Parsis celebrate Parsi New Year

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Parsis celebrate Parsi New Year

Postby babak » Sun Aug 21, 2005 8:30 pm

Source : Vashi2Panvel.Com, India

Happy Navroze! Navi Mumbai Parsis celebrate Parsi New Year

There are seventy registered Parsi families in Navi Mumbai. But Navi Mumbai doesn’t have a Agyari and we travel to Andheri to visit our fire temple,” says Rashna Doctor, a Parsi resident of Nerul. Today is Parsi New Year or Navroze an important day for celebration for the Parsis. So what are the Navi Mumbaikars doing? Pervin Umrigar, a Vashi resident says, “ We do nothing but visit our Agyari in Dadar and have lavish lunch and dinner. Might also go to watch some movie.”

Rashna Doctor says, “We have gathas ten days before the New Year and we all visit our Agyari on these ten days.”

Aspi Dadachanji says, “ Parsis are people who believe in all religion and enjoying life. We go to the Agyari and then have a lavish lunch. We visit the Dadar or Thane Agyari.”

ImageParsi New Year
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 Parsis.

"There is but one path, the path of ASHA. All other paths are false paths" YASNA
This quotation from Yank 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.
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, Fire is looked upon, as a visible symbol of godhead and it is believed that the prophet himself brought the Sacred Fire to earth from heaven. In Zoroastrian temples that are known as Fire temples, fire is kept burning all the time. Priests called Jozdalhregavs tend these temples.

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.

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. 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.

Men, women and even children wake up early, bath and dress up in new clothes. They decorate the threshold and steps of their houses with coloured powders, light incense sticks and sprinkle sandalwood powder on live coals, kept in a censor. All this not only is auspicious but also is meant to purify the air.

Food plays a very important role as a significant part of all Parsi festivals. Parsi food is a delicious blend of West Indian and Indian cuisine. Parsis being non-vegetarian, fish, mutton, chicken, nuts, spices and fruits are bought a day before and a variety of dishes are prepared for the following day of Navroz.

For breakfast on the day of Navroz two special dishes are served. One is the "Ravo" made with Suji, milk and sugar and the other is fried vermicelli cooked in sugar syrup and sprinkled with raisins and lot of almond slivers. After breakfast the entire family member go to the nearest Fire Temple or Agiary as it is called. In the temple a "JASHAN" - the priest performs a thanks-giving prayer and each one of the assembled gatherings offers sandalwood to the Holy Fire. After the "Jashan" ceremony all people greet each other by saying "Sal Mubarak".

Lunch consists of Pulav, rich with nuts and saffron, fish in green masala and spicy chicken curries. Besides all the delicacies, cooking plain rice and moong dal is a "must" on this Navroz day. The children of the family hand over food packets and clothes to the poor Parsi families. Parsi children are thus taught to give and share with others.

Throughout the day on this festival, there is much visiting of friends and relatives. Every visitor is offered some sweet and a glass of "faluda" - sweet and chilled vermicelli and flavoured with rose essence. In all Parsi homes a silver tray is kept ready with roses, coconuts and kumkum for `tilak'. Rose water is freely sprayed on every visitor as he enters.

The ritual in this festival that is of paramount importance is the free mixing of men and women, which certainly is a sign of equality.

Anisha Ashokan
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Postby babak » Sun Aug 21, 2005 8:33 pm

Source: Mumbai Newsline


Navroze 9 to 5

Shernaz Cama takes you back to the days Navroze was celebrated the proper way

Parizaad Khan

Mumbai, August 19: The tin pot bands
YEARS ago, every Navroze, people would wake up to the smell of loban (incense) and roses. A burning pot of incense was taken around the house to spread the fragrance and every ancestor’s picture frame was garlanded with a rose haar.

Early in the morning, Parsi musicians would come to our homes and sing monajats. These are small songs celebrating New Year. There are no Tin Pot bands any longer, but people still play recorded monajats.


The sagan
Every home is decorated with chowk (rangoli with white powder) and torans (flower garlands). The white chowk is an Aryan custom, which is still used in Iran. A white line of powder leads from the door to the heart of the house to welcome the spirits of our deceased ancestors. But now we use chowk to make designs outside our doors.

A patla—a short-legged wooden stool would be brought out and the whole family takes turns at getting good wishes (sagan). Everyone is given a red kunku tikka on the forehead, a garland of flowers and a parika (envelope of money).

Wearing new clothes on Navroze is a must. It’s like casting away everything that’s old and starting fresh in the New Year.

The agiyari visit
A visit to the fire temple is a must on any auspicious day. We stand in front of the fire and get its blessings. The fire is an emblem of Ahura Mazda and stands for light and warmth. The family would go to the fire temple together and pray as one.

The jashan
All the anjumans or Parsi clubs have a khushali no jashan—a special prayer where all the elements of nature are invoked. The whole congregation joins in to ask for blessings of happiness and health.

The bhonu
The New Year’s meal should ideally contain dhan dal, which is yellow dal with white rice. Macchi patia, or spicy fish in gravy, is also thought to be auspicious. The meal is topped with sweets like Ravo and Sev with sweet curd.

Shernaz Cama is the director of the UNESCO-funded PARZOR Project—Preservation of Parsi Zoroastrian Heritage
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PRESIDENT’S GREETINGS ON THE OCCASION OF THE PARSI NEW YEAR

Postby Guest » Mon Aug 22, 2005 5:56 pm

Source: Press Information Bureau (press release), India


PRESIDENT’S GREETINGS ON THE OCCASION OF THE PARSI NEW YEAR

The President of India, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam in his message on the occasion of the Parsi New Year which is being celebrated tomorrow, has said: -

“On the auspicious occasion of the Parsi New Year, Navroz, I extend my greetings and best wishes to all my fellow citizens.

The Parsi community’s contribution to national development is well known and will always be remembered. The celebration of this festival is an example of our pluralism and commitment to a multi-cultural and multi-religious society. Festivals such as Navroz contribute in a big way towards unity of minds. May this festival inspire us to work for communal harmony and over all progress of the Nation”.
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Parsi delights

Postby canadian » Sat Aug 27, 2005 12:09 pm

NAVROZE celebrations continue. Restaurants are still offering Parsi food and we are not complaining. Patrani Macchhi, Dhanshak, Salli Boti, Chicken Farchha, Prawn Patia for non-vegetarians, Bhindi-nu-Sabzi, Khatta Meetha Dal for vegetarians and desserts such as Lagan-nu-Custard are still on offer and will be till August 31 at Spice Garden on Dhole Patil Road. Says Vinay Shetty, general manager, "The prices range between Rs 140-180 for non-vegetarians and Rs 90-120 for vegetarians."

http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstor ... sid=145839
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