NAVROZ
- ART & CULTURE
News:
Navroz 2024: What Is
Navroz and How Is It Celebrated?
What's
in the news?
●
Navroz or Nowruz, meaning “new day” in Persian,
is an ancient festival marking the first day of spring and the beginning of the
year in the Iranian calendar.
Key
takeaways:
●
It essentially marks the new year for Parsis and other people of
Persian or Iranian descent.
●
It is celebrated by millions worldwide,
particularly in countries that were part of or influenced by, the Persian
Empire.
●
Rooted in Zoroastrianism, Navroz has been observed for over 3,000 years,
symbolizing the rebirth of nature and
the triumph of good over evil.
Navroz:
●
Navroz is the new year celebrations for
Parsis (Zoroastrians) and Muslims (both Shia and Sunni).
●
It is celebrated on 21st March every year.
Navroz
and India:
●
In India, the Navroz festival is
celebrated twice a year.
●
The first according to the Iranian calendar
and the second according to the Shahen Shahi calendar which is followed by
people in India and Pakistan.
Backdrop
of Navroz:
●
In 1079
AD, a Persian (Iranian) king named Jalaluddin Malekshah introduced this
festival to generate revenue and collect taxes from people.
●
It was observed on March 21 to mark the
beginning of spring and the day of equinox.
Parsis
and Navroz:
●
In India, the festival is observed around
August 16-17 by the Parsi community following the Shahenshahi calendar.
●
In India it is known as Jamshed Navroz.
Key
takeaways:
●
It does
not account for leap years; it means the holiday has now moved by 200 days
from its original day.
●
It is inscribed in the list of UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of
Humanity of India.
Go
back to basics:
Zoroastrianism:
●
Zoroastrianism is one of the world's oldest monotheistic religions.
●
It was founded by the Prophet Zoroaster (or Zarathustra) in ancient Iran approximately
3500 years ago.
Key
takeaways:
●
For 1000 years Zoroastrianism was one of
the most powerful religions in the world.
●
It was the official religion of Persia
(Iran) from 600 BCE to 650 CE.
●
It is now one of the world's smallest
religions.
Belief:
●
Zoroastrians believe there is one God
called Ahura Mazda (Wise Lord) and
he created the world.
●
Zoroastrians worship communally in a Fire Temple or Agiary.
●
Zoroastrians are not fire-worshippers but
believe that the elements are pure and that fire represents God’s light or
wisdom.
Holy
Book:
●
The Zoroastrian book of Holy Scriptures is
called The Avesta.
Groups:
●
Zoroastrians are roughly split into two
groups:
○
The Iranians
○
The Parsis
Parsis:
●
The Parsis ('Parsi' is Gujarati for
Persian) are the largest single group in India, with an estimated 2.6 million
Zoroastrians worldwide.
●
Zoroastrians (Parsis) are one of the notified minority communities.