhardi. “God bestowed on Hoshang the gift of light, and he immediately made a Keblā of that fire. He said, “this is the nur (light) of God, he who is wise shall venerate (parastesh) it.” This fire was then established as Adar Khurdad. It was the first fire to be established in a place of worship. Then King Hoshang celebrated Jashane Sadeh to commemorate the discovery of divinity in fire.
4. King Jamshed established Adar Farnbagh on Mount Khorehmand. He specially created a section of society called Athravans (priests tending fire) to look after it. This fire prevented Zohak from taking charge of the Khoreh (divine energy) of Jamshed. Kayanian king Kae Khushru established the special fire Adar Gushnasp on Mout Asnavant.
5. Prophet Zarathushtra himself was a fire-priest (āthravan) and used to pray before fire. Later as one of the proofs of his being a prophet, Zarathushtra gifted the special fire Adar Burzin Meher to king Kae Gushtasp. About this fire, Firdausi says Ke bi khāko ābesh bar āvarde ham, negeh kun bud ātash chun kardeh ham; Ke ān meherburzin bi dud bud, munavvar ne az hizmo az ud dud. “This fire was made without physical elements or water, this fire – Adar Burzin Meher is without fumes, it does not require fuel or incense.” Later Kae Gushtasp established the Adar Burzin Meher on Mount Raevant.
6. When prophet Zarathushtra established the Mazdayasni Zarthosti religion, he accepted fire as the living emblem of Ahura Mazda. He extended the understanding of the concept of fire to embrace the idea of physical and spiritual energies. In Zoroastrian religion, Asha Vahishta, that is, Ardibahesht Ameshaspand, became the guardian of fires and energies.

1. Being religious in the right way and the right spirit includes spirituality. However, if one does not practice religion in the right spirit, and if the practice of religion becomes purely mechanical, than it becomes devoid of spirituality.

2. If a person believes that being religious just means meticulously following the practices of the religion like prayers and tarikats without thinking, internalising and making conscious efforts to change one’s life, than it becomes mechanical.

3. Being spiritual means consciously living in awareness of one’s self, one’s mind, one’s soul and working towards evolving and making oneself better. Spirituality means being in harmony with the seen and unseen worlds. The unseen worlds include our inner self and the external divine world. The seen world is the entire creation around us with which we have to live harmoniously.

4. If one is just mechanically religious, one may not necessarily become a good human being. One needs to find the purpose behind the practises of the religion and perform them consciously. The conscious performance of religious principles and practices can lead one to goodness and humanity.

5. Just being religious in a mechanical way, may make one feel good, but it will not actually work towards improving one at the mental and spiritual levels. However, mechanical practise of the religious principals, after following all the ritual and purity requirements, may augment one’s khoreh (divine energy) which in turn may help at various levels.

1. The name Rām is the Pazand form of the Avesta word rāman. As a common noun it means “joy” and as a proper noun, it is the name of the Yazad who presides over joy. The name of the Hindu god Rāma has no connection with this Yazad.
2. Ram Yazad is the Hamkar (co-worker) of Bahman Ameshaspand, who presides over the ‘good mind.’ Hence if one wants to be joyful, one needs to have control over the mind and keep it good. Since Ram Yazad is the Hamkar of Bahman Ameshaspand, we observe Rām roj as an an-roja (no meat day).
3. Since Ram Yazad presides over joy, pleasure and domestic happiness he is invoked at the time of marriage by the performance of the Varadh-pattar baj just before marriage ceremony. In fact the phrase ‘shādi rāmashni’ actually means happiness and joy.
4. Since Ram Yazad presides over joy of life, and one of his works is to bring together, his name is omitted in the ‘Jasa me avanghe mazda, amahe hutashtahe’ when recited in some after death prayers, as death is the separation of the soul from the body and hence not a joyous happening.
5. Ram Yazad works along with Meher Yazad in looking after the space between the earth and the sky. That is the reason why a baj is recited in honour of Ram Yazad just before the Chahrom (dawn of the fourth day after death) to request him to give a safe passage to the soul of the deceased on its way to the spiritual world.
6. Vāyu Yazad is an associate of Rām Yazad. Whenever Ram Yazad is invoked, Vāyu Yazad is always invoked along with him. Vāyu Yazad is described as travelling by a golden chariot with golden wheels. He also presides over the space between the earth and the sky – the path which the souls of the departed ones have to travel on the dawn of the fourth day to reach the other world. Vāyu is an Indo-Iranian divine being and hence worshipped by both the Indians and the Iranians. In the Rig Veda too, Vāyu presides over the wind and is depicted as traveling swiftly in a chariot drawn by horses.

1. According to Zoroastrianism, horse is one of the foremost animals belonging to the Gospand or beneficent category. Since early times Iranians had started taming horses and kept them in stables. Herodotus, while talking about Iranian education in the Achaemenian times had said that “The Persian children were taught to speak the truth, ride a horse and shoot a bow right from the age of five.”
2. There are five different words used for horse in the Avesta. The most common among them is aspa. The other words are aurvant, vastāra, yukhta and hita. Each of the name give an idea of the usages of horse in ancient times.
3. In the Avesta, the horse is shown to be an animal with amazing powers of strength, health, well-being and eyesight. The remarkable eyesight of the horse is described as being able to distinguish a hair and its type even in the darkest of the nights. Warriors, kings and devotees prayed for strength of their horses.
4. The use of chariot almost immediately followed the domestication of horse. In the Avesta the word for a warrior is rathaeshtār which means “one standing on a chariot”. The adjective aspāyaodha “fighting on horse-back” is exclusively used for Zarir, brother of King Vishtaspa. Even in those times, horses were made to wear horse-shoes, which were made of lead, but sometimes decorated with gold.
5. The gift of horses was symbolic of the gift of wealth. When compared with the special metals gold and silver, a horse was compared to silver whereas a camel was compared to gold. Yazads used to bestow their devotees with gifts of horses. Ashishwangh Yazad gives a gift of a thousand horses. Meher Yazad gifts good horses to those who are faithful to him.
6. In the Avesta a horse is regarded as the vehicle of Avan, Sarosh and Khorshed Yazads. Avan Yazad and Sarosh Yazad ride a chariot of four swift white horses. Tir Yazad assumes the form of a white horse having yellow ears and a golden caparison. In opposition the demon of drought Apaosha assumes the form of black, ugly and loathsome horse to fight Tir Yazad. This is the only instance where a demon is shown assuming the form of a hideous horse, otherwise the horse is always associated with good divine beings and heroes.
7. The word for horse was also used allegorically to indicate the ‘senses’ which are originally untamed like the horses and need to be tamed in order to be of any use. There could be no better metaphor for senses than a horse. Though both are very essential, left to themselves both are wild and need to be restrained. Both have the ability of harming the person who uses them without proper knowledge but immensely helps those who use it cautiously and wisely.
8. A classic example of the word horse used metaphorically comes in Gatha Ushtavaiti where prophet Zarathushtra asks Ahura Mazda for ten pregnant mares, a stallion and a camel as a reward for his exertions. Dr.I.J.S.Taraporewala was one of the first to point out that there was more significance to the words horse and camel than literally understood. He cited the Kathopanishad (I.3.3-6) where the Soul is called the Lord of the Chariot, the Body is the Chariot and Senses are the Horses. He suggested the same explanation – number ten, indicating the ten senses – five senses of perception and five senses of action and the stallion indicating the Mind.
9. Among Zoroastrians, several names are associated with horses. In fact no other animal is used so much for proper names as a horse. Some of these names are: Drvāspa “having a healthy horse”, Tehmāspa “having a strong horse”, Jāmāspa “having steady flow of horses”, Kersāspa “having a lean horse”, Vishtāspa “having several horses”, Dejāmāspa, “having abundant flow of horses” Haechataspa “having a trained horse”, Frināspa “having a loving horse”, Pourushaspa “having many horses”, Aurvat-aspa “having a swift horse”, Hitāspa “having a restrained horse”, Habāspa “having a good horse”, Raevat-aspa “having an illustrious horse”, Yukhtāspa “having a skilled horse”, Fraothat-aspa “having a foaming horse”, Āsu-aspa “having a fast horse”, Hazanghra-aspa “having thousands of horses” and Renjat-aspa “having agile horses”.
10. Apart from using horses for domestic and war purposes there were special swift running horses used for racing. These horses were specially made to run on race-courses. Chariot racing was an important royal sport. At different places, king Kaekhushru prays to different Yazads to help him to finish and win horse races.
11. Several stories connected with a horse abound in the Zoroastrian religion. One is about infant Zarathushtra saved from stampeding horses by a white stallion. The other is about prophet Zarathushtra healing the king’s favourite horse Aspe-sihā. Another one is from the Shahnameh about Kaekhushru being guided by a light near the ear (gush) of his horse (aspa) which helped him win a fortress and subsequently establish his claim over the throne.
12. In the Shahnameh there are various incidents of the bravery and presence of mind of Rakhsh – the powerful chestnut coloured horse of the great paladin Rustom. He was a very faithful horse and saved his master from certain death several times. The stories about Rustom finding him and later their brave escapades together form a significant portion of the Shahnameh. The Shahnameh also tells us about Behzad, the favourite horse of king Kaekhushru, which came down to him from his father Siyavakhs. Folklore also tells us about Shabdiz, the favourite horse of Sasanian King Khushru Purviz.

1. The concept of Time is very important in the Zoroastrian religion. The physical world was created for a fixed period of time from Endless Time. To be connected to God and divine beings, it is necessary to connect through Time. Hence Zoroastrian religion divides time into several divisions. The smallest of these divisions is called the Geh.
2. A day is divided into five parts called the 5 gehs. They are Havan, Rapithwin, Uziran, Aiwisruthrem and Ushahin. The names of the five Gehs are originally from the Avesta language. Havan means “time of pounding Haoma”, Rapithwin means “half part of the day”, Uziran means “high part of the day”, Aiwsruthrem means “time for singing prayers” and Ushahin means “enhancing consciousness.” As can be noticed, the names are significant to one or the other aspect of the day. The name of the Geh is not only the name of that part of the day but also the name of a Yazad who presides over that period.
3. The idea of dividing the day into parts is a very ancient one. From the Gathas we come to know that in the time of prophet Zarathushtra there were 3 divisions of the day – Morning (Usha), mid-day (Arem-Pithwa) and night (Khshapa). The five gehs came later keeping in mind four fixed points in the 24 hours day: sunrise, mid-day, sunset and mid-night.
4. It is pertinent to note that each of the 5 Geh has an average time span of 4 to 5 hours. They are mainly to fulfil the purposes of facilitating prayers, performing rituals, recharging our spiritual energies, cleansing invisible negativities and regularly being in touch with the divine world. The first (Havan) and last (Ushahin) gehs are longer to facilitate performance of higher rituals – Yasna and Vendidad respectively. Havan geh is the best time to perform most rituals.
5. The beginning of each geh is marked by the performance of Boi ritual in the fire temple. This is done to periodically strengthen the sacred fire and the good forces in their on-gong battle against evil.
6. Some Zoroastrians scholars, who have deeply studied the religion, like Mr. Sohrab J.Bulsara, Er. Ratansha R.Motafram and Mr. Behramsha Pithawalla, have showed that there is an inherent spiritual message in the idea of the 5 gehs, where each of the divisions of the day, also indicate the progressive development of the soul.
7. Havan geh indicates the first stage. The word Hāvan literally means pounding and is the stage of trials and tribulations for the soul. The soul has to overcome this stage without succumbing to negativities or being defeated by the challenges of life. The soul has to be strong to take the poundings from the circumstances of life. It has to think about benefiting (savanghi) the society (visya) despite the hardships. The Yazads guiding at this stage are Meher Yazad who presides over justice and friendship, Airyaman Yazad who presides over harmony, and Mino Rām Yazad who gives joy amidst the everyday struggles for existence.
8. Rapithwin geh indicates the second stage, when a balance is set and most doubts are cleared. The person is at the mid point , poised to realise the powers of his mind and soul. At this stage the wisdom of the sages and prophets, start making sense, and a guide can make a marked difference to one’s evolution. The soul is no longer over-whelmed by negativities, but starts understanding and gracefully accepting them. It becomes conscious of its role in the world, and about its broad purpose in life.  At this stage the person learns to respect all creations and creatures and works for their progress. The divine beings presiding over this stage are Ardibahesht Ameshaspand who indicates a striving to reach the Ultimate Truth, and Adar Yazad who presides over spiritual fires and the divine energies.
9. The third stage is Uzairina – the spiritual awakening of the soul. In this stage man is in complete harmony with fellow human beings and works for the progress of his fellow men (frādat-vira). The exalted soul now yearns to corroborate with the divine beings. Berez Yazad and Avan Yazad, who govern divine currents, presides over this stage.
10. In the fourth stage, the soul is fully evolved and is able to listen (sruthrema) to the communication form higher (aiwi) dimensions. At this stage man works for the progress of all good creations (rādat vispām hujyāitim)along with the Fravashis. His work is marked by the courage of conviction (ama) and crowned with success (verethraghna).
11. The final stage of the soul is its identification with the consciousness. It is the realisation that individual consciousness is the same as Universal consciousness. The soul becomes exalted (berezya). Sarosh, Rashne and Ashtad Yazads are the guides of man at this stage.
12. In the Khordeh Avesta, each of the 5 gehs has two types of prayers. One is the short three line prayer which is to be recited within the Fravarane prayer in all Nyash and Yashts. The other are the larger prayers dedicated to each geh which are to be recited after the Sarosh Baj and before beginning any other prayer.
13. The injunction of praying five times a day in Islam had been adopted from the Zoroastrian teaching of five gehs.

1. In Zoroastrianism, animals are divided into two groups – the Gospand (benign) and the Khrafastar (harmful) on the basis of their instincts and basic nature. Cattle and most domestic animals belong to the former category, whereas wild animals, reptiles and insects belong to the latter category. Man is advised to protect the Gospands and guard against the Khrafastars. Though the Khrafastars may be helpful in a limited way, their worth to mankind is less than the danger they pose.

2. Zoroastrian religion considers several animals like the dog, cow, bull, rooster, camel and horse as beneficial and useful. However, there is no tradition to offer prayers for living or dead animals by taking their names. In all Zoroastrian prayers it is necessary to take the religious title of the person (like Behdin, Osta, Osti etc.) before the name. Animals do not have such religious titles.

4. The only known ritual for an animal is the Geh-sarna ritual for a Varasyaji (sacred albino bull) after its death. This is because the Varasyaji is consecrated during its lifetime so that a hair from its tail can be used as a ritual implement for inner rituals like the Yasna and Vendidad. But in this ritual too, the name of the sacred animal is not taken.

5. Prayers are done for the soul of a person. For the deceased, the prayers serve as a catalyst for the progress of their souls. In Zoroastrianism it is generally believed that animals do not have a soul (faculty to make conscious choices and decisions). They only have an elementary consciousness (Baodh) and a Fravashi. Animals operate mainly by instincts and not by conscious will.

1. An Agyari is a fire temple which generally houses the second grade of fire, that is, the Adaran fire. Very rarely the Dadgah fire is used as the main sacred fire in an Agyari. The consecration of an Atash Adaran can be divided in six stages:
2. Fire is collected from hearths of four professional groups: the priests (athornan), the warriors (ratheshtar), the farmer (vastryosh) and the artisan (hutokhsh).
3. The 4 fires are then purified by a special process.

iii. Each of these fires are consecrated separately, by the performance of a Yasna and Vendidad for three days.

1. On the fourth day, the fires are amalgamated and Yasna service is performed over it.
2. Now the Sanctum sanctorum (kebla) and the agyari building are cleaned and consecrated by the performance of Yasna and Vendidad rituals.
3. Finally the sacred consecrated fire is brought in a procession to the Fire temple building and enthroned.
4. To have a consecrated Dadgah Fire, it is not necessary to collect fire from different sources, nor is it necessary to perform elaborate rituals over the fire. At the most a Baj or Yasna is performed over it.
5. The process of consecration (Guj: Ijvanu) unites the physical fire to its original source in the spiritual world which is with Ahura Mazda’s Khvarenah “divine energy” from where it draws divine energy. The consecrated fire has consciousness. It carries our prayers to the divine world and brings blessings for us in the material world.

4. Zoroastrians are required to stay in vicinity of a fire temple and visit it regularly. Not only are these power houses of divine energy, but they are also regularly visited by divine beings.

1. An Atash Behram is a fire temple which houses the highest grade of fire, the Atash Behram fire. The consecration of an Atash Behram generally follows the same six stages as that of an Adaran fire. However the main difference is that in an Atash Behram, fire from 16 different sources are used, over which more than one thousand Yasna and Vendidad are performed, spanning a period of more than a year.

2. We find a description of these 16 fires in Vendidad Chapter 8 and Rivayat of Kamdin Shapur.  They are fires from: Burning corpse, Dyer, Public bath, Potter, Brick maker, Bronze maker, Goldsmith, Mint, Blacksmith, Weapon maker, Baker’s oven, Brewer, Army camp, Shepherd, House of a Zoroastrian and Lightening. The number of purifications and consecration of the different fires range from 30 to 91 over each individual fire.

3. Between the Agyari and the Atash Behram, there is a vast difference in the process of offering Boi, the number of Atash Nyaishnas recited herein, the number of bells rung, the offering of Machi, and the preparation of priests for performance of Boi.