NAVROZ : MEANING & CELEBRATIONS

Navroz is celebrated on a grand scale. Although Parsis are westernized, they are quite traditional when it comes in celebrating festivals. Parsis dress in new clothes and wear gold and silver kustis and caps. Jamshed-e-Navroz is a festival symbolizing the spirit of friendship, happiness and harmony. They decorate their houses with auspicious symbols like stars, butterflies, birds and fish. They welcome guests by sprinkling rose water and rice and by applying tilak.

 Navroj is the first day of the first month of the Zoroastrian year.

 Struggle for good against Evil With Humata (good thoughts), Hukta (good words) and Havarshta (good deeds).

   Thus spoke Zoroaster, the great prophet of Iran to his followers who in India are known by the name of Parsi.

"There is but one path, the path of ASHA. All other paths are false paths" - YASNA

   This quotation from Yasna sums up the teachings of Prophet Zoroaster. Asha is a path of action - good thoughts, good words and good deeds - with emphasis on service to the suffering humanity. Every living being according to this religion is believed to posses the eternal principle of FRAVASHI.

   Zoroastrian is monotheistic in its higher ideology having AHURA MAZDA as its Supreme Deity and AHRIMAN as a lesser power of evil, which continually retards the smooth progress of good-universe is conceived as a battlefield between Ahura Mazda and Ahriman. In this confrontation, Ahura Mazda will ultimately defeat Ahriman.

   In the Zoroastrian religion, the theory of Re-incarnation does not exist FIRE is looked upon as a visible symbol of godhead and it is believed that the Sacred Fire was brought to earth from heaven by the prophet himself. In Zoroastrian temples that are known as Fire temples, fire is kept burning all the time. These temples are tended by Priests called Jozdalhregavs.

Over 3000 years ago Shah Jamshed of the Peshadian dynasty ascended the throne on "NAVROZE" - nav meaning new and roze meaning day. It was the day of the Equinox - a day when light and darkness stand equal on the scale of space and time when the length of the day equals that of the night. That particular day came to be known as Jamshed Navroz and is celebrated even in modern times with lot of feasting.

This new day is the beginning of a new year, a new awakening into an inner sphere of spiritual consciousness and anew vision of life. It is the time of questioning of looking within oneself, of seeing the millions of miracles that take place within the vast universe.

Navroz means spring when Mother Nature casts off everything that is old or super-flows and dresses herself like a young bride in every vibrant colour and hue, rejoicing in her own pure spiritual beauty. Thus Navroz is a new dawn in everyone's life.

Parsis believe that there are six seasons in a year with an important festival in each of them. These festivals are known by the name of GAHAMBARS. These were originally agricultural festivals but as Zoroastrianism developed, they assumed religious significance. Parsis celebrate Khordad Sal as the birth of their Prophet Zoroaster who was born in the middle of second millennium B.C. His birth anniversary falls on the 6th day of the first month of the Zoroastrian Calendar and is observed with rejoicings. In each of these festivals Parsis do a lot of charity to the needy. To extend a helping hand to the poor is special characteristic of the Parsis.

Food forms an important part of their festivities. The most traditional drink during this time is falooda prepared from milk and flavored rose water. They also have ‘Ravo’ for breakfast which is prepared from suji, milk and sugar.

People visit Fire Temple or Agiary for a special thanks giving prayer called, ‘Jashan’. After the ceremony people greet each other by saying, ‘Sal Mubarak’.

Lunch is also special for the Parsis which consist of pulao. It is traditional for the people to keep a copy of the Gathas, a lit lamp, a bowl of water containing live fish, an afrigan, a shallow earthenware plate with sprouted wheat or beans for prosperity, a silver coin for wealth, flowers for colour, painted eggs for productivity, and sweets and rosewater in bowls for sweetness and happiness on a table. The spread should also contain seven foods beginning with ‘sh’ and‘s’ symbolizing creation.

People exchange gifts on account of Jamshed-e-Navroz. Parsi festivals bring people from all classes together which is a sign of equality.