TEHRAN –In the southern province of Kerman, Gol Ghaltan and Tigh Dagh are ancient rituals for keeping babies healthy.

Gol Ghaltan (literally meaning rolling in flowers) has roots in an old Iranian myth called, ‘The Smiling Flower’, in which pure and holy humans promised the birth of a child.

People in Kerman, as well as several other regions across the country, believe that rolling babies among the roses gives them joy and refreshment while keeping them untainted and free from diseases. The freshness of the petals saves the baby’s skin, allowing them to stay happy.

Babies are rolled in the petals of very sweet-smelling kinds of flowers, best known as Mohammadi roses, in the first spring of their lives.

In spring, when the pink roses bloom in the gardens, when gardeners, people and tourists are getting ready for the rosewater distillation festival, commonly known as “Golab-giri”, female members of the families, mainly the baby’s mother, grandmothers, and aunts perform the Gol Ghaltan ceremony.

Days before the ceremony, the women go to the rose gardens early in the morning and pick and collect the flowers while reciting poems and verses of the Quran. The petals are then separated and poured into a light, white cloth.

On the day of the ceremony, one of the grandmothers takes the baby to the bath. Baby’s hands are sometimes painted with henna in some regions. As the baby is dried, he/she is placed among the flowers on the cloth, and petals are poured on the babies, wishing them health and long life.

Women thereafter take four sides of the sheet and roll the baby among the petals while reciting religious songs and waving the sheet back and forth, believing the soul will be cleansed and the child will be kept healthy and fresh.

Guests place their gifts near the cloth after the baby was placed on the floor. As the ceremony concludes, sweets and tea are served.

When the ceremony is over, mothers dry the petals by placing them in a shade to keep them for the future, placing the dried petals in their future prayer rugs.

The ritual was inscribed on the national intangible cultural heritage list in 2010.

Tigh Dagh (literally meaning hot razor) is most common in Kerman and is performed by a female traditional healer.

Usually performed by a woman skilled in traditional medicine. The ritual treats headaches and diseases such as polyps in children and some adults.

In Tigh Dagh, a canvas wick is set on fire, then the patient's forehead, ears, or temple are heated with it, and thin cuts are made with a razor on these parts to draw blood.

This technique is an old and traditional treatment method that many traditional healers believe can cure many diseases.

The ritual was registered on the national intangible cultural heritage list in 2010.

The big and sprawling Kerman province is something of a cultural melting pot, blending various regional cultures over time. It is also home to rich tourist spots and historical sites, including bazaars, mosques, caravanserais, and ruins of ancient urban areas.

The southern province is bounded by the provinces of Fars on the west, Yazd on the north, South Khorasan on the northeast, Sistan-Baluchestan on the east, and Hormozgan on the south. It includes the southern part of the central Iranian desert, the Dasht-e Lut.

ABU/AM