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Daily Current Affairs for UPSC

Festival of Nowruz

Syllabus:- Art and Culture (gs paper-1)

Context:-Numerous ethnic groups around the world celebrate Nowruz, the Iranian or Persian New Year.

About:-

  • Around the time of the vernal equinox, several nations celebrate the Navroz festival, which serves as a symbol of the victory of spring over winter.
  • It is observed twice a year in India using both the Iranian and Shahenshahi calendars.

History of the festival:-

The Persian king Jamshed, who is credited with inventing the Persian or Shahenshahi calendar, is the inspiration for the festival of Navroz, also known as Jamshed-i-Navroz or Jamshed-i-Nowruz. According to legend, Jamshed saved the world from an impending apocalypse that took the form of a winter and was destined to destroy everyone.A new day was created and given the name Navroz when King Jamshed, who had a throne encrusted with priceless diamonds, rode demons up to the sky where he shone brighter than the sun.

Celebration of Navroz:-

  • Parsis pray and remember departed relatives and ancestors ten days prior to the event.
  • It is believed that during this period, the spirits of the person who died bless their family members and loved ones.
  • After taking a bath on the day of Navroz, family members clean the house and decorate it with lovely rangolis before remembering and asking for the blessings of the deceased.
  • On this day, many people go to the temples to pray.

Celebration in India 

  • Navroz, also known as Nowruz or the Parsi New Year, is a holiday that is observed by many different cultures and societies around the world, including India. However, because the event is observed twice a year in India, many people are still unsure of exactly when it falls each year.
  • The largest Navroz celebrations take place in Maharashtra and Gujarat, India, where there is a sizable Parsi population. However, even though Navroz is celebrated worldwide in March, it arrives 200 days later in India and is observed in the month of August because the Parsis there use the Shahenshahi calendar, which does not take leap years into account.

Nowruz 2023:-The Parsi New Year, or Navroz, is observed on August 16th in 2023. For the Parsi community and anyone who values the rich cultural history of Persia, this day is extremely important.

Significance:-

The celebration of Navroz has a three thousand year tradition. Because of its enormous cultural significance, it has been designated as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

This acknowledgement highlights the festival’s lasting relevance and importance in safeguarding cultural traditions for coming generations.

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