38
PARSEE FESTIVALS AND OBSERVANCES.
attend on the hills at Chaopatty (Bombay), where their "dockmas," or "towers of silence " are situated, and there perform prayers for the dead, in honour of their memory.
The Parsees are enjoined by their religion 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 religion, honoured by sacred rites on this day. The ceremony consists in a man or woman preparing small round pieces of baked bread, called darans, which are put on a tray or other copper vessel, along with fruits and flowers, over which the priest per- forms the prayers of the Baj, or "Vaj," as it is called by M. Anquetil du Perron in his "Zend Avesta." According to the translation published by this learned French- man, the Baj is an invocation of the manes 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 performed among the Hindus and the Mahomedans, and are not unknown in the Roman Catholic countries of Europe.
ARDIBEHEST JASAN.-This festival, as its name implies, is maintained in honour of Ardibehest Amshaspond, the angel controlling the sacred fire, that element being one of the wonders of divine creation. The fire-temples are crowded on this day, sandalwood is offered to the sacred flame, and prayers offered to the Supreme Deity.
THE NOWROZ.-The fifth on the list is the celebrated Nowroz, called by some the Nowroz-i-Jamshid or the Nowroz-i-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 Asiatic 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 t! origin of this festival from the time of Jamshid, the third King of the Peshdadian aasty of Persia. Jamshid is sup- posed by Bailly to have flourished 3,209 years be ore Christ; the Shah Namah cele- brates him as the first King 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 visible in beauty after a lapse of two thousand years--are representations of the Court of Jamshid, more es- pecially on the festival of the Nowroz. The sculptures at this place contain repre- sentations of the Courts of ancient Persia, with the long train of attendants bringing offerings to the feet of monarchs; and as the Nowroz is a sort of "revenue settle- ment 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 Persepoliten 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 inhabit- ants, whether Mahomedans or Parsees. In India it is simply a day of rejoicing.
AVA ARDUI SUR JASAN.-Ava, in the Zend text, is the name of the angel who presides over the sea, and this "Jasan," or festival, is held in his honour. The Parsees are required 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 Hiudu 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
In Bombay a fair is held on the Esplanade in honour of this festival. ADAR JASAN.Adar, another synonym 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 sandalwood are made to the sacred flame, and money distributed among the priests.
acts.
Besides the above, there are the festivals of Meher Jasan, the Bahman Jasan, and a few others of less importance, all of which are partially observed.