“Ghee khichdi no paiso, Doriyaa no rupiyo, Varsaadji toha ayega, Dumrisher layega, Dumritaari oat maa, Kharapaani pet maa, Otti ke chotti, Chal li choti, Relaavi motti, Ahuragocal, Paani mokal, Varsaadji nu paani, Toh mitthu ne mitthu!”

Some decades ago, every Navsari Parsi Zoroastrian boy knew this 120-year-old Parsi poem, ‘Ghee Khichdi’, like a nursery rhyme. Many Navsari youth have been upholding this endearing tradition even today! ‘Ghee-Khichdi’ is a cultural tradition that started off around 120 years ago in Navsari, due to a terrible famine that had hit South Gujarat. During this time, Parsi boys would gather and go door-to-door to every Zoroastrian house and Mohalla to gather alms (uncooked rice, dal, oil, ghee and water), while singing this poem, to thus invoke the Rain Gods to bless the land with water, which would support farming activity and grace them with a fertile region, as a number of Parsis families of Navsari were directly or indirectly involved in farming as a profession then.

Once collected, the ingredients are put together and cooked into a delicious ‘Khichdi’ which is then served to the poor, birds, animals and all present. This tradition is practiced every year, particularly on ‘Bahman Mahino’ and ‘Bahman Roj’. It is thus delightful to see quite a few Navsari’s Parsi Zoroastrians following this tradition!

Like Hindus observe the holy month of Shravan, Zoroastrians follow the Baman Mahino where one partakes of only a vegetarian diet, directly related to the ancient science of maintaining balance and abundance, since hunting and fishing (or now, even poultry) is banned to make sure that Nature restores and heals the balance of the food cycle, impacted by humankind.

The 2023 Ghee-Khichdi event in Navsari was orgaised by Navsari’s own Parsi Boys – Soli Buhariwala, Malcolm Vandrivala, Yazdi Kasad, Hormaz Avari, Cyrus Batki, Rayomand Jilla and Faryaz Bharda and the dining space was gracefully provided by Sirvai Party plot in Navsari’s Parsi Orphanage premises. It is indeed heart-warming to see our young Navsari boys participate enthusiastically to keep alive this age-old tradition!