Common Mistakes Families Make When Planning a Zoroastrian Funeral

Zoroastrian funerals involve a sequence of time-sensitive rituals with precise requirements. Families who haven't navigated one before — or who haven't done so in decades — make predictable errors that add stress to an already overwhelming period. Most are easily avoided with advance knowledge.

Letting the Divo Go Out

The divo (oil lamp) must burn continuously from the moment of death through the first three days, and ideally through the fourth morning. The flame comforts the soul as it hovers near the body and the home. Letting it extinguish — even briefly — is considered a spiritual failure.

The mistake usually happens overnight, when the ghee or oil burns down and no one is awake to transfer the flame. The fix: use deep glasses filled completely with ghee or pure coconut oil, and rotate between two glasses using a sandalwood stick to transfer the flame (never chemical matchsticks, which emit impure odors). Assign specific family members to night shifts.

Missing the Daylight Window for the Geh Sarna

The Geh Sarna (funeral liturgy) must be performed between sunrise and at least one hour before sunset. There is no exception. If the body arrives at the venue late in the afternoon and the family hasn't coordinated with the mobed, the ceremony gets pushed to the next morning — which means the body sits an additional night, extending the family's emotional ordeal and requiring continued refrigeration in the diaspora.

Prevent this by contacting the mobed and funeral home simultaneously the moment death occurs. Confirm a morning ceremony slot rather than leaving timing open-ended.

Positioning the Body Facing North

The body must never be laid with the head pointing north — the direction associated with Ahrimanic (evil) forces. This seems like a minor detail until you realize that many hospital morgues and funeral home preparation rooms have fixed tables oriented northward. The family needs to communicate the directional requirement to the funeral home before the body is placed, not after.

If you are unsure of compass directions in the facility, use your phone's compass app. The ideal orientation is head toward south or east.

Using New Garments Instead of Worn Ones

The body should be dressed in a clean but previously worn white cotton sudreh and pyjama — not brand-new clothing. New garments lack the spiritual consecration that comes from daily wear and prayer. Family members sometimes rush to buy new white clothes for the deceased, which actually contradicts the requirement.

Keep a set of worn, washed white garments set aside. Some families designate a specific sudreh for this purpose years in advance.

Allowing Unauthorized Viewing After the Sachkar

Once the Sachkar (body consecration) is complete and the kash circles have been drawn, only Zoroastrians wearing their sudreh and kusti may view the body. Non-Zoroastrian family members, uninitiated children, and anyone not in a state of ritual purity must stay outside the kash boundary.

The mistake happens when a well-meaning relative invites a non-Zoroastrian spouse or friend to "say goodbye" without realizing the restriction is now in effect. Communicate this boundary to all family members and funeral home staff before the Sachkar begins — not during the emotional peak of the ceremony.

Neglecting to Arrange the Subsequent Ceremonies

The funeral feels like the endpoint, but it is actually the beginning of a year-long cycle. The Uthamna (day 3), Chaharum (day 4), Dasma (day 10), Seeom (day 30), monthly roj prayers, Chamsi (six months), and Varsi (one year) all require a mobed and preparation.

Families routinely forget to confirm the mobed's availability for these follow-up ceremonies during the initial funeral coordination. By the time the Dasma arrives, the priest may be committed elsewhere. Book all ceremonies through the Varsi during your first conversation with the mobed.

Cooking at Home During the Three-Day Mourning Period

For the first three days after death, no food may be cooked in the home where the body was prepared or where the bereaved family resides. The community and extended relatives are expected to supply meals. Families who are not embedded in a Zoroastrian community — especially in the diaspora — sometimes don't know this rule and cook normally, which is considered a breach of mourning protocol.

If your local community is too small to supply three days of meals, ask the local mobed and funeral provider how to arrange catering or meal deliveries. The food must be vegetarian during this period.

Skipping the Varis Appointment

The Uthamna ceremony includes the appointment of a spiritual executor (varis) — typically a son or close relative — who takes on the lifelong obligation to perform annual death anniversary prayers. Some families treat this as a formality and don't discuss it before the ceremony, leading to confusion or reluctance at the moment it matters.

Decide who the varis will be before the Uthamna. This person is committing to annual prayers and fire temple visits for the rest of their life. It should be a conscious agreement, not a surprise assignment.

Assuming All Mobeds Will Officiate at Cremation-Path Funerals

Some orthodox mobeds may not perform funeral rites for families who choose cremation. If your family has decided on cremation, confirm with the mobed that they are willing to officiate before scheduling the ceremony. Discovering the priest's refusal on the day of the funeral is a crisis that can be entirely avoided with one question asked early.

The Zoroastrian Funeral Guide includes a pre-funeral coordination checklist that covers each of these potential errors, with specific timing and delegation steps to prevent them.