Zarathushtrian facts

Roj Gosh Mah Amardad, 1379 Yz.

In order to properly understand the events which took place on 1st April, 1923, it is necessary to explain the motivation behind the gigantic task undertaken by Ustad Saheb. We have seen how the original Fasal Pav Mahel was established in India by Dasturan Dastur Nairyosangh Dhaval at the time of the consecration of Pak Iranshah Atash Behram. For a period of nearly three hundred years, capable priests were available who could undertake the very difficult spiritual job of adding one day every four years to the Zoroastrian calendar. But as the effect of time and the land of India began to exert more influence, the capability of the coming generations of priests to undertake this complex task became more and more restricted.

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Roj Hormazd Mah Amardad, 1379 Yz.

Despite the severe setback of the loss of young Ervad Sorab Panthaki, the work of the Society progressed. In 1918, the Fasli Takchian ceremony was once again conducted under the supervision of Ustad Saheb at the bungalow of Mr. Captain. There were a larger number of persons who submitted the names of their deceased for the 18 day prayers and more priests were requisitioned for the same. Not satisfied at this progress, the members of the Society begun to think on a larger scale. The teachings of the Zoroastrian religion as explained and revealed by the Master had made a lasting and very deep impression in the minds of many members and had caused them to completely change their lifestyle to live a truer Zoroastrian life. The increasing urbanization of Mumbai meant that slowly but surely, it was becoming difficult to practice the principles of purity as expounded in the religion and which form the bedrock of any practice of Tarikats.

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Roj Marespand Mah Tir, 1379 Yz.

Ustad Saheb explained that in the absence of the Fasli calendar and the Fasli Alat, it was not correct or even possible to do the complete Fasli Muktad. He also cautioned that the act of inviting the Ashaunam Fravashinam along with the Ruvan of our deceased relatives was no easy matter and should not be taken lightly at all. These spiritually advanced entities do not and cannot come down in an area where strict rules of purity and piety are not maintained. Hence Ustad Saheb insisted that the first grade Fasli Muktad ceremonies could only be done in places where the Fasli Alat was still intact – i.e. in the secluded areas of Demavand and other such Zoroastrian sanctuaries, where the pollution of the modern world could not reach.

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Roj Ashishvangh Mah Tir, 1379 Yz.

The beginning of the observance of the Fasli Hingams by the Societies brought out one important question: what about the Muktad? Many queries regarding the Muktad and its observance were put to Ustad Saheb. Ustad Saheb revealed in quite some detail the way in which these observances were practiced both in ancient Iran as well as in Demavand.

In the times of the monarchy, Ustad Saheb explained, the entire functioning of the priestly order was entirely supervised by the King. The priests of those times were not attached to any Agiary or Daremeher but were in fact employees of the Zoroastrian monarchy which ruled Iran.

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Roj Khorshed Mah Tir, 1379 Yz.

At the beginning of the 20th century, under the influence of the western studies of our religion and the so-called advances of science and technology, some Parsi reformers advocated that the community should give up the Shahenshahi calendar and instead adopt the Fasli calendar – that based on the seasons, wherein the New Year fell on 21st March (popularly called Jamshedi Navroze) and the other months fell correctly as per the seasons. This was a very controversial move and aroused great debate.

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Roj Dae-pa-Adar Mah Tir, 1379 Yz.

Fasli Roj Adar Mah Adar, Salgreh of Iranshah Atash Behram.

Meanwhile the work of disseminating the knowledge of Khshnoom was going ahead full steam. Before the seminal article of Ustad Saheb on the meaning of Frashogard in volume 5, issue 1 of Frashogard magazine, the previous issue carried an even more important article by Ustad Saheb on the role of Sarosh Yazad in the progress of man and this earth. This article explained for the first time the intricate details of the various functions carried out by the Yazata Sarosh which help man in his quest to come closer to Ahura Mazda. Ustad Saheb explained the need and importance of every Parsi to be in constant contact – paiwand – with Sarosh Yazad. For this purpose, Ustad Saheb enumerated the various ways in which a Parsi could always maintain this connection, the most important being the performance of the Sarosh ni Khshnuman ni Kusti. This ancient ritual, which had been forgotten over the years of stay in India was once again revived by Ustad Saheb. the Master explained the critical role of Sarosh in the moments and days after the death of a Parsi, and why it was imperative that a Parsi soul, after the physical death, should immediately come under the Panaah – protection of Sarosh Yazad and also the extremely pitiable condition of souls which do not get this shelter. This article was later reprinted as a booklet and over 5000 copies were distributed free within the community. Reprints of this small booklet are still available today.

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Roj Khordad Mah Tir, 1379 Yz.

Over time, the bond between Bahmanshah and Ustad Saheb grew. Bahmanshah used to go everyday to the Master’s house and do whatever work or errands were given to him by Behramshah. We have seen earlier that Behramshah’s children did not live very long. A few days before the first birthday of his girl, Tehmina, the child fell ill and soon developed pneumonia. At this time of crisis, Bahmanshah was at the side of his Ustad, calling the doctor home, getting medicine from the pharmacy and helping out in whatever way he could. Despite the doctor’s best efforts, the child’s health deteriorated until finally one evening the doctor came home, had a look at Tehmina and told Ustad Saheb that it would be all over in a few hours. Behramshah was deeply saddened and went over to his easy chair and sat down dejected. In his times of crisis, Ustad Saheb always used to remember his Master, Sraoshavarez Marzbanji Saheb and ask for his help. As he lay on the easy chair, Ustad Saheb dozed off, only to suddenly wakeup and exclaim: ‘My Ustad says to give the child her mother’s breast!’

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Roj Ardibehest Mah Tir, 1379 Yz.

Bahmanshah Dosabhai Hakim belonged to the famous Bhogiji Hakim family of Surat. Sometime in the 18th century, a famous Armenian Hakim (traditional doctor) called Khwajah Avanes Saheb had come to Surat. One of the ancestors of Bahmanshah had given the Khwajah a place to stay in his own residence in Surat. As a favour, Khwajah Avanes imparted his deep knowledge of traditional medicine to this ancestor of Bahmanshah. After the Khwajah passed away (his grave exists in Surat till this day), the ancestors of Bahmanshah began their practice of the traditional medicine and soon became well known for their cures and remedies. Hence the family surname changed to Hakim from Bhogiji. Over the next generations, the medical practice thrived and the family’s cheap and effective prescriptions, especially their ‘cough remedy’ and ‘fever packets’ achieved great popularity not only in Surat but all over India. Bahmanshah’s elder brother Ardeshir Hakim became the Diwan (Prime Minister) of the Maharaja of Kashmir, while another brother Dr. Dhunjishah studied western medicine and combined it with his traditional knowledge to have a good practice in Surat.

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Roj Hormazd Mah Tir, 1379 Yz.

All this made no difference to Ustad Saheb, who had right from the beginning insisted that the knowledge he had got could not be mass propagated. Seth Choksi requested Behramshah to take the class for the priests on a regular basis. In addition, it was arranged for Ustad Saheb to give regular talks in the Contractor Hall of the Anjuman Atash Behram in Mumbai and in March 1910 the Master gave a series of talks on topics like Sarosh, Atash Behram, Jiram and Meher. The first of the talks in this series was presided over by the then leading Trustee of the Bombay Parsi Punchayet Seth B. D. Petit (later founder of the Parsi General Hospital). These talks left a great impression in the minds of those who attended and at last, as per Seth Choksi’s desire and original wish, a few Mobeds also came under the Master’s influence and began to incorporate his teachings and guidance in their daily practice. In December 1910, Ustad Saheb established the Ilm-e-Khshnoom Institute as a proprietary concern and began printing small handbooks and holding classes.

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Roj Ashtad Mah Khordad, 1379 Yz.

In Mumbai, preparations for the arrival of Ustad Saheb were in full swing. Mr. Khodabux Poonegar sent out a postcard invite to all the major Parsi scholars at that time. The postcard mentioned that a Parsi had appeared in Surat who claimed to have met and stayed with a group of Zoroastrian sages in Iran and had got detailed explanation about the true essence of the religion. Scholars were invited to meet with this gentleman and hear what he had to say. A detailed description of the first meeting (and subsequent meetings) of the scholars with Ustad Saheb is given by Mr. Sorabji Nanabhai Banaji, who was himself an invitee to the meeting in his article published in the Ustad Saheb Memorial Volume.

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Roj Din Mah Khordad, 1379 Yz.

Over the next three days, Ustad Saheb continued his series of talks on Atash at the Bazm. In Manchersha Master’s sharp mind the obvious question arose: ‘where has this man got all this knowledge from’ since in all his years of study of religion, Manchersha had not come across any explanation anywhere close to what Behramshah was expounding. At the end of the third day of talks, Manchersha put across this question very politely to Ustad Saheb. Behramshah answered: ‘All I have learnt has been at the feet of my Ustad, Sraoshavarez Marzbanji Saheb, and I have got this knowledge of Khshnoom from the Abed Sahebs of Demavand in Iran.’ Now Manchersha, being a school teacher had a very good grasp of history and geography and immediately began to ask Behramshah questions about his journey to Iran, the route he had taken, the peculiar geographical features of Iran, in a way to find out if Behramshah really knew what he was talking about. But as Behramshah fluently answered his queries with deep, revealing answers and with the confidence which can only emerge from a spiritually advanced soul, Manchersha realized that he was indeed speaking to a person who was not only speaking the absolute truth but also one who had a depth of knowledge and spirituality which Manchersha had not seen in anybody else in all his life.

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Roj Asishvangh Mah Ardibehesht, 1379 Yz.

The change of century – from 1899 to 1900 brought far reaching changes all around the world. It was a time of great scientific and medical progress, ‘rationalism’, becoming ‘modern’ and throwing out all that was considered ‘old fashioned’. The English Raj was at its peak and India was being systematically bled by the British who used their divide and rule tactic to take over all of India. At the same time, a more sinister movement was afoot. Hordes of Christian missionaries of all kinds – Catholics, Protestants, Presbyterians, Irish and many more were descending in the cities and villages of India with a single purpose – to rid India of her ‘pagan’ religions, to ‘redeem’ Indian souls and send them to heaven by the only way possible – by making them Christian! In their unholy haste to convert India, the missionaries used many tricks and tools – education, literacy campaigns, medical help, welfare societies and good old ‘scholarly studies’. The Hindu scriptures were ‘studied’, faults found and then compared to the pristine Bible. How could anybody reach heaven without accepting that Christ was the only Saviour?

Within the Parsi community also, there were great changes happening. Always at the forefront to adopt anything from the British, the leading Parsi families of that time began aping the British at all levels. Fancy mansions, non-Parsi cooks and butlers, giving up the practice of segregation, abandoning the Parsi dress and wearing the British coat and tie – all these and more were being picked up by members of our community. The British, known for the shrewd behavior, encouraged this aping, heaping awards and titles of Rao Bahadur and Khan Bahadur on prominent Parsis, the walls of whose houses were adorned with the photographs of the King and Queen Victoria!

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