- The Parsi community in India, which follows Zoroastrianism, celebrated Nowruz on March 21, marking the beginning of the New Year.
- Nowruz begins on the first day of the Farvardin, the first month of the Iranian solar calendar at the spring equinox, and continues for 12 days.
- In 1079 AD, a Persian king Jalaluddin Malekshah introduced this festival to generate revenue and collect taxes from people.
- It is celebrated on the spring equinox on or around 21 March on the Gregorian calendar.
Nowruz, across Central Asia, is celebrated by:
- weaving Toran, an ornated gateway;
- chalk making (similar to the Hindu tradition of making rangolis), and
- taking around the Loban (frankincense) in the act of ritual purity.
- It is known as Jamshed Navroz in India.
- It is inscribed in the list of UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity of India.
SOURCE: THE HINDU, THE ECONOMIC TIMES, PIB