Category Archives: Avesta and Studies

TISS – Parzor Certificate Programme

Posted on by One comment

 

 

Programme Proposal for the Parzor-TISS Certificate in Parsi Zoroastrian Culture & Heritage Studies

Background

The Parsi-Zoroastrian community, its history, assimilation in India and multicultural heritage
makes for a highly significant area of contemporary socio-politico-cultural study and
discourse. The story of the community’s resilience and cultural survival is a case-study in
tradition and continuity, adaptation and assimilation, multiculturalism and philanthropy; not
one of refugee victimhood and oblivion, but of agency and ownership, with the idea of giving
back to the society. Today, with refugees travelling across the globe, the Parsi Zoroastrian
paradigm is an example of integration while maintaining a distinct cultural identity. This
unique identity of the community is a confluence of its Iranian and Indian background, with
European and even Chinese influence. The cultural wisdom and entrepreneurial zeal of the
community is evident in varied spheres from ecological best practices to the pivotal role in
shaping contemporary cities like Mumbai. However, a systematic academic study of the Parsi-
Zoroastrian community and its imprint on society has not been attempted heretofore in India
or outside, nor have formal Cultural Studies been instituted in the field.
Parzor and TISS have collaborated and signed an MOU in August 2022 with the goal to offer
the first systematic programme of study on Parsi Zoroastrian Culture and Heritage within an
academic institution.

TISS-Parzor Academic Programme

The academic programme on Parsi Zoroastrian Culture & Heritage aims to advance the
understanding of the community and diverse perspectives through academic frameworks
provided by history, cultural studies, sociology, anthropology, economics and philosophy.
The courses will be taught by a combination of resident faculty members and guest lecturers
from institutes across the globe, who are subject experts in the field of Zoroastrian Studies.
The programme will also tap into young researchers and professionals in emerging and
specialized fields, guided by those who have spent a lifetime in protecting this heritage. This
Programme will add value to the study of the Humanities, and appeal to young students across
disciplines, who wish to explore new ideas while earning credits for the coursework towards
their diploma or degree. The programme will highlight how an ancient culture has remained
relevant through modern ideas, and discuss pertinent issues such as Environment, Pollution,
Demographics, Migration, Diasporas, Global Cultures, Continuity and Change.

Certificate Programme Structure, Duration and Fees

The Academic Programme is being launched with an Online Certificate Course of 20 credits
with a duration of around nine months. The structure of the first iteration of the Certificate is
shown in Annexure A. There is one Compulsory Core Course on Philosophy, History & Culture
and a choice from ten Elective Courses across five different tracks, viz. Languages, Literature,
History, Art & Culture, and Contemporary Studies of Parsi-Zoroastrianism. A student would be
required to undertake a Research Project / Dissertation or Field Study for successful
completion. Annexure B provides a tentative academic calendar with the programme starting
during the last week of August 2024, and being completed in May 2025. Each course is
proposed to run for a 10-week duration with a total class time for 3 hours each week.
The per student fee for the complete TISS-Parzor Certificate is proposed to be ₹ 50,000 + GST.
It is proposed that prospective students may be allowed to opt for individual courses (modular
option) if they do not wish to enrol for the complete Certificate programme. The fee for
enrolling for an individual 2-credit Course is proposed to be ₹ 7,000 + GST. Participants
successfully completing the course requirements will obtain a completion certificate.
Participants enrolling only for individual Elective Courses will need to demonstrate sufficient
background knowledge, failing which they will be required to complete the Foundation Course
as a pre-requisite. International students will be charged a mark-up to the above fees based
on existing TISS guidelines as shared by the TISS Office of International Affairs.

Learning Outcomes

The main aims (learning outcomes) of the Academic Programme are to:
 Encourage the study and preservation of tangible and intangible forms of a heritage of
humanity in need of preservation.
 Enable students to develop a unique understanding of cultures and communities through
the core and elective courses.
 Make the Parsi Zoroastrian perspective known to a generation which has not been
exposed to this culture.
 Encourage the study of Central Asian cultures as a sister cultural sphere with India.
 Explain the core customs and rituals that form the heart of Zoroastrianism vis-a-vis the
current ecological scenario.
 Provide a consolidated digital resource platform offering online access to rare Zoroastrian
texts from the world over.
 Showcase crafts and customs in traditional and AV formats from Parzor Foundation’s
archives to understand symbols and a continuity of culture, and enable further research
on this cultural heritage.

Annexure A – Course structure

Course structure for Online Certificate on Parsi Zoroastrian Culture & Heritage
Courses eligible for transfer to equivalent International Credits
Each course is worth 2 credits. A student is required to complete a total of 20 credits to fulfil the
requirements of the Certificate.
Compulsory Foundation Course: Philosophy, History, Culture
Dr. Shernaz Cama, Prof. Almut Hintze and other guest faculty
Elective Track Elective Courses
Language & Tradition
1. Oral Tradition, Ecology and Rituals
Dr. Sarah Stewart and other guest faculty
2. Avestan language
Prof. Almut Hintze and other guest faculty
Parsi Literature
3. Parsi Literature in English
 Prof. Coomi Vevaina and other guest faculty
4. Persian & Parsi Gujarati Literature
Dr. Kerman Daruwalla and other guest faculty
Historical Perspectives
5. History, Archaeology and Heritage
Dr. Kurush Dalal and other guest faculty
6. Print History & Journalism
Dr. Firdaus Gandavia and other guest faculty
Contemporary Studies
7. Parsis and Modern India
Dr. Meher Mistry and other guest faculty
8. Zoroastrian Demographics
Prof. Siva Raju and other guest faculty
Art, Architecture &
9. Material Culture: Arts, Crafts & Architecture
Material Culture Prof. Kavas Kapadia and other guest faculty
10. Parsi Theatre & Performing Arts
Dr. Abhimanyu Acharya and other guest faculty

Annexure B – Academic calendar

Tentative timetable for Certificate Programme
SEMESER-1
week no. date core course elec-1 elec-3 elec-5 elec-7 hours/wk
1 26-Aug-24 3 3
2 2-Sep-24 3 3
3 9-Sep-24 3 3
4 16-Sep-24 3 3
5 23-Sep-24 3 3 6
6 30-Sep-24 3 3 6
7 7-Oct-24 3 3 3 9
8 14-Oct-24 3 3 3 3 12
9 21-Oct-24 3 3 3 3 3 15
10 28-Oct-24 3 3 3 3 3 15
11 4-Nov-24 3 3 3 3 12
12 11-Nov-24 3 3 3 3 12
13 18-Nov-24 3 3 3 3 12
14 25-Nov-24 3 3 3 3 12
15 2-Dec-24 3 3 3 9
16 9-Dec-24 3 3 3 9
17 16-Dec-24 3 3 6
18 23-Dec-24 3 3
 Course hours total 30 30 30 30 30
SEMESER-2
week no. date elec-9 elec-2 elec-4 elec-6 elec-8 elec-10 hours/wk
1 6-Jan-25 3 3 3 9
2 13-Jan-25 3 3 3 9
3 20-Jan-25 3 3 3 9
4 27-Jan-25 3 3 3 9
5 3-Feb-25 3 3 3 9
6 10-Feb-25 3 3 3 9
7 17-Feb-25 3 3 3 9
8 24-Feb-25 3 3 3 9
9 3-Mar-25 3 3 3 9
10 10-Mar-25 3 3 3 9
11 17-Mar-25 3 3 3 9
12 24-Mar-25 3 3 3 9
13 31-Mar-25 3 3 3 9
14 7-Apr-25 3 3 3 9
15 14-Apr-25 3 3 3 9
16 21-Apr-25 3 3 3 9
17 28-Apr-25 3 3 3 9
18 5-May-25 3 3 3 9
19 12-May-25 3 3 3 9
20 19-May-25 3 3 3 9
 Course hours total 30 30 30 30 30 30

Mumbai University to set up centre to study Parsi-Zorostrian culture

Posted on by One comment

The study centre, which is scheduled to commence from this academic year, will operate through the School of Languages of the university.

MU

The university has received a financial support of around Rs 12 crore from the Union Ministry, which will fund the creation of a language lab, multimedia studio and ancillary infrastructure. (Representational Image)

The Mumbai University (MU) has decided to establish Avesta Pahlavi Study Centre to study the Parsi —Zorostrian culture. The university signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Union Ministry of Minority Affairs in this regard on Thursday.

The study centre, which is scheduled to commence from this academic year, will operate through the School of Languages of the university.

The university has received a financial support of around Rs 12 crore from the Union Ministry, which will fund the creation of a language lab, multimedia studio and ancillary infrastructure.

The centre aims to preserve and protect the Avesta-Pahlavi legacy, study Parsi-Zoroastrian culture, explore Parsi community’s contribution to India’s development, document linguistics features for posterity and understand Avesta-Pahlavi’s contribution to India’s cultural diversity.

Along with certificate and diploma level courses, the university plans to offer Master’s and PhD courses too in Avesta-Pahlavi Studies.

The study centre will focus on studies of grammar and vocabulary in Avesta Pahlavi along with literature, historical background, scripts and writing systems, translation and philological analysis, semantics and dictionaries, ancient Iranian history and civilization.

The area of studies will also include Avesta Pahlavi epigraphy and palaeography, inscriptions and manuscripts.

Since 1888, studying this language script has been part of the Mumbai University but was shut down a while ago due to technical issues.

For the first time it will have a dedicated centre on campus now to run different types of courses in under the language.

https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/mumbai/mu-to-set-up-centre-to-study-parsi-zorostrian-culture-9189162/

Kutar Memorial Lecture 2024 by Dr Mehrbod Khanizadeh Thu 7th Mar 2024 @ 6pm

Posted on by One comment

SOAS Shapoorji Pallonji Institute of Zoroastrian Studies and

Department of Religions and Philosophies, SOAS, University of London

in collaboration with the World Zoroastrian Organisation

 

Kutar Memorial Lecture Series

Khalili Lecture Theatre

Thursday, 7th March 2024, 6pm

Dr Mehrbod Khanizadeh

SOAS University of London

Understanding the Avesta: Zoroastrian scholastic activities in the 9th-11th centuries and the creation of Avestan-Pahlavi bilingual manuscripts

The 9th–11th centuries mark one of the most important periods in the history of Zoroastrianism. During this time, Zoroastrians made a special effort to preserve their ancient heritage. Texts in Middle Persian (Pahlavi), usually based on Zoroastrian pre-Islamic traditions, were compiled and in response to their altered conditions, new texts in the same language were created. Furthermore, reforms of the calendar and in the performance of Avestan rituals were introduced. In the early 11th century, the first historically traceable Avestan exegetical manuscript, now lost, was produced. This manuscript combined the Avestan text of the Yasna ceremony with its ritual directions and corresponding Pahlavi translation and commentary. In this illustrated lecture Mehrbod Khanizadeh explores these scholarly endeavours in their historical context. Based on his recent research, he draws a picture of priestly scholastic activities during this period and discusses the history of the creation of the first known exegetical Avestan-Pahlavi Yasna manuscript, and possible reasons for its creation.

 

All Welcome

The lecture is followed by a reception and refreshments

 

Dr Mehrbod Khanizadeh holds a PhD in Religious Studies from SOAS where he wrote his dissertation under the supervision of Professor Almut Hintze. Between 2018 and 2022, he was a postdoctoral researcher on the Multimedia Yasna (MUYA) project (https://muya.soas.ac.uk/). His research resulted in an article on the genesis of the Pahlavi Yasna manuscripts, published at the Bulletin of SOAS in 2021, and a new edition of the Avestan text of chapters 9-11 of the Yasna, which will be published by Brill in 2024. He is currently a research fellow at SOAS, working on his project on a new edition of Pahlavi Yasna 9-11, funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC).

 Ērmān ī uzvān ī pārsīg (The Society of Friends of the Pārsīg Language)

Posted on by Leave a comment
Dear Parsi Zarthosthi readers, My fellow Humdins, Sahebji to all,
I am Esfandyar Patrawalla, and I am here to speak to our community as a young, concerned Zarthosthi and an enabler of action to reverse the crisis we are facing.
As no culture or people survive without a spiritual hinge, we too must always be conscious of the fact that the Mazdayasni Zarthosthi tradition is the foundation of our entire culture and cultural consciousness. Should it disappear, so do we.
We must also recognise that our culture and spirituality are in grave danger of being lost to the sands of time.
As was noted by different eminent Parsi scholars and personalities, like Shehnaz Cama in her recently published piece in The Times of India titled “Time is running out for Parsi culture. Race to save it from extinction is on”, the time is running out and most Parsis are entirely unaware of what constitutes their spiritual system and the cultural and linguistic elements that bind them all together, in essence, like the Pārsīg language (also called Middle Persian or Pahlavi) in which many of the most important of our texts and our intellectual heritage are preserved, as well as our prayers, many of which we utter every day while doing our sudro-kusti prayers, but are unaware of the language as well as their meaning.
As Shehnaz Cama noted in the article:
“It is a crisis of memory as well as memory-keepers. The loss is at once urgent and historical. They fear that the tangible and intangible threads of their history, culture, philanthropy, and memory would vanish as well. It was the history of an entire community simply vanishing.”
The grammatical tense structure of the sentence is present-continous. As in, we are living through this decay, and this must make us tensed.
To reverse this decay and revitalise one of the pillars of the Ēr (= Mazdayasni, Iranic) spirituality, we have the great pleasure to announce the launch of “Ērmān ī uzvān ī pārsīg”, an independent project in Iranian Studies that emphasises public education and authentic practice of the Pārsīg language by using a Natural and Immersive Method.
The project, which owes its foundations to renown behdēn scholar Raham Asha, is currently coordinated and directed by Ario Sedaghat, a fellow young Iranian humdēn and a researcher in philosophy based in Milan, Italy.
For an introduction to the current work on the project, see: https://erman.super.site/
The website, set to expand over the coming year, not only features materials from the Pārsīg classical corpus transcribed to the highest orthographic standards, but also presents new texts freshly written, translated, and retro-translated into Pārsīg, each serving a distinct purpose, made by our colleagues.
As for education, we have a comprehensive teaching plan involving both self-study and online lessons.
For online courses, see: https://erman.super.site/online-courses
For an initial (and not final) edition of online self-study, see: https://erman.super.site/hamzin-uzvn-prsg-learning-prsg-language
For other schedules that students can opt for based on their preferences, contact parsig@protonmail.com
The core purpose of Ērmān is the meticulous rehabilitation of this highly misunderstood and wrongly dismissed language as the main key to the entire spirit of Ērīh and the enormous heritage associated with it. As a group of young Iranian scholars and students, Ērmān seeks to build an online school for the Iranian public and intellectual frahang, i.e., education, that has the Daēnā Mazdayasni and its teachings as its core. This project has been in the testing phase for two years, and it is part of a larger effort in Iranian Studies (Perso-Aryan Studies) to transcend the conventional orientalistic naiveté that pervades academia and ignores many contexts and the richness of our intellectual and spiritual heritage.
There is a serious danger that the Zoroastrian community, and the Parsi community in particular, might forget everything that our ancestors and ourselves have stood for over the course of thousands of years. There will be nothing left of “Parsipannu” once the spiritual aspect of it is lost to time. We simply then devolve to the very Karapan vapid ritualists that mumbled prayers without understanding their meanings & against whom our very dear Asho Zarthost stood so defiantly to keep intact the spiritual essence of Asha and Mazdayasni Daēnā.
Thus, it is my kind request to all my fellow Parsi readers here to kindly get involved with the project and, if you find it useful, make contributions to it, either as patrons or as students enrolling to learn the language, so as to understand the contextuals of our holy Daēnā and culture.
I thank everyone for reading and supporting.
Yazdān panāh bād ud ahlāyīh bē abzāyād!
For contacting Mr. Ario Sedaghat, director and coordinator of Ērmān, email at: ario.sedaghat@gmail.com
The website address https://erman.super.site/
For questions email parsig@protonmail.com
For joining in on online lessons see: https://erman.super.site/online-courses
Esfandyar Patrawalla
(esfandyarpatrawalla@gmail.com)
I am also attaching images below that help navigate through the website more readily & help understand the structure:

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Learning the Pārsīg Language:
Here you will find information about our periodic online classes, the “Pārsīg in 30 Lessons” self-study program, A Concise Grammar, Dictionary and exercises for learning Pārsīg.
Mādayān | Texts:
Here you will find a selection of Pārsīg texts, from classical literature to new works written, translated or retrotranslated to Pārsīg.
Among the present works we have: The Book of the Deeds of Ardašēr, the Memorial of Vazurgmihr, the Jāmāspīg; stories from Aesop, ʿAwfī’s Collections of Stories,…
Māhrōz | History:
Here you will find historical works such as Pārsīg inscriptions and texts relating to the traditional history of Iran, and research about the historical narrative in relation to the religious & royal institutions, and Iranians’ bipartite ideology to these two institutions.
Dānišn | Sciences:
Here you will find works about the sciences in Ērānšahr, ranging from encyclopedia-writing, logic and philosophy to cosmology, astronomy and medicine.
 āfrīn ud jašn | Benedictions and Feasts:
Here you can find texts and researches related to benedictory formulas and rituals of Iranian festivities, banquets and such.
 Poetry
A selection of extant Pārsīg poems; a set of translations into Pārsīg from modern Iranian languages like Farsi, Luri, Ādari etc., and more.

The Avesta and Zoroastrianism: The Creation, Disappearance and Resurgence of an Ancient Text

Posted on by Leave a comment
Zoroastrian Fire temple at Baku, Azerbaijan adapted practiced according to the Avesta and other Zoroastrian scriptures. Source: Konstantin / Adobe Stock

    Of all the religious texts, the Avesta is perhaps the least familiar. This is unsurprising, since the Avesta was written in a now-dead language, before being lost for almost one thousand years. However, thousands of people still follow the teachings of this ancient text that is thought to have its origins between 1500 and 1000 BC. The Avesta is key not only to understanding Zoroastrianism, but also the origins of younger and more widely followed religions.

    The Farvahar, the most common symbol of Zoroastrianism. (Alexeiy / Adobe Stock)

    The Farvahar, the most common symbol of Zoroastrianism. ( Alexeiy / Adobe Stock)

    What is the Avesta?

    The Avesta is the religious text of Zoroastrianism. Zoroastrianism was founded by the prophet Zoroaster at some point between 1500 and 1000 BC. The religion developed from an oral tradition, and its original prayers and hymns were composed in a language which was called Avestan, now long dead.

    Thankfully, the  Sassanian Empire  (224-651 AD) went to great lengths to write the Avesta down. The text is usually divided into 6 sections: Yasna-Gathas, Visperad, Yashts, Vendidad, Minor Texts, and Fragments.

    According to Zoroastrian tradition, the original 21 books, called  Nasts were revealed by the Zoroastrian god himself, Ahura Mazda. Ahura Mazda is said to have revealed the texts to the prophet Zoroaster, who recited them to King Vishtaspa. The king then had the Nasts inscribed on golden sheets. This work was then memorized, recited at  yasna (services), and passed down through word of mouth for generations, until the Sassanians took it upon themselves to record it all.

    The original Avesta has expanded over time. Besides Zoroaster’s original teachings, it now includes ecclesiastical laws, commentaries, and customs. New beliefs which came long after Zoroaster have also been added.

    A Sassanian Frieze in Iran showing Persian King Ardashir I crowned by Ahura Mazda (right). The figure standing behind the king is probably his son and successor Shapur I (Artaban V Vers 230 / CC BY SA 3.0)

    A Sassanian Frieze in Iran showing Persian King Ardashir I crowned by Ahura Mazda (right). The figure standing behind the king is probably his son and successor Shapur I (Artaban V Vers 230 /  CC BY SA 3.0 )

    Early Development

    Zoroastrianism began as a polytheistic religion (a religion with more than one god).  Ahura Mazda  was seen as the king of the gods, and he was supported by lesser gods and spirits that represented the forces of good. Opposing Ahura Mazda and his retinue was the spirit Angra Mainyu and his forces of darkness. We know that in the early days of Zoroastrianism there was a priesthood that worshipped the gods, but very little other information exists about this early period.

    Sometime between 1500 and 1000 BC, one of these priests rose up with new teachings. This priest,  Zoroaster, claimed to have received a vision from Ahura Mazda. A being of pure light, Vohu Manah, had visited Zoroaster on the god’s behalf to inform him that Ahura Mazda was the one true god. It was Zoroaster’s responsibility to spread the word.

    Unsurprisingly, things did not go well for Zoroaster when he first dropped this bombshell revelation. The priesthood turned against him, and his life was threatened, causing him to flee his home. Zoroaster soon arrived at the court of King Vishtaspa, who had him imprisoned for his heresy. Luckily, Zoroaster managed to win over the king by healing his favorite horse. Impressed by this miracle, King Vishtaspa promptly converted to Zoroaster’s version of Zoroastrianism and commanded his kingdom to follow suit. Zoroaster was no longer seen as a heretic, and his new religion began to spread rapidly.

    An image of Zoroaster from the 1849 Bombay Shahnama (Public Domain)

    An image of Zoroaster from the 1849 Bombay Shahnama ( Public Domain )

    The new religion revolved solely around Ahura Mazda, the all-good, all-forgiving, all-loving god. All Ahura Mazda wanted was for humans to acknowledge his love through good thoughts, deeds, and words.

    According to Zoroaster, his followers had to lead a virtuous life. This was done by honoring  Asha (truth) and resisting  Druj (lies). It was said that by leading lives of honor, people helped to combat the forces of darkness which were still led by Angra Mainyu. It is during this time that Zoroaster is believed to have composed the  Gathas, the earliest section of the Avesta which takes the form of hymns addressed directly to Ahura Mazda. As stated above, legend states that King Vishtaspa had these hymns recorded on golden sheets, but no evidence of these sheets remains.

    Click Here to continue to this interesting article at Ancient-origins.net

    North America Zoroastrian Studies launched

    Posted on by One comment

    Attached, for your information and circulation, is a Press Release announcing the establishment of the North American Institute of Zoroastrian Studies, as an educational arm of the North American Mobeds Council (NAMC).

    A debt of gratitude goes to Rohinton Rivetna for his initiative in drafting the initial charter, and to NAMC (President Er. Arda-e-viraf Minocherhomjee) for their resolution to carry the proposal forward.  NAMC Vice-President Er. Tehemton Mirza has been tasked by NAMC to set up this organization, create a curriculum and manage its operations.

    This is an important milestone for Zoroastrians in North America, marking our coming of age and taking our rightful place as an established religion, among others, in North America.

    Best,
    Roshan Rivetna

     

    Loader Loading...
    EAD Logo Taking too long?

    Reload Reload document
    | Open Open in new tab

    SOAS PhD FOR NAZNEEN ENGINEER

    Posted on by One comment
    Having recently been awarded her PhD, Dr. Nazneen Engineer is currently a Postdoctoral Researcher at the SOAS Shapoorji Pallonji Institute of Zoroastrian Studies.
    Her interest in Zoroastrian Studies emerged after she attended the December 2007 World Zoroastrian Youth Congress in Australia.
    For her doctorate, which was awarded to her on July 24, 2019, at SOAS in London, she produced an annotated translation of a Parsi Gujarati text written in 1883 by a prominent high-priest of the Parsi community. Her post-doctoral journey continues…
    « Older Entries