An old religion, founded in what is now Azarbaijan in the 6th century bc, Zoroastrianism teaches the duties of man according to the law of nature, which Zarathushtra, the founder of Zoroastrianism, called the law of Asha. Fire and the sun are the emblems of Zoroastrianism.
Zarathushtra is said to have been born around the 6th century bc in Azarbaijan. He spent several years in meditation, reflecting on life and human existence, until he discovered perfect power or energy and perfect wisdom. His religion was universal and advanced for an age when people were still practising a primitive form of polytheism. He preached that a better life could be achieved with the help of an invisible god of wisdom, truth, light and goodness, rather than a set of superstitious rituals. Zarathushtra emphasised doing good towards one’s fellow man; hence the motto of the religion is ‘Good thoughts, good words, good deeds’.
The religion’s holy texts, the Gathas, are sacred songs written while Zarathushtra meditated on a mountain. Other scriptures were later written by his disciples in Eastern Iran. There are five Gathas: Gatha Ahunavaiti, on freedom of choice; Gatha Ushtavaiti, on supreme bliss (ushta); Gatha Spenta Mainya, on the holy spirit; Gatha Vohu Kshathra, on the good kingdom; and Gatha Vahishtoishti, on sovereign desire or fulfillment.
The Zoroastrian scriptures were neglected and even lost in a fire at one time in their chequered history. It was only during the reign of Ardeshir Papakan, who founded the last Zoroastrian Empire in Iran called the Sassanian Empire, that a concise prayer book called the Khordeh Avesta was composed. This book contains prayers and passages on astronomy and medicine.
The followers of Zoroastrianism are called Parsis, a term derived from Parsa, the name of a province in south-western Iran in ancient times. Around 766, a small group of Iranian Parsis set sail in open sailing vessels and landed at Divo Dui, a tiny island at the tip of Kathiawar, in what is now the western Indian state of Gujarat. They settled there to practise their faith and later spread along the west coast of Gujarat where they settled down as farmers, fruit growers, toddy planters, carpenters and weavers. The Parsis were excellent weavers and they have left a legacy of three ancient crafts, namely the Surti ghat, the garo and the tanchoi. All three are exquisite silk textiles differing in texture and design. The Surti ghat is a soft silk with a satin finish, while the garo is fine embroidered silk and the tanchoi is a type of rich floral brocade.
In present-day India, the Parsis are mostly found in Mumbai, the commercial capital of India. They pray at fire temples. The holiest of these temples in India is the Atash Behram at Udvada, near Mumbai, where the Sacred Fire brought by Iranian refugees from Iran has been burning continuously since 1741.