Navroz: Parsi New Year

• 17 Aug 2020

Why in News

Navroj was celebrated in India on 16^th August 2020.

• Globally Navroz is celebrated on 21^st March, however, in India it is celebrated on 16^th August because of the Shahenshahi calendar that is followed by Parsis in India.
  
  • The Shahenshahi calendar doesn’t account for leap years.

Key Points

• Navroz is also known as Parsi New Year. In Persian, ‘Nav’ stands for new, and ‘Roz’ stands for the day, which literally translates to ‘new day’.
• It is celebrated to mark the beginning of the Iranian (Persian) calendar.
• The tradition is observed by Iranians and the Parsi community around the world.
• In India Navroz is also known as Jamshed-i-Navroz, after the Persian King, Jamshed. The king Jamshed is credited with having created the Shahenshahi calendar.
• Navroj is inscribed in the list of UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity of India.

Traditional New Year Festivals in India
Name	Features
Chaitra Shukla Pratipada	It marks the beginning of the new year of the Vikram Samvat also known as the Vedic (Hindu) calendar. Vikram Samvat is based on the day when the emperor Vikramaditya defeated Sakas, invaded Ujjain and called for a new era.
Gudi Padwa and Ugadi	Celebrated in the month of Chaitra Shukla Pratipada as per the Hindu Lunar Calendar. Deccan region including Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra.
Navreh	It is the lunar New Year that is celebrated in Kashmir. It falls on the very first day of the Chaitra Navratras.
Sajibu Cheiraoba	It is celebrated by Meiteis (an ethnic group in Manipur) which is observed on the first day of Manipur lunar month Shajibu, which falls in the month of April every year.
Cheti Chand	It is celebrated by Sindhi community. Chaitra month is called 'Chet' in Sindhi. The day commemorates the birth anniversary of Ishta Deva Uderolal/Jhulelal, the patron saint of Sindhis.
Bihu	It is celebrated three times a year. Rongali or Bohag Bihu is observed in April. Kongali or Kati Bihu observed in October and Bhogali or Magh Bihu observed in January. Rongali or Bohag Bihu is the Assamese new year and spring festival. The Rongali Bihu coincides with Sikh New Year- Baisakhi.
Baisakhi	It is celebrated as the Indian thanksgiving day by farmers. It also has religious significance for the Sikhs community as the foundation of the Khalsa Panth was laid on this day by Guru Gobind Singh.
Losoong	Losoong also known as Namsoong is the Sikkimese New Year. It is usually the time when the farmers rejoice and celebrate their harvest. It is mostly celebrated in the month of December every year with traditional gaiety and colour both by the Lepchas and Bhutias.

Source: PIB