Tuesday, March 17, 2015 Jakarta Globe Life & Style 23 In Yazd, an Eternal Flame Burns Bright

Wahyuni Kamah visits the Persian desert city at the heart of an ancient and intriguing religion

arrived at the main bus terminal in Yazd, the capital of the eponymous province in Iran, at night, and immediately I had the impression of a city that was wide sprawling. There were no high-rise buildings visible, Iand the city stretched out flat and low. I couldn’t wait until day broke to see and explore the city, located about 630 kilometers southeast of Tehran. Yazd was the center of Zoroastrianism when the Sasanian Empire (224 to 651 C.E.) ruled Persia, and takes its name from Yazdegerd I, one of the rulers of the dynasty, who reigned from 399 to 421. Zoroastrianism is an ancient mono- theistic religion founded more than 3,500 years ago by Zoroaster (or Zarathustra), and was the predominant faith during the Sasanian era. I wanted to know more about it, so the next morning I hired a taxi to take me to the Towers of Silence, among the last remnants of that time. Located in the middle of the country and surrounded by deserts — Dasht-e- Kavir to the north and Dasht-e-Lut to the The Towers of Silence, top, in the desert outside Yazd served as funerary structures for the south — Yazd is the driest city in Iran. As ancient Zoroastrian faith, which is still practiced in Yazd. JG Photos/Wahyuni Kamah we drove to the site, I could see how the desert climate had compelled the inhab- Fire, and water, are agents of purity in the world today — eight in India and only itants of this city of just over a million to a Zoroastrianism, and not objects of wor- the one in Iran. build their homes in a narrow and com- ship, as is widely believed. The fire in Yazd is said to come from pact layout. The temple is located in the middle of the flames of the Pars Karyan fire temple lush garden of cypress, pine and cedar in Lorestan, another province in Iran. It Towers of Silence trees. Out front is a round pool, and the was taken to Aqda in Yazd province and A 30-minute drive from my hotel took me main entrance is adorned by six columns, kept alive for 700 years. Later it was taken to the outskirts of Yazd. On an arid hill in with the Faravahar, the winged disc that to Ardakan, also in Yazd province, and the desert I saw two tall structures: the is among the best-known Zoroastrian kept aflame there for 300 years. Finally Towers of Silence, or dakhmeh in Farsi. symbols, above the main gate. the fire was transported to the city of The heat was intense, and it wasn’t The temple was built in 1934 and Yazd in 1473, where it was first kept at the even noon yet. After paying the entrance belongs to Association of Farsi Zoroas- house of a high-ranking priest before fee, which is the same for locals and for- trian of India. being moved to the temple. eigners, I entered the vast complex of the Inside is a large, empty room for the Only priests may enter the sacred dakhmeh — funerary structures atop I climbed to the top of one of the tow- public. On the wall are writings framed in room to tend to the flame, which is kept which the Zoroastrians would leave their ers, its perimeter wall standing about six glass carrying Zoroaster’s messages. They ablaze with dry wood such as almond or dead to rot and be picked apart by scav- meters tall. There were no steps. are written in Farsi, but some have an apricot several times a day. enging birds and their bones bleached by At the top, its funerary function English translation. There is also an There were not many visitors when I the sun — part of the process of excarna- becomes apparent. The tower proper is explanation about the Faravahar, a paint- went to the temple, but it’s said to get very tion that typically took up to a year and simply a perimeter wall with a diameter ing of Zoroaster, as well as the Yasna text, crowded during Nowruz, the Persian that formally concluded with the bones of some 15 meters surrounding a pit. Four the book of Zoroastrian scripture in the New Year, when the practising Zoroastri- being gathered and laid in an ossuary pit Beyond a glass concentric rings line the pit: the outer- Avestan language. ans of Yazd also offer their prayers. Now- at the center of the tower where they window in the most rings were for the bodies of men, the Beyond a glass window is the sacred ruz, which falls this Friday, marks the gradually disintegrate. Zoroastrian next for women, and the third ring for room where a holy fire has been burning beginning of spring. Ruins of brick houses still stand there, temple of Yazd is children. The pit at the very center was in a bronze vessel for a purported 1,500 Despite its Zoroastrian roots, Nowruz once abodes to people from distant vil- a sacred room the ossuary. years now. today is a secular holiday, particularly in lages who would come here to pray as the where a holy fire It was, as per its name, deathly silent at The four elements — fire, water, air Iran and regions that formerly fell under recently deceased were left on top of the has been the top, with only the breeze of the desert and earth — are all sacred in Zoroastrian- Persian influence and culture, including towers. The houses had halls for such burning in a wind audible. ism, and the temple in Yazd is considered parts of Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, Kazakh- prayers, and a fire would stay lit here for bronze vessel After the towers, I headed back to the particularly holy because it is the home of stan and some Kurdish areas, and is cel- three consecutive nights after the so- for a purported city of Yazd to visit the Zoroastrian fire the Victorious Fire, or Atash Bahram. ebrated by people of different ethnicities called open burial. 1,500 years now temple on Kashani Street. There are only nine such eternal flames in and faiths.

Elsa doll before he catches his flight back Parents Brace for Yet Another to Istanbul. “My daughter is 7 years old. She has phoned us twice today and I have many Ice Storm From Frozen Sequel messages on Whatsapp telling me to get it, but they only have the big one — it azed parents wander the aisles of “We took part in a quiz the other day won’t fit in my luggage,” he says, slightly the Disney store in Paris in a and I immediately recognized the Frozen panicked. manic search for the right Elsa song in the music section.” At the London branch of the store, Ddress or Anna doll, the endlessly The parenting world has yet to some parents put a more positive spin on repeated refrain of “Let It Go” ringing in recover from the sensory and financial the Disney cash cow, which has become their ears. Are they ready for another assault launched by Disney in late 2013, the fifth-highest-grossing film of all time. installment of “Frozen fever”? when Frozen burst out of nowhere to “It’s the only movie she has watched “I bloody well hate them all,” says one become the single most important thing all the way through,” said Anna, from man, staring at the 60 euro ($70) price tag in the lives of millions of children. she does not have a good singing voice.” The prospect of a Gothenburg in Sweden, buying a Frozen on a shiny turquoise dress. That has meant several hours of London’s Little Rascals children’s ‘Frozen’ sequel has bag for her 7-year-old daughter. He was one of many grimly deter- Christmas Day lost to the construction of entertainment company says the will to parents panicked “Normally she has ants in her pants mined parents making a dash through the a Frozen castle — whose broken pieces organize Frozen parties has slowly about another wave but with Frozen she sits and watches it. Champs-Elysees branch of the Disney then become hidden booby traps around melted away in the past year. of commercialism So it’s a good thing. And I love the music.” store in Paris on Friday, looking for more the house. “It’s diminished recently, not really targeted at their While some fathers may be dreading merchandise to sate the bottomless hun- It has meant many mornings of strug- among the kids, but among the parents,” kids. EPA Photo/ the coming ice storm of a Frozen sequel, ger of their charges back home. gle to convince a daughter she should says founder Andrew Bloomer, adding Claudio Onorati they also know they will have their The prospect of a Frozen sequel, offi- wear her school uniform rather than an that Frozen parties still account for revenge when an even more powerful cially announced a day earlier by Disney, Anna dress. around a quarter of his business. force hits the screens. does not fill them all with instant delight. And it has meant hearing the song “Let He fears for the sanity of some cus- “I couldn’t care less,” said London- “More songs, more marketing? Yes, It Go” more times than is medically tomers if the sequel triggers another based father Graeme Harrison. “Because we’re certainly worried,” said Sylka Pax advisable. wave of “Frozen fever.” the boys and I have now got Star Wars from Belgium, who has an 8-year-old girl. “We’ve got a 5-year-old who sings it at “They saw a light at the end of the tun- Episodes XII AND XIII movies to look “It drives us a little crazy but it has the top of her lungs all day — Let it nel and now it’s gone,” he said. forward to.” some advantages,” she added on goooooo!” says Disney store shopper In another aisle at the Disney store, reflection. Carol Austin-Groome, from Britain. “And Yusuf Sogul is desperately looking for an Agence France-Presse