An Exploration of the Role of Light in Nowruz Rituals (Case Study: Cheraghbaran Ritual of Shahrekord)

Abstract

One of the issues revealing the deep-rooted nature of a people's ancient beliefs is conducting rituals and the fluidity of ideas that, through the link between nationality and religion, have been capable of navigating the rough paths of time and sustaining their way of life. Among these rituals is the Cheraghbaran ritual, which is held annually on the night before the eve of Nowruz in the courtyard around the shrine dedicated to Imamzadeh Halimeh and Hakimeh Khatun to serve as a source of light for the Haft-Seen table. In this ritual, one of the descendants of Prophet Muhammad lights the lamp, and people make every effort to safeguard the flame until the lamp's fuel is fully exhausted. This research aimed to study the role of light and its symbolic elements in Iranian-Islamic culture and to address this question: What is the role of light in the national-religious ritual of Cheraghbaran of Shahrekord? This study has a descriptive-analytical approach. The data were gathered using the library research and field study method. The Cheraghbaran ritual has a history of thousands of years, and it has brought to the forefront in an innovative manner the inseparable relation between nationality and religion with light at its core. Although the ritual of Nowruz and renewal of fire dates back to the pre-Islam period, Shahrekord's people, somehow, express their connection with the true deity and their devotion to the Ahl al-Bayt (AS) at the threshold of the New Year by performing this ritual that exhibits the sanctity of light pre-and post-Islam, and the respect for it. The flexibility of the religion of Islam and the intelligence of monotheist Iranians, interconnection of national religious traditions towards reaching the divine deity, and cultural cohesion in this tradition have been simultaneously manifested in this ritual.



Keywords: Chahar Mahal and Bakhtiari province; Shahrekord's Imamzadeh Halimeh and Hakimeh Khatun; Nowruz eve; Cheraghbaran ritual; light.



Literature review

A large number of articles have been proposed on the topic of light, fire, and philosophy. There are also studies about different Iranian national-religious rituals related to fire and the role of light. However, so far, there has been no article or book that references the ritual of Cheraghbaran, except for the study titled "The victory of light over darkness, a review of the ritual of Cheraghbaran in Shahrekord" by Kabiri (2024) presented in the National Conference on Culture, Literature, and Ritual Art at Shahrekord University. Moreover, in the middle of page 134 of his book titled "Shahrekord over time" (2017), Mazhari Dehkordi has introduced this ritual in brief.



Objectives, questions, and hypotheses

This study aimed to investigate the role of light and its symbolic elements in Iranian-Islamic culture and to address the following question: What is the role of light in the national-religious ritual of Cheraghbaran of Shahrekord? The significance of this research is to document, register, and record part of subcultures at the risk of being forgotten, and to make attempts to introduce rituals and old beliefs to the general public, especially the younger generation to create an identity and register the place and branding (reputation).



Main discussion

Light has been respected among Iranians since ancient times, and fire has been sanctified as the source of light. The light and fire have thus been regarded from various perspectives. The most important of them lies in existence, the other one in proving the innocence of a respectable person who has been subjected to injustice, such as Prophet Abraham (pbuh) and Siavash. This ritual is known as "Vargarm". The fire also plays a fundamental role in the world's religions. It became cool and like a garden for Prophet Abraham. God appeared to Moses in a flame of fire, and according to the Holy Quran, Jesus, or Isa, is referred to as the "Word" of God (Kalimatullah) and "light", or God and Light or the Father of Lights (Hekmat & Hajizadeh, 2012, p.11)

In Zoroastrianism, fire is perceived as a manifestation of Hazrat Haqq/Allah (God). In Islam, Allah is the light of the heavens and the earth. The Iranian mystics and thinkers, such as Avicenna, Imam Mohammed Ghazali, Mulla Sadra, and Suhrawardi, have also addressed the concept of light.

This cultural interconnection and cohesion is deep-rooted in Iran. One of the secrets behind the permanence of Iranian customs and traditions is the transformation into a new form through innovation built upon existing foundations towards evolution, and along its path, an example of which can be seen in the ritual of Cheraghbaran. This ritual is held in Shahrekord, the capital of Chahar Mahal and Bakhtiari province, in Imamzadeh Halimeh and Hakimeh Khatun(s) at the final twilight of the year.



Conclusion

One of the subjects reflecting the authenticity and deep-rooted nature of a nation's beliefs is holding rituals. According to the previous studies, the cultural cohesion between the national-religious rituals in Iran has been proven. This can, for example, be seen in the ritual of Cheraghbaran. This ancient ritual has a history of thousands of years and has brought to the light, innovatively, the inseparable relation between nationality and religion with light at its core.

The presence of fire in Iranian rituals has commonalities and differences with the ritual of Cheraghbaran. As Nowruz approaches in Iran, only one festival is held in which Fire exists. This ceremony is Chaharshanbe Suri, but another ritual called Cheraghbaran is also held in Shahrekord. The above-mentioned ritual has commonalities and differences with the ancient Âzargân Festival. Semantically, there are similarities concerning the role of Light in the beliefs of Shahrekord's people, which have remained this way from past to present. In Zoroastrianism, fire has been the symbol of divine light, and emphasis has been placed on its sanctity and the necessity to care for and safeguard it. This issue comes exactly true about taking care of the lamp flame until its fuel is fully exhausted in the ritual of Cheraghbaran. In this religion, God is the whole light. Every shine is a ray of divine light. In the Quran, in Surah Al-Nur, God describes Himself as the Light of the heavens and the earth.

In the Cheraghbaran ritual, the Muslim people of Shahrekord make their way to the city's most blessed and illuminated area, i.e., the shrine of Imamzadeh Halimeh and Hakimeh Khatun, at the final twilight of the year, and pay in cash to purchase light. This signifies the ultimate triumph of meaning over materiality. Moreover, the people have honored the esteemed Sayyids with the duty of lighting the flames to sanctify this ritual. The flame is preserved until the fuel ends, and attempts are made for the forces of Ahura to overcome the forces of evil and the forces of light to defeat those of darkness so that the presence of Allah Almighty, as the most perfect realization of the light, guides the Faithfull's hearts.