Birthday of Fire
*🌹🔥Chula nu varas – Birthday of the hearth fire*🔥🌹
🌸 *Daepadar Roj Adar Mahino – 20th April 2020* 🌸
On Daepadar Roj Adar Mahino, Zoroastrians celebrate the Chulah nu varas, that is, the birthday of the hearth (cooking) fire. Fire plays many roles in our lives, and one of it is to cook our food on which depends our life and sustenance. For this role of the fire, we remember it in the Atash Nyaish in the following words.“Vispaebyo sastim baraiti, atash mazdao ahurahe, khshafnimcha suirimcha “Fire of Ahura Mazda carries teachings for all those who cook night meal and mid-day meal.”
*Preparations to be made :
* ¼ kg. of Mithai yellow pandas preferably or any other Indian sweet.·
3-4 fruits of the season specially a yellow mango
·a few flowers and a small bunch of 4-6 roses.
2 small garlands – one for the ses and one for stove.· 2 large garlands – one for the kitchen door and one for the front door
Extra kum-kum – (vermilion powder) and haldi (turmeric) powder and a small bowl.
Rose water.
Prepare one Afarganyu (fire vase) with coal/sandalwood and loban.
Prepare one Ses with the Soparo, Gulabdan, Kumkum holder, a fish made of silver metal, a Divo, Rice, Sugar crystals, a green betel leaf with dried sticks of turmeric, dried dates, a betel nut
A Coconut
*Procedure to be followed :
· On Daepadar Roj – after lunch, in Uzirin Geh clean the kitchen with a clean cloth.
· First heat the coals until they are glowing, and put the burning embers in the Afarganyu, and keep the fire burning by putting small kathis (logs of wood) and sandal wood.
· Sprinkle water round the stove (chulah) and wipe with a clean wet cloth. Then put chalk round the stove or fire place.
· Mix in a bowl, kum-kum and haldi powder by putting enough water to make a paste. Put your right thumb in the paste and write “Pak Dadar Hormuzd Ni Madad Hojo Ji” or “Khshnaothra Ahurahe Mazdao” and then do as follows above the stove on the wall but below the inscription. Also draw a fire in an afarganyu, a chippyo (tong) and a flat chamach (ladle) and then draw a small square with a diagonal cross. Some people also draw a farohar on the wall.
· Place a vase of flowers near the Afarganyu.
· Put a small beaker of water in the Ses. · You can also put small beakers of milk
· Then fill the Afarganyu with more coals and wood and keep it burning. Leave Sukhar and Loban near it so that every hour you can feed the fire and keep it going. It does not have to have flames; it can be just burning embers.
· In a tray (khumcho) put fruits and mithai and loose flowers.
· Put a full ses containing a soparo, gulabdan, kum-kum holder, silver fish and grains of dry rice, sakkar (sugar crystals), rose water in the gulabdan and a divo near it.
· At 3.45 p.m. in the afternoon take a bath, do your kusti, light the divo, keep Sukhar and Loban to the fire in the Afarganyu.
· Place a tray with fruits, mithai and loose flowers near the Afarganyu.
· On the other side of the stove put the Ses with a few flowers, the Divo & coconut.
· Do your kusti, recite Srosh Baj, the Uzirin Gah Prayers, Ardibehesht Yasht and Atash Niyaish and any other prayer you may wish to recite. After reciting the prayers, offer Sukhar and Loban to the fire. The door is kept shut till the next morning i.e. till Havan Gah of Adar Roj, Adar Mah when the kitchen is re-opened. It is believed that Ardibehesht Ameshaspand and the Adar Yazad visit the fire to bless the house and its family members at night. Please note nothing is cooked on the stove and the kitchen is not used, from Uzirin Gah on Dae-pa Adar Roj, to Havan Gah of Adar Roj. The stove is rested, and the family keeps the kitchen closed, and they have dinner in a restaurant or eat cold food. On this day, we thank the sacred fire for its immense blessings towards our physical and spiritual sustenance. The next day on Adar Roj, Adar Mahino, the stove is used to make tea or warm up milk and then it is used for cooking. The Divo is allowed to burn and the fruits and food blessed by Ardibehesht Ameshaspand are eaten at breakfast on Adar Roj.
🌷 *_STAY HOME STAY SAFE. HAVE FAITH IN DADAR AHURA MAZDA_* 🌷
Er. Fardoon D. Karkaria.Panthaky Bangalore
