- Title: INDIA: Country's Parsis celebrate Zoroastrian New Year 'Navroz'
- Date: 21st August 2010
- Summary: MUMBAI, MAHARASHTRA, INDIA (AUGUST 19, 2010) (ANI-NO ACCESS BBC) ROAD OUTSIDE FIRE TEMPLE EXTERIOR OF FIRE TEMPLE SIGN BOARD READING 'RUSTOM FARAMNA AGIARY CHOWK' GATE OF FIRE TEMPLE MAN BUYING FLOWER FROM FLORIST SITTING OUTSIDE TEMPLE DEVOTEES STANDING OUTSIDE TEMPLE WOMAN BUYING FLOWERS MAN MAKING BUNCH OF FLOWERS (SOUNDBITE) (English) BINAYFA WYX, A PARSI PROFESSOR, SAYING: "Today is supposed to be Navroz, the New Year of the Zoroastrian community that is the Parsis and the Iranis. Yesterday was Pateti, Pateti means a day of repentance, when we repent for our past sins and today with the New Year dawning, everything new should come our way. We go to the fire temple and if you would have seen outside we decorated with flowers, garlands. We do our Rangoli outside, the chalk and all, which is supposed to be very auspicious and of course all the Parsi festival are incomplete without the grand feast, so that will follow at home." (SOUNDBITE) (English) KURSHEED GANDHI, A DEVOTEE, SAYING "We pray for our departed souls and we wish all the best and our good year should be good." DEVOTEES GOING INSIDE TEMPLE
- Embargoed: 5th September 2010 03:00
- Keywords:
- Location: India
- Country: India
- Topics: Arts / Culture / Entertainment,Religion
- Reuters ID: LVA9LI3UHROA5ZWKC328C9WZ8JEL
- Aspect Ratio: 4:3
- Story Text: India's Zoroastrian Parsi community celebrated their New Year Navroz on Thursday (August 19).
Members of the small Parsi community flocked the Fire Temple to pay respects to their prophet Zarathushtra in financial capital Mumbai where they are concentrated.
The Parsi New Year is marked with joyousness and gaiety.
The Parsis decorate their homes with garlands and chalk designs. An important part of the celebrations is also the get-togethers with friends and family.
"Today is supposed to be Navroz, the New Year of the Zoroastrian community that is the Parsis and the Iranis. Yesterday was Pateti, Pateti means a day of repentance, when we repent for our past sins and today with the New Year dawning, everything new should come our way. We go to the fire temple and if you would have seen outside we decorated with flowers, garlands. We do our Rangoli outside, the chalk and all, which is supposed to be very auspicious and of course all the Parsi festival are incomplete without the grand feast, so that will follow at home," said Binayfa Wyx, a professor.
The day before 'Navroz' is 'Pateti' when Parsis dwell on the wrongs or the sins committed the previous year.
The Parsis also pray for the dear departed on the day.
"We pray for our departed souls and we wish all the best and our good year should be good," said Kursheed Gandhi, a devotee Ten days prior to their New Year, the Parsis have prayers for the dead as they believe 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.
Zoroastrianism, the religion of the Parsi community, is the oldest revealed religion in the world and the basic belief is the law of purity and honesty.
Zoroastrians worship all the natural elements but the most important is Fire.
It is estimated that there are 150,000 Parsis in the world, and about 50,000 of them are settled in Mumbai.
According to legend 3000 years ago Shah Jamshed of the Peshadian dynasty ascended the throne on "Navroz" - 'nav' meaning new and roze' meaning day.
This particular day also came to be known as Jamshed Navroz and is celebrated even in modern times with lot of feasting. - Copyright Holder: ANI (India)
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