Ava Mah Parab, also known as Aban Jashan, is a sacred festival in the Zoroastrian tradition that honours the element of water, celebrated when the day (roz) and month (mah) both bear the name Ava (Aban in modern usage). It falls on the 10th day of the Zoroastrian month of Aban, typically in late October or early November, and is a time of reverence, gratitude, and purification dedicated to Anahita, the divine guardian of waters and fertility.
In Zoroastrian cosmology, the elements are not only physical substances but spiritual entities infused with divine presence. Water, or apo, is considered sacred and life-sustaining—a direct expression of Ahura Mazda’s creative and nurturing power. On Ava Mah Parab, Zoroastrians offer prayers and rituals to water sources such as rivers, lakes, streams, and even wells, acknowledging them as living symbols of purity, blessing, and renewal.
The celebration is particularly associated with Ardvi Sura Anahita, a powerful and benevolent Yazata (angelic being) who presides over waters, fertility, wisdom, and healing. Often depicted as radiant and majestic, Anahita is both guardian and embodiment of flowing, life-giving energy. She is honoured in hymns from the Avesta, the Zoroastrian scriptures, which praise her as “the wide-flowing, strong, and health-giving” force who bestows abundance upon the earth and protection upon those who revere her.
On this day, Zoroastrians may visit natural water sources to perform ritual offerings and prayers, often scattering flowers, lighting candles or oil lamps, and reciting invocations. In some communities, women lead special devotions to Anahita, recognising her as a symbol of feminine power, fertility, and sacred guardianship. Homes are cleaned and decorated, meals are shared, and the atmosphere is both celebratory and reflective.
Spiritually, Ava Mah Parab invites a contemplation of the soul’s connection to purity, flow, and receptivity. Water is not only cleansing but transformative, capable of dissolving the impurities of both body and mind. The festival encourages participants to consider their relationship with the natural world, to honour the resources that sustain life, and to align themselves with the deeper rhythms of creation.
Philosophically, the day affirms the Zoroastrian principle that all elements of the natural world are inherently good, created with purpose and deserving of protection. Pollution or disrespect of water is seen not just as an ecological issue but as a spiritual violation—a break in the harmony between human beings and the divine order (asha). Thus, Ava Mah Parab becomes an ethical reminder to live in reverence and responsibility toward all forms of life.
Artistically and symbolically, the festival is rich with imagery: the flowing river, the shining vessel, the mirror-like surface of still water—all reflecting inner clarity and the vast generosity of nature. Water becomes a metaphor for consciousness itself: fluid, deep, and capable of reflecting divine truth when undisturbed.
Ava Mah Parab is ultimately a festival of flow, grace, and sacred stewardship. It celebrates not only the waters of the earth but the waters of the soul—the intuitive, nurturing, and cleansing forces within and around us. In honouring Anahita and the gift of water, the day calls each person to live with purity of heart, gratitude for the elemental world, and a renewed commitment to harmony with creation.
