Understanding the Importance of Navroz Festival and its Historical Significance in Parsi New Year 2023
The Parsi New Year, also known as Navroz or Nowruz, is celebrated in India between the months of July and August. It has been celebrated for 3500 years by Iranians and Zoroastrians. Many countries with Persian cultural influence celebrate this event around the vernal equinox, including India, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, and certain parts of Central Asia.
The Parsi community in India follows the Shahenshahi calendar, which does not account for leap years. As a result, they celebrate the New Year 200 days later than March 21 according to the Gregorian calendar. This year, Indian Parsis will celebrate the New Year on August 16.
The Parsi New Year is believed to have started around 3500 years ago when Zoroastrianism was established by the Prophet Zarathustra in Iran. According to Zoroastrian beliefs, this day represents the rebirth of the cosmos. The Parsi calendar is traditionally attributed to Jamshed, a monarch of the ancient Sasanian Empire. Therefore, Jamshed-I-Nouroz is another name for this celebration.
In India, it is widely believed that after death, spirits return to this world to visit their loved ones. To receive blessings of joy, success, and good fortune, people offer thanks and seek blessings. During the ten days leading up to the festival, Parsis worship and honor their ancestors and deceased loved ones. It is believed that the departed bless their living relatives and friends on this day.
Parsis often use the Parsi New Year as an auspicious day to start new endeavors. It is a day for people worldwide to purify their minds, hearts, and bodies. On Navroz, family members take a bath, decorate their homes with rangolis, and pray to their ancestors who have passed away.
Various Parsi cuisines are served on this day, including Jardaloo chicken, Farcha, Patra Ni Machhi, and Ravo. Many people visit temples to worship, and donating to charity is a common practice. The Indian states of Gujarat and Maharashtra are particularly enthusiastic in celebrating Navroz.
