March 21st - The significance of the Parsi festival 'Jamshedi Navroz'
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Aazmeen Kasad
Mar 20, 2013, 10:41:38 PM3/20/13
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May this Jamshedi Navroze bring good health, happiness and prosperity to you and your family!!
Best wishes,
Aazmeen
--
Aazmeen Kasad
Advocate - High Court, Mumbai
Professor of Law
Email : aazmee...@hotmail.com
Cell : + 91 98205 08753
Jamshedi Navroz
Jamshedi Navroz is one of the three main festive days in the Parsi Calendar. The others being Parsi New year in August and Khordad Saal, the birthday of Zarathustra.
Jamshedi Navroz falls on March 21st, which is also Spring Equinox. It is celebrated the world over in various manifestations. It heralds the coming of Spring. In Iran it is celebrated as a ten day celebration and is the one Zoroastrian festival celebrated in an otherwise Islamic country.
Jamshedi Navroze is the first day of the first month of the Zoroastrian year. Parsis follow the Fasli calendar and their New Year commences with the Vernal Equinox. The festival is celebrated with lot of enthusiasm. All the rituals of Jamshedi Navroz are dutifully followed by the community. Parsis offer special prayers on the day, savour the fixed menu of the festival and greet each other.
Origin Of Jamshedi Navroz Festival
Celebration of the festival dates back to over 3000 years when the legendary king of Persia, Jamshedji ascended the throne on the day of 'Navroz'. 'Nav' means new and 'Roz' means day. The day happened to be a vernal equinox.- when the length of the day equals that of the night. Navroz marked the transition from winter to summer. Later, the particular day came to known and celebrated as 'Jamshedi Navroz Festival'.
It is also said, King Jamshedji introduced solar calculation into the Persian calendar and also determined the date when the Sun enters the constellation of Aries, in the beginning of the year. The advent of spring in February-March and the vernal equinox - these are the two events that mark the Jamshedi Navroz.
On this Occasions, it was customary for the king to be weighed in gold and silver, and the money was then distributed to the poor.
"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 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.
Celebrating Jamshedi Navroz
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 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 GHAMBARS. These were originally agricultural festivals but as Zorastrianism 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.
Parsis celebrate Navroz in a grand and elaborate fashion. They rejoice whole-heartedly and celebrate the day in a spirit of friendship, harmony and happiness.
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.
They welcome the guests with a sprinkling of rosewater and rice and also applying tilak.
The traditional drink for Navroz is falooda - a preparation of milk flavoured with rose essence. There are special dishes for breakfast too - one is 'Ravo' prepared with suji, milk and sugar and the other is fried vermicelli cooked in sugar preparation and decorated with dry fruits.
Jamshedi Navroz falls on March 21st, which is also Spring Equinox. It is celebrated the world over in various manifestations. It heralds the coming of Spring. In Iran it is celebrated as a ten day celebration and is the one Zoroastrian festival celebrated in an otherwise Islamic country.
Jamshedi Navroze is the first day of the first month of the Zoroastrian year. Parsis follow the Fasli calendar and their New Year commences with the Vernal Equinox. The festival is celebrated with lot of enthusiasm. All the rituals of Jamshedi Navroz are dutifully followed by the community. Parsis offer special prayers on the day, savour the fixed menu of the festival and greet each other.
Origin Of Jamshedi Navroz Festival
Celebration of the festival dates back to over 3000 years when the legendary king of Persia, Jamshedji ascended the throne on the day of 'Navroz'. 'Nav' means new and 'Roz' means day. The day happened to be a vernal equinox.- when the length of the day equals that of the night. Navroz marked the transition from winter to summer. Later, the particular day came to known and celebrated as 'Jamshedi Navroz Festival'.
It is also said, King Jamshedji introduced solar calculation into the Persian calendar and also determined the date when the Sun enters the constellation of Aries, in the beginning of the year. The advent of spring in February-March and the vernal equinox - these are the two events that mark the Jamshedi Navroz.
On this Occasions, it was customary for the king to be weighed in gold and silver, and the money was then distributed to the poor.
"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 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.
Celebrating Jamshedi Navroz
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 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 GHAMBARS. These were originally agricultural festivals but as Zorastrianism 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.
Parsis celebrate Navroz in a grand and elaborate fashion. They rejoice whole-heartedly and celebrate the day in a spirit of friendship, harmony and happiness.
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.
They welcome the guests with a sprinkling of rosewater and rice and also applying tilak.
The traditional drink for Navroz is falooda - a preparation of milk flavoured with rose essence. There are special dishes for breakfast too - one is 'Ravo' prepared with suji, milk and sugar and the other is fried vermicelli cooked in sugar preparation and decorated with dry fruits.
After breakfast, people visit the Fire Temple or Agiary for a special thanks giving prayer called , 'Jashan'. People also offer sandalwood to the Holy Fire. After the ceremony is over, all people greet each other by saying, 'Sal Mubarak'.
There is a fixed menu for lunch also. Pulav is a an integral part of Navroz while plain rice and moong dal is a must. There is also a custom to give charity. Food packets and clothes are handed over to the poor Parsi families by the children of the family. Parsi children are thus taught to give and share with others.
Besides, there is a custom to keep a copy of the Gathas, a lit lamp, an afrigan, a bowl of water containing live fish, a shallow earthenware plate with sprouted wheat or beans for prosperity, flowers for colour, a silver coin for wealth, painted eggs for productivity, and sweets and rosewater in bowls for sweetness and happiness on a table. Apart from these, the table also has seven foods beginning with 'sh' and 's'. These are meant to symbolise creation.
There is a fixed menu for lunch also. Pulav is a an integral part of Navroz while plain rice and moong dal is a must. There is also a custom to give charity. Food packets and clothes are handed over to the poor Parsi families by the children of the family. Parsi children are thus taught to give and share with others.
Besides, there is a custom to keep a copy of the Gathas, a lit lamp, an afrigan, a bowl of water containing live fish, a shallow earthenware plate with sprouted wheat or beans for prosperity, flowers for colour, a silver coin for wealth, painted eggs for productivity, and sweets and rosewater in bowls for sweetness and happiness on a table. Apart from these, the table also has seven foods beginning with 'sh' and 's'. These are meant to symbolise creation.
JAMSHEDI NAVROZ MUBARAK !! :)
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