Navroz: Here are a few interesting facts about the Parsi community

[RISING SUN]

Navroz: Here are a few interesting facts about the Parsi community
Aug 17, 2017, 04.08 PM IST

Parsi community in India
Navroz, the beginning of the Parsi New Year, falls today. It is celebrated for health, wealth, prosperity and productivity. Parsis are a very prominent community in India despite their small number.

They have made a mark in diverse fields. Scientist Homi Jehangir Bhabha was a pioneer in atomic research. JRD Tata was a legendary businessman.

Sam Manekshaw was India's first field Marshal. Parsi community is known for contributing greatly to Indian business. As it celebrates its new year today, let's have a look at some of the interesting facts about the community:

1/8
BCCL

Saving a community
The government-supported Jiyo Parsi Scheme was launched on September 24, 2013. It is unique programme aimed at arresting the decline in population of the Parsi community in India.

2/8
BCCL

Vultures feast on dead bodies
Parsis don't cremate or bury corpses but leave them for vultures to feed on at a place called Tower of Silence. After 1990, when there was a decline in the number of vultures, many began using electric crematorium.

3/8
Agencies
Sign up for ET RISE Newsletter
To find out what's happening in the world of Startups & SMEs.

Weekly
Sample Newsletter

Male-female ratio
Parsis have more females compared to males in their community—1,050 females per 1,000 males, much higher than India’s average of 933 females, according to the 2001 Census.

4/8
BCCL

Language and religion
Parsis are commonly seen speaking either Gujarati or English. But their native language is Avestan.

Zoroastrianism was founded by Prophet Zoroaster in ancient Iran about 3,500 years ago.

The Avesta is the primary collection of religious texts of Zoroastrianism.

5/8
BCCL

Should you invest after your retirement?
Sponsored by TomorrowMakers

Dwindling numbers
Demographic trends project that by 2020, there will be only 23,000 Parsis left in the country which will take away their community tag and label them as tribals.

6/8
BCCL

200 years of struggle
Parsis rebelled against Arab invaders for 200 years in Iran, which was their home country. This period is known as the Period of Silence.

To preserve their cultural and regional identity, they escaped Iran and sought refuge in India in seventh century.

7/8
BCCL

Most literate community
According to the 2001 census, the Parsi community has the highest literacy rate in the country. Perhaps that's why it has been so successful.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com...rsi-community-in-india/slideshow/60102868.cms

 

[T90TankGuy]

@padamchen bro !!

 

[Suriya]

We should send them back to iran.

They are Indian citizens .

 

[T90TankGuy]

They are Indian citizens .

Ignore him .

 

[jaunty]

I have a naive question for @padamchen Why do Indian Parsis celebrate Nowruz on a different date than Iranians? I've taken part in Iranian Nowruz, and it starts at vernal equinox. Why is it different for you guys? BTW Nowruz mubarak

 

[padamchen]

@padamchen bro !!

I am tiired of these threads once every few ... months?

Let me concentrate on what is important in today's India.

Being a servile eternally grateful son of a refugee who came running here when the Jihadis raped his women and impregnated them, and who will forever speak nothing against any and all Hindus, regardless of whether or not he or his community do anything else for the nation.

Of course it's important to revile and abuse those Hindus who are no longer Hindu. It's considered good form.

Patriotic.

Nationalist.

Thanks for the tag.

Cheers, Doc

 

[jaunty]

I am tiired of these threads once every few ... months?

Let me concentrate on what is important in today's India.

Being a servile eternally grateful son of a refugee who came running here when the Jihadis raped his women and impregnated them, and who will forever speak nothing against any and all Hindus, regardless of whether or not he or his community do anything else for the nation.

Of course it's important to revile and abuse those Hindus who are no longer Hindu. It's considered good form.

Patriotic.

Nationalist.

Thanks for the tag.

Cheers, Doc

I think Hindus are becoming more like Islamist jihadis under sanghi leadership. We are losing our soul which made Hinduism great. Hope this is just a temporary thing.

Anyway I did find an article after googling for a bit, I think this answers my earlier question,

http://indianexpress.com/article/re...ruz-navroz-august-india-celebrations-4800367/

 

[T90TankGuy]

I have a naive question for @padamchen Why do Indian Parsis celebrate Nowruz on a different date than Iranians? I've taken part in Iranian Nowruz, and it starts at vernal equinox. Why is it different for you guys? BTW Nowruz mubarak

Its because they do not consider the extra day in the leap year , but i could be wrong.

 

[jaunty]

Its because they do not consider the extra day in the leap year , but i could be wrong.

I think you're right, that's what the IE article said too. http://indianexpress.com/article/re...ruz-navroz-august-india-celebrations-4800367/

 

[padamchen]

I have a naive question for @padamchen Why do Indian Parsis celebrate Nowruz on a different date than Iranians? I've taken part in Iranian Nowruz, and it starts at vernal equinox. Why is it different for you guys? BTW Nowruz mubarak

Indian (and Pakistani) Parsis (not the later Iroons) follow both the Persian calendar as well as the Shehenshahi/Kadmi calendar (which does not consider leap years).

So the Shehenshahi new year has now drifted approximately 200 days ahead of the Persian one.

So the one in March is Persian one. Nowruz/Navroz - celebrated across most pre-Islamic Zoroastrian lands, including Afghanistan (some Zorastrian families still living in and around Balkh).

The one sometime in August is Jamshedi Navroz - named after Emperor Jamshed who I believe first made Zoroastrianism the state religion across the empire (as against Emperor Gushtasp/Vishtasp who first spread it to all corners).

Pateti is the day just before Navroz (Jamshedi) when devout Parsis take stock of their lives, where they've gone wrong, and how to live a better life moving forward, per the tenets of the faith - Humata (Good Thoughts), Hukata (Good Words), Havarshta (Good Deeds).

It's a sombre day of personal introspection and communion with Ahura Mazda - the last day of the year gone by. You do not wish a Parsi Happy Pateti ( a little known fact).

The next day is New Year and a day of rejoicing for all Parsis. You wish them Navroz Mubarak on that day.

Coincidentally, this year it also coincided with the Mallu New Year.

Cheers, Doc

 

[Grevion]

Happy Navroz to all my parsi brothers across India.

Still offended with @padamchen for not offering Ravo. Boooo doc, you're no good host.

 

[Gibbs]

Ignore him .

Most posters mistake him to a her, Simply because of the profile pic.. He's a serial troll who used to go under the name Arp someting

I am tiired of these threads once every few ... months?

Let me concentrate on what is important in today's India.

Being a servile eternally grateful son of a refugee who came running here when the Jihadis raped his women and impregnated them, and who will forever speak nothing against any and all Hindus, regardless of whether or not he or his community do anything else for the nation.

Of course it's important to revile and abuse those Hindus who are no longer Hindu. It's considered good form.

Patriotic.

Nationalist.

Thanks for the tag.

Cheers, Doc

I see what you did there.. Mate

 

[SOHEIL]

We should send them back to iran.

You are one of the reasons behind the invention of condom !!!

Go **** ...

 

[padamchen]

They are Indian citizens .

Parsis are not just Indian citizens.

Sonia Gandhi is an Indian citizen.

Parsis are Indian.

How many generations does it take before you cease the "refugee" line?

1357 years?

Cheers, Doc

 

[jaunty]

Kalki Koechlin is an Indian citizen.

I think it's unfair to call her just an Indian citizen and not an Indian. She was born in India to French parents and she could have easily opted for French citizenship if I'm not mistaken. But she didn't. She's much more an Indian than someone like Akshay Kumar who voluntarily gave up Indian citizenship in 2010(while living and working in India) and now acts like he's the biggest patriot in India despite having a Canadian passport.