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Heart and Soul looks at one of the world's most ancient religions, Zoroastrianism.

Heart and Soul looks at one of the world's most ancient religions, Zoroastrianism, with a rare recording of the ceremony of Noruz at the Zoroastrian Centre in London.

Heart and Soul this week is a celebration of spring - the Zoroastrian New Year ceremony of Noruz, with a visit to the fire ceremony that is at the heart of Zoroastrianism. With fire as a symbol for the Lord, with its qualities of purity, vibrancy and as a creator of life, Zoroastrians have been misunderstood to be fire-worshippers.

It is one of the world's most ancient monotheistic religions, founded by the prophet Zoroaster (or Zarathushtra) in Persia, now Iran, around 3,500 years ago.  It was once the religion of the Persian empire, but there are fewer than 200,000 Zoroastrians in the world today, including the Parsis in India, descended from the Zoroastrians who fled Iran in the 10th century to avoid persecution. 

Heart and Soul looks at the central beliefs of Zoroastrianism, its influence on other world religions and talks to some of its priests and followers as they celebrate Noruz with rosewater and sweets and enjoy life to the full.

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