ABSTRACT
Over the past two hundred years, new forms of religious expressions have emerged in the Parsi community. Celebrations such as the birthdays of the water and fire have been traditionally commemorated for a long while. In recent times, new forms of religious expressions have materialised. Most recent is the establishment of a Bahram Yazad shrine mimicking the Iranian tradition of maintaining shrines. Its existence points to an overwhelming need for Parsis to find succour in the worship of a divinity, in particular the yazata Bahram, the bringer of victory. The raising of the Flag of Kavyan at the Surat Modi Atash Bahram is an example of resurrecting the memory of heroes. The inclusion of a flag that symbolically represents the blacksmith Kaveh, who, together with Feredun of the Pishdadian dynasty, defeated the evil King Zahhak, is a hearkening to the past and their Iranian identity. And its annual commemoration is believed to help remove the forces of evil from the community. The birthday (parab) of the animals, when Parsis abstain from meat, pays special attention to the stray dog in the locality. Many such celebrations revitalise religiosity in the community and aid in the transference of memory, allowing for the festival to be remembered and recalled generation after generation.
