In a conversation with Mobedyar Rostam Saless in Los Angeles, Atousa Nourafrouz recounts his life story under the title:
“Sharifabad, Firooz Bahram, Orange County: A Glimpse into the Life of a Zoroastrian Mobed”
Mobedyar Rostam Saless: A Strict Yet Beloved Teacher
At 9 a.m. on Saturday, January 4, 2025 (Dey 15, 1403), I made a video call as scheduled the previous day with Farzaneh Khanum, the daughter of Mobedyar Rostam Saless. Farzaneh began the conversation and then passed the phone to Mobedyar Saless.
Seeing his kind and warm face brought me great joy. Unfortunately, I had learned from his daughter that he had been unwell for about a month due to stomach problems and was recovering in a nursing home.
After introducing myself and mentioning that I was conducting the interview on behalf of Amordad Weekly, Mobedyar Rostam Saless smiled warmly, instantly boosting my enthusiasm for the conversation.
Born on Shahrivar 20, 1311 (September 11, 1932), in Sharifabad, Yazd, Mobedyar Saless holds a high school diploma in natural sciences. He credited this to a law that allowed those who had dropped out of school to return and complete their education.
He shared that he had studied up to the eleventh grade but couldn’t continue further until he met Mr. Kazemzadeh, an exam inspector in Ardakan, Yazd. On his recommendation, Mobedyar enrolled at Firooz Bahram High School in Tehran, under the principalship of Mr. Hassan Rafati Afshar.
Though he passed most courses, he initially struggled with chemistry and English but eventually succeeded thanks to Dr. Kuchesfahani, his chemistry teacher, and Mr. Pasargadi, his English teacher.
When asked about the school staff, Mobedyar recalled them with impressive clarity: Mr. Pishdadi (supervisor), Mr. Tirandaz Pirkhideh (registrar), Mr. Bahmaniar (math teacher), Mr. Shahin (natural sciences teacher), Mr. Parsa (botany teacher), Mr. Khosrow Bastani (English teacher for lower grades), and Mr. Nezamzadeh (literature teacher).
Mobedyar Rostam Saless balanced his education with work, serving as the registrar at Firooz Bahram High School from 1332 to 1334 (1953–1955) while completing 12th grade. In 1335 (1956), he joined Bank Saderat, eventually becoming Deputy Head of the Shares Office, a position he held for 24 years.
In the late 70s, the late Mobed Rostam Shahzadi initiated a six-month Mobedyar training course, which Saless joined alongside nine others under Mobed Firooz Azargoshasb’s guidance. After completing the program, the group celebrated their graduation, and Saless was honored with a white mobedyar suit.
Mobedyar Saless later taught Avesta classes at Rostamabadian Middle School until 1361 (1982), when he immigrated to the United States. Among his notable contributions in Iran was assisting in the transcription of the Avesta in Din Dabireh script, leading to the publication of a new edition in collaboration with prominent Mobeds.
Reflecting on his teaching, he recalled being strict, administering monthly tests to ensure students mastered the material. Once, his test questions were unknowingly used as the final exam, resulting in his students excelling while others struggled. Returning to class, he found the words “Death to Saless” humorously written on the board by disappointed students.
Mobedyar Rostam Saless, who has lived in the United States since 1999, shared his contributions to the Zoroastrian community in California. He served as a mobed at the Orange County Zoroastrian Center, conducting ceremonies and teaching children about the Ahunavad Gatha alongside their parents.
He highlighted a key initiative from his time in Iran, where he proposed forming an organization to manage Zoroastrian endowments, easing responsibilities for families. This idea, along with Dr. Khorshidian’s seven-point response, was later published in Payk Mehr magazine in Canada.
Recalling fond memories of Yazd, he spoke of his late friend Khodayar Shahryar, who dedicated himself to maintaining the fires at the Pir-e Banoo and Pir-e Herisht shrines.
Saless also thanked Dr. Mehrdad Ghadrdan for his detailed research on Sharifabad’s history and genealogy, published after years of work.
In closing, he encouraged Zoroastrian families to strengthen their bonds so that their children could build lasting friendships, possibly leading to meaningful marriages, softly reciting:
“Birds of a feather flock together.”
At the end of our conversation, with a fatherly tone, he kindly said, “My dear, I don’t want to take up too much of your time, but I’m happy to talk with you.” I looked at my watch and realized that two hours had passed without me noticing. I had been speaking with one of the kind and well-known figures of the community I feel deeply connected to. Throughout our chat, I felt like I was walking down the dusty streets of Yazd and Tehran, as though I were with my grandfather, retracing these familiar paths.
I quickly returned to the moment and said, “I could talk with you much longer, Mobedyar. Please take good care of yourself. I hope you recover fully soon and return to your loving family. I look forward to visiting you in person.”