Go to :  Index File

Indian Parsis celebrate their New Year

     Mumbai: Parsis in the country celebrated "Navroz" or the Parsi New Year on Friday. The small Parsi community concentrated here flocked to the Fire Temple to pay respects to their prophet Zarathushtra. The Parsi New Year's day is celebrated on August 20 every year and is an occasion marked by joyous fervour and gaiety. Parsi homes are decorated with "torans" or floral garlands and chalk designs. There is usually a community get-together in the evening to celebrate the occasion. "Today we are starting with our new year. New calendar has been started. We go to gyari and then have our good meal. Then in the evening we go out to watch movies or any place to celebrate," said Mani Sodawaterwala. Ten days prior to their New Year, the Parsis observe prayers for the dead as they believe that the spirits of the dead are present at this time and if remembered, shower their blessings. These prayers are conducted at all Fire Temples in the city. "These 10 days we keep a mourning and those who have expired, we pray for them and those who are young we give them good blessings," said Jahangir Feradoon Tarapurwala. Zoroastrianism, the religion of the Parsi community, is the oldest revealed religion in the world and the basic tenet is the law of purity and righteousness. They worship all the natural elements but the most important is Fire.
-Aug 20, 2004