Encyclopedia of Zoroastrianism. The fire rituals.

Fire rituals in Zoroastrianism are sacred practices that honor fire as a symbol of Ahura Mazda’s purity and presence, deeply woven into the faith’s spiritual life. The most iconic ritual centers on the maintenance of the eternal flame, housed in fire temples called dar-e mehr or agiary. These flames, never allowed to die, are tended by priests known as mobeds, who ensure their sanctity through strict purity laws.

The consecration of a high-grade fire, like the Atash Behram, is a complex rite. It involves gathering sparks from 16 sources—such as a cremation pyre, a shepherd’s hearth, or lightning-struck wood—overseen by priests chanting the Yasna, a liturgical text. The fires are purified through hundreds of rituals, sometimes taking a year, before being enthroned in the temple’s inner sanctum. Only priests enter this space, feeding the flame with sandalwood or other clean fuels while wearing a cloth mask to avoid polluting it with breath.

Daily worship, like the Boi ritual, involves priests offering wood and prayers five times a day, aligning with the Gahs (watches of the day). Laypeople pray facing the fire or sunlight, not to it, but through it, connecting to Ahura Mazda. These rituals embody purity, devotion, and the eternal struggle for light over darkness.