Celebrations
Celebrations with a silver lining
An integral component of every celebration within the family, the sagan ni sés commands awe and admiration whether it stands as a centerpiece or is left in solitary splendor. The more ornate the craftsmanship, greater is its appeal.
When Parsiana spoke to those in the trade (see “The symbolic sés,” page 8) it appeared that the majority of the customers were willing to spend more to purchase a new sés that is carved rather than a simple one. But they chose to save money by buying German silver (an alloy with no precious metal value) rather than pure silver allowing for the more than five-fold escalation in silver prices over the last five years from Rs 6,000 to Rs 32,000.
It is no longer only gold that is sold on the basis of its weight in grams. Even silver artifacts are merchandised after measuring their weight in grams. When it comes to sés polishing too the charges are levied depending on the consolidated weight of the tray and all the accessories.
Silver merchants may recommend different measures to retain the sheen of the white metal over a long period of time. The choice before the customer is whether to wrap it in a newspaper or plastic and place it safely in a wooden cupboard away from moisture or leave it out in the open exposed to the elements which may soon tarnish the metal.
With every item on the sés bearing a deeper significance, the community should dwell on its esoteric meaning rather than agitate over whether it is an Iranian custom that we have carried with us or an Indian practice that we have adopted.
Cause for celebration
Our “Celebrations guide” on page 33 has attempted to list the gamut of services available under different heads. The primarily Bombay based listing is mainly of Parsi establishments although certain non-Parsis patronized by the community have been included. Where known, the outstation facilities have also been included. We realize the list may not be exhaustive and hope to be excused for any unintentional lapses. Those whom we may have overlooked can write in to us and we will accommodate them in the future. Also provided here are the contact numbers of the popular venues in Bombay for the convenience of those planning a function.
Choose your calendar
The accompanying 12 pages of the Gregorian calendar for the year 2011 (see pg 17) provide a ready reference for those who want to know the mah and roz of a certain date according to the Shahenshahi, Kadmi and Fasli calendars.
While the abbreviated version of the mah for each calendar is specified at the top of the page (please refer to the list of abbreviations at the end of this introduction in case of doubt), in the case of the rozs (mentioned against each date) the first line bears the Shahenshahi and Kadmi roz and the second line, the Fasli roz. During the months of July and August when the Shahenshahi and Kadmi rozs do not tally beginning with the first Kadmi Gatha day (i.e. July 15) and ending with the last Shahenshahi Gatha day (i.e. August 18), the first line bears the Shahenshahi roz, the second line, the Kadmi roz, and the last line, the Fasli roz.
From UK based religious researcher Farrokh Vajifdar we have gleaned that in ancient Iran there were several calendars in use. The earliest time-reckoner, suited to an agro-pastoral society, was luni-solar comprising 12 months of 30 days each. Later the priesthood introduced the five Gatha days or the panjag-i weh — “the good pentad.” The quarter day intercalation was not recognized until the calendar became noticeably out of step with the seasons when the ancient Zoroastrians added an extra month of 30 days every 120 years (¼x120=30). Being impractical it was not regularly practiced and the last attested one-month intercalation was made in Iran in 375 Anno Yazdegirdi (AY= in the year of Yazdegird) or 1005/6 Common Era (CE). In India, this one-month intercalation was last attempted in 1125/6 CE. It has since been recognized as the Shahenshahi calendar. When Dastur Jamasp (called Vilayati) of Kerman visited India he pointed out the one month discrepancy between the Iranian and Indian calendars following which some Parsis broke away from the Shahenshahis and in 1745 established the Kadmi (ancient) calendar. Both the Kadmi and Shahenshahi calendars do not synchronize with the seasons, the gahs and the gahanbars.
Actually our true calendar — called the sal-i-denig or Din-i sal (“the religious year”) — accurately fixes the dates and sequences of our gahanbars, the seasonally solar months, festivals, muktads and paravs. The prayers would then serve a purpose, explains Vajifdar.
The Iranians continue to observe March 21, the spring equinox, as their New Year for it manifests a physical resurrection after the months of harsh winter and hibernation. The Zoroastrians in India who consider Jamshedi Navroz or March 21 as their New Year are the Faslis (Fasli means seasonal in Arabic) who have their roots in the Zarthosti Fasli Sal Mandal founded by Kharshedji Cama in 1906. Following the leap year logic, they add a sixth Gatha day, Roz-e Wahizag, every four years to ensure that their New Year is permanently celebrated on March 21.
Yazdegirdi 1379/80/81 for the Fasli, Kadmi and Shahenshahi calendars, dates back to the coronation of the last Zoroastrian Sassanian King Yazdegird III in 632 AC. Next to the month line atop every page, readers will notice the year according to the Yazdegirdi era (AY 1379/1380/1381).
Noted opticians Phiroze M. Dastoor and Company who specialize in contact lenses and laser vision correction deserve our special thanks for sponsoring the Parsiana calendar.
Abbreviations of the mahs: Fravardin (Frav), Ardibehesht (Ardi), Khordad (Khor), Tir (Tir), Amardad (Amar), Shahrevar (Shah), Meher (Meh), Avan (Avan), Adar (Adar), Dae (Dae), Bahman (Bahm), Spandarmad (Span).
When Parsiana spoke to those in the trade (see “The symbolic sés,” page 8) it appeared that the majority of the customers were willing to spend more to purchase a new sés that is carved rather than a simple one. But they chose to save money by buying German silver (an alloy with no precious metal value) rather than pure silver allowing for the more than five-fold escalation in silver prices over the last five years from Rs 6,000 to Rs 32,000.
It is no longer only gold that is sold on the basis of its weight in grams. Even silver artifacts are merchandised after measuring their weight in grams. When it comes to sés polishing too the charges are levied depending on the consolidated weight of the tray and all the accessories.
Silver merchants may recommend different measures to retain the sheen of the white metal over a long period of time. The choice before the customer is whether to wrap it in a newspaper or plastic and place it safely in a wooden cupboard away from moisture or leave it out in the open exposed to the elements which may soon tarnish the metal.
With every item on the sés bearing a deeper significance, the community should dwell on its esoteric meaning rather than agitate over whether it is an Iranian custom that we have carried with us or an Indian practice that we have adopted.
Cause for celebration
Our “Celebrations guide” on page 33 has attempted to list the gamut of services available under different heads. The primarily Bombay based listing is mainly of Parsi establishments although certain non-Parsis patronized by the community have been included. Where known, the outstation facilities have also been included. We realize the list may not be exhaustive and hope to be excused for any unintentional lapses. Those whom we may have overlooked can write in to us and we will accommodate them in the future. Also provided here are the contact numbers of the popular venues in Bombay for the convenience of those planning a function.
Choose your calendar
The accompanying 12 pages of the Gregorian calendar for the year 2011 (see pg 17) provide a ready reference for those who want to know the mah and roz of a certain date according to the Shahenshahi, Kadmi and Fasli calendars.
While the abbreviated version of the mah for each calendar is specified at the top of the page (please refer to the list of abbreviations at the end of this introduction in case of doubt), in the case of the rozs (mentioned against each date) the first line bears the Shahenshahi and Kadmi roz and the second line, the Fasli roz. During the months of July and August when the Shahenshahi and Kadmi rozs do not tally beginning with the first Kadmi Gatha day (i.e. July 15) and ending with the last Shahenshahi Gatha day (i.e. August 18), the first line bears the Shahenshahi roz, the second line, the Kadmi roz, and the last line, the Fasli roz.
From UK based religious researcher Farrokh Vajifdar we have gleaned that in ancient Iran there were several calendars in use. The earliest time-reckoner, suited to an agro-pastoral society, was luni-solar comprising 12 months of 30 days each. Later the priesthood introduced the five Gatha days or the panjag-i weh — “the good pentad.” The quarter day intercalation was not recognized until the calendar became noticeably out of step with the seasons when the ancient Zoroastrians added an extra month of 30 days every 120 years (¼x120=30). Being impractical it was not regularly practiced and the last attested one-month intercalation was made in Iran in 375 Anno Yazdegirdi (AY= in the year of Yazdegird) or 1005/6 Common Era (CE). In India, this one-month intercalation was last attempted in 1125/6 CE. It has since been recognized as the Shahenshahi calendar. When Dastur Jamasp (called Vilayati) of Kerman visited India he pointed out the one month discrepancy between the Iranian and Indian calendars following which some Parsis broke away from the Shahenshahis and in 1745 established the Kadmi (ancient) calendar. Both the Kadmi and Shahenshahi calendars do not synchronize with the seasons, the gahs and the gahanbars.
Actually our true calendar — called the sal-i-denig or Din-i sal (“the religious year”) — accurately fixes the dates and sequences of our gahanbars, the seasonally solar months, festivals, muktads and paravs. The prayers would then serve a purpose, explains Vajifdar.
The Iranians continue to observe March 21, the spring equinox, as their New Year for it manifests a physical resurrection after the months of harsh winter and hibernation. The Zoroastrians in India who consider Jamshedi Navroz or March 21 as their New Year are the Faslis (Fasli means seasonal in Arabic) who have their roots in the Zarthosti Fasli Sal Mandal founded by Kharshedji Cama in 1906. Following the leap year logic, they add a sixth Gatha day, Roz-e Wahizag, every four years to ensure that their New Year is permanently celebrated on March 21.
Yazdegirdi 1379/80/81 for the Fasli, Kadmi and Shahenshahi calendars, dates back to the coronation of the last Zoroastrian Sassanian King Yazdegird III in 632 AC. Next to the month line atop every page, readers will notice the year according to the Yazdegirdi era (AY 1379/1380/1381).
Noted opticians Phiroze M. Dastoor and Company who specialize in contact lenses and laser vision correction deserve our special thanks for sponsoring the Parsiana calendar.
Abbreviations of the mahs: Fravardin (Frav), Ardibehesht (Ardi), Khordad (Khor), Tir (Tir), Amardad (Amar), Shahrevar (Shah), Meher (Meh), Avan (Avan), Adar (Adar), Dae (Dae), Bahman (Bahm), Spandarmad (Span).
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From the archive