The oldest surviving Zoroastrian scriptures were found not in Iran or India, but in China

 The opening to chapter nine of the 'Videvdad Sadah'.
The opening to chapter nine of the ‘Videvdad Sadah’. | British Library (Public domain)
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In the United Kingdom, the British Library has an unrivalled collection of Zoroastrian manuscripts and therefore welcomed the opportunity to display three of its Zoroastrian treasures in the current exhibition “Epic Iran” organised by the V&A with the Iran Heritage Foundation in association with The Sarikhani Collection.

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Care for Environment: Zoroastrianism

Ahura MazdaIt is the task of humans to respect and care for the Seven Bounteous Creations and to work against evil forces which oppose right order, and in so doing to bring the world back to its original state of harmony. Thus Zoroastrianism requires humans to protect the environment; to avoid harm, pollution, and waste; and to restore what has been damaged.
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The Faravahar: The Ancient Zoroastrian Symbol of Iran

The FaravaharThe Faravahar is arguably the best-known symbol of the Persian Zoroastrian faith. This symbol consists of a winged disc with a man emerging from it. The man is shown holding a ring. Whilst the symbol is well known, the meaning behind it is more complicated. The Faravahar was adopted as a secular symbol to represent the modern nation of Iran.
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The YAZDIS and India

taus melek

The Yazidis live far away from India in Iraq, Iran and Turkey. Even though they have legends connecting them to the east, the idea of a link with India appears ridiculous at first sight. But history has wheels within wheels and sometimes reality turns out to be vastly different from common belief.

The Yazidis speak a northern dialect of the Kurdish language, which some call a separate language with the name Ezdiki. Their religion, Yazidism, is also called Sharfadin (the religion of the cultured folks). Reviled as devil worshippers for centuries by their Muslim and Christian neighbours, they have endured over 70 genocides in which millions died and most others were compelled to abandon their culture.

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Christmas and its Interfaith Traditions

The Interfaith Christmas WreathMany traditions come with advent season in Christianity; it is Margasheera month in Hinduism – a month that is kept aside for spiritual activities. It is also the time of Chanukkah of the Jewish Faith. The Persian religion – Zoroastrianism – has the Shab-e-Yalda night, the victory of light over darkness, good over evil. In this time of the coming of the Christ Child, we explore the many traditions of several religions.

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India’s Zoroastrian culture

According to legend, Zoroastrians arrived by boat on India’s west coast between the 8th and 10th centuries, fleeing religious persecution in Persia. They found refuge, quickly integrating with the local population by adopting the Gujarati language and local customs, while steadfastly hanging onto their religious beliefs. That first wave became known as Parsis; a second wave, arriving in the 19th century, became another subset called Iranis.

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Culture and Community: Interfaith Observances at Christmas



There are many images of Christmas, and it seems that Christmas means something different to everyone. Life is change, and so mundane perception of Christmas changes, also. Christmas is a a holy time for the devotees of Jesus Christ. At the time of the Christian observance of Christmas, Shepparton Interfaith Network brings attention to the festivals in other religions occurring at this time. There are also Jewish, Parsee and Sikh and African observances at this time. We also bring you an Australian Christmas Blessing.

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Sacred Times, Sacred Communities

new-coexistThis time of Easter is the major festival of the Christian religion. It is also the Purim festival of the Jewish faith. This time of this year also marks several festivals from other religions and we give account of these festivals and greetings to religious communities of the Goulburn Valley at this festival time.
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Interfaith Christmas

There are many images of Christmas, and it seems that Christmas means something different to everyone. Life is change, and so mundane perception of Christmas changes, also. Christmas is a a holy time for the devotees of Jesus Christ. At the time of the Christian festival of Christmas, Shepparton Interfaith Network notes festivals in other religions occurring at this time. There are Hindu, Muslim and Parsee observances at this time. ... Read more...

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