192 BULLETIN 148, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



God has sent through Zoroaster to this world. This is the rehgion 

 of Ahura-Mazda brought to man by Zoroaster." Then with the 

 recitation of certain holy texts the chief priest removes the linen 

 sheet and puts in its place the sudra. The chief priest then passes 

 the kusti round the child's w^aist three times, to remind the wearer 

 of the three cardinal virtues of the Zoroastrian religion, namely, 

 good thoughts, good words, and good deeds, and ties it with four 

 knots, two in front and two behind, while chanting a short hymn. 

 At the first knot he says, "There is only one God, and no other is to 

 be compared with him." At the second, "The religion given by 

 Zoroaster is true." At the third, "Zoroaster is the true prophet, 

 who derived his mission from God." And the fourth, "Perform 

 good actions and abstain from evil ones. ' After this the candidate 

 is reseated on the stool and the chief priest delivers the Hoshan, a 

 short sermon in praise of honesty, truth, and purity. This over, he 

 pronounces blessings upon the candidate, throwing over his or her 

 head small pieces of dry fruits, such as cocoanuts, almonds, raisins, 

 rice, etc. 



The investiture with the sudra and kusti initiates one into full 

 membership of the Zoroastrian community, entitling to be present 

 in all religious ceremonies and assemblies. And after having under- 

 gone the navzot ceremony the Zoroastrian has to put on the sudra 

 and kusti day and night; the performance of any function of life 

 without wearing these two sacred articles of dress is considered a 

 sin called "Running uncovered with sudra and kusti." The cere- 

 mony of untying and re tying the kusti (jmdyah Icusti), reciting a 

 short prayer during the process, has to be performed several times 

 in the day; for instance, early in the morning on rising from bed, 

 before prayers, before meals, after ablutions, etc. 



If a child die before the performance of the ceremony of navzot, 

 he is considered to have gone back to Ahura-Mazda, who gave him, 

 as pure as he entered this world, having not reached the age of ac- 

 countability. Bombay, India. (Plate 73, showing the ceremony of 

 investiture with the sudra and kusti, Cat. No. 230800, U.S.N.M.) 

 Gift of Rastamji Edulji Dastoor Peshotan Sanjana, Deputy High 

 Priest of the Parsees, Bombay, India. 



8. Costume of a Parsee. — It consists of the sudra and kusti (see 

 under the preceding, No. 7), loose cotton trousers, an ample double- 

 breasted coat of cotton, reachmg to the ankles, called jama; a belt, 

 called pichori, made of cotton, about 1 yard wide and several yards 

 in length, which is folded once and passed around the v»^aist as many 

 times as its length will admit; a pair of cotton gloves; a skullcap of 

 cotton; and a turban peculiar to the Parsees. It is made of figured 

 chocolate-colored silk, stift'ened, without any rim, and has an angle 

 from the top of the forehead. This costume is only used on formal 

 and solemn occasions. 



