Nowruz Festival 2024: Iranian or Persian New Year

Context

The springtime festival of Nowruz marks the beginning of the Iranian or Persian New Year. 

• Google celebrated ‘International Nowruz Day 2024’ on 19 March 2024 with a specially designed Google Doodle created by the talented Iranian guest artist, Pendar Yousefi.

About Nowruz Festival:

• About: Nowruz, the Farsi word for “new day,” marks the beginning of the Iranian or Persian New Year. 
• The festival of Nowruz is named after the Persian king, Jamshed, who is credited for creating the Persian or the Shahenshahi calendar
• History: It is an ancient festival with roots in Zoroastrianism. 
• Nowruz celebrations: It begins on the vernal equinox, which falls around March 20th or 21st each year. 
  • The United Nations celebrates the International Day of Nowruz on March 21st.
• Traditional customs: It includes rituals involving fire and water, dances, exchanging gifts, and more.
• Part of UNESCO Intangible List: Nowruz was inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity of India in 2016.
• Significance: It symbolizes the renewal of nature and the beginning of spring in the Northern Hemisphere.
• Nauroz in India: The festival is observed around August 16-17 by the Parsi community following the Shahenshahi calendar which does not account for leap years.
  • It is believed that the festival was introduced to India by Nusservanji Kohyaji, a prosperous merchant from Surat in the 18th century. 
  • He frequently journeyed to Iran and upon his return, initiated the celebration of Nowruz in India.

News Source: Indian Express