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THREE RELIGIOUS APPARATUS CONCERNING FIRE

-By Dasturji Firoze M. Kotwal

According to Firdausi’s Shahnameh, from the time of the Peshdadian King Hoshang, the people of Iran have revered fire as
the radiance and splendour of Ahura Mazda. For centuries, Zoroastrians have demonstrated their reverence by enthroning
the Holy Fire in a special structure and by offering prayers to the Sacred Fire. It is through the Holy Fire that Zoroastrians
have called upon Ahura Mazda for the welfare of their community, country, and the world. Zoroastrians view the Sacred Fire
as their spiritual king, the unseen giver of blessings.

The priests who enthrone the fire censer in the ‘Gumbad’ (sanctum sanctorum) do so with the honour and ceremony
befitting a king. While attending the Holy Fire, the priests will safeguard the fire’s purity by using apparatus, such as, the
Ladle, Tong, Bell, Logs Of Acacia Wood, Fragrant Wood e.g. Ēsm-Bōi (Sandalwood), Atash Vazēnīdār (Fire-Fan), Swords, Gurz
(a bull-headed mace), and Daggers.

Zoroastrian religious texts refer to ritual apparatus offerings made to atone for sins. For example, during Sasanian times,
chief justices of the realm ordered transgressors to contribute firewood, ritual utensils, and other useful apparatus to the fire
temple. There are references to this practice in the Vendidad’s 14th and 18th chapters. The FIRE CENSER, FIRE-FAN, AND
FUEL are among the important apparatus dedicated to the Holy Fire; it is essential to clarify these 3 objects in the light of
religion and tradition.
1) ĀTASHGĀH:
Ātashgāh and Afargānyu are interchangeable terms for the fire censer (or fire vase) in which the sacred fire is kept. Parsis use
the word Afargānyu and the repeated use of this word in the Āfrīnagān ceremony seems to be the reason. For the
Afargānyu, the Avestan word Yaozdāni and Pahlavi words Yōshdān, Ādōsht, Ādurgāh, Ādurdān, Ātashgāh, and Ātashdān have
been used. In ancient Iran, the Holy Fire was historically enthroned in a concave metal bowl inset in a stone Afargānyu,
which acted as a Sarpōsh (cover). While excavating the site Pasargadae palaces, constructed by the Achaemenian King Cyrus
the Great, a number of stone Afargānyās were found, which were dated to 2500 years ago. For more than two millennia, the
Holy Fires were installed on three stepped, stone pillars (i.e. Ādōsht from old Iranian ‘Ātaraeshti’ means “fire stand of stone”)
located in Iranian fire temples. Probably, when the oldest Atash Bahrām in India, the Iranshah, was enthroned, it would have
been installed on a stone Afargānyu, in accordance with ancient Iranian tradition.

It was much later that Metal Censers of Copper or Silver were introduced in fire temples in India, which was replicated in
some Iranian fire temples during the late nineteenth century. Even now, a few Iranian fire temples continue to have their
Sacred Fire installed on a stone pillar or platform. Thus, the primary religious implement in a fire temple is the Fire vase or
censer on which the Sacred Fire is installed.

As with all sacred practices, a liturgy is followed when approaching the Sacred Fire. After performing the Farziyat Prayers (i.e.
the obligatory prayers), Zoroastrians are required to bow their heads before the Holy Fire and recite the Ātash Niyāesh— a
litany in praise of the creation of fire. According to our religious tradition, Zoroastrians should use their right hand for all
religious activities (as a mark of respect). Sandalwood offered to the Holy Fire is offered using the right hand, after paying
obeisance to the fire. In the Pāv Mahal ceremonies (high inner rituals of the faith), the ‘Drōn’ or sacred bread and other
apparatus are used and shifted ritually with the right hand. According to the Vendidad’s 19th chapter, the left hand’s
function is to hold the Barsom (the bundle of metal wires) while performing the ceremony; this action has been followed and
maintained by our mobeds for thousands of years. In the Yasna ceremony (chapters 11 & 34) and before pouring libation in
the well) the Haoma libation, which has been strained during the ritual, is first held before the Fire, as an offering and
because of the respect for the ritual Fire burning in the censer, the holy apparatus i.e. the Hāvanim (the mortar containing
the Haoma juice) is held in the Left Hand and sandalwood is offered to the ritual fire with the Right Hand.

About 300 years ago, the Ātash-Khwān (stone stool on which the fire vase rests) and the Ālāt-Khwān (a stone stool on which
apparatus for the Yasna ritual is arranged) was positioned above the seated Zōt’s navel. According to Zoroastrian texts, the
area above the navel is tantamount to the confines of paradise (ms. F23, housed in the Meherjirana Library, Navsari). It was
considered extremely meritorious to perform ceremonies after arranging the fire and ritual apparatus in this manner.

2) FIRE-FAN:
On the inner wall of the Gumbad (sanctum of some Atash Bahrāms in India), a silver ‘Fire-Fan’ is suspended on a nail; not for
decoration, but when needed by the priest serving the Holy Fire during the Bōi ceremony. In describing the shape of the fire-
fan, the Vendidad (14.7) declares that it is “narrow at the bottom and curved at the top.” Extant Avestan manuscripts
describe the Bōi ceremony. (Specifically K-7, which was written in 1288 CE at Ankleshwar and is currently housed in the
University of Copenhagen’s library is considered one of the oldest Avestan Pahlavi manuscripts.) As mentioned in the
manuscript, after the Ātash-Khwān has been purified, the Mobed holds the fan and recites 1 Ashem Vohu while fanning the
Holy Fire 3 times. During the Bōi ceremony, 2 furrows are drawn on the ash bed of the ‘Sarposh’ on recitation of the 1st
Ātash Niyaesh, which is followed by the recital of 2 Yatha Ahu Vairyos. (If The Fire Has Not Been Rekindled While The 2
Furrows Were Being Erased During The Recitation Of The 3rd Ātash Niyaesh, Only Then Is The Bōiwārā Allowed To Use The
Silver Fan In The Gumbad.) To reignite the flame, the fan is held in Both Hands and the Fire is Fanned with an Up and Down
Motion.

Among the Bhagariyā mobeds of Navsari, there is an old custom that if the fire does not blaze during the first 3 Ātash
Niyaesh then, after marking the Kash, or circular furrows in the ash-bed, it is obligatory to Enkindle the Holy Fire by using the
silver fan as described above. About 3 decades ago, while performing the Bōi ceremony at the Navsari Ātash Bahrām during
the Ushahin Gāh, the silver fan had to be used by the author to help the sacred fire to blaze. Which was according to the
custom among Bhagariyā mobeds. Although books written later, regarding the use of the fan during the Pāvmahal
ceremonies (as mentioned in the K-7 manuscript) by the Sanjānā, Bhagariyā and Qadimi mobeds, do not refer to the use of a
fan during the Bōi ceremony, the presence of a large silver fan on the inner Gumbad wall of the Navsari Ātash Bahrām bears
witness to this historical practice that is no longer in use today.

3) FUEL FOR ĀTASH PĀDSHĀH:

According to Avestan literature, 2 types of wood were used as fuel for the Holy Fire in ancient times: Hardwood (sun-dried)
and Sweet-Smelling softwoods like Urvāsna, Vohu-Gaona, Vohu-Kereti, and Hadhānaepatām (wood of the Pomegranate
tree). Wood from the first 3 trees is difficult to identify. During the Yasna ceremony, while praying ‘Urvarām
Hadhānaepatām’, a twig of the Pomegranate tree is placed in the mortar. This clearly suggests that the word
‘Hadhānaepatām’ is used for the Pomegranate tree. The well-known scholar Harold Bailey compared Hadhānaepatām (used
for Pomegranate) with words in ‘Yidgha’ and ‘Waziri Pashto’ dialects and interpreted the word to mean ‘a fruit with seeds,
Pomegranate,’ which is consistent with the translations of our scholar-priests of old. Today the Ēsm-Bōi offered in the
Pavmahal ceremonies is Sandalwood and a piece of Olibanum, Frankincense (Lobān); however, in the Avestan literature it
means ‘Hardwood and Sweet-Smelling Softwood.’ To keep the fire burning continuously, the Zoroastrians of India use the
Slow-Burning Acacia wood (from the Bawal tree), whereas the Zoroastrians in Iran prefer the wood from the Pomegranate
tree (when unavailable, they will use Apricot or Pistachio tree wood). According to the Indian priestly tradition, a dried piece
of Pomegranate wood could be used in place of Ēsm- Bōi, as a reminder of the original mandate in the sacred texts of the
Avesta.

The learned Sasanian Dasturs rendered Softwood fuel as Bōi (Sweet-Smelling Fuel) in Pahlavi. It is stated that if the divine
powers are offered Bōi as an oblation, with chanting of the Avesta, the fragrance of Bōi will delight them and, in return, they
will give their blessings. The main object of the Bōi ceremony is also to destroy the malevolent effects of the evil spirit and,
as a consequence, delight the good spirits by welcoming them with offerings of Sweet-Scented wood and the chanting of
prayers

From: FEZANA Journal –Winter 2014