The Bhandara Atash Kadeh (fire temple) is a new addition on the site of the vast ZAH grounds on West Airport near the Beltway and is a result of decades of planning and was made possible by the generous donation of Feroze and Shernaz Bhandara. Posted on 04/19/2019 5:07:57 AM PDT by Cronos
HOUSTON: The Zoroastrian Association of Houston celebrated the Grand Opening of the first fire Temple to be built outside India, Pakistan and Iran and included the Navroze (the Iranian New Year heralding the first day of Spring) in 5 days of celebrations from March 20 to 24.
The Bhandara Atash Kadeh (fire temple) is a new addition on the site of the vast ZAH grounds on West Airport near the Beltway and is a result of decades of planning and was made possible by the generous donation of Feroze and Shernaz Bhandara.
Vada Dasturji Khurshed Dastoor (High Priest of Iranshah in Udvada, India) traveled from India to lead the ceremonies, prayers and blessings throughout the planned events. Traditional ceremonies included the collection of sandalwood and ash for the fire, a procession lead by local Mobeds, Ervads and Naavars (priests) who carried and urn with fire and ashes from the small prayer room located in the community center to the Bhandara Atash Kadeh where the fires were mixed in new urns.
The inauguration and gala celebration on Saturday, March 23 began with the American National Anthem by Chloe Choudhury and blessings by Vada Dasturji and was followed by speeches, award ceremonies, dining and dancing for all. Accompanying the opening was an exhibit “Down Memory Lane” which presented vignettes of past Parsi domestic spaces in India and Pakistan in the library inside the main building.
Feroze Bhandara thanked the audience of over 600 for their support. He spoke about the inspiration to build an Atash Kadeh that would meet the spiritual needs of our second and third generations in North America.
He explained that he and his wife, Shernaz, felt privileged to have built this fire temple. They want the Bhandara Atash Kadeh to be a safe, inclusive and welcoming spiritual place of worship for all in our community in the hopes that Non-Zoroastrian family members can share our faith and spiritual beliefs thus carrying the Zoroastrian faith onward to the next generation. He concluded by turning over ownership of the Bhandara Atash Kadeh building to the ZAH.
Generous donors Feroze and Shernaz Bhandara with high priest from Udvada, India in front of Zoarashtrian Association of Houston (ZAH) Atash Kadeh temple.
Vada Dasturji spoke on the “Zarathushti Way of Life in Today’s World”, about the survival of the Zarathushti faith in the modern world. He asked whether “Zarathushtis want to survive and have the will to survive?”
He acknowledged the Zoroastrian core belief of “Good Thoughts, Good Words, Good Deeds” which is evident throughout this community and gave a reminder to keep the fires burning. He conveyed how touched he was during the first boye ceremony, and that it is now up to the community to take care that this fire burns in perpetuity.
Bhandara introduced several key guests and dignitaries including Congressman Al Green (9th District) who presented a Certificate of Special Progression Recognition and Consul General of India, Dr. Anupam Ray. City of Houston Council Members Mike Laster (District J), Martha Castex-Tatum (District K), and Member-at-Large David Robinson to present a proclamation from the Mayor Sylvester Turner.
Sarosh Collector, described how the first thought of an Atash Kadeh came to mind from discussion with Roshan and Rohinton Rivetna but that the push to move forward with this idea truly came from Mrs. Cooper (Lahore) and Shernaz Bhandara. adding “atha jamyat, yatha afrinami” (as it is, so shall it be).
Other speakers included Fezana President, Homi Gandhi; NAMC President Ervad Kobad Zarolia and past President Sheroy Haveliwala. The Atash-Kadeh architect Cyrus Rivetna (of Chicago) thanked Aderbad Tamboli, Rohinton Deputy, Khushrav Nariman, and others for their support and contributions during construction.
The celebrants raised over $100,000 for ongoing operational costs to show their commitment to the ongoing care of the Bhandara Atash Kadeh.
MCs for the evening were Mitra Khumbatta and Darius Tamboli. The crowd gave standing ovations to The Children’s Choir, led by Sunday school teacher Vehishta Kaikobad, who performed a Spiritual Song to the tune of “It’s Now or Never” and by musical selections by Chloe and Tayte Choudhury. DJ Gary (Farrokh Firozgary) and the Z-band rocked the dance floor by singing everyone’s favorite tunes and brought the evening to a close.
The Zoroastrian Association of Houston was established in 1977 with just over 12 families. In 1998, the Zarathushti Heritage and Cultural Center was built within the 8 acres owned by the ZAH. The Bhandara Atash Kadeh is a standalone, designed by architect Cyrus Rivetna of Chicago is easily recognizable as a Zoroastrian place of worship is located across from the Center and is now ‘must see’ for Zoroastrians, their non-Zoroastrian spouses and children throughout North America. The 7,000 sf building includes a community Prayer Hall, ceremonial rooms and two living quarters to be used for those undertaking their Navroze or first training as priests.
Zoroaster was quite an amazing guy actually
Live sometime around that time of the Buddha
"Can you dig it?"
“Nothing says death cult like one of the major pagan sources for Mohammad’s ideologies.”
It was also likely a major influence on JudeoChristianity - the concept of an evil archrival to the good God, judgement at death, heaven and hell, a savior born of a virgin, a final judgement, and resurrection. All of these concepts were originally taught in Zoroastrianism before Christianity and Islam existed. Judgement at death was also an ancient Egyptian belief.
The current Islamic government of Iran has persecuted the Zoroastrians relentlessly. It's easier to be a Christian in Iran than a Zoroastrian.
Isn’t that why Freddie Mercury’s parents left Iran in the first place?
Are we gonna make ‘em bury their dead???
Christianity and Judaism are monotheistic.
Zoroastrianism is not.
Islam almost wasn’t monotheistic, the pagans at the time didn’t want Mohammads teachings, being that Allah was the god over their gods, and thus Muhammad wrote off the other gods.
You have to take into account that Avesta was written in the 4th century, meaning that it’s highly likely that Zoroastrianism borrowed from Christianity when it comes to a savior story lol.
Wonder if they will eventually name it after the most famous Zoroastrian in the world: Freddie Mercury
His actual name was Farrukh Balsara.
Hmm why would we? Their tradition for 2700 years is not to pollute earth or fire or water with dead bodies but to let them be exposed to vultures in the towers of silence
Freddie Mercury or to call him by his real name Farrukh Balsara was born ij Zanzibar but his parents were Indian Parsis from Gujarat.
Their ancestors had left Iran in the 8th century, not the 20th
I stand corrected.
(But hey, I also corrected you on Rudolf Höss, so we’re even! ;))
They wouldn’t have been called Magi. Magi means a follower of Zoroaster
And of the parents of Farrokh Bulsara (Freddy Mercury):
Yes it was.
Apologists for Islam like to point to the great works of "Arab" scholars and philosophers during the Middle Ages as proof that Islam and advanced civilization are not incompatible. Most of these "Arabs" (e.g. Avicenna, etc) were actually Persians, and their scholarly tradition dates back to their pre-Islamic cultural heritage. Islam simply hadn't yet completely stamped out traditional Persian culture during the 10th and 11th centuries - it took several centuries of entrenchment and increasing fanaticism for that to happen.
Imagine what the Middle East would be like today if Iran were Zoroastrian Persia and if Arab countries and Turkey were Christian.
It is interesting the tie between the metaphors. I didn’t say they worshiped the flames, although in a sub-Christian context it would be understandable if they did.
It’s customary in Jewish synagogues to have an “eternal lamp” burning all the time. The one I used to go to (how I became Christian is another story) used an electric one. Which would burn unless the electricity went out or the bulb burned out. At that time I wondered about whether they could use what we know now as an uninterruptible power supply.
I’m kind of surprised that there weren’t more of these already. It sounds like they try to be inoffensive.
The Middle East would be a far more peaceful place.
On the other hand, there are thorny threads going through history. One of which is the progeny of Ishmael, Abraham’s impatient mistake. These are “wild asses” of men, and it’s not surprising that when the devil came up with the scheme we know as Islam, they picked it up. Zoroastrianism, let alone Christianity, would be too civilized for them, given a choice.
“imagine...”
If The Arabs remained Christians they would be a center of learning and culture. Remember that the Desert Fathers - the great saints of Christendom in the 3rd to 6th century were overwhelmingly Egyptian (I know, not Arab), and there was high culture in Yemen and Iraq and high scholarship in Iraq (with Iraq having the most Jews in the world int he 7th century)
But with Islam coming, they are now cesspits
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