Their Use In Sacraments And Worship
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ZOROASTRIANISM
THE SACRED FIRE : Purity And Eternity
The sacred cauldron of fire is the most popular symbol of Zoroastrianism.
The Parsis, whose religion dates to between 1300 and 660 B.C., came
to India centuries ago from Persia, carrying the holy fire with them.
This fire, called Arar Behram, burns in every fire temple and
is never extinguished. It is treated like royalty, with a crown hung
over it. In rituals, Parsis apply the ash from this fire onto their
foreheads. Fire represents god. Sandalwood offerings made to it are
considered holy.
Ahura Mazda, who revealed the teachings of this religion to zarathustra,
is depicted as a man with a cap, a beard, a feathered grown and wings.
This symbol is used frequently to denote the Zoroastrian religion.
These symbols, created by Zoroastrians in Persia nearly 3000 years
ago, survive even today in the daily lives of the Parsis, a significant
number of whom live in India. The symbols remind them of the moral
teachings of Zarathustra, the prophet who founded the religion. The
philosophy of this religion concerns the inexorable war between good
and evil and is epitomised in the Gathas or hymns written in the Avesta
language, which is akin to Sanskrit.
The symbols originated at a time when Zoroastrianism was the religion
of the Persian empire and was the faith of its great rulers. However,
when the Islamic conquerors drove out Zoroastrians from their land,
they brought their holy fire, their religious texts and these symbols
to India where they have made their home ever since.