Navjotes in Vienna

"Whilst the Parsis of Bombay are busy squabbling over their religion, in spite of their diminishing numbers, this good universal religion for all mankind is spreading elsewhere all over the world,” noted an e-mail by Feroza Saran, supplying a website contact www. dnzt.org:80/English-Events-Wien-3747-2009 featuring photos of navjotes held in Vienna, Austria.

On July 18, 2009 a group initiation ceremony was held by Bozorg Bazgasht Organization (Zarathushtrian Association of Norway) at Park Inn Hotel in Vienna, notes the website. The navjote of some Iranians and a native Austrian lady was performed by two Iranian mobeds.

"Two of the new behdins were Christians and the rest were born in Muslim families,” noted Kurosh Gostasp Aryana in response to Parsiana’s queries. Two of them are doctors and the rest of the "well educated” new initiates have a background in engineering or law.

A group of Iranians and an Austrian initiated under the auspices of Bozorg Bazgasht Organization in Vienna

They were in direct contact with Det Norske Zarathushthriske Tros­samfunn (DNZT) for more than a year and DNZT helped them to learn about the religion by self-study from books in Persian and English written by Zoroastrian scholars. An Iranian mobed living in Vienna helped them with prayers and ‘koshti bastan.’ They are now planning to establish a Zarathushtrian anjuman in Austria with the help of DNZT with monthly meetings, regular jashans and prayers.

The DNZT website also has tips on "How to convert into Zarathushtrian religion?” with a list of recommended reading beginning with Avesta, and followed by The Zoroastrian Tradition by Farhang Mehr, Zoroastrianism, An Ethnic perspective by Khojeste Mistree, The Gathas of Zarathushtra by Piloo Nanavutty, Mazdayasni by Ervad Peshotan Peer, Afrin Paigambar Zarathosht by Adil Rangoon­walla, A Zoroastrian Tapestry, Art, Religion and Culture by Pheroza Godrej and Firoza Punthakey Mistree, In search of Divine Light, The Zarathushtrian Way by Behram D. Pithavala, Khordeh Avesta by Ervad Maneck Furdoonji Kanga and Gathas of Zarathustra by Irach J. S. Tarapore­wala. The websites they recommend are www.zarathushtra.com/z/thus/index.htm and www.avesta.org

After studying the above books "you can request DNZT to perform an initiation ceremony (also called sedeh pooshi in Persian and navjote in Gujarati) for you,” notes the website.