Nauroz was celebrated across the state with zeal while the day also witnessing brief rains which are expected on this day.
Nauroz marks the first day of spring. Nauroz celebrates renewal and rebirth, symbolized by the coming of spring. It is celebrated in different ways in different parts of the world, with customs that are more local than global. The same is true about its celebration in Kashmir.
People is Kashmir usually start plantation from this day. It is also expected that light to moderate rains would occur on this day. It also happened on Wednesday as the festival was being celebrated.
International Nauroz Day was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in its resolution in 2010.
The traditional Nauroz dish in Kashmir is the local Nadur (lotus stem) and fish. The fish are deeply fried and cooked with Nadur in very hot spices. Other famous dish is the dried turnip with chicken, which is prepared by having deeply fried chicken with the dried and fried turnips. There are special sweets and cakes that are prepared for the guests.
“We usually spend Nauroz with our close family members. It is great occasion to have fun and to get together,” said Imran, a resident of Srinagar.
Celebrated almost in all Central Asian countries, Nauroz is part of Kashmir’s culture. As per historians, with the coming of great spiritual personalities like Shah-i-Hamdan (RA), Bul Bul Shah (RA), Mir Shamsuddin Iraqi (RA) and others, Kashmir came to be known as the Persia of the East – Iran-e-Sageer – that had very close links with Central Asia and the Middle East through the traditional silk route.
“As Kashmir came under the influence of the cultural, economic and industrial growth of the Central Asia, people adopted many customs and culturally new traditions which are now deeply rooted in generations and one among them is the tradition of Nauroz,” said Mushtaq Ahmad, a teacher of history.