uring the Muslim rule in the subcontinent, Nauroz was celebrated across the empire with great fervour.

It would not be an exaggeration to say that this was the most significant festival of the year, made even more poignant by the fact that the royal dynasty played a leading role in its celebration. This elevated Nauroz to the status of a state occasion, a tradition that endured for hundreds of years.

This should not come as a surprise, as the dynasties that ruled the subcontinent – from the Sultanate period onwards – had their origins in what is now Central Asia and were deeply steeped in the Persianate culture. Like many other artistic, administrative and ritualistic practices, Nauroz was transplanted into the conquered territories, where it became an integral part of life under successive dynasties for nearly a thousand years. So deeply embedded was this tradition that during the brief reign of Bahadur Shah Zafar, Nauroz continued to be celebrated, even when his authority did not extend beyond the walls of the Red Fort.

Today, however, Nauroz is celebrated only in small, scattered pockets by communities that still value their connection to Persianate culture. For some, it remains tied to religious rituals; for others, it serves as a symbolic link to the past. Yet, for a majority of people in the region, Nauroz has become a forgotten tradition, its once grand celebrations reduced to a relic of history. Many today are unaware of its significance or the splendour with which it was once observed.

Nauroz, meaning “New Day,” marks the solar new year, celebrating the spring equinox, when day and night are of equal length. Many civilisations that followed a solar calendar marked the New Year with the arrival of spring. In traditional South Asian culture, the New Year begins with Chet – the arrival and maturation of spring, which falls in mid-March.

Many today are unaware of Nauroz’s significance or the splendour with which it was once observed.

However, with the global dominance of the Gregorian calendar, which became widespread due to European colonisation and the economic uniformity of the industrial age, the solar year now begins in the middle of winter, with spring arriving only in the third month, March.

Despite its decline in South Asia, Nauroz continues to be celebrated in regions that retain strong ties to Persianate culture. This includes Afghanistan, Iran, several Central Asian republics and Turkey. It is also observed in Central Asian regions that are now part of China.

As is often the case with cultural traditions, new practices imposed through conquest gradually merge with the existing customs of the land. In this way, Nauroz, originally a Persian tradition, became interwoven with Islamic history, acquiring religious associations over time.

In the early years of independence, particularly in West Pakistan, Nauroz was still widely recognised and celebrated. However, in recent decades, it has faded from public consciousness, increasingly seen as belonging to other cultures rather than being part of the rich cultural fabric of this region. Even during the colonial period, Persian was taught at the school level and most people in northern India grew up with a functional knowledge of the language.

Gradually, however, Persian disappeared from school curricula, and by the time it was reduced to an optional college subject, it was primarily chosen for practical reasons, as it was believed to be easier to score well in due to lenient grading.

As language and culture are deeply interconnected, the decline of Persian education has further distanced the people of the region from Persianate traditions, including Nauroz – a festival that once marked the passage of time, the arrival of spring, and the renewal of life.

The writer is a Lahore-based culture critic.