Anousheh Bastani, the granddaughter of the late Mobed Rostam Shahzadi, recited the Vaj Yasht of the Maidyoshahem gahanbar in the white mobed’s dress of Mobeds.
The Vaj Yasht ceremony in the Maidyoshahem gahanbar started at midnight on Saturday, with Avesta khani by Mobeds Kourosh Bolandi and Pedram Soroushpour. In the early morning of Saturday, Dey 1, 1301, Zoroastrians participated in the gahanbar ceremony.
Before starting the gahanbar prayers on Mehr Izad day, Mobed Pedram Sorushpour announced the joining of two Zoroastrian lady mobeds in the prayers. In a short speech, this member of the Mobed Association of Tehran pointed out at the role of the mobeds in safeguarding the religion and especially in preserving the manuscripts and religious books during the past difficult times. While stressing on the close connection between the mobeds and the fellow believers, he pointed out that there is no mention of the word “mobed” in the Gathas and even in the Avesta, and the secret to the survival of the Zoroastrian faith is the unity between the Zoroastrians and the mobeds, especially during the dark times in history.
He further introduced Anlousheh Bastani, the granddaughter of Mobed Rostam Shahzadi and a member of the board of directors of the Tehran Mobed Association. He congratulated her and her family on this auspicious day in passing the Mobedan course of the Tehran Mobedan Association. Mobed Rostam Shahzadi was commemorated, and his role in enlightening the Zoroastrians and refreshing this culture was commended. He also thanked Mrs. Mehrangiz Shahzadi, Mobed Shahzadi’s daughter, as a support for the success of the first Zoroastrian women’s Mobedi course. Mehrangiz Shahzadi recounted a part of the history of Zoroastrians where a group migrated to India ad so were separated from knowledge and traditions of their religion. During those times, despite the hardships of travel, Iranian mobeds gave valuable help to Parsees in India in the re-education of traditions and religious knowledge. Many years later, this time the Parsees rushed to the help of Iranian Zoroastrians during hard times in Iran; thus, the religion has been preserved until today.
She also considered the presence of more young people in Mobed’s cloths, and especially a scientific and scholarly view by today’s mobeds as a positive and valuable point that should be paid more attention to, and this practice should continue because today the world is the world of knowledge and science. Our religion will be stay except by spreading awareness, science and knowledge. She also emphasized on the role of women, especially in today’s Iran, and asked Zoroastrian women to pay more attention to demystifying the religion and high lighting the values and the beauties of our faith.
In her speech, Anlusheh Bastani stated that equality of men and women is emphasized in the teachings of Zarathushtra; her utmost goal is to accept the responsibility of preserving our ancestors’ faith and serving the society. She thanked the mobeds and others who helped her learn about this religion. She considered the review of manuscripts and the spiritual presence of her grandfather to be the most significant help in paving this path. She expressed her satisfaction for joining the Mobed group on this auspicious day of Mehr from the month of Dey and Ormazd.
In conclusion, fellow believers participated in a breakfast hosted by the family of the late Mobed Ardeshir Manekchian and his wife, Ms. Sorkhabi, which was prepared in memory of him.
Photos by Homayoun Mehrzad
