Category Archives: Religion

Dastur Dr Sohrab Hormasji Kutar 27th Memorial Lecture by Dr Vesta Sarkosh Curtis at SOAS Thu 30th Apr 2026 @ 6pm

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SOAS Shapoorji Pallonji Institute of Zoroastrian Studies and Department of Religions and Philosophies, SOAS, University of London in collaboration with the World Zoroastrian Organisation Present the Twenty-seventh Dastur Dr Sohrab Hormasji Kutar Memorial Lecture  Khalili Lecture Theatre, SOAS Thursday, 30 April 2026, 6pm   Dr Vesta Sarkosh Curtis British Museum, London Birds, wings and diadems: Zoroastrian Symbols in Parthian and

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Significance of the Vendidad

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  A Parsi Times reader recently asked whether the Vendidad is a philosophical poem like the Gatha or prose enshrining an ancient ‘Zoroastrian Penal Code?’ He also wanted to know if it was simply a textual commentary or a sacred religious ritual? Finally, he was curious about why it is performed after midnight and considered as spiritually meritorious to perform the Vendidad ceremony in the memory

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Orality, Customs and Ecology: Living Traditions, Living Knowledge

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How does a tradition survive across millennia? How is knowledge preserved, practiced, and passed on—not just through texts, but through memory, ritual, and everyday life? The module “Orality, Customs and Ecology”, part of the TISS–PARZOR Online Certificate Programme on Culture & Heritage Studies, invites you to explore these questions in depth. Convened by the deeply committed Dr. Kerman Daruwalla, the

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How the Ancient Persian Religion of Zoroastrianism Shaped Early Judaism

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Rock relief of Ardashir I receiving the ring of kingship by the Zoroastrian supreme god Ahura Mazda. Credit: Wojciech Kocot / CC BY-SA 4.0 A new study suggests that the ancient Persian religion of Zoroastrianism influenced Jewish communities living under the Achaemenid Empire. The research, published in the journal Iran, provides evidence that Zoroastrian religious ideas and practices reached regions far beyond

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Story of the valiant spiritual warrior king Shah Faridun

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This short film is a chapter from the epic Shahnameh by Firdausi Tusi. It’s a story of the valiant spiritual warrior king Shah Faridun. It is entirely AI generated. This movie is dedicated to my children and all the children of the world. Guidance, inputs,support Ervad Dr Ramiyar P Karanjia Script :Melinda Bryce AI Production Direction & Editing : Bikash

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Significance Of Horses In Zoroastrian Tradition

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How, where and when horses were domesticated, is a matter of dispute among scholars and archaeologists. Though horses were carved in Palaeolithic cave-art as early as 30,000 BC, these were probably depictions of wild horses. Most of the available evidence supports the hypothesis that horses were domesticated in the Eurasian Steppes, in approximately 3,500 BC. Horses In Greek Mythology The

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SOAS – February 2026 Newsletter

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The Zoroastrian World February 2026 The Zoroastrian World is a monthly newsletter that shares key news, events, opportunities and publications from across the study of Zoroastrianism. If you are not already subscribed to the SSPIZS mailing list, please sign up here. Visual Journey The Sasanian Zoroastrian fire temple of Chahar Qapu in Qasr-e Shirin, Western Iran © Ali Matin, 2002. From the

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NAMC Institute of Zoroastrian Studies is pleased to announce the following sessions

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                                              NAMC Institute of Zoroastrian Studies is pleased to announce the following sessions:                      Online Discussion:   ‘Concept of Cause and Effect in Zoroastrianism’   –     Sunday, March 8, 2026 – 11 AM Eastern 

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