Today marks the start of the Shehenshai New Year, when Parsi Zarathushtis all over the world welcome the “Navu Varas.” Over the past 10 days of Muktad and Gatha, we brought you along on a journey of tradition, nostalgia, and the value of continued customs—traditions that transcend just prayers and become celebrations not only of those alive today, but of those on whose shoulders we stand.
For the first time, the New Year coincides with India’s Independence Day. As the nation celebrates its 79th year of independence, Parsis the world over are grateful to a country and a land that gave them refuge a thousand and more years ago. In return, the Parsi and Irani Zarathushti community thrived and repaid that debt in full. Leading the way in nation building and in all walks of life, we became a model community—and we took this spirit to all parts of the world where we settled and called home.
Navroze, if you grew up in Bombay, was pure magic. You woke up to the smell of sandalwood and breakfast, got into your “new” clothes, and headed straight to the agiary. Grandparents would slip you an envelope, pretending it was nothing, though you always knew exactly what it held. By evening, it was time for a natak—those plays where you’d bump into half the community in the lobby—followed by dinner in a restaurant so full of Parsis you couldn’t hear yourself think. Rain or shine, everyone was out. You’d greet friends, greet strangers, and feel part of something bigger.
Living “abroad” now, those memories sting just a little. In New York, we gather at the Zoroastrian Association of Greater New York (ZAGNY). There’s prayer, there’s dinner, and there’s warmth. But the density of it—the neighbors you’ve known since you were a child, the streets that hum with familiarity—that’s something distance can’t quite replicate. Festivals in the heart of your own community have a texture no hall, however full, can match. And to me, that became even more apparent in 2018, when I found myself in Mumbai—first for the Muktad prayers of my dear mom, followed by New Year celebrations. However, with the next generation here, I could see things differently in the presence of my niece and nephew. As they make their own memories, I sometimes wonder if what we do today will survive for the generation that follows them.
The last year has been one of hectic activity and promising optimism for the community worldwide. Successful gatherings like the North American Congress in Houston, the Return To Roots program in India, and the WZCC Global Conclave in Toronto reinforce the notion that we, as followers of this ancient faith, thrive in meeting in person. Even the stories from the Everyday Parsi 2025 series weave a common thread: the collective power of tradition and ritual is the binding glue that keeps us together. Customs started in Karachi continue today in Houston. Memories made in Jamshedpur manifest into new ones in Melbourne.
The Zarathushtis of India and Pakistan grapple with the issue of depleting numbers amidst the rich tapestry of institutions, be they physical, social, or cultural. The diaspora continues to push forward and define its own identity through the building of institutions—be they Dar-E-Mehrs, the resurgence of youth involvement seen at the 8th World Youth Congress in London, or the massive surge at the Zoroastrian Youth of North America (ZYNA), FEZANA’s youth wing. Programs like Return To Roots aim to bridge the geographical gap, shaping a future where the Zarathushti youth of tomorrow lead with a deep understanding of their heritage and culture.
This year also marks the 20th anniversary of Parsi Khabar itself. In 2005, we started as a fledgling website, the first of its kind in the Zoroastrian world. From the early days to now, we have grown to thousands of daily subscribers and average over a million page views every month. We bring you a constant stream of news, opinions, and stories—some joyful, some contentious—but all doing their bit to record our moment in time over the last two decades. We’ve covered the triumphs, the disputes, the projects, the personalities, and everything else that makes us tick. We’ve always tried to stay balanced and let you, our reader, make up your minds, because in the end, the conversation itself is what matters. Through this website we have had the opportunity to meet thousands of folks from all over the world. We would like to thank each one of our readers for the continued support of what is truly a labour of love for all of us here at Parsi Khabar.
As we reinvigorate ourselves this New Year, let us resolve to continue to do what is good for us, and resolve to better what has not been. May we collectively thrive in all parts of the world we call home. May our mobeds continue to lead us as the keepers of the faith. May our local and national community leaders continue to lead us toward a stronger community worldwide. May the months ahead bring us more understanding than discord, more generosity than grievance, and the quiet pride of knowing we’ve been part of a shared journey worth cherishing.
Saal Mubarak, everyone.
