PARSEE FESTIVALS, FASTS, AND OBSERVANCES.
69
FARURHARDIN JASAN.-This day is set spart for the performance of ceremonies for the dead, "Fararhar," meaning soul or spirit. The superstitious portion of the people at- tend on the hills at Chaopatty (Bombay) where their "dokhmas" or "towers of silence" are situated, and there perform prayers for the dead, as if they had a better chance of being heard at that place on behalf of their deceased relations than in any other. This holiday is kept with some slight variations in other parts of India. The Parsees are enjoined by their re ligion to preserve the memory of their dead by annual religious ceremonies performed in the house; but such of their friends as die on long voyages or in unknown places, and the date of whose death cannot be positively ascertained, are, according to the terms of their re ligion, honoured by sacred rites on this day. The ceremony "consists" in a man or wo- man preparing small round pieces of baked bread, called daruns, which are put on a tray or other copper vessel, along with fruits and flowers, over which the priest performs the pray- ers of the Baj,or " Vaj," as it is called by M. Anquetil Du Perron in his "Zend Avesta." According to the trazislation published by this learned Frenchmen, the Baj is an invocation of the naines of the departed, and of such of the angels as have a direct control over the souls of the dead after their departure from this world. Prayers of this sort are still per- formed among the Hindus and the Mahomedans, and are not unknown in the Roman Ca- tholic countries of Europe.
ARDEBEHIST-JASAN.-This festival, as its name implies, is maintained in honour of Ardebebist Amshaspand, the angel controlling the sacred fire, that element being one of the symbols of worship. The fire-temples are crowded on this day, and prayers offered to the Supreine, Deity.
THE NOWROZ.-The fifth on our list is the celebrated Nowroz, called by some the Nowroz-í-Jamshid or the Nowroz-í-Sultan, the king's day. This celebrated festival falls generally about the 21st day of March, and corresponds with our Vernal Equinox. This day is observed by the Modern Persians, the Arabs, the Turks, and several other Asiatie nations for the computation of the solar year, and for State purposes, such as the collection of revenue, and the arrangements for the agricultural operations of the year. Eastern writers date the origin of this festival from the time of Jamshid, the third king of the Peshdadian dynasty of Persia. Jamshid is supposed by Bailly to have flourished, 3,209 years before Christ; the Shah Namah celebrates him as the first prince of his race who introduced civilisation among mankind, and established the computation of time. If we are to believe the Persian writers, the exquisite bas-reliefs among the ruins of Persepolis,-still visiblė in beauty after a lapse of two thousand years,-are representations of the Court of Jamshid, more especially on the festival of the Nowroz. The sculptures at this place, contain re- presentations of the Courts of ancient Persia, with the long train of attendants bringing offerings to the feet of Monarchs: and as the Nworoz is a sort of "revenue settlement" day, when the chiefs of different provinces lay their annual contributions before the throne, and are allowed audience with the monarch, the idea of a part of the Persepolitan bas-reliefs being a picture of some ancient king of Persia holding his court on the day of the Nowroz, does not appear to be without foundation. In Persia this festival is kept for several days with unusual pomp by all the inhabitants, whether Mahomedans or Parsees. In India it is simply a day of rejoicing.
AVA ARDUI Sar Jasan.-Ava, in the Zend text, is the name of the angel who pre- sides over the sea, and this "Jasan," or festival is held in his honour. The Parsees are re- quired on this day to approach the sea shore, or any stream of water, and chant the Zend prayers; but owing to their long residence in India, they have borrowed many Hindu rites in the observance of this holiday, and offerings of sugar, cocoanuts, flowers, &c., to the sea, are not uncommon. The better-informed portion of the community, however, do not join with their brethren in these superstitious acts. In Bombay a fair is held on the Esplanade in honour of this festival.
ADAR JASAN.Adar, another synonyme for fire, is the name by which the ninth month of the Parsee year is called. This is the most sacred of the twelve months, and the ninth day of that month is held in great respect and sanctity. On this day the fire temples are very much crowded, and offerings of sandal-wood are made to the sacred flame, and money distributed among the priests.
Besides the above, the festivals of the Parsis are the Meher Jasan, the Binan Jaster and a few others of less importance, all of which are partially observed.