I am a PhD researcher living in Iran at present and researching the Zoroastrian migration. I recently attended the annual Zoroastrian religious ceremony at the Chak Chak shrine, an ancient site near the Ardakan city in Yazd province. This is an internationally renowned place of pilgrimage for Zoroastrians. Around 500 Iranian Zoroastrians from all over the country attended the ceremony on the first day. They resided at the site, cooked and worshipped there.
Worshippers at Chak Chak shrine
There is now a tarmacadam road leading to the site. At a police barrier 200 meters before the shrine every visitor was checked. As I am a researcher, the manager of the site permitted me to enter the shrine to observe the ceremony. The ceremony lasted for four days, from June 13 to 17 this year. During this period only Zoroastrians are allowed to enter the shrine.
The devotees who come for the ceremonies are provided with several rooms in which to stay along with kitchen facilities. I did not see a single Indian or foreign Zoroastrian there, only Iranian Zoroastrians.
LAXMAN SINGH DEV Qom and Tehran, Iran
laxman1378@gmail.com
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