On 24th Esfand (15 March) the last gahanbar of the year was held in Jamshid Jam primary school with participation from students’s families and charitable community members.
This Toji gahanbar ceremony was held on Anarom Izad day of the month of Esfand (Zoroastrian calendar), to commemorate the deceased (hamaravanan), in Jamshid Jam school. The afrin khani prayers was performed by Mobed Mehrab Vahidi. All the 6th grade students and a few of the 5th grade students did their kusti prayers together with the mobed. After the prayers Mobed Vahidi said a few words about the Panji ceremony, the lighting of fire on the roofs, gahanbar prayers and about the symbolic offerings on the gahanbar table. To unite and share the offerings of the gahanbar eatables, the students were entertained with lork (dried nuts and 7 dried fruit), pashmak and sirog (fried bread with halwa).
Gahanbar is a religious ceremony held since ancient times, in the cultural Iran; a celebration whose main purpose is to gather, unite, and thank God for his blessings. Gahanbar is a seasonal ceremony, each for one of the aspects of creation. Any gahanbar that is prayed outside these 6 seasonal ones is called Toji gahanbar.
Photos by Homayoun Mehrzad
