Source: Los Angeles Times
On August 28, 2000, the Los Angeles Times reported that "Southern California's Zoroastrian community celebrated its new year last week...Azrir Bhandara, 37, a Zoroastrian priest, welcomed a dozen of the faithful Wednesday to his Irvine home, where he set out a white sheet on which he and the others knelt in prayer...Before beginning, Bhandara covered his mouth with a white scarf. 'When you pray,' he said, 'there is a possibility of spray coming out of your lips, but it shouldn't get into the sacred fire.'
"The new year for Zoroastrianism, one of the world's oldest monotheistic religions, began Aug. 21. According to one ancient calendar, Saturday was the birthday of the Persian prophet Zarathustra, founder of the faith. To honor him, adherents from across Southern California gathered at the California Zoroastrian Center in Westminster...The believers are part of Southern California's growing Iranian population. Worldwide, Zoroastrians number about 200,000, scholars estimate, with about 15,000 of them in North America."