The Zoroastrian, or Parsi, community is the smallest major religious group in
India. They number about 100,000, and are concentrated overwhelmingly in Mumbai
city and in the state of Gujarat.
That is one reason why Parsi festivals are not highly visible. Another, and
equally important, reason is that Parsi festivals are not accompanied by public
ceremonies and attendant features like music and celebrations.
The Zoroastrian religion is founded on the three tenets of 'Good thoughts, good
words, good deeds.' The Zoroastrians are fastidious and meticulous where their
religion is concerned, and their festivals are also structured to reflect the
chief aims of Zoroastrianism.
Take into account that the Parsis are a very close-knit group, and you have
festivals that are celebrated almost strictly within the community, and confined
to the homes, community centres and temples.
The Parsi calendar is divided into 12 months of equal length and five festal
days. The five festal days are presided over by guardian angels. So are each of
the other days of the year. So, loosely, every day of the year could be
considered special.
The Zoroastrian year has six seasons, and there is one major festival in each
season - feasts known as Gahambars, that later got associated with religion. The
Zoroastrian feasts are elaborate affairs.
Festivals are ritual-oriented, and temple-worship, feasting and community
interaction are central to them. So does munificence. Charity plays an important
role in a Zoroastrian's life. During festivals or sacred days, the Zoroastrians
are instructed to be especially generous and rededicate themselves to their
pledge of justice and charity.
In traditional Zoroastrian society, celebrations are closely communal and, as a
rule, non-Parsis are not allowed into their places of worship.
Zoroastrian festivals occur during different months of the year, depending on
the calendar that is followed. There are three different calendars, and three
sects of Zoroastrians based on the calendar they follow.
However, most of the Zoroastrians in India follow the Shehanshahi, or Parsi,
calendar, not the Iranian (Kadimi) or the Fasli calendar. According to this, the
new year, Pateti, falls sometime in August. The Kadimi new year is not
officially recognised in India, though the Fasli new year, Jamshed-E-Navroz, is.
The other important Zoroastrian festivals are Khordad Sal, the birthday of
Zarathushtra; Muktad, All Souls' Day; Zardosht, the day commemorating the death
of Zarathushtra; and Adar roj nu Parab, the birthday of fire. There are also
festivals in homage to justice, water, the rains and fertility. Besides,
specific rites are prescribed for the special occasions of a Zoroastrian's life,
like birth, initiation (Navjote, the sacred shirt and thread ceremony) marriage
(lagan) and death.
In a closed community like the Zoroastrians', whose celebrations don't spill
over into the streets or even out of their homes and temples, it can be very
difficult to know what their religion and festivals are like, except from a
source. But if you can get access to a traditional Zoroastrian home, you could
get one side of the picture first-hand.
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