nowruz festival
Dates
Start Date: 20-03-2024 End Date: 20-03-2024Location
All over IndiaFestivals are the expression of human’s feelings of happiness and joy. From Kashmir to Kanyakumari, India is a united country where people pursuing different religion, following divergent culture and methods live together and celebrate many festivals. India is also the country where nature’s changes are celebrated as nature’s rebirth and the time is enjoyed as New Year festival.
Each state of India enjoys the celebration of New Year for different reasons and associated beliefs and this celebration comprises of various cultural and religious values. The paradise of India not other but only the Kashmir where the nature has showered all the beauties in form of high and ice wore mountains, valleys, flora and faunas. Here the New Year celebration takes place in name of ‘Nauroz’ that is celebrated by Shia Muslims and also by the Parsi community of India.The festival of Nauroz is also celebrated by Parsi community of India, Iran, neighboring countries of India and all the other countries where Persian is spoken, on date 21st of March every year.
Nauroz represents the power of positivity over negativity. On this day one has to look after one’s positive and negative behavior and thinking and try to become a better person with all positivity.
Most of the ancient implications regarding Nauroz havearrived from Persian and Iranian history. The historical connotation of transpire of Nauroz is associated with a Persian story. At the time of rulings of Jamshid, people of Persian kingdom faced severe and tuff climate situations and lived difficulties for 3 years of persistent Typhoon effect, after which on a day which was starting day of spring season after heavy winters, people came out of their homes and welcomed a new weather that was the day of light after all darkness for them. This day referred as ‘Nauroz’ and then every year the people started celebrating Nauroz fest on the first day of spring. Reference of this story is authenticated by recitation of this issue in famous books of Iranian culture and history. The first book mentioned the story was epic ‘Shahnameh’ written by a famous poet named ‘Abulqasem Firdausi’ and other book is Hakim Omar Khaiyyam’s ‘Noruznameh’.
History also tells that Iranian used the power of positivity gained in Nauroz days to deal with wars, civilization and modernization that took place in old times which means the Nauroz is an ancient festival that is celebrating from the years along. Persian fought for equality, freedom and justice where the festival Nauroz worked as catalyst to strengthen abilities and source for encouragement.
Now the Nauroz became integral part of Central Asian region’s culture. Nauroz is the festival of Central Asian countriesand this East Persian culture brought up in Kashmir by the great personalities such as Shah-i-Hamdan (RA), BulBul Shah (RA), Mir Shamsuddin Iraqi (RA) and others. Kashmiri Silk and Iran-e-Sageerare the linking factors of Kashmir and East Asia. Hence Kashmir’s cultural and economies started celebrating Nauroz in Kashmir as a tradition.
In Kashmir the birthday of Prince Aly Muhammad is celebrated on the day of Nauroz is another reason for the festival.
Nauroz is the bunch of positive emotions, notions, rights and feelings. This day is about integrity and interaction, peace and prosperity, justice and joy. It is celebrated by society, with society and for society. The start day is called Nauroz from which day the festival starts. On this day special prayers are made by Muslims in mosque and by Parsis in Fire Temple. After prayer people hugs, kiss head or hands (gesture of respect) and greet each other by saying ‘Sal Mubarak’, ‘Nauroz Mubarak’. The festival continues for next 9 days in which people wear smile on their faces, filled with happiness in their heart and spread the feeling of joy by meeting each other. People wear new cloths, exchanges gifts and sweets. They go to others house to wish where tasty meals and sweets are served and guests are welcomed. Children of the family are rewarded by gifts from elder members of the family. People also decorate their house with artificial decor articles. Parsis wear gold and silver kustis and caps.
The main dish of Nauroz for Persian community is ‘Falooda’. Its ingredients are milk and rose water. Another famous dish is ‘Ravo’. It is made by baking suji(rawa), sugar and milk which is a sweet dish is like ‘Halwa’.
In Kashmir the dishes are ‘Nadur Fish’ and ‘turnip chicken’. Nadur Fish is prepared by frying fish deeply and then cooked with Nadur that is lotus stem and hot spices are added in it. For making Turnip Chicken, dried turnip and chicken are deeply fried.
Nauroz gives the message of social bonding and strengthen relationships.It is a New Year festival that has ancient background and timely enriching historical implications in regard of festival.Nauroz is the sign of positivity that removes the negativity which have been occurred due to deep winters.The festival is also celebrated in Baltistan region, Iraq, Iran, Afganistan.