Both – Parsi and Irani Zoroastrians are ethnically of Persian (Iranian) origin. Parsis who came to India about 300 years after the fall of the Sasanian Empire (i.e., around the tenth century A.D.) trace their ancestry back to the province of Khorasan, known in ancient times as Parthia. The city of Mashad is situated in…
In 1776, the introduction to America’s ‘Declaration of Independence’ proclaimed, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” Closer to home and almost two centuries later, the doyen…
‘Magic’ as an expression has its roots in the term Magi. The Magi or Magus were ancient Zoroastrian priests belonging to a tribe in North-western Iran known as the Medes. Darius the Great in his historic inscription on Mount Behistun near modern day Kermansha in Iran also speaks about a certain Magus by the name…
Since ancient times, mountains have held a place of special reverence in Zoroastrian lore. There is nothing pagan about this belief, because all devout Zoroastrians have been enjoined with a sacred duty to look after, respect and revere all the good creations of Ahura Mazda. In the prayer pertaining to homage unto mountains, we pray:…
The Early Seeds of Modern Education The modernization process among the Parsis was accelerated by travels by sea to England. For the Hindus at that time it was a taboo to travel by sea. Since the first Parsi had visited England in 1723, the number of Parsis who studied or transacted business in England grew…
The eagerness of Parsis to learn and become educated in the last decade of the 19th century, coupled by the establishment of numerous educational institutions by our community, led this miniscule ethnic community to become the most literate among all Indian communities. According to the Census of India, even as far back as in the…
While many the world over will celebrate Christmas with gifts, Christmas trees and much merriment, few would know that these festivities trace their roots to the ancient Zoroastrian feast of ‘Yalda’, observed annually around 21st December (sometimes 20th or 22nd December) coinciding with the winter solstice in the Northern hemisphere. Yalda, is the longest and…
The Karname-e Ardashir-e Babakan or the Book of the Deeds of Ardashir, son of Babakan, is a legendary Middle Persian tale written during the Sasanian period (226 – 651 A.D.). This book narrates the epic adventures of the man who not only builds a great Persian empire but resurrects the Zoroastrian religion like the proverbial…
Meditation is essentially a practice where an individual uses a technique – such as mindfulness, or focusing one’s mind on a particular object, thought or activity (including just the act of breathing) to train attention and awareness, and achieve a mentally clear and emotionally calm state. The term meditation is derived from the Latin expression…
[otw_shortcode_info_box border_style=”bordered” background_color=”#c4c0c4″ css_class=”boxed”]The history of ancient Iran holds great significance for our Community – it is a heritage we can be truly proud of, and hopefully, imbibe some of the values that our ancient monarchs and leaders stood for. Parsi Times is delighted to bring you yet another brilliant and exciting series by our…
[otw_shortcode_info_box border_type=”bordered” border_color_class=”otw-black-border” border_style=”bordered” shadow=”shadow-down-right” rounded_corners=”rounded-3″ background_color_class=”otw-silver”]The history of ancient Iran holds great significance for our Community – it is a heritage we can be truly proud of, and hopefully, imbibe some of the values that our ancient monarchs and leaders stood for. Parsi Times is delighted to bring you yet another brilliant and exciting…