Amit Shah extends greetings to people on Parsi New Year

New Delhi, Aug 16: Union Home Minister Amit Shah extended greetings to the people on Navroz, Parsi New Year on Wednesday.

“Warm greetings to sisters and brothers of the Parsi community on the occasion of the #ParsiNewYear. May the new year usher in the blessings of good health and prosperity in everyone’s life while strengthening our community spirit. #NavrozMubarak,” Shah tweeted.

The Parsi community across India is celebrating their New Year today.

Parsi New Year, which is also called Navroz or Nowruz, marks the beginning of spring and the renewal of nature. In Persian, ‘Nav’ means new, and ‘Roz’ stands for the day, this literally translates to ‘new day’.

The Navroz celebration is believed to date back to the time when Prophet Zarathustra founded Zoroastrianism, one of the earliest known monotheistic religions in the world, in Persia (now Iran). It was one of the most important religions in the ancient world until the emergence of Islam in the seventh century.

During the invasion of Persia, several Persians fled to India and Pakistan. Since then, their festivals have become a part of Indian festivities and are celebrated by people from diverse cultures.

People from the Parsi community celebrate Navroz in special ways. They decorate their house with flower garlands swinging from the doors. They wear new clothes and visit the Zoroastrian fire temple.