Behshid Barkhordar remarked during the ceremony at the Zoroastrian student camp that after being ordained with the sadra and kusti these youngsters will have be bear huge responsibilities
In the Sedreh poushi ceremony for four young Zoroastrians, in the Zoroastrian student camp, Behshid Barkhordar said: Today our youngsters are themselves taking great steps, with sufficient knowledge and wisdom, towards embracing the Mazde Yasni faith, and upholding Zoroastrian value.
Mrs Khadem expressed here appreciation by presenting flowers to the mobeds, on behalf of Behshid Barkhordar. The representative further acknowledged Mrs. Khadem’s supportive role and wished her well. The ceremony concluded with Behshid Barkhordar presenting commemorative tablets to each of the young individuals, marking their important steps towards their new roles.
Group Ceremony Highlights at the Sedreh Poushi Event
Mrs Gohartaj Khodadad Kouchaki, known as “mother of the camp”, expressed her gratitude during the ceremony, by offering flowers and green sugar cones to the mobeds, and also gifts to the ordained teenagers. She congratulated them and said: “This ceremony brings you closer to Ahura Mazda, meaning that when you are, each time, renewing your vows by tying the kusti, you are showing your readiness to align your thoughts, words and deeds with the divine principles. She encouraged the participants to always wear the sadra and kusti; and never be separated from them.
She added that though group sedreh poushi ceremonies are beautiful, in an individual capacity it is like an engagement ceremony. Mrs. Kouchaki acknowledged the significant efforts of the Zoroastrian Students Association in organizing the event. She commended the hard work done by the Association’s members and mentioned that Afshin Namiranian, president of Tehran Zoroastrian Association, has, on several occasions, announced that all the hard work in the community is done by the Zoroastrian Student association members. She thanks the Anjuman Mobedan, Esfandiar Ekhtiari and other benefactors for supporting her ceremony. The Sedreh Poushi ceremony is to celebrate acceptance of the Mazde Yasni faith.
Sedreh Poushi Event Celebrates Religious Commitment
In his speech, Mobed Dr Mehraban Pouladi, head of Mobed Association, congratulated the ordained students and said: 4762 years ago, Ashu Zarathushtra Spitma was the first to hold the sedre poushi ceremony. He described the ceremony as a major event marking religious commitment, which is rooted in the teachings of ashu Zartosht.
He said that Ashu Zarathushtra was ordained with Sadra kusti at the age of 15. Wearing white clothes for the ceremony symbolizes good thoughts; today the students have accepted the nine principles of our faith by wearing sadra kusti. Having God in mind is valuable. I hope that whoever has given up the daily wearing of sada kusti, will wear it again and renew his/her vows with Ahura Mazda. The Zoroastrian faith is unique in the whole world and will remain so.
In his speech, Keykhosrow Ashtari, president of the Student Association, said that the Association has the honor of holding group sedre poushi every year, during student camp. He thanked the benefactors who support this ceremony. He especially thanked the Mobed Association for assisting in this event each year, and also Mrs Khademi, as the camp mother, the Tehran zoroastrian association, and Marker executive board. He presented gifts to the ordained students.
The Zoroastrian Student Association holds such group sedreh poushi ceremonies each year during the summer camp.
Bardia Arianfar, secretary of the 44th student camp, describing it as an honor for the 44th camp. In his speech, Arianfar gave a history of the camp, when initially it was called the scouts camp. He said that our youngsters will experience new conditions in this camp. He added that the first camp was held in anoushirvan high school and later was transferred to Kushk Varjavand. After the war ended, it was transferred to Marker conference hall. In continuation, he said that from that year onwards the group sedreh poushi ceremony became part of the camp’s activities. MRS Khadem would bear the expenses of the ceremony for 30 years after the death of her son, Farhad Khadem, i.e., upto the 34th camp, after which several benefactors and the Mobed Association have been bearing the expenses.
Afshin Namiranian, the next speaker, congratulated the newly ordained students and their families, and thanked the Mobed Association the Zoroastrian Student Association for their support. He added that the advantage of this group ceremony is that most of our youngsters wore the sadra kusti in these group ceremonies, and this is thanks to Mrs. Khadem and the “Zoroastrian Student association. The student camp has been recognized as the most effective program in the Zoroastrian community.
Camp Highlighted as a Key Program for Youth Development
Esfandiar Ekhtiari, former representative of Zoroastrians in parliament, was the final speaker of the ceremony. He commended the camp as one of the organization’s most impactful programs, emphasizing its role in teaching teamwork and discipline. Ekhtiari noted that the camp is unique in its ability to instill discipline and has a noticeable effect on the participants’ societal contributions. He encouraged all families to send their children to the camp.
He also paid tribute to Shahnaz Shahzadi, describing her as the “Saoshyant” of her time. Ekhtiari shared a poignant memory of Shahzadi, recounting how, even in the final days of her life and while hospitalized, she continued to support the camp’s work by writing notes despite her inability to speak. He concluded by presenting a commemorative gift to the newly ordained youngsters.
Mobed Hormoz Khosraviani gave a short speech before starting the ceremony. He named this ceremony “zadrooz” meaning “rebirth”. He outlined the ceremony program, mentioning that the first prayer to be recited is the Atash Niyayesh, and then the kusti is tied around the waist and as a final prayer the “Peyman Deen” is recited. By recited Peyman Deen the ordained teenagers join the Zoroastrian faith.
The teenagers—Trita Mavandadi, Pariya Kaviani, Nayrika Rostami, and Bita Najmi— participated in the Sedreh Poushi ceremony. They hold the kusti, tied in a coil, in their hands, while recited the Atash Niyayesh. The mobeds who recited this prayer were Mobed Sarvar Tarapurwala, Anousheh Bastani, Rashin Jahangiri, and Hormoz Khosroviani.
During the ceremony, as the Barsad Mobedan recited prayers, the mobedan took the fabric from the teenagers’ hands, unfolded it, and then tied it around their waists after reciting the Avesta. The Mobedan then held the hands of the new Zoroastrians, who repeated the religious covenant after them. This ceremony was performed three times.
As the mobeds were reciting the Beresad prayer, they took the kusti from the teenager’s hands, unfolded it, and then tied it around their waists, while praying the kusti prayer. The mobeds then held the hands of the teenagers newly introduced to our faith, and together recited the Peyman Deen prayer. This was recited three times
Following this, the teenagers sat at the ceremony table, which was covered with a green tablecloth, adorned with ceremonial items. The mobeds then prayed “tandorosti” prayer and sprinkled thyme leaves over the heads of the ordained.
