Established 1823. It represents luminosity. A prayer room at the Harrow Zoroastrian Centre. Banaji Atash Behram in Mumbai, India. Consecration to this rank relieves him of the necessity of purification after the various incidents of life that a lesser priest must expiate. Indo-Iranian Journal Please consider upgrading your browser software or enabling style sheets (CSS) if you are able to do so. A substantial part of the Indo-Iranian Journal is reserved for reviews of new research. A Reformer person rose up from among the people and introduced new beliefs and thoughts. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); IRANSAFAR TOURS is an Iranian tour operator and travel agency with 25 years of experience with tourism in Iran. Biography of Zarathustra, Founder of Zoroastrianism, The Differences Between Christian Science and Scientology, Marie Laveau, Mysterious Voodoo Queen of New Orleans, What Is a Cargo Cult? From there, it was moved to Bansdah, where it stayed for another 14 years before being moved yet again to Navsari, where it would remain until the 18th century. 1983 Brill Ordinary priests have the title of mobad, and are able to conduct the congregational worship and such occasional functions as marriages. [8] Strabo confirms this, noting that in the 6th century, the sanctuary at Zela in Cappadocia was an artificial mound, walled in, but open to the sky, although there is no evidence whatsoever that the Zela-sanctuary was Zoroastrian. While the fires themselves had special names, the structures did not, and it has been suggested that "the prosaic nature of the middle Persian names (kadag, man, and xanag are all words for an ordinary house) perhaps reflect a desire on the part of those who fostered the temple-cult to keep it as close as possible in character to the age-old cult of the hearth-fire, and to discourage elaboration". It is also mentioned that the fire was brought from Tus city of Khorasan region and placed inthe temple. They wrap the kusti around the outside of a sudreh, a long, clean, white cotton shirt. A temple that maintains an Adaran or Behram fire also maintains at least one Dadgah fire. +98 930 439 1527. Zoroastrianism originated over 3500 years ago in ancient Persia and represents a religious shift in human history, when polytheism began to give way to monotheism. When the adherent enters the sanctum he or she will offer bone-dry sandalwood (or other sweet-smelling wood) to the fire. Until the 17th century the fire (now) at Udvada was the only continuously burning one on the Indian subcontinent. Some fire temples have only a quadrangular section as described, but some of the more important types, such as the Char Qapi fire temple in Qasr-e Shirin, also hadall around corridors and enclosed spaceswhich have collapsed over time, however, traces of it can be seen in some parts. Goodness and pureness are strongly linked in Zoroastrianism (as they are in many other religions), and pureness features prominently in Zoroastrian ritual. +98 921 497 4273 When tending to the fire, a cloth known as a padan is worn over the mouth and nose so that breath and saliva do not pollute the fire. The chamber containing the holy fire, known as the Dar-I-Mihr or "porch of Mithra," is generally positioned so that those outside the temple cannot even view it. Some of these domes were made of brick and a row of stone, and their remains still exist today. A careers content writer, Debra Kraft is a former English teacher whose 25-plus year corporate career includes training and mentoring. There are different types of fire temples, but their basis and architectural plan of the building are similar to each other. ", Although "in the eyes of [contemporary] Iranian Zoroastrian priests, the three fires were not 'really existing' temple fires and rather belonged to the mythological realm",[19] several attempts have been made to identify the locations of the Great Fires. Fire is venerated as a great purifying agent and as a symbol of Ahura Mazdas power, but it is in no way worshiped or thought to be Ahura Mazda himself. We offer a wide range of travel service to those who wish to travel to Iran: Iran visa, Iran tours, accommodation in Iran, Flights, train, Bus, Travel insurance, Guides, Driver guides, etc. Required fields are marked *. M.A., History, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Haoma (a specific plant commonly associated with ephedra today). In ancient Iran, the head of the family always kept the fire burning, so keeping the fire lit became a tradition. Three styles of a priest's hat with the mouth covered. Lamps often fueled by gheeanother purifying substance are also lit as part of the navjote initiation ceremony. The priests of these respective "Royal Fires" are said to have competed with each other to draw pilgrims by promoting the legends and miracles that were purported to have occurred at their respective sites. While fire purifies, even consecrated, holy fires are not immune to contamination, and Zoroastrian priests take many precautions against such an action occurring. Your email address will not be published. The divine spark, an outflow of the divinity of God that is believed to exist in all living creations, can also be seen in the symbol of fire. Retrieved from https://www.learnreligions.com/purity-and-fire-in-zoroastrianism-95754. BRILL, founded in 1683, is a publishing house with a strong international focus. Before the arrival of Islam in Iran, there were many fire temples all over the country, but after the gradual conversion to Islam, the number of remaining fire temples decreased sharply. The wall(s) of the inner sanctum are almost always tiled or of marble, but are otherwise undecorated. Zoroastrianism is related to the three principles of good speech, good thought and good deed, which are also expressed in other religions. 2020 Leaf Group Ltd. / Leaf Group Media, All Rights Reserved. The second, the atroshan, were the "places of burning fire" which became more and more prevalent as the iconoclastic movement gained support. [9] Although the "burning of fire" was a key element in Zoroastrian worship, the burning of "eternal" fire, as well as the presence of "light" in worship, was also a key element in many other religions. Zoroastrians focus on keeping their minds, bodies and environments pure in the quest to defeat evil (Angra Mainyu). Archaeological remains and literary evidence from Zend commentaries on the Avesta suggest that the sanctuary was surrounded by a passageway on all four sides. Also, as Schippman observed,[10] there is no evidence even during the Sassanid era (226650 CE) that the fires were categorized according to their sanctity. [20] If this identification is correct, the temple of the Farnbag fire then lay 10 miles southwest of Juwun, midway between Jahrom and Lar. Each of the three is also said to have mirrored social and feudal divisions: "The fire which is Farnbag has made its place among the priests; the fire which is Gshnasp has made its place among the warriors; the fire which is Brzn-Mitr has made its place among agriculturists" (Denkard, 6.293). Thisfire temple is located in the ancient site ofTakht-e Soleymannext to LakeCh.ichast, and was one of the most revered fire temples of ancient Iran in Sassanid Era. [23] On entry one comes into a large space or hall where congregation (also non-religious) or special ceremonies may take place. Good souls will pass through unharmed, while the souls of the corrupt will burn in anguish. Lebanon Valley College: Death, Dying & Beyond -- Zoroastrianism, The Theosophical Society in America: Zoroastrianism -- History, Beliefs, and Practices, University of Illinois, School of Chemical Sciences: Zoroaster and the Theory of the Four Elements. Fire Temple attendance is particularly high during seasonal celebrations (Gahambars), and especially for the New Year (Noruz). To Zoroastrians, purity is sacred. With a personal account, you can read up to 100 articles each month for free. [13], The Battle of al-Qdisiyyah (636 CE) and the Battle of Nihavnd (642 CE) were instrumental to the collapse of the Sassanid Empire and state-sponsored Zoroastrianism; destruction or conversion (mosques) of some fire temples in Greater Iran followed. [10][12] Apparently, it was only in the Atash-i Vahram that fire was kept continuously burning, with the Adaran fires being annually relit. Established 1897. Classroom is the educational resource for people of all ages. Established 1783. The temple structure is open from four sides and the sacred fire was kept under the dome, but little by little, this place of fire has moved away from the middle of the building so that in todays fire temples, the fire is located in a side room with no corridor around it. Some wear a kusti, which is a cord knotted three times, to remind them of the maxim, 'Good Words, Good Thoughts, Good Deeds'. Read your article online and download the PDF from your email or your account. The priest will use a special ladle to proffer the holy ash to the layperson, who in turn daubs it on his or her forehead and eyelids, and may take some home for use after a Kushti ceremony. This building has a large and round fireplace, in which several vents are installed. They tried their best to build fire temples along the rivers, springs or sea to celebrate the four precious elements of fire, soil, air and water. Only traces of the foundation and ground-plan survive and have been tentatively dated to the 3rd or 4th century BCE. The Bundahishn, an encyclopaediaic collection of Zoroastrian cosmogony and cosmology written in Book Pahlavi,[18] which was finished in the 11th or 12th century CE, states that the Great Fires had existed since creation and had been brought forth on the back of the ox Srishok to propagate the faith, dispel doubt, and protect all humankind. This is in accordance with doctrinal statutes expressed in Vendidad 18.26-27, which in addition to enumerating which fuels are appropriate, also reiterates the injunctions of Yasna 3.1 and Yashts 14.55 that describe which fuels are not (in particular, any not of wood). In contrast to the Adaran and Behram fires, the Dadgah fire is the one at which priests then celebrate the rituals of the faith, and which the public addresses to invoke blessings for a specific individual, a family or an event. [4] For, one "who sacrifices unto fire with fuel in his hand , is given happiness".[5]. 
[20] The Indian (lesser) Bundahishn records the Farnbag fire having been "on the glory-having mountain which is in Khwarezm" but later moved "upon the shining mountain in the district of Kavul just as it there even now remains" (IBd 17.6). This page was last edited on 4 June 2022, at 12:39. Fire is seen as the supreme symbol of purity, and sacred fires are maintained in Fire Temples (Agiaries). Consecration may occasionally include the recitation of the Vendidad, but this is optional. Zoroastrians are not fire-worshippers, as some Westerners wrongly believe. Your email address will not be published. Zoroastrians worship in fire temples, where a sacred fire is kept burning to signify an eternal flame, and fire is always present during special prayers and ceremonies. In Zoroastrian texts, the blowing on fire is highly condemned, and the worshiper should use a kind of mouthpiece when praying so that his breath does not contaminate the fire. Connected to this anteroom, or enclosed within it, but not visible from the hall, is the innermost sanctum (in Zoroastrian terminology, the atashgah, literally 'place of the fire'[2] in which the actual fire-altar stands). As of 2021[update], there were 167 fire temples in the world, of which 45 were in Mumbai, 105 in the rest of India, and 17 in other countries. Fire is also prominent in Zoroastrian eschatologywhen all souls will be submitted to fire and molten metal to purify them of wickedness. Some fire temples in Iran changed their use and became mosques and some others are in ruins. This item is part of a JSTOR Collection. Enter the e-mail address associated with the account. Learn Religions, Aug. 27, 2020, learnreligions.com/purity-and-fire-in-zoroastrianism-95754. The next highest grade of fire is the Atash Adaran, the "Fire of fires". This fire temple was not always at Udvada. There is a round building on the top of the hill, which has eight corners and there is a window in each corner. located in the city ofSabzevar,Azar Barzinis one of the three most sacred fire temples of Iran. See disclaimer. Sassanid coins of the 3rd-4th century CE likewise reveal a fire in a vase-like container identical in design to the present-day afrinagans. Fire is incorporated into a number of Zoroastrian rituals. 
The Indian Zoroastrians do however export these and other utensils to their co-religionists the world over. Greek historians of the Parthian period reported the use of a metal vase-like urn to transport fire. This ash, it is said, served as the bed for the fire today at Udvada.[21]. [1][2][3] In the Zoroastrian religion, fire (see atar), together with clean water (see aban), are agents of ritual purity. These fires represent the light of God (Ahura Mazda) as well as the illuminated mind, and are never extinguished. This may reflect ancient tradition (supported by the prosaic nature of the technical terms for a fire temple) that the principal purpose of a fire temple is to house a sacred fire, and not to glorify what is otherwise simply a building. [6][7] Of these only 9 (1 in Iran and 8 in India) are the main temples known as atash behrams and the remaining are the smaller temples known as agiarys. Other texts observe that the Great Fires were also vehicles of propaganda and symbols of imperial sovereignty. Eight priests are required to consecrate an Adaran fire and the procedure takes between two and three weeks. Currently, the religion of Zoroastrianism is one of the official religions of Iran and has its own followers. Throughout its existence the company has been honored with many awards which recognise BRILL's contribution to science, publishing and international trade. avesta.org - Fire in the Avesta by EG Panthaki (pdf document). A fire temple, Agiary, Atashkadeh (Persian: ), Atashgah () or Dar-e Mehr ( ) is the place of worship for the followers of Zoroastrianism, the ancient religion of Iran (Persia). that of Burzen-Mihr, Jackson "identified with reasonable certainty" as being near the village of Mihr half-way between Miandasht and Sabzevar on the Khorasan road to Nishapur. It is significantly more common than the older atashkada, a Classical Persian language term that together with its middle Persian predecessors ( tax-kadag, -man and -xanag) literally means 'house of fire'. It publishes articles on Indo-Iranian languages (linguistics and literatures), such as Sanskrit, Avestan, Middle Iranian and Middle & New Indo-Aryan. Among present-day Iranian Zoroastrians, the term darb-e mehr includes the entire ritual precinct. Illustrations are accepted. Publications are increasingly becoming available in electronic format (CD-ROM and/or online editions).BRILL is proud to work with a broad range of scholars and authors and to serve its many customers throughout the world. https://www.learnreligions.com/purity-and-fire-in-zoroastrianism-95754 (accessed July 22, 2022). [3] The Parsis called such an unconsecrated building either dar-be mehr or agiary. It publishes specialized research on ancient Iranian religion and the Indian religions, such as the Veda, Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism (including Tibetan). The Indo-Iranian Journal (IIJ), founded in 1957, is a peer-reviewed journal that focuses on the ancient and medieval languages and cultures of South Asia and of pre-Islamic Iran. That the rituals of fire was a doctrinal modification and absent from early Zoroastrianism is also evident in the later Atash Nyash. Zoroastrians believe that it is more than 3000 years old and some sources have mentioned the founder of this building asKey khosrow, son ofSiavash(mythic kings). Zoroastrians believe that the elements are pure and that fire represents God's light or wisdom. option. Beginning date of fire temple construction in Iran is still unknown. Beyer, Catherine. The legends of the Great Fires are probably of antiquity (see also Denkard citation, below), for by the 3rd century CE, miracles were said to happen at the sites, and the fires were popularly associated with other legends such as those of the folktale heroes Fereydun, Jamshid and Rustam. The fire temple of Atashgah is adjacent to the MinarJonban and is located on a high rocky hill. Following the rise of the Sassanid dynasty, the shrines to the Yazatas continued to exist, but with the statues by law either abandoned or replaced by fire altars. Established 1845. Whether youre studying times tables or applying to college, Classroom has the answers. Located in West Azerbaijan Province, about 45 km northeast ofTakab,Azar Goshnasbis one of the largest and most famous fire temples in the Iranian plateau. 
It is, however, mentioned in a 16th-century Rivayat epistle (R. 65). Each of the 16 fires is then subject to a purification ritual before it joins the others. This custom has been challenged before the Supreme Court of India.[25]. Zoroastrian worship is not prescriptive. Zarathustras claim was to clear the world from darkness and lead people to goodness. Some of the one-piece stones used in the construction of fire temples sometimes reached up to seven meters. The faith was practiced largely by the aristocracy but large numbers of fire temples did not exist. Once it is properly consecrated, a temple fire should never be allowed to go out, although it can be transported to another location if necessary. In the past, there were many magnificent palaces around this fire temple. That the temple once stood in Khwarezm is also supported by the Greater (Iranian) Bundahishn and by the texts of Zadsparam (11.9). No Zoroastrian ritual or ceremony is performed without the presence of a sacred fire. The interesting point is that the religion of Zoroaster has been the official religion of Iran for about 5 centuries and still has its followers. The architecture of a fire temple consists of a quadrangular building with four arched gates on all four sides. Functionally, the fire temples are built to serve the fire within them, and the fire temples are classified (and named) according to the grade of fire housed within them. In the same way, Catholics do not worship holy water, although they recognize that it has spiritual properties, and Christians, in general, do not worship the cross, although the symbol is widely respected and dearly held as representative of Christ's sacrifice. Catherine Beyer is a practicing Wiccan who has taught religion in at Lakeland College in Wisconsin as well as humanities and Western culture at the University of Wisconsin, Green Bay. The name of this ancient fire temple is mentioned in Shahnameh book. Thirty-two priests are required for the consecration ceremony, which can take up to a year to complete. Since fire is a sacred element for the Zoroastrians, its maintenance and care required special conditions. "It seems probable that there were virtually only two, namely the Atash-i Vahram [literally: "victorious fire", later misunderstood to be the Fire of Bahram],[11] and the lesser Atash-i Adaran, or 'Fire of Fires', a parish fire, as it were, serving a village or town quarter". The characteristic feature of the Sassanid fire temple was its domed sanctuary where the fire-altar stood. We'll e-mail a link to reset your password. Her areas of expertise include quality auditing, corporate compliance, Lean, ERP and IT business analysis. These building are also known as Chahar Taghi meaning four-arched building. Access supplemental materials and multimedia. The term is not necessarily a consecrated fire, and the term is also applied to the hearth fire, or to the oil lamp found in many Zoroastrian homes. Archaeologists have not agreed and it can not be estimated. 
But we still have beautiful fire temples in Iran that can be visited. Centuries after the arrival of the Aryan people in Iran, urbanization began. After the conversion of the Iranians to Islam, the fire temples remained for several centuries and there were still a number of Zoroastrians in Iran. While Ahura Mazda is generally viewed as a god without form and a being of entirely spiritual energy rather than physical existence, he has at times been equated with the sun, and certainly, the imagery associated with him remains very fire-oriented. Purification is strongly emphasised in Zoroastrian rituals. Its materials include raw clay bricks, mud, pebbles and reeds of Zayandehrud coast. Some fire temples continued with their original purpose although many Zoroastrians fled. It was then moved to Udvada where it burns today. Etymological theories see a derivation from mithryana (so Meillet) or *mithradana (Gershevitch) or mithraion (Wilcken). "[16], Ruins of temples of the Sassanid era have been found in various parts of the former empire, mostly in the southwest (Fars, Kerman and Elam), but the biggest and most impressive are those of Adur Gushnasp in Media Minor (see also The Great Fires, below). Keeping the flames lit became a divine symbol for worship in Iranian fire temples. It has been proposed that the term is a throwback to the age of the shrine cults, the name being retained because all major Zoroastrian rituals were solemnized between sunrise and noon, the time of day especially under Mithra's protection. The term darb-e mehr is also common in India, albeit with a slightly different meaning. The basic structure of present-day fire temples is always the same. Overseas, in particular in North America, Zoroastrians use the term dar-be mehr for both temples that have an eternally burning fire as well as for sites where the fire is only kindled occasionally. The temple is an even later development: from Herodotus it is known that in the mid-5th century BCE the Zoroastrians worshipped to the open sky, ascending mounds to light their fires. Read more. One of the more common technical terms in use for a Zoroastrian fire temple is dar be-mehr, romanized as darb-e mehr or dialectally slurred as dar-e mehr. Apart from relatively minor fire temples, three were said to derive directly from Ahura Mazda, thus making them the most important in Zoroastrian tradition. The location of the Mithra fire, i.e. The legend that the Indian Zoroastrians invented the afrinagan (the metal urn in which a sacred fire today resides) when they moved the fire from Sanjan to the Bahrot Caves is unsustainable. While this is not a doctrinal requirement (that is, it is not an injunction specified in the Avesta or in the so-called Pahlavi texts), it has nonetheless developed as a tradition. While you will be able to view the content of this page in your current browser, you will not be able to get the full visual experience. Fire to a Zoroastrian might be comparable to a crucifix for a Catholic -- it is a visual symbol of a God that cannot actually be seen. Pregnant women light fires or lamps as a protective measure. Purity and Fire in Zoroastrianism. Prayers are said facing the sun, fire or other source of light representing Ahura Mazda's divine light and energy. They may engage in a purification ritual, such as the washing of the hands, then untie and then retie it while reciting prayers. This fire temple is located in the west of Isfahan on the Isfahan-Najafabad road. These divisions are archaeologically and sociologically revealing, because they make clear that, since from at least the 1st century BCE onwards, society was divided into four, not three, feudal estates. Many more ruins are popularly identified as the remains of Zoroastrian fire temples even when their purpose is of evidently secular nature, or are the remains of a temple of the shrine cults, or as is the case of a fort-like fire temple and monastery at Surkhany, Azerbaijan, that unambiguously belongs to another religion. Although there are numerous eternally burning Zoroastrian fires today, with the exception of the 'Fire of Warharan', none of them are more than 250 years old. 
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. This prophet called Zarathustra introduced himself as the messenger of a god of goodness and enlightenment. Zoroaster placed less emphasis on ritual worship, instead focusing on the central ethics of 'Good Words, Good Thoughts and Good Deeds'. The priesthood is trigradal. Some of these fire temples are Atashgah Fire Temple in Isfahan, Sarmasjed Mosque in Khuzestan, Takht-e Rostam in Tehran, Kirkuk in Sistan and Baluchestan and Bahram Fire Temple in Yazd, which has been lit by a fire for 1500 years. The need for purity is particularly evident in funerary rituals. While Zoroastrians are sometimes mistaken for fire worshipers, they do not worship the fire itself. In the Zoroastrian fire temples, fire was not worshiped at all, but because of its dynamism, warmth, protection and the nature of transformation, it is mentioned as aspects of divine power. The highest grade of fire is the Atash Behram, "Fire of victory", and its establishment and consecration is the most elaborate of the three. Only priests are allowed to take care of the fire and ordinary people do not have the right to enter the fire. Our goal has always been to provide superior travel services with our focus being on client satisfaction at the best competitive rates; to help you with an unforgettable amazing Iran trip. (2020, August 27). These were the "Great Fires" or "Royal Fires" of Adur Burzen-Mihr, Adur Farnbag, and Adur Gushnasp. In order for the parts that were made of bricks to have high strength, baked bricks were used on the outside and raw bricks were used on the inside of the building. 
Around them, sometimes there were other spaces that were used as schools, observatories and hospitals. "Purity and Fire in Zoroastrianism." The older terms have the advantage that they are readily understood even by non-Zoroastrian Iranians. Prayers are primarily invocational, calling upon and celebrating Ahura Mazda and his good essence that runs through all things. Cremation can also be problematic, because a body will contaminate the purity of fire. Famous French archaeologist Andre Godard believes that when Zoroastrianism entered Iran, there used to be religions such as Mazdaism and their fire temples existed in all cities and most scholars agree with this hypothesis. Select the purchase A temple at which a Yasna service (the principal Zoroastrian act of worship that accompanies the recitation of the Yasna liturgy) may be celebrated will always have, attached to it or on the grounds, at least a well or a stream or other source of 'natural' water.
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[20] The Indian (lesser) Bundahishn records the Farnbag fire having been "on the glory-having mountain which is in Khwarezm" but later moved "upon the shining mountain in the district of Kavul just as it there even now remains" (IBd 17.6). This page was last edited on 4 June 2022, at 12:39. Fire is seen as the supreme symbol of purity, and sacred fires are maintained in Fire Temples (Agiaries). Consecration may occasionally include the recitation of the Vendidad, but this is optional. Zoroastrians are not fire-worshippers, as some Westerners wrongly believe. Your email address will not be published. Zoroastrians worship in fire temples, where a sacred fire is kept burning to signify an eternal flame, and fire is always present during special prayers and ceremonies. In Zoroastrian texts, the blowing on fire is highly condemned, and the worshiper should use a kind of mouthpiece when praying so that his breath does not contaminate the fire. Connected to this anteroom, or enclosed within it, but not visible from the hall, is the innermost sanctum (in Zoroastrian terminology, the atashgah, literally 'place of the fire'[2] in which the actual fire-altar stands). As of 2021[update], there were 167 fire temples in the world, of which 45 were in Mumbai, 105 in the rest of India, and 17 in other countries. Fire is also prominent in Zoroastrian eschatologywhen all souls will be submitted to fire and molten metal to purify them of wickedness. Some fire temples in Iran changed their use and became mosques and some others are in ruins. This item is part of a JSTOR Collection. Enter the e-mail address associated with the account. Learn Religions, Aug. 27, 2020, learnreligions.com/purity-and-fire-in-zoroastrianism-95754. The next highest grade of fire is the Atash Adaran, the "Fire of fires". This fire temple was not always at Udvada. There is a round building on the top of the hill, which has eight corners and there is a window in each corner. located in the city ofSabzevar,Azar Barzinis one of the three most sacred fire temples of Iran. See disclaimer. Sassanid coins of the 3rd-4th century CE likewise reveal a fire in a vase-like container identical in design to the present-day afrinagans. Fire is incorporated into a number of Zoroastrian rituals. The Indian Zoroastrians do however export these and other utensils to their co-religionists the world over. Greek historians of the Parthian period reported the use of a metal vase-like urn to transport fire. This ash, it is said, served as the bed for the fire today at Udvada.[21]. [1][2][3] In the Zoroastrian religion, fire (see atar), together with clean water (see aban), are agents of ritual purity. These fires represent the light of God (Ahura Mazda) as well as the illuminated mind, and are never extinguished. This may reflect ancient tradition (supported by the prosaic nature of the technical terms for a fire temple) that the principal purpose of a fire temple is to house a sacred fire, and not to glorify what is otherwise simply a building. [6][7] Of these only 9 (1 in Iran and 8 in India) are the main temples known as atash behrams and the remaining are the smaller temples known as agiarys. Other texts observe that the Great Fires were also vehicles of propaganda and symbols of imperial sovereignty. Eight priests are required to consecrate an Adaran fire and the procedure takes between two and three weeks. Currently, the religion of Zoroastrianism is one of the official religions of Iran and has its own followers. Throughout its existence the company has been honored with many awards which recognise BRILL's contribution to science, publishing and international trade. avesta.org - Fire in the Avesta by EG Panthaki (pdf document). A fire temple, Agiary, Atashkadeh (Persian: ), Atashgah () or Dar-e Mehr ( ) is the place of worship for the followers of Zoroastrianism, the ancient religion of Iran (Persia). that of Burzen-Mihr, Jackson "identified with reasonable certainty" as being near the village of Mihr half-way between Miandasht and Sabzevar on the Khorasan road to Nishapur. It is significantly more common than the older atashkada, a Classical Persian language term that together with its middle Persian predecessors ( tax-kadag, -man and -xanag) literally means 'house of fire'. It publishes articles on Indo-Iranian languages (linguistics and literatures), such as Sanskrit, Avestan, Middle Iranian and Middle & New Indo-Aryan. Among present-day Iranian Zoroastrians, the term darb-e mehr includes the entire ritual precinct. Illustrations are accepted. Publications are increasingly becoming available in electronic format (CD-ROM and/or online editions).BRILL is proud to work with a broad range of scholars and authors and to serve its many customers throughout the world. https://www.learnreligions.com/purity-and-fire-in-zoroastrianism-95754 (accessed July 22, 2022). [3] The Parsis called such an unconsecrated building either dar-be mehr or agiary. It publishes specialized research on ancient Iranian religion and the Indian religions, such as the Veda, Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism (including Tibetan). The Indo-Iranian Journal (IIJ), founded in 1957, is a peer-reviewed journal that focuses on the ancient and medieval languages and cultures of South Asia and of pre-Islamic Iran. That the rituals of fire was a doctrinal modification and absent from early Zoroastrianism is also evident in the later Atash Nyash. Zoroastrians believe that it is more than 3000 years old and some sources have mentioned the founder of this building asKey khosrow, son ofSiavash(mythic kings). Zoroastrians believe that the elements are pure and that fire represents God's light or wisdom. option. Beginning date of fire temple construction in Iran is still unknown. Beyer, Catherine. The legends of the Great Fires are probably of antiquity (see also Denkard citation, below), for by the 3rd century CE, miracles were said to happen at the sites, and the fires were popularly associated with other legends such as those of the folktale heroes Fereydun, Jamshid and Rustam. The fire temple of Atashgah is adjacent to the MinarJonban and is located on a high rocky hill. Following the rise of the Sassanid dynasty, the shrines to the Yazatas continued to exist, but with the statues by law either abandoned or replaced by fire altars. Established 1845. Whether youre studying times tables or applying to college, Classroom has the answers. Located in West Azerbaijan Province, about 45 km northeast ofTakab,Azar Goshnasbis one of the largest and most famous fire temples in the Iranian plateau. It is, however, mentioned in a 16th-century Rivayat epistle (R. 65). Each of the 16 fires is then subject to a purification ritual before it joins the others. This custom has been challenged before the Supreme Court of India.[25]. Zoroastrian worship is not prescriptive. Zarathustras claim was to clear the world from darkness and lead people to goodness. Some of the one-piece stones used in the construction of fire temples sometimes reached up to seven meters. The faith was practiced largely by the aristocracy but large numbers of fire temples did not exist. Once it is properly consecrated, a temple fire should never be allowed to go out, although it can be transported to another location if necessary. In the past, there were many magnificent palaces around this fire temple. That the temple once stood in Khwarezm is also supported by the Greater (Iranian) Bundahishn and by the texts of Zadsparam (11.9). No Zoroastrian ritual or ceremony is performed without the presence of a sacred fire. The interesting point is that the religion of Zoroaster has been the official religion of Iran for about 5 centuries and still has its followers. The architecture of a fire temple consists of a quadrangular building with four arched gates on all four sides. Functionally, the fire temples are built to serve the fire within them, and the fire temples are classified (and named) according to the grade of fire housed within them. In the same way, Catholics do not worship holy water, although they recognize that it has spiritual properties, and Christians, in general, do not worship the cross, although the symbol is widely respected and dearly held as representative of Christ's sacrifice. Catherine Beyer is a practicing Wiccan who has taught religion in at Lakeland College in Wisconsin as well as humanities and Western culture at the University of Wisconsin, Green Bay. The name of this ancient fire temple is mentioned in Shahnameh book. Thirty-two priests are required for the consecration ceremony, which can take up to a year to complete. Since fire is a sacred element for the Zoroastrians, its maintenance and care required special conditions. "It seems probable that there were virtually only two, namely the Atash-i Vahram [literally: "victorious fire", later misunderstood to be the Fire of Bahram],[11] and the lesser Atash-i Adaran, or 'Fire of Fires', a parish fire, as it were, serving a village or town quarter". The characteristic feature of the Sassanid fire temple was its domed sanctuary where the fire-altar stood. We'll e-mail a link to reset your password. Her areas of expertise include quality auditing, corporate compliance, Lean, ERP and IT business analysis. These building are also known as Chahar Taghi meaning four-arched building. Access supplemental materials and multimedia. The term is not necessarily a consecrated fire, and the term is also applied to the hearth fire, or to the oil lamp found in many Zoroastrian homes. Archaeologists have not agreed and it can not be estimated. But we still have beautiful fire temples in Iran that can be visited. Centuries after the arrival of the Aryan people in Iran, urbanization began. After the conversion of the Iranians to Islam, the fire temples remained for several centuries and there were still a number of Zoroastrians in Iran. While Ahura Mazda is generally viewed as a god without form and a being of entirely spiritual energy rather than physical existence, he has at times been equated with the sun, and certainly, the imagery associated with him remains very fire-oriented. Purification is strongly emphasised in Zoroastrian rituals. Its materials include raw clay bricks, mud, pebbles and reeds of Zayandehrud coast. Some fire temples continued with their original purpose although many Zoroastrians fled. It was then moved to Udvada where it burns today. Etymological theories see a derivation from mithryana (so Meillet) or *mithradana (Gershevitch) or mithraion (Wilcken). "[16], Ruins of temples of the Sassanid era have been found in various parts of the former empire, mostly in the southwest (Fars, Kerman and Elam), but the biggest and most impressive are those of Adur Gushnasp in Media Minor (see also The Great Fires, below). Keeping the flames lit became a divine symbol for worship in Iranian fire temples. It has been proposed that the term is a throwback to the age of the shrine cults, the name being retained because all major Zoroastrian rituals were solemnized between sunrise and noon, the time of day especially under Mithra's protection. The term darb-e mehr is also common in India, albeit with a slightly different meaning. The basic structure of present-day fire temples is always the same. Overseas, in particular in North America, Zoroastrians use the term dar-be mehr for both temples that have an eternally burning fire as well as for sites where the fire is only kindled occasionally. The temple is an even later development: from Herodotus it is known that in the mid-5th century BCE the Zoroastrians worshipped to the open sky, ascending mounds to light their fires. Read more. One of the more common technical terms in use for a Zoroastrian fire temple is dar be-mehr, romanized as darb-e mehr or dialectally slurred as dar-e mehr. Apart from relatively minor fire temples, three were said to derive directly from Ahura Mazda, thus making them the most important in Zoroastrian tradition. The location of the Mithra fire, i.e. The legend that the Indian Zoroastrians invented the afrinagan (the metal urn in which a sacred fire today resides) when they moved the fire from Sanjan to the Bahrot Caves is unsustainable. While this is not a doctrinal requirement (that is, it is not an injunction specified in the Avesta or in the so-called Pahlavi texts), it has nonetheless developed as a tradition. While you will be able to view the content of this page in your current browser, you will not be able to get the full visual experience. Fire to a Zoroastrian might be comparable to a crucifix for a Catholic -- it is a visual symbol of a God that cannot actually be seen. Pregnant women light fires or lamps as a protective measure. Purity and Fire in Zoroastrianism. Prayers are said facing the sun, fire or other source of light representing Ahura Mazda's divine light and energy. They may engage in a purification ritual, such as the washing of the hands, then untie and then retie it while reciting prayers. This fire temple is located in the west of Isfahan on the Isfahan-Najafabad road. These divisions are archaeologically and sociologically revealing, because they make clear that, since from at least the 1st century BCE onwards, society was divided into four, not three, feudal estates. Many more ruins are popularly identified as the remains of Zoroastrian fire temples even when their purpose is of evidently secular nature, or are the remains of a temple of the shrine cults, or as is the case of a fort-like fire temple and monastery at Surkhany, Azerbaijan, that unambiguously belongs to another religion. Although there are numerous eternally burning Zoroastrian fires today, with the exception of the 'Fire of Warharan', none of them are more than 250 years old. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. This prophet called Zarathustra introduced himself as the messenger of a god of goodness and enlightenment. Zoroaster placed less emphasis on ritual worship, instead focusing on the central ethics of 'Good Words, Good Thoughts and Good Deeds'. The priesthood is trigradal. Some of these fire temples are Atashgah Fire Temple in Isfahan, Sarmasjed Mosque in Khuzestan, Takht-e Rostam in Tehran, Kirkuk in Sistan and Baluchestan and Bahram Fire Temple in Yazd, which has been lit by a fire for 1500 years. The need for purity is particularly evident in funerary rituals. While Zoroastrians are sometimes mistaken for fire worshipers, they do not worship the fire itself. In the Zoroastrian fire temples, fire was not worshiped at all, but because of its dynamism, warmth, protection and the nature of transformation, it is mentioned as aspects of divine power. The highest grade of fire is the Atash Behram, "Fire of victory", and its establishment and consecration is the most elaborate of the three. Only priests are allowed to take care of the fire and ordinary people do not have the right to enter the fire. Our goal has always been to provide superior travel services with our focus being on client satisfaction at the best competitive rates; to help you with an unforgettable amazing Iran trip. (2020, August 27). These were the "Great Fires" or "Royal Fires" of Adur Burzen-Mihr, Adur Farnbag, and Adur Gushnasp. In order for the parts that were made of bricks to have high strength, baked bricks were used on the outside and raw bricks were used on the inside of the building. Around them, sometimes there were other spaces that were used as schools, observatories and hospitals. "Purity and Fire in Zoroastrianism." The older terms have the advantage that they are readily understood even by non-Zoroastrian Iranians. Prayers are primarily invocational, calling upon and celebrating Ahura Mazda and his good essence that runs through all things. Cremation can also be problematic, because a body will contaminate the purity of fire. Famous French archaeologist Andre Godard believes that when Zoroastrianism entered Iran, there used to be religions such as Mazdaism and their fire temples existed in all cities and most scholars agree with this hypothesis. Select the purchase A temple at which a Yasna service (the principal Zoroastrian act of worship that accompanies the recitation of the Yasna liturgy) may be celebrated will always have, attached to it or on the grounds, at least a well or a stream or other source of 'natural' water.
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