It’s Jamshedi Navroz – yet another excuse to let loose and enjoy! It’s embedded deep in our DNA – this reason to just let our hair down and party like there’s no tomorrow. Our community loves to enjoy, even on the days when the rheumatism is severe, the migraine – unbearable, the flu – unmanageable! Not the weather, not the rains, not the perfect storm can keep our lot away from having a good time!
And we celebrate every occasion twice over. We have our Roj birthdays, and then we have our date Birthdays. I sincerely think this whole ‘other calendar’ business, was essentially created just for our penchant to party! We only ever needed a reasonably sound excuse to celebrate every occasion twice! And so you have it, even our New Year is enjoyed twice. The Parsis marked it in the month of August, but with the rains and the inclement weather, we decided to enjoy the one celebrated by our Zarthosti Iranis in March, if only to mark and celebrate the arrival of spring and share in with the camaraderie and fun… all perfectly reasonable and appealing as well.
Jamshedi Navroz was decidedly a Persian, Iranian festival celebrating the Spring Equinox and all that it represented. It is the advent of bounty, abundance, joy and new beginnings, certainly something to celebrate and dip into. But somewhere along the way we made it our own. Not every Parsi household may lay the symbolic table, but not one amongst our brood would miss the chance or opportunity to visit our Iranian brethren and partake in the treats and fun. Every year the tables are getting more elaborate and splendidly more decorative. It almost feels almost like a veritable competition amongst our Iranian friends to outdo each other!
So, while the tables get richer, the offerings more delectable, we in turn are going to do our best to enjoy every year, with every mouthful of delight emanating from the generosity of their hearts. The tables may get bigger, the offerings more detailed, but while my friends pour that rose-water (gulabjal) on my hands and looking in that mirror, my wish for each year will still remain much the same. Three simple words that embody the spirit of Navroz: “Tandarosti, Khushali ne Barakat.” That’s my wish in a nutshell this year and for years to follow, and I hope it’s yours too! Now if the fates decide to grant me some pearls and diamonds along the way, maybe a Beamer, you just might see me beaming more and complaining less the rest of the year through.
We all know Parsis and Iranis share a common Persian ancestry only separated by centuries of migration, culture and language. We are a bunch from the same brood – divided and categorized by the date of our arrival into India. The Parsis arrived centuries ago, followed by the Iranis… but I think, there is definitely more to it than that. Granted – both races have the same taste for food, wine and song, the same fear for dry days, dry steaks and anything green or vegetarian. While our Iranian brothers love our Dhansak, we in turn relish their signature Berry pulav and Chello kebab. Our Iranian brothers can match any of our expletives, word for word. Even outdo us most of the time! The Parsi fit of temper, and short fuse, is also up there, matched with the best of them. We are pretty much cut from the same cloth, no denying that.
While Parsis may have added the sugar and sweetened the milk (a legendary account of how Zoroastrian refugees from Persia secured a place in Sanjan, Gujarat), the Iranians went a step further. They shrewdly opened bakeries and cafes where Bun-Maska and Brun, Batasas and Khatais became the staples to every man’s cup of tea. ‘Tea’ undisputedly being the most favoured drink in all India. The Parsis captured the heart of King Jadav Rana and all of India, while our Iranian brethren captured their palates!
All in all, we are pretty much the same with just a sprinkling of a few differences. So, let’s celebrate this festival, our ancestry, history and traditions in the best way we know. With Moj, Masti and Majha all through the year! Here’s wishing you all, ghanu, ghanu, Tandarosti, Khushali and Barkat!
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