Zaar (Leava) Ceremony – Bushehr

This ritual is usually performed on Wednesday nights. People (both men and women) adorn themselves with special attire and shower themselves with special perfume in order to get ready for this occasion, which also entails dancing. A week before this event a particular concoction (which is a type of medicine) is prepared for the person who is ill and is to be treated by this ritual. Baba Zaar, or the person in charge of the patient keeps the person out of sight of others for one week, rubs the concoction on the patients body besides giving a title to be drunk, and vaporizing a portion of the same around the patient. At the dancing ceremony, Baba Zaar beats the patient carefully and before the festivity begins various types of food are prepared and laid out including blood from the sacrifice of an animal for the ill person. The patient is compelled to drink a tile of this blood before being allowed to speak. During the dancing and ecstasy , the patient by rhythmic movement goes into a state of hallucination and in this condition only 'Baba Zaar' can communicate or talk to the patient who asks the former to relieve him of that which has possessed him. After the period of hallucination is over the patient always has to dress in white and clean clothing and always scented with perfumes, and is compelled to keep away from doing wrong or else he'd be troubled again by 'Zaar'. Another ritual is the 'Dum-Dum Sahri' ritual taking place during the fasting month of Ramadan.