The executive board of Tehran Zoroastrian House of Culture and Art hosted co-religionists at a gahanbar ceremony on the first day of the Maidyozarem chahreh, in coincidence with the national day of Persian Gulf and the 13th anniversary of the opening of the House of Culture and Art.
The mid-spring gahanbar ceremony is held yearly, in the name of Mobed Fereydoon Bahman Zartoshti, founder of the House of Zoroastrian Culture and Art, Tehran, Mobed Mehraban Jamshid Zartoshti, Mehrabanoo Rostam Bamsipour (Zartoshti) and Fereydoun Zartoshti Mobed Anousheh Bastani and Mobed Hormoz Khosraviani recited the gahanbar prayers. The program continued with the speeches of Kambiz Forouzan, chairman of the executive board of the House of Culture and Art, Dr. Esfandiar Eftekhari, representative of Zoroastrian Iranians in the parliament, Dr. Afshin Namiranian, chairman of the Zoroastrian Association of Tehran, about the anniversary of the foundation of the House of Culture and Art and in honor of the National Day of the Persian Gulf. At the end of the program, the guests were entertained.
Kambiz Foroozan, Anahita Abd Sharifabadi, Kourosh Foroudi, Mahin Forouzesh, and Kourosh Moradian are members of the House of Culture and Art executive board selected by the Tehran Zoroastrian Association. The executive committee has started its work since Farvardin 1401.
Ghanbar is a ceremony and celebration held for a long time in cultural Iran, a celebration is the main purpose of which is getting together, cooperating, and interacting. Maidyazarem is the first chahreh of the 6 gahanbars, held in mid-Ordibehesht, in honor of the creation of the sky. Symbols of the elements of creation are placed on the gahanbar tables, and each refers to one of the features of Ahura Mazda’s creation. A fire brazier and an oil lamp are placed on the table as symbols of this chahreh of the gahanbars.
Below are some pictures of the gahanbar ceremony, held in the afternoon of Sunday 10th Ordibehesht 1402 (April 30, 2023) on Khor Izad day, of the Zoroastrian calendar:
Photos by Homayoun Mehrzad
