Navjote is the Parsi-Zoroastrian initiation ceremony that formally admits a child to the faith.
During Navjote, the child receives sacred clothing and symbols, including the sudreh shirt and kusti cord. A priest recites prayers while the initiate is ritually invested with these articles, which represent religious commitment and daily practice.
The ceremony is generally held for children, commonly between about seven and twelve years old, although local customs differ. Navjote is not a marriage or a naming ceremony, and it is distinct from a Zoroastrian funeral or seasonal observance. The term is especially associated with India’s Parsi community, descendants of Zoroastrians who migrated from Iran centuries ago.
Zoroastrian communities outside India may use different terminology or customs, including the Iranian term sedreh-pushi. The shared idea is initiation into religious responsibility through wearing the sudreh and kusti.