Navsari’s Zoroastrian community celebrated the ancient and sacred festival of Sadeh on 11th February, 2024, at the Shirvai Party Plot, Navsari, offerings of prayers and wood to the traditional holy bonfire. The function was arranged by the Parsi Cultural Division of the S B Garda College Trust – Navsari, under the able guidance of Dara Deboo and other trustees of the College’s Trust. Attended by over 380 of Navsari’s community members, the event also witnessed gifts distributed to over 225 of the community’s children.

Ruzbeh Umrigar, Co-convenor of INTACH (Navsari) and Projects Coordinator – PARZOR Foundation, shared, “Our Persian stories were overshadowed and waived off as mythology by Western Archeologists, much like Indian vedic stories. The Sadeh festival is now registered with UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, as the day when people celebrate the end of cold winter days. We need to reinforce our interests in the ancient unexplored world of mythology, with a much wider support system, through trade and commerce. We should provide greater aid for the study of such old civilizations – descendants of a now lost civilization, known in the Avesta as Airyanem Vaejah – The Lost ‘Cradle of the Aryans’.”

 

Jashn-e-Sadeh or the festival of Sadeh celebrates King Hoshang (of the Peshdadian dynasty and grandson of the first man ever – Masya) for transforming the existence of humanity for the better, as he accidently discovered fire and introduced it for the progress of humankind.