Jashan Ceremony

The Jashan Ceremony, one of the Zoroastrian liturgies, is organized outside areas of fire temples of the Parsi community. The literal meaning of the word ‘Jashan’ is Middle Persian and is formed from Avestan yasna (worship ceremony). It is performed during various occasions in the family or community such as marriages, births and the commemoration of a departed member. The Jashan must be performed at a clean place. The ceremony is led by a priest with his assistants. The objects used in this function are symbolic and signifies the theological concepts of Zoroastrians. During the occasion, a fire vessel is placed in the center of the sacred space and trays of flowers and vases are arranged around this fire vessel. The Jashan Ceremony has three parts – preface, blessing and a concluding benediction. It usually takes about an hour to perform this unique ceremony.