{"id":158639,"date":"2025-07-15T13:34:37","date_gmt":"2025-07-15T10:04:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.amordadnews.com\/?p=158639"},"modified":"2025-07-15T13:34:37","modified_gmt":"2025-07-15T10:04:37","slug":"sacred-threads-mahin-shahriari-and-the-art-of-kushti-weaving","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/en.amordadnews.com\/?p=158639","title":{"rendered":"Sacred Threads: Mahin Shahriari and the Art of Kushti Weaving"},"content":{"rendered":"

For as long as I can remember, the white threads of the kushti have brought blessings to my home.<\/strong><\/p>\n

That sacred white belt always held a spiritual and pure meaning for me, though I had never seen how it was actually made \u2014 until that day. I watched as two skilled hands moved gracefully through seventy-two threads. I didn\u2019t know the method, only that the number represented the seventy-two verses of the Gathas. As I stepped closer, I began counting: six strands, each made up of twelve threads \u2014 symbols of the six Gahambars and the twelve months of the Zoroastrian calendar.<\/p>\n

I had never pictured the act of weaving a kushti, but now I was sitting face to face with Mahin Shahriari, a master weaver. For decades, she has woven this sacred belt \u2014 a symbol of awareness and wisdom that Zoroastrians tie around their waists three times during prayer, as a reminder of Good Thoughts, Good Words, and Good Deeds.<\/p>\n

I had come to speak with a woman devoted to preserving the traditional crafts of Zoroastrian culture \u2014 someone whose thoughts, words, and actions remain consistently good, as required by the spiritual nature of this work. But I found myself wanting only to watch her weave. Even her words, like the threads in her hands, felt white, soft, and sincere.<\/p>\n

Mrs. Shahriari, when did you begin weaving kushtis?<\/strong>
\nI started at the age of 12, and I\u2019ve now been weaving for about 40 years.<\/p>\n

Have you ever grown tired of it?<\/strong>
\nNot really \u2014 though illness has made it hard for me to continue now.<\/p>\n

What inspired you to take it up?<\/strong>
\nBack then, we lived in Aliabad (Yazd), where nearly every woman and girl wove kushtis. I learned from my sister, Jahoon (Jahan).<\/p>\n

Have you ever taught someone how to weave a kushti?<\/strong>
\nYes, only once. Around 20 years ago, while I was in Yazd, a fellow Zoroastrian named Mahshid Dahmobed came to buy a kushti from me. When I told her the price was 1,000 tomans, she left, seemingly put off by the cost \u2014 but returned later. This time, she asked if I could teach her to weave one herself.<\/p>\n

I explained that kushti weaving isn\u2019t just a craft \u2014 it carries spiritual responsibilities. A weaver must be pure in thought and behavior, recite from the Avesta while weaving, and avoid gossip or idle talk. Mahshid accepted all of this, and after six months of dedicated learning, she completed her first kushti. Laughing, she said, \u201cMahin, now I understand why it costs 1,000 tomans!\u201d It\u2019s not easy work.<\/p>\n

Was it a passion project, or a source of income?<\/strong>
\nI began purely out of interest, but over time, it also became a source of income for our family. And interestingly, in my experience, the money earned from kushti weaving has always brought blessings.<\/p>\n

Do you weave on specific days?<\/strong>
\nNo \u2014 I weave year-round, except on Vahman days.<\/p>\n

She shared a vivid memory from decades ago:
\n\u201cI had just learned to weave. It was Vahman day, and I was working in the workshop when my late father came in and asked me to join him in the fields. I replied, \u2018Just 20 more centimeters and I\u2019ll come.\u2019 Upset, he warned, \u2018Don\u2019t weave on Vahman day.\u2019 When I didn\u2019t stop, he took a knife and cut the kushti in half. Since then, I\u2019ve never woven on that day.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her father believed that since Zoroastrians abstain from meat on Vahman day, and the kushti is made from sheep\u2019s wool, weaving it on that day would go against its spirit.<\/p>\n

What makes the kushti special, and how is it structured?<\/strong>
\nThe kushti is a narrow, sacred belt woven from 72 strands of sheep\u2019s wool. These strands are grouped into six sections, each with twelve threads \u2014 symbolizing the 72 verses of the Gathas, the six Gahambars, and the twelve months of the year.<\/p>\n

Sheep\u2019s wool is chosen because the animal is gentle and beneficial \u2014 a symbol that, like the sheep, we too should live usefully and cause no harm. Each time the kushti is tied, it serves as a reminder of this commitment.<\/p>\n

What do the four knots tied during the kushti prayer symbolize \u2014 both physically and spiritually?<\/strong>
\nThe kushti is wrapped three times around the sedreh, symbolizing the Zoroastrian principles of good thoughts, good words, and good deeds. Four knots are then tied \u2014 two in the front and two in the back \u2014 representing the four natural elements: fire, air, earth, and water.<\/p>\n

As each knot is tied, the weaver or worshipper reflects on core Zoroastrian beliefs: the oneness of God, the purity and truth of the Mazdayasna faith, the divine mission of Zartosht as the prophet of Ahura Mazda, and the importance of living righteously and helping others.<\/p>\n

Do you also prepare the thread for the kushti yourself?<\/strong>
\nYes, I do. The wool is brought from India, and I spin it into thread before weaving. Sadly, some people today use nylon thread, which isn\u2019t appropriate for something so sacred.<\/p>\n

How can one tell the difference between wool and nylon thread?<\/strong>
\nWool thread has a softer, more muted appearance, while nylon tends to look shinier.<\/p>\n

Who do you mostly weave kushtis for?<\/strong>
\nPrimarily for sedreh pushi and initiation ceremonies \u2014 and always for those who I believe are truly deserving of wearing it.<\/p>\n

What aspect of kushti weaving do you cherish most?<\/strong>
\nIt brings me a sense of inner peace. That calm, spiritual feeling is what draws me to the craft more than anything else.<\/p>\n

Have you ever woven a kushti for someone close to your heart?<\/strong>
\nYes \u2014 for my daughters, my grandchildren, and all my dear ones. I\u2019ve even gifted kushtis to people who couldn\u2019t afford one, because I believe anyone who values its meaning should have the chance to wear it.<\/p>\n

Do you sell kushtis to Zoroastrians living abroad?<\/strong>
\nYes, I do. Many Zoroastrians outside Iran are interested in owning a kushti. I’ve sent them to places like India, Pakistan, the United States, and Canada.<\/p>\n

How long does it take to weave one?<\/strong>
\nIt really depends \u2014 there\u2019s no fixed timeframe. It varies based on the weaver\u2019s pace and how much time they dedicate to it.<\/p>\n

Do you have an estimate of how many you\u2019ve woven so far?<\/strong>
\nI couldn\u2019t say for sure. I\u2019ve been weaving for forty years. There were times when I made up to twenty a month, but now, due to health, I might only manage one or two.<\/p>\n

Are young people still interested in learning this craft?<\/strong>
\nNot really. With today\u2019s distractions like satellite TV, few show interests in traditional skills. Still, if any young person wanted to learn, I would happily teach them.<\/p>\n

Given the difficulty of the work and your age, what motivates you to continue?<\/strong>
\nIt\u2019s my faith. My devotion to the Zoroastrian religion is what keeps me going.<\/p>\n

How long do you plan to continue weaving?<\/strong>
\nAs long as I\u2019m alive \u2014 and able to do it.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

For as long as I can remember, the white threads of the kushti have brought blessings to my home. That sacred white belt always held a spiritual and pure meaning for me, though I had never seen how it was actually made \u2014 until that day. I watched as two skilled hands moved gracefully through […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":158640,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[1100,1101,1102],"class_list":["post-158639","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-zoroastrians","tag-kushti","tag-kushti-weaving","tag-mahin-shahriari"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.amordadnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/158639","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.amordadnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.amordadnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.amordadnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.amordadnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=158639"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/en.amordadnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/158639\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.amordadnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/158640"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.amordadnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=158639"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.amordadnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=158639"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.amordadnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=158639"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}