Food, family and theatre: Here’s how Mumbaikars are bringing in Parsi New Year this year

ldquoNew Year is all about familyrdquo says Freyan Bhathena founding editor of Parsi Times who now runs Word It Well a content specialist business in Mumbai ldquoDuring the pandemic years we avoided the big gettogether but now we cant wait to head to Pune for a family reunion lunchrdquo she addsFor Parsis in India Navroze which translates to lsquoNew Dayrsquo is an occasion of utmost importance bringing together the family members to rejoice the commencement of the New Year Though celebrated in March globally according to the Iranian calendar in India it is observed on August 16 as per the Shahenshahi calendarThe day of celebration is preceded by group prayers called lsquoHambandagirsquo at the Agiyari for a period of ten days meant to pray for the dead and remember the loved ones A day prior to Navroz people attorn for their sins cleanse their mind and pray for health prosperity and bliss and look forward to beginning the festivitiesLiving up to the traditionsNew Year calls for new clothes fresh thoughts gratitude for life and a new beginning with dayrsquos sunrise A Navroz morning in a Parsi household is all about dressing up exchanging warm greetings followed by the unmissable custom of visiting the fire temple or agiary and offering prayersldquoIt is one of the most special days of the year and going to the fire temple with the entire family is an important memory I enjoy creating New clothes meeting lots and lots of people and wishing them the best for the year ahead is a wonderful way of bonding on the dayrdquo says Pearl Darayus Tirandaz a social worker and founder of lsquoGood deeds projectrsquo residing at Dadarrsquos Parsi ColonyFor actor and theatredirector Roshan Tirandaz Navroz serves as an opportunity to reserve some time from onersquos hectic schedule for family and the community It enables people to interact with community members know more about them and update oneself about peoplersquos whereaboutsThe meet and greet with fellow community members relatives and friends is followed by distribution of sweets which mainly include Sutarfeni a Gujarat speciality sweet sev with raisins and dry fruits and fishshaped mawa pedas as fish is considered to be auspicious in the Parsi traditionWhile the morning begins with traditional sweets afternoon lunch is a grand feast it includes Pulao dal Sali Boti Patra fish Jardaloo chicken Topli Paneer and diverse varieties of fried fish and meat dishes For dessert people relish sev ravo sweet curd jalebi custard and many more ldquoEveryone is having a beer or shandy followed by dessert The cousins enjoy the meal togetherrdquo says BhathenaThe evening festivities are largely a personal affair for many families with dinners and other outings planned Roshan who cherishes the presence of her children and grandchildren during such occasions believes Navroz is that time of the year when youngsters do not leave their familyrsquos side and that none of the plans are made without counting on the elders and senior citizens of the familyCommunity gatheringsIn addition to agiary and wellknown Parsi restaurants local theatres also become one of the spots for community meetups For Pearl and many other families attending a Parsi play on Navroz is super traditional and integral to the celebrationsldquoIt is a timetested way to lift your spirits with laughter This year there are more than five different plays to choose from We definitely know how to keep the theatre life alive And it is a great way to rekindle memories with old friends and meet hundreds of Parsis Irani Zoroastrians at these playsrdquo she addsRoshan who has been running a production company named lsquoCentre Stagersquo for 2030 years now explains that the process begins three to four months prior to Navroz with readings of different plays and scripts to select the mostfitting play for the audiences After sorting permissions the play is modified according to local Parsi humour and relatabilityWorking with her husband daughters and grandchildren in the plays Roshan stresses on how it is important to dedicate oneself entirely to these plays during that period While the number of attendees varies every year depending on the theatrecapacity digitisation and incoming OTT platforms are slowly eating up on the visibility of these playsAfter a twoyear hiatus the Centre Stage crew is back to entertain audiences at Bandrarsquos Rangsharda auditorium and at Nana Chowkrsquos Tejpal Hall The genre of these plays is restricted to comedy strictly no tragedy crime or drama ldquoWe Parsis believe in lsquoHaso aur Hasaorsquo so all these plays are comedy plays for families to come and laugh their hearts out for that moment This is also why all the plays in Mumbai on 15th and 16th August are about comedy and enjoymentrdquo says RoshanAlso Read Navroz Mubarak What makes the embroidered Parsi gara unique