What is the highest grade of sacred fire called?

The highest grade of sacred fire in Zoroastrianism is called Atash Behram, meaning “Fire of Victory.” It is the most prestigious fire that can be housed in a Zoroastrian fire temple and is maintained as an eternal flame.

Creating an Atash Behram requires an exceptionally elaborate consecration. Priests collect sixteen different kinds of fire, including fire connected with lightning, cremation, furnaces, and household hearths. Each source is purified through ritual before the fires are combined. The ceremony requires a large priestly team and may take as long as a year.

Atash Behram is one of three grades of sacred fire. Below it are Atash Adaran, the “Fire of Fires,” and Atash Dadgah, the lowest grade. These terms describe the ritual status of the fire, not simply the size or heat of the flame.

The name is sometimes confused with Atash Kadeh, which means a fire temple or fire house more generally. Atash Behram identifies the highest-grade consecrated fire itself, as well as temples that preserve one.