The small and dwindling Parsi community here Friday celebrated Navroz, their new year, by visiting fire temples and devoting the rest of the day to greeting one another, feasting on traditional delicacies and having some fun.

Fire temples across the financial capital of India saw a sizable number of Parsis dressed in their best offering prayers. Many young Parsis were seen going into and emerging from fire temples.

Fire temples, residential complexes and Parsi baugs (gardens) across the city and suburbs were festooned with huge garlands of roses and lilies.

The Parsis, who form a small but influential community estimated to number between 50,000 to 75,000, mostly concentrated in Mumbai, are followers of Zoroaster (Zarathustra) in ancient Persia who migrated to the west coast of India to escape persecution from the conquering Arabs.

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