WZO Priestly Services

WZO Priestly Services

WZO is pleased to offer the priestly services shown below of their newly appointed, young resident priest, Ervad Fali Madon.  All these services can be performed by Fali alone. However, if any additional priest(s) is/are desired then we will be happy to assist you in sourcing them. Their costs will be a private matter without any involvement of WZO.

WZO suggests the following ‘Ashodad’ / ‘Kadr Dani’ (honorarium) for the performance of services.  The proceeds will help cover a small fraction of the cost of employing our full-time resident priest.  Your generosity will help ensure the continuity of our religious ceremonies and encourage the profession of priesthood which very few young members of our community are willing to enter on a full-time basis.

The suggested ‘Ashodad’ includes:

1. The cost of various religious items such as: 
   • Hire of Afarganyu (Fire Urn), Chipyo – Chamach (items to tend the fire) and other metallic utensils for the ceremony
   • Loban (Frankincense) and Firewood
   • Flowers
   • Fruits
   • Divo/Tea Lights
   • Some other ceremony-dependant items
2. The use of the Setayash Gah at the World Zoroastrian House which accommodates a maximum of 25 people. However, the larger communal hall can also be hired for a reduced rate of £250 per event.
3. Public or private Online Live Streaming (Audio-Video Telecast) of ceremonies performed at the World Zoroastrian House.
4. VAT at the current rate of 20%

You will appreciate that the suggested ‘Ashodad’ (honorarium) below does not cover the full costs incurred by WZO in providing these services. So, your generosity would be greatly appreciated.

Please contact Ervad Fali Madon for further information and pricing for these services at:  fali.madon@w-z-o.org or by phone: +44 7483 411604

All these services can be performed by Fali alone. However, if any additional priest(s) is/are desired then we will be happy to assist you in sourcing them – their costs will be a private matter without any involvement of WZO. Please do note that

Additional Charges may be incurred to cover travel costs and travel time in certain cases. Further details will be supplied on request.

Details of Priestly Services

Jashan

• “Khushali Jashan” (Jashan for happy occasions): Generic thanksgiving ceremony for happy occasions such as buying a new house / property, graduating school/university, before a Navjote/Wedding, on a birthday or anniversary, or an annual thanksgiving ceremony.
• “Anushe Ruvan Jashan” (Jashan in memory of a departed soul): Prayer services to remember our loved ones who have passed away. These can be done at any time but are especially done as below:
  • “Dasmu”: 10th day after death
  • “Masiso”: 1 month after death
  • “Chamsi”: 6 months after death
  • “Varsi”: 1st year after death and subsequent annual death anniversary
• Approximately 1 hour
• For a detailed explanation of the Jashan Ceremony, refer to our website: www.w-z-o.org

Boi / Maatchi + Tandorosti

• “Service to the Fire” for Thanksgiving / Prayer for Health and Wellbeing in the prayer room at the World Zoroastrian House in Feltham, London. Done for all Happy Occasions mentioned in Khushali Jashan above.
• Approximately 20-30 minutes

Navjote / Sudreh Pushi

• Zoroastrian Initiation Ceremony (approx. 1 hour including Nahan and full ceremony)

Navjote Prayer Class

• 45 min online sessions teaching good pronunciations for Zoroastrian “Kusti”/Navjote Prayers and explaining their significance to the child/children and parents. Approx. 6-9 sessions are required for all prayers.

Wedding

• Full Zoroastrian Wedding Ceremony – “Ashirvaad” Ceremony

Funeral Services (Zoroastrian 4-Days After Death Ceremonies)

Please see notes below on the way Zoroastrian After Death Services are generally performed as a whole.

Last rites (Main Funeral)

• “Geh Sarnu” ceremony for final rites at the Crematorium / Burial Ground / Funeral Parlour
• For a detailed explanation of the Funeral Ceremony, refer to our website: www.w-z-o.org

“Uthamnu” Ceremony

• 3rd day after death “Afternoon Uthamnu” / Condolence Service – approx. 3.00pm
• Dawn of 4th day after death “Night Uthamnu” – approx. 1 hour before sunrise.
• Both ceremonies take approx. 1 hour.

“Sarosh Nu Patru” / “Sarosh No Kardo” Ceremony

• Ceremony to be performed after sunset on the first 3 days after death (3 ceremonies)

“Chahrum” Ceremony

• Ceremony to be performed on the morning of the 4th day after death

Additional Travel charges

At World Zoroastrian House / Online Only	No Charge
Within the M25 circle or less than 1hr travelling time from WZH	Please contact Fali for details
Outside the M25 circle and more than 1hr travelling time from WZH	Please contact Fali for details

Additional notes on Funeral Services

The family may request to perform only a few of the customary After-Death Ceremonies that are part of the Zoroastrian tradition in recent times. These are all mentioned in the above table. Below are the two most common approaches taken by residents in the UK in recent times.

Package 1:  Customs as normally performed in India

Day 1

1. After Sunset: Sarosh Nu Patru / Sarosh No Kardo – approximately 1 hour

Day 2 

2. After Sunset: Sarosh Nu Patru / Sarosh No Kardo – approximately 1 hour

Day 3

3. Anytime between 3pm – Sunset: Afternoon Uthamnu – approximately 1 hour

4. After Sunset: Sarosh Nu Patru / Sarosh No Kardo – approximately 1 hour

Day 4

5. One hour before dawn: Night Uthamnu and Daham Yazad Jashan – approximately 1 hour 15 minutes

6. Any time after sunrise (normally just after Sunrise): Chahrum Prayers (Arda Fravash, Afringan and Farokshi or Anushe Ruvan Jashan) – approximately 1 hour

 

Any Day/Time depending on Crematorium/Burial Ground/Chapel availability and as per wishes of family:

7. Main Funeral – “Geh Sarnu” Ceremony – Last Rites – approximately 40 minutes. A shorter 20-minute version can be recited for shorter slots.

Package 2: Customs as normally performed in the UK

Day 3

1. Approx. 4pm: Afternoon Uthamnu – 1 hour

2. Immediately followed by: Sarosh Nu Patru / Sarosh No Kardo – approximately 1 hour

Day 4

3. 10am: Chahrum Prayers (Afringan + Farokshi or Anushe Ruvan Jashan) – approximately 1 hour

Any Day/Time depending on Crematorium/Burial Ground/Chapel availability and as per wishes of family:

4. Main Funeral – “Geh Sarnu” Ceremony – Last Rites – Approximately 40 minutes. A shorter 20-minute version can be recited for shorter slots.