At the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney, the Zarathushti way of celebrating Navroz in India, Pakistan and Iran was showcased on March 18, 2023 under the stewardship of Farida Irani who scripted the half hour presentation. The Powerhouse acknowledges "the traditional custodians of the ancestral homelands upon which our museums are situated. We respect their elders, past present and future, and recognize their continuous connection to their country,” as notes their website. "This year, Powerhouse continues to be the only cultural institution in Australia to celebrate Navroz and focuses on celebration within community and family from March18 to April 2. The celebration will be in direct partnership with the Afghan, Iranian, Zarathushti, Tatar and Uyghur communities,” announced the website.
Haft seen table in Sydney
Top: presentation at the Powerhouse Museum;
above: Khordad Sal dinner in Sydney
There was a traditional Persian haft seen table on display in the Powerhouse café for the 13 days and ended with Sizdah Be-Dar (Nature Day) to celebrate Mother Nature outdoors on April 2, a family friendly day with activities like egg painting and face painting for both children and adults, music and disc jockeys.
Starting with a short rendition of Thus Spake Zarathustra, the presentation then included an introduction to Lord Zarathushtra by Irani. The portrait of Zarathushtra shown on the screen, she acknowledged, was a painting done by Amy Bonshahi, now 90 years old, who was seated in the audience. Thereafter Nazanin Khorshidian elaborated on how Zoroastrians celebrate the festival in Iran with the haft seen/sheen table as symbolic of elements representing Ameshaspands and Yazatas. Each element was represented by seven children, bearing the symbolic object in their hand. They had all donned specially embroidered topis ordered from Surat.
Ferangiz Pajniger then elaborated on the celebrations by Parsis in India for whom visits to fire temples are obligatory on important occasions. Anya Panthaky, originally from Pakistan, described the attire and customs adopted by the community in the subcontinent. Twelve-year-old Freeya Desai, dressed in the Yazdi maknu introduced the two young mobeds Ervads Kaizad Panthaky and Darian Shahlori dressed in their jama-pichhori and padaan who prayed the Yatha, Ashem and Yenghe Haatam while the English translations of the prayers were flashed on the screen behind. The presentation ended with the video of Be Good: Khan Ashem Vohu, playing on the back screen as the participants on the dais clapped and swayed to the lilting music of Kaikhosrow Zartoshty and lyrics of Dr Khosro Mehrfar.
According to Irani, erstwhile trustee of the Australian Zoroastrian Association of New South Wales, their presentation was able to give the audience "a glimpse of our Zoroastrian principles and the fact that Navroz stems from our philosophy and how it is universal now beyond religions as all celebrate it… I wanted the youth to be involved and it was so heartening to see them all participating, rehearsing and finally delivering!”
The Museum event also included presentations depicting Navroz celebrations in Iran, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan and some other regions.
On March 26, Fasli Khordad Sal, the Zoroastrian community in Sydney got together at the Arbab Rustom Guiv Daremeher when the young Iranian ladies laid the table following which there was a Persian lunch and fun. The table decoration was by Azita Pourshasb, an events and marriage organizer who said she did it in memory of her dear grand aunt Akhtar Ostowari, the matriarch of the Zoroastrian community in Australia, and her mother, Mehrie Pourshasb.