Happy New Year (Nowruz)!

Farhang Foundation, March 12, 2017: Dhr. Seven, Amber Larson (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Los Angeles celebrates a record-breaking Nowruz

Over 25,000 visitors joined the 2017 annual celebration of Nowruz on March 12, 2017 at the celebration's new home at UCLA. This turnout made it the largest celebration of Nowruz in the United States and perhaps the world.

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(Nauruz is the ancient spring/New Year's Day of formerly-Buddhist Afghanistan (which became Greco-Buddhism in and around Bactria), formerly Zoroastrian Persia/Iran, and other Central Asian and geo-politically "Middle Eastern" countries).

Bodhisattva (Buddha-to-be)

• Prince Siddhartha Gautama, who became "the Buddha" (the Awakened One) as an adult -- his mother being from Iran (Balochistan), according to historian Dr. Ranajit Pal -- grew up in Shakya Land (Scythia) with three seasonal capitals in accord with the weather, one of which was Kapilavastu (in or around Kabul), another in Bamiyan, and a third in or around Mes Aynak, all in modern Afghanistan, next to formerly-Buddhist Pakistan, which until Partition in 1948 was NW India.

Thanks to all the artists who helped make this celebration so special, including Mohsen Namjoo, Sussan Deyhim, Arash Sobhani, Parisa Daneshvar, Ziba Shirazi, Mehrdad Arabi, Negar Estakhr, Anna Djanbazian, Robyn Friend, the FIRUZE Dance Company, and DJ Arin. Special thanks to Events By Shideh and Shideh Shahraies for her amazing Haft Sin and continued collaboration on this and every Nowruz celebration! Future celebrations return to UCLA.