Parsi New Year celebrated in India

India's Parsi community celebrated 'Navroz' or the Parsi New Year here on Tuesday by offering prayers at fire temples.

A special lunch followed by a morning visit to the agiary or fire temple is the highlight of the festival.

"This is a big festival for us as it is the start of a new year. We wear new cloths and have family get together. We go out to eat and we pray so that the entire year goes well, said a Parsi, Ano Sukhji.

"People celebrate today and visit fire temples. We get together in the evening and have food," said another Parsi, Nausi.

The Parsis, whose name means "Persians", are descended from Persian Zoroastrians. They moved to India to avoid religious persecution by the Muslims.

They settled in Mumbai in the 1640s when the city was under Portuguese control, according to the Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP), a 330-year-old administrative body.

President Pranab Mukherjee extended his greetings on the occasion.

"Greetings and good wishes to all my Parsi brothers and sisters on the joyous occasion of Navroz," the President tweeted.

The Parsi community's numbers are sliding in the country. From 112,000 in 1951, the population of Parsis in India dropped to just under 70,000 in 2001, according to census data. Sociologists say the trend will likely continue.