Mumbai Parsis To Celebrate Jamshedi Navroz With Prayers, Reflection And Community Gatherings

Mumbai: The Parsi community in Mumbai will usher in the Parsi New Year, or Jamshedi Navroz, on August 15 with prayers, reflection and family gatherings. Observed on the first day of the Zoroastrian calendar year, the festival holds deep religious and cultural significance for Parsis and Iranian Zoroastrians across the country.

Pateti Observed As Day Of Repentance And Introspection Before Navroz

The day preceding Navroz, Pateti, was observed on Friday as a day of repentance and introspection. Devotees offer prayers, seek forgiveness for past mistakes and reflect on their actions before beginning the new year with renewed hope and a commitment to righteousness. Although Pateti and Parsi New Year are often used interchangeably, they have distinct religious significance.

Explaining the distinction, Noshir Dadrawala, a CSR and non-profit law consultant who writes extensively on Zoroastrian religious customs, said Pateti is essentially a day for reflection.

Pateti Focuses On Self-Reflection, Forgiveness And Seeking Repentance

“What you did well and what you did not. The most important thing is to reflect and forgive yourself and prepare for the new year. It is not a joyous occasion. There are special prayers called ‘Patet Pashemani’, a prayer of repentance. The prayer says that you are sorry for the sins committed in the past,” said Dadrawala.

“In the modern context, the day is meant for reflecting on yourself,” he added.

On Navroz, Zoroastrians visit agiaries and Atash Behrams to offer prayers and seek blessings. Homes are cleaned and decorated, while families prepare traditional delicacies and dress in festive attire. Community organisations and Parsi institutions across Mumbai also organise prayers and gatherings to mark the occasion.

The festival is rooted in the Zoroastrian principles of Humata, Hukhta and Hvarshta — good thoughts, good words and good deeds. For Mumbai’s Parsi community, Navroz is also an occasion to celebrate its rich heritage, renew spiritual commitments and strengthen bonds within the community.

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