India is a multicultural and multireligious country. We have
people belonging to different castes and communities. Pateti is a festival of the Parsis
and it is celebrated on the eve of New Year of the Zoroastrian calendar. On pateti day the
parsis visit the fire temple or agiary. The agiary is called as a fire temple because the
sacred fire which was brought from Iran once upon a time is always kept burning in the
temple by the high priest. The parsis worship Ahura Mazda, symbolised by fire. The parsis
on this day, promise to live with good thoughts, use good words and perform the right
actions.
Parsis wear their kusti or sacred vest. The men wear their traditional dress called dagli
and the women dress up in their traditional and heirloom gara sarees. In the agiary a puja
(jashan) is performed and sandalwood is offered to the fire.
At this time, the parsis clean their houses and decorate them. Torans and flowers are used
to decorate the entrance of the house and beautiful rangoli patterns are made of birds,
flowers, fish or any other design. On this day, parsi families go and visit other parsis
and exchange gifts and sweets. On this auspicious occasion, special food like Patra ni
macchi (fish wrapped in banana leaves), sali boti (meat with potato chips), rava and
falooda is also prepared.
