The California Zoroastrian Center, Los Angeles, celebrated the Mehergan Festival at the Zoroastrian Community Center in Canoga Park on September 28 with great participation, fanfare and enthusiasm from the local Zoroastrian community and and invited dignitaries.
The evening was filled with traditional and cultural Persian entertainment which was enjoyed by all.
John Alford, Senior Policy Deputy of Honorable Congressman Brad Sherman, was the chief guest. It was an extreme honor and pride for the CZC to be presented with the American flag that was flown over the Capitol building in Washington.
Alford presented the flag to Sam Billimoria, Government Liaison for the center. The Board of Directors and Capt. Billimoria were also presented with certificates of Special Congressional Recognition for outstanding and invaluable services to the community.
The CZC presented to. Congressman Brad Sherman a unique statue of Cyrus the Great, an ancient Zoroastrian Emperor, anointed by the Lord and mentioned 23 times in the Old Bible, who pioneered the first Charter of Human Rights in history. His First Declaration of Human Rights was captured on the famous Cyrus Cylinder on 29 October 539 BCE. October 29 is observed as Cyrus the Great Day, throughout the world. The statue was presented to John Alford.
The evening started with the concert instrumental music of group “Daf,” conducted by music instructor Arezou Koochakan with CZCLA Daf students. This was followed by the group “Hangdrum” concert instrumental music conducted by music instructor Misagh Eshaghi with his CZCLA students, followed by another CZCLA Daf group with instrumental music conducted by Parisa Bavafa CZCLA. A girls aged four to nine dance group performed a spectacular Persian dance choreographed by Yasaman Forouzesh.
The grand finale was a Zahhak Kaveh play from Shahnameh, written and directed by Mrs. Atousa Nourafrouz from CZCLA theatre group. The duet of Daf and Setaar shadow puppetry was performed by Parisa Bavafa and Bahmanyar Rostamzadeh.
The Daf and Seetar duet play accompanied with Persian folklore music is an epic from Firdowsi’s Shahnameh, narrating the epic tale of Zahlak, (also called Zohak logy) Kaveh, and Fereydoon Shah. Fereydoon Shah is an ancient mythical king. He is an emblem of victory and justice over evil, and combines with Kaveh, a righteous blacksmith, to defeat the evil Zahlak.
What Shakespeare is to English, Firdowsi is to Persianl literature. Firdwosi (935 -1020 ACE) is the most renowned and legendary Persian poet who wrote the epic Shahnameh, the book of the kings, preserving ancient Persia’s glorious past.
Zoroastrianism is a very ancient pre-Islamic religion that originated in ancient Persia and is different from Islam. Conquests and persecutions forced most Zoroastrians to seek religious refuge in India from the 8th to 10th centuries. Followers of Zoroastrianism were almost totally wiped out.
Mehergan is the celebration of Autumnal Equinox, the second most auspicious day for Zoroastrians, after Nowruz, the Vernal Equinox.
Symbolically, Mehergan centers on equality, justice, respect for all humankind and the transposition of hate over love through compassion. It also symbolizes the victory of light over darkness, in the perennial cosmic fight of good and evil.
