Mar 26

The Birthday of Zarathushtra – the Only Messenger Who Rose from the Aryans

26 March (6 Farvardin) is the birthday of Zarathushtra (Zoroaster), the only messenger who rose from the Aryan race and who spread the message of “Good thoughts, good words and good deeds”, to teach his followers, especially Iranians, to grow and live with this life style. Zarathushtra He was an ancient Iranian prophet, philosopher and religious poet. Zarathushtra called himself the teacher of virtues and preventer of man from wrong doings. He preached that by avoiding evil doing man can create joy and happiness in himself and this feeling will live with him forever. By the end of the first century after the advent of Zarathushtra, almost all Iranians, who were mostly Mithraists, became his followers. Ardeshir Papakan made Zoroastrianism the state religion. Zoroastrianism became the official religion in Iran during the Sassanid era, and Zoroastrian priests had special status in the governing bodies. The Avesta - The sacred texts of Zoroastrianism - is the most ancient script of the world and an evidence of the advanced civilization of Iranians in ancient times.      On Nowruz of AD 76, Balash I (Vologases - Volgash - Volash), the Parthian king of Iran, summoned the Zoroastrian priests (mobeds) to his Court and intensively asked them that by the next year (AD 77), on 6 Farvardin, the birthday of Zarathushtra, Avesta should be collected, compiled and presented to him because he was old and before he died he wanted to make sure that this work is completed in his period of reign. He had already ordered the collection of the Avestan texts (to compile the teachings of Zarathushtra in one book or multi - volumes). On 6 Farvardin of AD 77, the Mobeds presented to Balash (reign: Ad 51 – 78) whatever that they had gathered and informed him that compilation of these texts would continue. Avesta was completed during the reign of Ardeshir Papakan (reign: AD 224 – 241) in 21 books (approximately 3.5 million words in total) by Zoroastrian high priest, Tansar (tonsar). The texts of the Avesta, which are all in the Avestan language, were collected and collated over several hundred years. One final redaction took place under Shapur II (reign: AD 309-379). The most important portion, the Gathas, in Gathic Avestan, are the hymns composed by Zarathushtra (Zoroaster) himself.     The birthday of Zarathushtra was announced as a national day from the Sassanids era and added to the Nowruz holidays. In 1922 The High Council of Culture, headed by Dehkhoda, added the birthday of Zarathushtra to the school holidays in Iran and later the government increased Nowruz holidays from 3 days to 7 days because the 7th day, among Iranians of the ancient era, was an auspicious day especially for signing contracts and agreements, making peace and strengthening unity.     Many philosophers and the contemporary easternologists consider the teachings of Zarathushtra to be only the solution, today, for the problems of man, because all the present problems have risen from the decline and downfall of morale. From the 17th century onwards the words of Zarathushtra were taken into special consideration and analyzed by historians, philosophers and sociologists.          Translation by Rowshan Lohrasbpour (AmordadNews writer)

Manufacture of cars for the common people – Zoroastrian Parsees industrialized India

On 23 March 2009 (3rd day of Nowruz), the Indian automobile manufacturing company, affiliated to the Tata Industrial/Technological Group, belonging to the Indian Parsees, presided by Ratan Tata, introduced a folks car in the market, named Nano. Nano came into the market 73 years after Folkswagon was manufactured. In 1936 Hitler had asked Professor Ferdinand Porche to manufacture a car that common people could buy and maintain, and Porche (a German automotive engineer) manufactured such a car in 1936. In the ceremony for displaying this car, Hitler was present and gave it the name of Folkswagon.     With view to the common people’s needs and the ever increasing price of fuel, which will face rarity as the oil reservoirs will finish, besides manufacturing electro-cars, Tata Automobile Manufacturing Company, which manufactures trucks, buses, army vehcles, trains and 10 types of cars, decided to manufacture a low-cost and low mpg, good looking and at the same time a 4-door car. Though the product was ready for supply, its sale was postponed to Nowruz and on the 3rd day of 7-days celebration of Nowruz (23 March), it came into the Mumbai market. The cost of one Nano in India is equal to $2500.     Arrival of Nano in the market was the prime news of the media on 23 March 2009 and even one day before, and the American TV channels broadcasted this as their prime news. Most of the press agencies spoke about the background of the Tata Group, their founders and the present managers, and said that the Parsees (Iranias – of Iranian origin) are Zoroastrian and the founder of Tata is Jamshed Anushiravan Tata, after whom the Jamshedabad city of India is named.      Jamshid anushiravan Tata According to these reports, on the day of the display of this car, Ratan Tata, the 71 years old President of Tata Industries (son of Hormoz, grandson of Jamshed and great grandson of Anushiravan Tata) drove the car. Anushiravan Tata, who was a Zoroastrian mobed (priest) encouraged his son, Jamshed, to industrialize India and Jamshed (Jamshid) built the city of Jamshedpur and established his factories Institute of technology there. These plants, which stand first in size in India, with a population of 1 billion and 1 hundred million, put this country among the industrial and technological countries of the world. In the history of industry, the Iranian originated Tata family was the founder of steel industry in India. According to the will of Anushiravan Tata, 8 decades ago this industrial foundation had planned to establish their main branch in the land of their ancestors, Iran. But, the then authorities (possibly advised by London) did not show much interest and only consented to establishing a few cultural and educational institutes, like the Anushiravan Dadgar High School and receiving some aids.          Translation by Rowshan Lohrasbpour (AmordadNews writer)