"Please note everybody is welcome to enter and attend our Anjuman muktad in the prayer room without favor or fear,” noted a circular by Ervad Bomanshah Sanjana, head priest of the Zoroastrian Association of Houston from 1997 to 2012. "You can bring sandalwood, loban, fruits, dryfruits, flowers, home cooked food to be put in these rituals as offerings (myazd) daily. It’s not mandatory to bring anything but your participation is requested and highly appreciated as it’s our duty and pleasure to welcome these fravashis on their annual visit from garothman behest (heavenly world) to our getig (material) world and seek their ashirwad (blessings) for our family and our community,” reminded the priest.
Ervad Bomanshah Sanjana addressing devotees after muktad prayers in Houston
In the prayer room at the Zoroastrian Center of Houston are set two tables which accommodate around 30 vases. On weekdays around 30 people attend the satum, afringan, farokshi prayers for the souls of the deceased in the evenings, of whom around one-fifth are non-Zoroastrian spouses and children. On weekends, the number of devotees rises to 70 to 80 with prayers recited between 10.30 a.m. to 1 p.m. There are no fixed fees for prayers.
After the prayers Sanjana gives a short sermon from the Gathas. He considers himself "a very orthodox mobed so far as rituals and praying is concerned. My opinions are based on my correct religious learning, not on superfluous studies.” He regrets that members of the community "do not know the difference between Parsi and Zarthoshti.” Prior to his migration to the US in 1995 he had served as head priest of the Bai Hirabai Nosherwanji Mancherji Mulla Fire Temple in Nagpur, the Kadmi and Shehenshai Anjuman Dar-e-Meher in Poona, the Modi Sorabji Vachagandhy Agiary and Pallonji Khurshedji Cama Baug Agiary in Bombay when he was invited to give religious discourses on significant occasions. He has also conducted religious classes at the Zoroastrian College run by Dame Meher Master-Moos. Over the years he has performed 25 nirangdins.
Having completed his BA and MA from the Bombay University with Avesta and Pahlavi as his subjects, he had stood first in the University, notes his curriculum vitae. An alumnus of The M. F. Cama Athornan Institute he takes pride in mentioning that he has learnt by heart 72 Yasna chapters and vendidad rituals.