Azargoshasb Fire Temple was encircled by the pleasant sound of Avesta and cheerful commotion of Iran

Illustrative report
Azargoshasb Fire Temple was encircled by the pleasant sound of Avesta and cheerful commotion of Iranians

---

The sound of Avesta, on 27 Shahrivar (18 September) once again filled Azargoshasb Fire Temple.
In Azargoshasb Fire Temple Zoroastrians recited the Avesta and prayed for a strong unity and cooperation of Zoroastrians of the world.  It is 6 years that this ceremony is being organized, annually, by Yatha Ahu site.  Azargoshasb is one of the largest and most renowned fire temples of the Iranian plateau, situated in West Azarbaijan, 49 km on the northeast of the city of Takab.  The history of this structure goes back to over 3000 years.  Azargoshasb is located near the Urumieh Lake (Chichest Lake) and was surrounded by magnificent buildings in those days.
Amordad camera also went to the Fire Temple to once again display the get-together of Zoroastrians in this ancient holy site.

Gahanbar ceremony in Azargoshasb Fire Temple – A picture of the Mobeds, before reaching the entrance gate of Azargoshasb fire temple:  this gate does not seem to be the gate that was used by the Sassanians.  The Sassanian gate is on the right side of this gate and the carvings on the top is in complete harmony with Sassanian architecture and finish.

Gahanbar ceremony in Azargoshasb Fire Temple – Mobeds Sohrab Hengami and Mehrab Vahidi are reciting Avesta in Azargoshasb Fire temple.  The white Gahanbar tablecloth is spread with the symbols of the ‘Amshaspandan’, being the heavenly creations, laid on it; water, evergreen plants of cypress and myrtle, fire censer with fire in it, and. . .

Gahanbar ceremony in Azargoshasb Fire Temple – the sweet fragrance of aloeswood and incense had filled the air.

Gahanbar ceremony in Azargoshasb Fire Temple – A huge crowd of Zoroastrians and non-Zoroastrians had participated in the ceremony, which is held only once a year and attracts many eager people from all over Iran, to this world heritage in Takhte Sulieman area in Takab.

Gahanbar ceremony in Azargoshasb Fire Temple – Zoroastrians recited Avesta together with the Mobeds and retied their kustis.  Kusti (koshti) is a girdle (waistband) made from sheep wool, woven from 72 strings of woolen thread, representing the 72 chapters of Gathas, the holy hymns of Zarathushtra.  These 72 strings, divided into 12 equal parts, meaning 12 months of the year, and each of these 12 strings divided into 6 parts, meaning the 6 chahreh of Gahanbars, are woven together ending with 4 knots, which represents the 4 elements of nature:  water, air, earth and fire.  Zoroastrians tie the kusti on their waist, and by retying it each time, remind themselves of their duty to spread, righteousness, goodness, purity, peace and honesty and their duty to fight with wrong, evil, impurity, war and by-ways.

Gahanbar ceremony in Azargoshasb Fire Temple – Picture of the white Gahanbar tablecloth.  On the tablecloth stalks of the evergreen cypress is put as the symbol of ‘Amordad Amshaspand’ (guardian of immortality).  Pure water is the symbol of ‘Khordad Amshaspand’, a special copper bowl as the worldly symbol of ‘Shahrivar Amshaspand’, a bowl of milk as the worldly symbol of ‘Vahman Amshaspand’.  ‘Lork’ (7 types of dried fruit) was also put on the table.  Zoroastrians would always select 7 types of dried fruit, from their own crops, and by distributing it in the Gahanbars, would ask Ahura Mazda to grant fertility to their land and development for the world, and at the same time, would help the poor.  In Gahanbars the rich and poor participate and benefit equally.

Gahanbar ceremony in Azargoshasb Fire Temple – The sweet smell of incense had spread in the air.  Zoroastrians believe that two things give peace to the souls: fragrance and pleasant sounds.  Therefore, Zoroastrians always burn incense, sandal wood, aloeswood and other good smelling seeds on the fire.

Gahanbar ceremony in Azargoshasb Fire Temple – A mirror with the picture of Zarathushtra carved on it.

Gahanbar ceremony in Azargoshasb Fire Temple – O Ahura Mazda: we are praying to you with our hands lifted towards you, to grant us purity, beneficence and the power to spread righteousness in the world.

Gahanbar ceremony in Azargoshasb Fire Temple – The Mobeds recited ‘Atash Niyaesh’ prayers.

Gahanbar ceremony in Azargoshasb Fire Temple – Zoroastrian ladies participating in the ceremony wore traditional clothes.  ‘Makna’ serves as scarf and covers the head upto the waist in the front, and upto the feet at the back.  The word ‘makna’ later changed to ‘maqna’ and ‘maghna-e’ which is used these days, comes from this root.

Gahanbar ceremony in Azargoshasb Fire Temple – One of the important items on the Gahanbar table is fruit.  During the Avesta khani, the mobeds cut the fruit into pieces.  In Zoroastrian religion there is no sign of killing animals in ceremonies and instead fruit is cut.  The fragrance of fruit brings peace to the souls.  By eating the fruit at the end of the ceremony, the participants take a share in the benefits of the Gahanbar.

Gahanbar ceremony in Azargoshasb Fire Temple

Gahanbar ceremony in Azargoshasb Fire Temple

Gahanbar ceremony in Azargoshasb Fire Temple – ‘Berasad’ is the last prayer.  By reciting this part of Avesta at the end of the prayers, Zoroastrians take the name of the day, the time (gah) and the month and offer their prayers to Ahura Mazda.  During recitation of berasad all Zoroastrians stand facing light and with lifted hands pray the ‘Berasad’ together.

Gahanbar ceremony in Azargoshasb Fire Temple – After the prayers end, one of the participants in the ceremony, who is called ‘Damavaz’ holds the censer with fire and sweet smelling incense in his hand and takes it around among the participants and repeats the Avesta word “Hamazour”, which means “Let us unite in good deeds”.  The participants move their hands over the fire and then over their face, which means that they will unite in good deeds and spread righteousness.

Gahanbar ceremony in Azargoshasb Fire Temple – Let us unite in good deeds.

Gahanbar ceremony in Azargoshasb Fire Temple – Joy and happiness is an inseparable part of Iranian and Zoroastrian ceremonies.  After Gahanbar ceremony ended the participants started playing the tambourine and singing traditional Zoroastrian songs.

Gahanbar ceremony in Azargoshasb Fire Temple – Participants were not Zoroastrian only.

Gahanbar ceremony in Azargoshasb Fire Temple – Lork, which has been prayed upon, is distributed among the participants.

Gahanbar ceremony in Azargoshasb Fire Temple – Participants share in the benefits of the Gahanbar by eating the fruit and lork.

Gahanbar ceremony in Azargoshasb Fire Temple – Entrance to the fire place.  In the Sassanian period the holy fire was kept in this part of the Fire Temple, and it was the duty of the mobed to keep the fire burning and guard it.  At present, the doors to this holy place is closed upon the public because of repair work, but once a year, during the Gahanbar ceremony, the Fire Temple is open to the public.

Gahanbar ceremony in Azargoshasb Fire Temple

photographer: Sima mehrazar
Translation by Rowshan Lohrasbpour