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Ancient Faith in the Modern World
Zoroastrianism is a monotheistic religion based upon the teachings of the ancient Persian prophet Zarathushtra. The Gathas, hymns considered the most important Zoroastrian teachings, describe an ethical path for living in a world conflicted between good and evil. The path calls for humans to live a life of good thoughts, good words, and good deeds.... Zoroastrians in India and Iran
Zoroastrians gained acceptance and eventual imperial power in Central Asia, reaching their zenith when Zoroastrianism was established as the state religion of the Sassanian Empire in the 3rd century. When the Sassanian Empire fell in 652 CE to Arab Muslims, Zoroastrians were forced to flee, convert, or practice in secret. A group of Zoroastrians, known as Parsis, fled to Gujurat, where they developed a cultural identity distinct from Iranian Zoroastrians.... Two Streams Converge
In the United States, Parsi and Iranian Zoroastrian communities sometimes hold separate schedules and services, but many share places of worship and are members of the same national Zoroastrian organizations. On the national and trans-national level, seminars, youth programs, and federations bring these two communities together. These interactions contribute to distinct modes of American Zoroastrian identities and communities.... A Visit to a Dar-e-Mehr
Zoroastrian houses of worship are called dar-e-mehrs, or fire temples. Their primary purpose is to house the “eternal flame,” a fire with which many Zoroastrian rituals are performed. While Indian dar-e-mehrs are closed to non-Zoroastrians, dar-e-mehrs in the United States act both as places of worship and learning centers open to non-Zoroastrians.... Initiation into the Faith
The Zoroastrian initiation ceremony, called the Navjote by Parsi Zoroastrians or Sudreh-Pushi by Iranian Zoroastrians, involves the investiture of a sacred shirt (sudreh) and sacred cord (kushti) that will be worn throughout life as a reminder of how to live ethically. Children choose to be initiated, typically between ages 7 and 15, and the initiation rites are the same across genders....
. Zoroastrians: Their Religious Beliefs and Practices. 2nd ed. London: Routledge, 2001.
. Hope and Conflict in a New World: The Zoroastrians of America. Cambridge: The Pluralism Project, 1992.
The Good Life: An Introduction to the Religion of Zarathushtra. New Rochelle: The Zoroastrian Association of Greater New York, 1994.
. A Handbook of Living Religions, Second Edition. “Zoroastrianism”. New York: Viking Penguin, 1998.