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The Navjote (, sedreh-pushi) ceremony is the ritual through which an individual is inducted into the Zoroastrianism religion and begins to wear the sedreh and kushti. The term navjote is used primarily by the Zoroastrians of India (the ), while sedreh pushi is used primarily by the Zoroastrians of Iran.
The word 'navjote' is a Latinized form of the Parsi Gujarati compound of nav "new" and jote "reciter of", "invoker", "sacrificer". The second half of the word is—via Zoroastrian Middle Persian zot—an indirect continuation of Avestan zaotar, with /z/ eventually becoming /j/ because /z/ is not Phoneme in Gujarati. The Persian term sedreh pushi translates to "Putting on the sedreh," a reference to the main component of the ritual.
In Vendidad 18.54, individuals above the age of 15 (once considered the age at which one attained adulthood) who are not yet been invested are said to be likely to fall into evil ways. In the 9th-12th century texts of Zoroastrian tradition, the same group are said to be kushad davarashni, literally "running about improperly clothed". So for instance Menog-i Khrad 2.35 and the Book of Arda Viraf (25.6.10). The latter considers such a thing to be a service to demons (the daeva). Other texts of tradition that define adulthood as the boundary include the Sad-dar 10.1 and Shayast na-Shayast 10.13.
The child must bathe in Holy water before the ceremony. This represents a cleansing and purification. A full tray of rice is also placed in the room, to be given to the officiating family priest, after the ceremony. Flowers are also placed in the room, to be given to the assembling guests after the ceremony. A tray bearing a mixture of coconut, pomegranate grains, raisins, and almonds, are in the room as well, and will be sprinkled on the child after the ceremony to symbolize prosperity.
Like most Zoroastrian rituals, Navjote takes place in the presence of a fire (see Atar). In the case of this ceremony, which takes place in a public place, the fire is not sanctified and following the event it is allowed to die out.
The Navjote ceremony itself comprises three parts: Patet Pashemani, Din no Kalmo, and Investiture of Sedreh and Kushti, and Tan Darosti.
The Patet Pashemani is a traditional prayer of repentance and is recited by the priest on behalf of the person being initiated.
The sedreh is then slipped on to the initiate's forearms while reciting Ahuna Vairya. The initiate then recites the din no kalmo (articles of faith of the Zoroastrian religion). With another Yahta Ahu Vairyo prayer the sedreh is put onto the initiate. The priest then stands behind the initiate and starts the opening stanzas from the Hormuzd Yasht. The initiate then joins in and prays the Hormazd Khodai and Jasme Avangeh Mazda prayers.
The initiate is then seated and garlanded. The priest then recites the Tan Darosti (blessings and good wishes) prayer where for the first time the appropriate prefix ( behdin, osta, or osti) is used (see below) for the initiate. Persons who have not yet had a Navjote are accorded the prefix Khurd.
Following the ceremony, the child is viewed as a member of the Zoroastrian community, bearing responsibility with its rewards and repercussions. An individual from a lay family is addressed in the liturgy as a behdin, "follower of the good religion". This may be distinguished from the title for a member of a clerical family who is henceforth addressed as an osta (for males) or an osti (for females). This does not change unless the individual actually joins the priesthood.
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