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Mushkil Asaan & Behram Yazad | Zoroastrian Friday Prayer | The Woodcutter & His Fortune
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Topli Na Paneer from South Calcutta – Say cheese
Thanks to home ‘ordering and delivery’ start-ups such as Zomato and Swiggy, today food is accessible at the click of a button. Most people will presume it’s quite easy to lay your hands on the rarest cheese in town. However, if you’re in Kolkata, it might be a tad more difficult than you think. It’s no wonder then that Viloo Batliwala, 73, has such a dedicated client base. The only one in town to make Topli Na Paneer-a Parsi take on the Italian buffalo mozzarella cheese, Batliwala makes fresh batches of the product only on Tuesdays and Fridays.
The Beginning
Batliwala picked up the recipe from her mother-in-law and did a fair bit of experimentation before nailing the right salty taste. Fresh buffalo milk is sourced from Pure Milk Emporium early in the morning and is left aside to set in little cane baskets (or topli) so that it is ready by 10 a.m. At one time, Batliwala also made other Parsi goodies but eventually stopped. “We used to cater to the Parsi club and supplied traditional cookies such as bhakras. Now I don’t quite have the energy to make more. This cheese and regular cottage cheese is all I make,” says the alumnus of Calcutta Girls’ High School.
Cheese Pairings
While Batliwala’s three grandchildren don’t fancy the cheese much, it’s a major hit with the city’s youngsters. Sienna Store and Cafe in South Kolkata use Topli Na Paneer in their salads. Batliwala insists, “it’s good to just have it on its own, maybe on toast with salt and pepper.” At Ripon Street, by appointment only Tel 22294808
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Popular Parsi Myths
As an ethnic community, Parsis have lived in India for over a millennium and 
myriad myths have been cherished and closeted which require to be brought out and given an occasional dusting. We realised the need for doing this in the course of a recent interaction with some elders of the community. It dawned on us that some of our elders are unintentionally ignorant of so many truths…. hence, what can we expect from our youth?
Last year from the Shehenshahi month of Meher we started a monthly series on Parsi Parab or the day when the Roj coincides with the Mah. Our readers found the series both insightful and inspiring. In keeping with our motto to inspire and inform, we are pleased to kick off, with this issue of Parsi Times, yet another interesting series titled ‘Popular Parsi Myths’, by our Community luminary, a Zoroastrian scholar and visionary and a writer par excellence, Noshir H. Dadrawala. The object of this series is not to debunk closely but wrongly held beliefs, but to shed the light of truth on myths and fables and sift the facts from fiction. Read on…
Myth # 1: The Holy Fire – Iranshah was brought by our ancestors over a thousand years ago from Iran to India.
Fact: Iranshah was consecrated in Sanjan, India and according to tradition, on the ninth day of the ninth month of Samvat 777. However, the Aalaat or the sacred ritual requisites including the holy ash of the AtashBahram in Khorasan, was brought from Iran, reportedly on horse-back and on foot via Afghanistan and what is modern-day Pakistan. Hence, the first Atash Bahram consecrated by the Parsis in India is named Iranshah as it has a spiritual and ritual link with Iran.
Myth # 2: The leader of the group of Parsis who left Iran and came to Sanjan had promised the local king Jadi Rana that they (the Parsis) will not convert any Hindu to the Zoroastrian religion.
Fact: Very little is known or documented about the advent of the early Parsis to India. The earliest record is the Qissa-e-Sanjan written in 1599 A.C. In other words the earliest so called history of the Parsis was documented several centuries after their arrival in India. And, if one were to go by the Qissa-e-Sanjan there was no such promise made to Jadi Rana who was probably a local chieftain and not the King of India as popularly believed.
The Qissa-e-Sanjan refers to five conditions laid down by Jadi Rana before the Parsis – (1) Adopt the local language (Gujarati); (2) Disarm yourselves of all weapons; (3) Let Parsi women wear the saree and bangles; (4) Tie the thread in the marriage ceremony; and (5) Explain the Zoroastrian religion.
However, having said this, Justice Dinshaw Davar of the Bombay High Court in the celebrated Parsi Punchayet case (Petit V/s Jeejeebhoy 1908) was consistent in holding the view that no evidence existed to warrant any claim that in the history of the Parsis in India had the conversion of an individual born in another religion been known to the Zoroastrians of India.
Myth # 3: A very powerful demon by the name Zohak is tied by chains in a cave at Mount Demavand and one day he will set himself free and he will unleash untold havoc in this world.
Fact: We pray in the “Afreen-i-haft Ameshaspandan”: “Hamazor Daemavand koh ke dravand Bivarasp andar oye basta ested.” (Be in accord/attuned with Daemavand Koh (mountain) (which has the power and) in which is enchained the demon – Bivarasp, the demon (with power) of ten thousand horses”. The demon Bivarap is also known as Zohak or Azi Dahak (i.e. one who possesses or is the epitome of all the ten evils known to man like anger, arrogance, greed, ingratitude, jealousy, lust etc.).
According to legend, Zohak is the living embodiment of evil and is still chained to that great spiritual mountain, Demavand. It is said every night when the forces of evil gain strength the chains weaken. However, at the crack of dawn when the cock crows and the sun comes out, the chains are again secured and the evil one is rendered powerless. This is an important truth in nature wrapped in an easy-to-understand legend.
Only light exists. Darkness is simply the absence of light. In like manner, evil is the absence of Good. Zohak is the personification of evil in the form of a legend. Darkness gains strength in the absence of light, but vanishes in the presence of light. In like manner evil cannot be encountered with evil. Only good can dispel evil just the way light dispels darkness.
In our oncoming parts to this Series, we will share…
1) Should we stand or should be remain seated during the Boi ceremony?
2) Are Zoroastrian’s fire worshippers?
3) Is the winged human-head really a Zoroastrian symbol and does it represent the Fravashi or the Holy Spirit?
Noshir Dadrawala
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A Girl Like That – Tanaz Bhathena
Tanaz Bhathena was born in India and raised in Saudi Arabia and Canada. She is the author of A Girl Like That and The Beauty of the Moment (forthcoming in 2019). Her short stories have appeared in various journals including Blackbird, Witness and Room. A wanderer at heart, Tanaz can often be found travelling to different countries, learning bits and pieces of a foreign language, and taking way too many photographs. She loves slapstick comedies and any kind of music that makes her dance. She lives in the Toronto area with her family.
Buy now: Amazon | Amazon Canada | Amazon UK | Barnes & Noble | Chapters Indigo | Indiebound | BAM | Powells | iBooks | Kobo | Google Books | Book Depository
A timeless exploration of high-stakes romance, self-discovery, and the lengths we go to love and be loved.
Sixteen-year-old Zarin Wadia is many things: a bright and vivacious student, an orphan, a risk taker. She’s also the kind of girl that parents warn their kids to stay away from: a troublemaker whose many romances are the subject of endless gossip at school. You don’t want to get involved with a girl like that, they say. So how is it that eighteen-year-old Porus Dumasia has only ever had eyes for her? And how did Zarin and Porus end up dead in a car together, crashed on the side of a highway in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia? When the religious police arrive on the scene, everything everyone thought they knew about Zarin is questioned. And as her story is pieced together, told through multiple perspectives, it becomes clear that she was far more than just a girl like that.
This beautifully written debut novel from Tanaz Bhathena reveals a rich and wonderful new world to readers. It tackles complicated issues of race, identity, class, and religion, and paints a portrait of teenage ambition, angst, and alienation that feels both inventive and universal.
A Junior Library Guild Selection
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REVIEWS:
★ “Bhathena makes an impressive debut with this eye-opening novel about a free-spirited girl in present-day Saudi Arabia.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
★ “Bhathena’s lithe prose effortlessly wends between past and present…A powerful debut.” — School Library Journal (starred review)
“Bhathena does something exceptionally difficult and smart in her first book. She draws in readers with an irresistible “Who is she?” premise, only to dismantle it by showing the rarely seen perspective of a teenage girl living in the Middle East…[T]his is the story of a girl you won’t be able to stop thinking about.” — The Globe and Mail
“A Girl Like That is a book which readers will enjoy and will remember long after other novels come and go.” — CM Magazine (****/4)
“A refreshingly nuanced narrative about gender in the Middle East.” — Kirkus
“A Girl Like That is haunting, uncomfortable, and poignant, with persistent characters who stay with the reader, much like the ghosts hovering over the accident at the beginning of the story.” — Quill and Quire
“A Girl Like That is a book framed by loss… Zarin continues to be unapologetically herself – a messy, complicated, brave, and lovely person – right up to the end. One of the most important books I’ve read, Bhathena is a unquestionably a writer to watch.” — Kinsey Foreman, Odyssey Bookshop, MA
“A Girl Like That is unlike any YA book I’ve ever read: a fascinating and disturbing glance into the gender discrimination and double-standards as seen through the eyes of a teenage girl in Saudi Arabia. It raised awareness for me, and is certain to inspire discussion about equality, justice, and basic human rights.” — Jodi Picoult, #1New York Times Bestselling Author of Small Great Things and Leaving Time
“Vivid, intricately woven, and wholly immersive, A Girl Like That is a debut that will leave you both haunted and hopeful. Tanaz Bhathena is masterful at writing complicated girls and the people in their orbits.” — Laurie Elizabeth Flynn, author of Firsts
“Tanaz Bhathena has a rare ability to take a setting that would be unfamiliar to many and make it so instantly and profoundly relatable. This is a shimmering, glowing, radiant novel.” — Jeff Zentner, Morris Award-winning author of The Serpent King
“Masterfully constructed and gorgeously written, A Girl Like That is both a page-turner about a ferocious girl fighting the twisted expectations of both family and culture, and a thoughtful meditation on the pain that weighs us down, and the love that lifts us up.” — Laura Ruby, Printz Award-winning author of Bone Gap
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Adil Nargolwala
Some come to climb to the roof of Africa, some come to run one of its toughest marathons. Adil Nargolwala of Delhi came & did both! He summited Uhuru peak Mt Kilimanjaro 19341 feet & then ran the Kilimanjaro marathon a tough hilly course!
Super Effort!!
Heartiest congratulations!!!
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Sarosh Zaiwalla gets Lifetime Achievement Award
Sarosh Zaiwalla, founder and senior partner of the internationally renowned law firm Zaiwalla and Company LLP has been presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Society of Asian Lawyers (SAL) in the UK.
The biggest BAME (Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic) lawyers’ society in the UK representing over 2,000 members, SAL constitutes partners in high profile city firms, leading barristers and Queen’s Counsels, in-house advocates, solicitors, legal executives, solicitor trainees, pupil barristers, students and employees in legal organizations.
Photo: Zaiwalla (center) with SAL president Ranjit Sond (left)
Courtesy : Parsiana
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Captain Viraf Kekobad
Please read this real life story which became a International news The real heroes of AIR LIFT my cousin brother Captain Viraf Kekobad and Captain Modak mentioned in Mid day. They owned the cargo ship that saved 722 passengers safely on a ship meant for 30 passengers and not to forget the brave crew members God bless them all. Please read the real evacuation story here https://www.mid-day.com/articles/the-cargo-ship-that-saved-722-indians-from-kuwait-in-1990/16931156
We were bestowed with Humanitarian Award after 25 years by the prestigious Sailor Today Publication.
http://www.arabtimesonline.com/wp-content/uploads/pdf/2017/feb/23/25.pdf
Khushroo Kekobad
The Cargo Ship That Saved 722 Indians From Kuwait In 1990
The historic evacuation of 1.7 lakh Indians from war-torn Kuwait in 1990 is once again in the limelight, thanks to the recent release ‘Airlift’, but not many may know about another rescue operation in which 722 refugees sailed to safety on the Indian cargo ship, MV Safeer.
Ship over troubled waters: MV Safeer, with 22 crew members, ferried refugees from Shuwaikh Port in Kuwait to Dubai after the Iraqi invasion
It was eventually the evacuation of the rest of the Indian population by Air India that won a mention in the Guinness Book of World Records, but MV Safeer’s rescue operation was equally unprecedented, as never before — or after — were so many passengers carried on a cargo ship that had been fitted up for just 30 people. The ship’s crew of 22 are among the many unsung heroes of the international crisis that struck that year, when Iraq invaded and occupied Kuwait.
Indian refugees express their gratitude after the ship docked in Dubai. Pic courtesy/Khaleej Times
Flashback
Fareeque Dilawar Kapdi was just 17 at the time, and had barely spent a year exploring the high seas on MV Safeer when it docked at Kuwait’s Shuwaikh Port in the evening of July 31, 1990. Fareeque and his senior, Ashok Patel, were supervising as the ship’s cargo of rice (from Kandla, Gujarat) was offloaded. Work went on smoothly, and no one paid mind to the booming sounds from the city. It was after the sailors went to sleep in their cabins around 6 am that they were disturbed by loud banging on their doors. The war had found them.
Fareeque Kapdi. Pic/Bipin Kokate
“Loud thuds on the doors of our cabin woke me up. When we opened the doors, soldiers stormed in and put their guns to our foreheads. Heavily armed men took us to the beach and others took control of the ship,’’ recalled Fareeque.
Information was scarce and they were held on the beach for three hours before they learnt that Iraqi forces had pulled off a coup in Kuwait. They waited in fear, uncertain for their life, until the soldiers realised they were Indians. “Their stance softened; some Iraqi officers went up the ship knowing it would have food. The soldiers took us to the ship as well, but did not allow us free movement,” said the Mumbai resident, who has since scaled up the career ladder to become captain of a very large crude carrier.
Captain V R Kekobad, owner of the MV Safeer was in Mumbai when the cargo ship docked in Kuwait, his partner Captain Ibrahim Modak (below), was manning the company’s office in Dubai. Pic/Bipin Kokate
In September, they attempted the Himalayan task of the first-ever evacuation of Indians from Iraq-occupied Kuwait. Their feat — they carried 722 passengers, including 265 women and children on a cargo ship in a 48-hour haul to Dubai — remains unparalleled to this day.
There was the threat of bombs from the sky, and mines in the waters beneath, but when they learnt that the Indian government was looking for a vessel to carry refugees to safety, the ship’s owners proposed that MV Safeer could do the job. It was after Safeer’s successful journey between September 4 and 7, 1990, that the Indian authorities embarked on its air evacuation exercise.
Back in Mumbai
At the time, one of the ship’s owners and director of Oyster Marine Management, Captain V R Kekobad was in Mumbai. “We did not know anything about Kuwait’s invasion until our agent there, Frank Rozario, called me to say that he had seen Iraqi troops marching on the streets. That was in the morning of August 2, 1990. He told me he didn’t know what was happening,” said Kekobad (64), who has been living in Australia for the past 16 years.
Passengers were emotionally charged as they waited to disembark at Dubai. Pic courtesy/Khaleej Times
Kekobad, who is currently in Mumbai to see his ailing father, said it was on the news that he learnt of the Iraqi invasion. Meanwhile, the other owner, Mumbai resident Captain Ibrahim Modak, who was manning the company’s Dubai office, was also watching the news horror-struck.
“The first thing that came to our (Kekobad and Modak) mind was to arrange for the safe evacuation of our crew. By that time, their families had become immensely worried and asked us what we were doing to get their boys home safely,” said Kekobad.
Communication lines with the ship’s master captain, Z A K Juwale, had gone kaput, and the only way to reach his people was through government agencies in India, Dubai and Kuwait.
“All of us in the company, including Capt Modak’s son Haneef (who now runs his late father’s shipping business from Mumbai), decided that we must not leave our crew to the mercy of foreign forces. Mind you, we could have sat comfortably at home and left the crew members to fend for themselves, as our ship was insured for very handsome amount,” added Kekobad.
Kekobad and Haneef tried to persuade officials in the shipping, defence and external affairs departments in India, while Capt Modak held fort in Dubai, negotiating with authorities there.
Challenges
Being a cargo ship, MV Safeer wasn’t legally allowed to ferry passengers. It was not equipped to facilitate a safe journey for more than 30 passengers — which was about the strength of the crew. The ship’s owners (which, like most vessels, was registered in Panama) would have faced penal action in case of a mishap onboard. However, even after Safeer was given a green signal, the crew faced many more tests.
The immigration office in the port area had been ransacked but the crew had befriended Iraqi forces and managed to get their passports back. Once all clearances were in place, Safeer’s crew started working to create makeshift facilities that the refugees could use during the short haul from Kuwait to Dubai.
It was of paramount importance to arrange for life jackets. Kekobad convinced the Indian government to deliver some 400 life jackets in Kuwait. “It wouldn’t have been possible without help from Indian and Iraqi authorities. We could pull off this exercise only because Iraq had great relations with our country,” said Kekobad, adding that 14 rafts and additional life jackets were made available locally in Kuwait.
But how were they going to accommodate the swelling number of passengers on a ship that had been fitted up for just 25-30? For one, there were toilets only for 25, no cooking facility and no air-conditioning.
Oil drums were cut and welded to make toilets, and gunny bags were used to create cubicles, said Nazir Mulla, the ship’s second-in-command. “We released sewage directly into the seas. We had ample stock of fresh water from Kuwait. We accommodated passengers after creating space by offloading the rice cargo. Sick passengers were made comfortable in the limited AC area,” he added.
Passengers were asked to carry food for 2-3 days, as Safeer didn’t have much to offer. “Despite that, we cooked khichdi for those who didn’t have food with them,” said Fareeque, who recalled how the passengers drove to the port and then handed over the keys to their cars to the crew. “They asked us to keep their cars as a reward. I was very young, but I could understand the pain of leaving their hard-earned belongings behind,” said the emotional Captain.
When the ship finally docked at Dubai, the passengers were emotionally overcharged while disembarking, recalls second-in- command Mulla. “They thanked us profusely. It was team work that saw us through this tough task,” added Mulla.
Airlift has got both brickbats and bouquets, but Captain Kekobad wishes his mentor late Captain Ibrahim Modak was alive today to see how the Air India evacuation is now getting recognition, years after they did their own bit to bring the Indians to safe harbour. Kekobad insisted that his crew did not charge a dinar from the Indians for the journey.
Grateful government
Kekobad’s prized possession is a letter of recognition he got from the then external affairs joint-secretary, K P Fabian. The letter reads: ‘This is to confirm that Government of India did not pay your company any amount towards evacuation of Indian nationals who were carried aboard MV Safeer. We are indeed grateful to you for having carried safely over 700 Indians from Kuwait under Iraqi occupation to Dubai.’
Feb 06, 2016, 08:25 IST | Dharmendra Jore
https://www.mid-day.com/articles/the-cargo-ship-that-saved-722-indians-from-kuwait-in-1990/16931156
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WZCC Plan to help Parsi Entrepreneurs
Mumbai, March 07, 2018: World Zarathushti Chamber of Commerce – India (WZCCI) and WZO Trust Funds (WZOTF) are delighted to announce a joint plan to support entrepreneurs / professionals / start-ups by funding selected projects in India with interest-free loans. The principal amount only would have to be returned, over a pre-determined period.
WZCCI and WZOTF would like to invite Zoroastrian Donors to please come forward to donate Rs. 5 – Rs. 25 lakhs towards creating a corpus of Rs. 5 crores to help young people to start-off their entrepreneurial careers or help small businesses reach scale.
Says Edul Davar, Global President, WZCC from New York to young Zoroastrians, “Today is the right time for the right idea and opportunities are limitless for the bold and restless who are willing to dream big, work hard and persist until they achieve success”.
Says Captain Percy M Master, WZCC President – India Region, who will drive the project in India, “With this Financing Initiative we are fulfilling a long time need to encourage the youth of our community to venture into business. Our request to Youth is to come forward with a good Business Plan. We will Guide you and Mentor you to taking the first steps to start your own business. We are confident that this is a small beginning of something big. Please don’t miss this opportunity. We have great confidence in the future of our youth and in the glory of our community. May Ahura Mazda bless our youth and propel them to greater heights to become the stars of our Community”.
Says Mr. Dinshaw Tamboly, Chairman WZOTF, the enabling organization for this project, “WZO Trust Funds, have over the years encouraged, motivated and supported community members to be self-employed. Between 1995 to end March 2017 we have extended interest-free financial support up to Rs. 5,00,000/- to 1,038 individuals at 114 locations in India towards being self-employed in disciplines of their choice. The new initiative of WZCC and WZOTF working together in tandem towards a common goal promises to give a further boost to the Zoroastrian spirit of entrepreneurship lying latent in the minds of many in our community.”
WZCC – I and WZOTF sincerely hope that a large number of well placed, India based Zoroastrians will come forward and donate sums of money to give a big boost to Zoroastrian Entrepreneurship in India. A separate fund raising drive has also been initiated in US and other parts of the world to contribute to this fund. WZCCI and WZOTF also hope that a large number of youngsters will come forward and avail of this offer by presenting well-thought through and comprehensive business plans. For more information, please contact: wzccindia@on-lyne.com | +91 9619165444 / +91 7045225939 | trustees@wzotrust.com; admin@wzotrust.com | +91 22 23684451/52/53 or USA: eduldaver@gmail.com | +1 9083974443
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WZCC is a global enterprise established in the year 2000 and now has 14 chapters established in Vancouver, Southern California, Houston, Chicago, Central Florida, New York, London, Tehran, Dubai, Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore, Hong Kong and Sydney. The mission and purpose of WZCC is to facilitate networking, enhance trade & commerce, build the Spirit of Entrepreneurship and thus bring economic prosperity to Zarathushtis worldwide.
WZOTF was established in the year 1995 at Mumbai and has a Pan India presence actively extending support to Zoroastrians in diverse areas of need, in keeping with its principles – ‘Building Confidence, Changing Lives, Creating a Strong Community’.
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Ceremony on the 6th day (CHHATTHI) after the baby is born.
Ceremony on the 6th day (CHATHI) after the baby is born.
On the 6th day Light a Divo in the evening at around Dusk time (late evening).
What you need to keep ready:
Ful ses with khoomchi, soparo, pigani, kankoo dani, floweres, glass for batti, Karek, sopari, badam, sakar, rice grain.
Plain Sheet of white paper, and new Red Pen (keep the pen open do not put on the cap)
Preferably Red Dress, panty/Baba Suit.
Cap/Bonnet/Topi
If Baby Girl preferably small red 3-5, bangles to be kept on the Sopara
Loban or agarbatti would do
What to do:
In the evening take a head bath. Clean the place, put chowk (optional if you are abroad)
In big Plate/Khoomchi put the Red clothes for the child, you may put any jewelry if you like chain, pendent, Gold/Siver coin etc. On the top of the Sopara put Bangles if girl (it is a sign of good luck for the girl child)
On the Sheet write with a red pen (not the new one) ‘Chaathimai mara dikara/dikri ………(write name of the parents) bachaa na sara lekh/nasib lakhi jasoji you may write what you wish for the child eg. Long, happy, successful life with good health etc… Take ovarna with rice
Place the White plain sheet next to it and light the Divo, Agarbatti. Leave the paper and open pen on the sheet overnight.
Say a small prayer wishing the parents and child well.
Let everything be there, once the Divo extinguishes you may pick up everything and put away the clothes to be worn by the baby after the 40th day Nahan and going to Agiary.
Courtesy : Thrity Tantra
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Soonabai Lamba – Parsi Fun Song
Enjoy!
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Lost Worlds’: Parsi ‘Çultures’ And Strongmen In Twentieth Century Bombay
The Board of Trustees and Members of the Governing Body
of
THE K R CAMA ORIENTAL INSTITUTE
invite you to a lecture along with a power-point presentation
on
“‘Lost Worlds’: Parsi ‘Çultures’ And
Strongmen In Twentieth Century Bombay”
by
Dr Namrata Ganneri
Research Fellow
Avabai Wadia Research Fellowship in memory of Phiroz Mehta
at
6 pm on Wednesday, 14th March 2018
in the Dr Sir J J Modi Memorial Hall of the Institute
136 Bombay Samachar Marg, Opposite Lion Gate, Fort,
Mumbai – 400 023
Dr Louiza Rodrigues
Professor, Department Of History,
Ramnarain Ruia Autonomous College, Mumbai
will preside
Do join us for tea at 5.30 pm
RSVP 22843893 / 08879253893 E-mail: krcamaoi123@gmail.com
Right of Admission Reserved
Abstract:
‘Lost Worlds’: Parsi ‘Cultures’ and strongmen in twentieth century Bombay
Parsi patronage as well as participation in most modern ‘organised’ sports is well- documented and discussed, but their participation in ‘physical culture movement’ remains obscure and under-investigated. The ‘Physical Culture Movement’ emanating from the North-Atlantic world consisted of various combinations of gymnastics, calisthenics, weight-lifting and dieting to develop muscular, healthy bodies and had adherents all over the world by the first few decades of the twentieth century. Consequently, ‘Physical Culture Homes’ or ‘Çultures’ were founded and physical culture became a craze amongst many Parsi men (and some women) in the city of Bombay.
This lecture traces the history of ‘Physical Culture Homes’ and some iconic strongmen and physical culturists who emerged from these institutes. Many of these men were ‘local heroes’ and are still alive in ‘community memory’ though their histories have not been recorded in any conventional historical archive. The lecture also retrieves traditions of Parsi involvement in ‘índigenous’ wrestling and allied sports and comments on continuities with older traditions of body-building. Finally, the lecture will also be an opportunity to showcase the wealth of material collected during interviews with elderly physical -culture enthusiasts and strongmen of the community.
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Zephyr Khambatta
“It is my firm belief that good music is one of the most vital ingredients in creating a better world for all of us.” – Zephyr
Sail Away: Zephyr Khambatta
An engineering dropout from the National University of Singapore, it did not take long before Khambatta topped various classes at LASALLE College of the Arts across music and performing art disciplines. A creative force to be reckoned with, Khambatta most recently featured in Eric Khoo’s In The Room (2015), Mediacorp Channel 5’s Tanglin (2016) and launched “More”, his 1st single on 4th December 2015, [ ~ 6000 views on YouTube ]. His 2ndsingle “Sail Away” released 3rd December 2016, met with positive reviews across the Singapore music scene, and is set to be the song for his first official music video in 2017.
After graduation with a BA (Hons) Music and starting as an intern at Prime Focus World in 2013, Khambatta provided input on the final mix sessions for Nikhil Advani’s film D-Day (2013). In 2014, Khambatta composed and produced the music for and featured a rap performance in Ministry of Funny’s song and YouTube video, Snapback, [ > 40,000 views on YouTube ].
In 6 short years in entertainment, his body of work also includes performing on drums with musical theatre and percussion groups in Singapore, modeling, hosting and teaching drums. Khambatta also won 2nd place in the Band Category at the “IGNITE! Music Festival: Clash of the Bands 2012” competition. In addition to that, he was invited to play drums as part of Urban Drum Crew for “China-Singapore In-Concert 2010” which was screened to 100 million viewers.
Zephyr is currently working on new music for 2017 and on the acting front is working with brands and agencies like HBO, Citibank, HP, Mediacorp Channel 5, and YouTube/Facebook channels JUO Productions and Sure Boh? Singapore. He has previously also been profiled on Mediacorp Vasantham’s TV show, Mudhal Payanam, and in the Singapore papers Today, The Straits Times, Berita Harian etc.
https://parsikhabar.net/music/sail-away-zephyr-khambatta/14795/
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Parsi Gate to be restored soon
The Parsi Gate structure has two pillars of Malad stone with concrete pedestals.
Mumbai: The Parsi Gate, a heritage structure located just opposite Taraporewala Aquarium at Marine Drive, will soon be restored by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). The place is used by Parsi people to offer prayers to water.
The Parsi Gate structure has two pillars of Malad stone with concrete pedestals having a height of 4.97 metres. There are stone steps, which have access to seashore, enabling people to enter the sea for offering prayers.
According to civic officials, the structure is in damaged condition with top portion of the pillars dislocated from its original position. The pedestal of concrete is also damaged at many places. Both the pillars are damaged and require repairs and extensive cleaning. The pavement is uneven and has to be replaced with basalt stone for its identification. The stone steps are also eroded due to sea waves.
“Since Parsi Gate is a heritage precinct, we had to take no-objection certificate from the Mumbai Heritage Conservation Committee for its restoration. We have sought details about the historical significance of the structure from the Parsi community. A plaque of information will be installed at the place,” said a senior civic official.
Maneck Dastur, a prominent Parsi citizen, said, “The structure was constructed long time ago even before Marine Drive was built. The Parsi donors, who built it, kept a small space there to offer prayers. We were lobbying to restore the structure, but the BMC said it would do it on its own.”
Noshir Dadrawalla, another prominent Parsi, said, “The place has got historical significance as Parsi congregate here once in a year to offer prayers to water that is seen as a keeper of wisdom and knowledge from the Zoroastrian point of view. The prayers are offered during the ‘Festival of Ava,’ which is celebrated to revere divinity of water. The pillars there represent part of the ancient Persian architecture.”
The estimated cost of restoration of Parsi Gate is Rs 12.46 lakh. The scope of work include fixing the top portion of pillars in its original position by providing steel pin for binding, repairs to the fracture stone, cleaning of stone, applying protective coat to prevent deterioration of stone surface due to high humidity and laying basalt stone flooring to match with pillar and steps.
http://www.asianage.com/metros/mumbai/110318/parsi-gate-to-be-restored-soon.html
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Families in Food: A Taste of Old Poona
Why people keep coming back to this 140-year-old institution.
Old is gold: Darius Dorabjee at the restaurant’s kitchen. (Source: Arul Horizon)
At 10.30 on a Tuesday morning, when we land up at the Dorabjee & Sons Restaurant in Camp, Pune, Darius Dorabjee is in the kitchen fretting over the mutton biryani he has just made — he wants it quickly off the chulha lest it is overcooked. He is also shooting off instructions to the staff, who are moving the food from the oversized kitchen to the large pantry. Business begins at 11.30 am — as it has for the past 140 years.
His great-grandfather, Sorabjee Dorabjee, started the restaurant in 1878. Back then, the Pune Cantonment area had one place to eat out, El Moretos, an Italian restaurant and bar, meant only for British officers and their families. “It had a strictly no-Indians policy. My grandfather seized the opportunity. He took up three adjoining houses on rent and started a bun-maska and chai stall. Soon, customers demanded he open a restaurant. In those days, Poona’s moneyed class had no restaurant to go to. That’s how Dorabjee & Sons restaurant started. Since my great grandfather knew only how to make Parsi food and we had no cooks or help, the restaurant automatically started serving only Parsi food,” says Darius, the 47-year-old fourth-generation owner, or “working partner” as he puts it, since the family is quite big and all members are “shareholders” in the restaurant.
Back then, the family bought a house across the road, so the women of the family could grind masalas at home and sift the rice, while the men cooked in the restaurant. “The women still don’t cook, the men do the cooking. Our entire family eats all meals at the restaurant till today. See, that’s how good the women have it,” says Darius with a laugh.
Sometime in the 1950s, folding metal chairs and wooden tables were brought in — until then, patrons sat on the floor and ate. A photo of a young Bal Thackeray in his early teens eating at the restaurant, seated cross-legged on the floor with his family, is a reminder of that era. Today, marble-top tables and plastic chairs are used but that is probably the only change the restaurant has seen in the last one-and-a-half century. “We are pretty archaic in our ways and we are proud of it. Our customers love it, they ask us never to change. I am a lazy fellow, so I am happy to oblige,” says Darius.
The food is still cooked on chulhas and the masalas are still added by a family member. Darius, who has manned the kitchen since he was 15 (when he was asked by his late father, Marzaban, to work for pocket money), says there has never been a day when a family member wasn’t in the kitchen. The menu has withstood change as well — it ranges from chicken and mutton pulao or biryani to dhansak, salli boti, farcha (chicken fried in eggs) and akuri on toast for breakfast, and desserts like lagan nu custard. In fact, the restaurant remains one of the few places in Pune to serve Ardeshir raspberry soda drinks, a legacy fast fading out.
But the prices have changed. The menus of the 1940s, ’50s, ’60s and ’70s still occupies pride of place on the “wall of fame” at the restaurant entry. The 1940s menu has mutton chilly fry priced at two annas, today it is Rs 250. Back then, the chicken items were priced double that of mutton, the latter used to be the “poor man’s food”.
“A young man once came in and said that his father, a retired defence officer, wanted to meet me. He had the 1940s menu, but he lived in Chandigarh and would give it only to me. So I packed food and went to meet him. He gave it to me and told me so many stories of his association with us,” recalls Darius.
Spend an hour at the restaurant and it’ll be clear that it is this “association” with regulars which is at the heart of Dorabjee & Sons. From 80-year-olds throwing birthdays for the grandchildren at the restaurant, to a 96-year-old customer bringing his 94-old-wife on a bi-weekly date, these are the stories that make the restaurant a true icon of the old city of Poona.
http://indianexpress.com/article/express-sunday-eye/families-in-food-a-taste-of-old-poona-5093317/
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Professor Emeritus Farhang Mehr Dies at 94
Farhang Mehr, Professor Emeritus at the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies at Boston University, has died. He was 94. Since retirement, he had moved permanently to California, where he died on March 14, 2018.
Dr. Farhang Mehr was a professor of international relations at what is now the Pardee School from 1981 to 1997, teaching courses on the international politics of oil and Iranian history. With law degrees from Tehran University and the London School of Economics and a Ph.D. from the University of Southamption, Mehr made a stellar career in business as well as public affairs in his native Iran. Prior to the revolution in Iran he held high office in the National Iranian Oil Company, in the Ministry of Finance, and led the national insurance company.
Before coming to Boston University, Farhang Mehr had taught at Tehran and National Universities and at the Military Academy in Iran. He was also President of the University of Shiraz in Iran for eight years. He served Iran under Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi as Vice-Prime Minister and Acting Finance Minister, and represented Iran on OPEC’s Board of Governors for 5 years.
He was also active in the Zoroastrian community, writing books and giving lectures to acquaint the world with Iran’s oldest religion. He served as the President of the Zoroastrian Anjuman of Tehran for 12 years.
Houchang Chehabi, Professor of International Relations and History at the Pardee School, recalls that “although the revolutionary authorities initially reappointed him in 1979 [as President of the University of Shiraz], he became a victim of later purges and had to go into exile in 1981″ and his “appointment as a professor at Boston University allowed him to reconstitute his life.”
Prof. Mehr leaves behind his wife, Parichehr Naderi, and three children: Mehrdad, Mehran and Mitra. A biography of his life, Triumph Over Discrimination, by Lylah Alphonse, was published in 2000.
http://www.bu.edu/pardeeschool/2018/03/09/rip-professor-emeritus-farhang-mehr-dies-at-94/
https://parsikhabar.net/individuals/farhang-mehr-passes-away/17150/
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Persis Khambatta, The First Indian Woman To Make A Mark In Hollywood
Modern-day Bollywood divas Priyanka Chopra and Deepika Padukone have established themselves as an international stars and, time and again, earned the appreciation for it too. However, that stardom is an extension of what they enjoyed in Bollywood. Long before they made their forway into Hollywood, there were many other Indian actresses who tried their hands at acting in international films. Some gave memorable performances, while a few others made us question our fandom. In focus, today, is a pioneering woman, Persis Khambatta, who belongs to the former set of ladies who gave us performances to cherish.
Persis was a former Miss India and model, who became an international sensation in 1979. She created history by appearing in the popular sci-fi film Star Trek: The Motion Picture as Lieutenant Ilia. For her character, Persis went bald in real life – a big deal for women in the 1970s. And, let’s not forget, she was also the first Indian to present an award at the Academy Awards.
Born in a middle-class Parsi family in 1948 in Mumbai – then Bombay – Persis first came into the limelight at the age of 13, through her appearance in a soap brand commercial. It wasn’t intentional at all. It happened after a well-known photographer from the city took her candid pictures and used it for this campaign. Thereafter, she was offered a number of modelling assignments. The Indian beauty, then, went on be the second winner in the Femina Miss India beauty pageant in 1965. After this, in the mid-60s, Persis became the third Indian to participate in the Miss World pageant in Miami. As per news reports, during this time, she was even offered a Bond film, but the beauty queen turned down the offer as she had promised her mother that she’ll return home. Now, that was the first version of the story. A few other news reports say Persis wanted to explore the Hindi film industry and hence, she returned.
Around the late 60s, she debuted in the Hindi film industry with Bambai Raat Ki Bahon Mein in the role of a cabaret dancer. But, soon after, Persis left for London to make a career as she found this industry unprofessional and boring. She went on to become a popular model in Britain and even worked in a bunch of international films thereafter –The Wilby Conspiracy, Conduct Unbecoming, Warrior of the Lost World and Mega Force.
At the age of 29, she bagged the challenging role of Lieutenant Ilia in Star Trek: The Motion Picture, for which she had to shave her head. Her courage and talent paid off and she earned a lot of appreciation for her character. It was after the film’s success that, in 1980, she got the opportunity to present an award at the Oscars and became the first Indian to present an award at the prestigious award ceremony.
Persis passed away in 1998 of cardiac arrest – five years after her last acting appearance, which was on an international TV show titled Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman.
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Navroz Prayers
Dear all,
The Jamshedi Navroze starts from 20th March 2018 at sharp
21 hours
45 minutes and
28 seconds.
When Sun enters in Aries sign (Mesh Rashi) acc. to Sayan (western Astrology).
The Jamshedi Navroze day is celebrated by Mazdayasni Zarthosti in a very special way. It does not fall on any of the Zoroastrian Roj – Mah calendar which we follow for our other religious ceremonies.
The day commences with the advent of spring when Sun enters the sign Aries when it reaches the Nothern Vernal Equinox which occurs around 21st March.
On this particular day the Khurshed Yazad shines with its full glitter and glory and spreads its sunshine (roshni) on this Geti (earth) abundantly.
On this auspicious day the following prayer is recommended in praise of Khurshed Yazad and to get his bountiful blessings.
In Havan Geh :
3 times Khorshed Neyayesh,
1 Meher Neyayesh and
1 Vispa Humata
The above order makes one set of prayer.
Likewise one should pray 3 such sets in the same order.
This will end up in reciting 9 Khorshed Neyayesh, 3 Meher Neyayesh and 3 Vispa Humata prayers in Havan Geh.
In Rapithwan Geh: 3 Khorshed Neyayesh, 1 Meher Neyayesh
Two sets of prayers in Rapithwan Geh, maintaining the above order. That means in Rapithwan Geh one will recite 6 times Khorshed Neyayesh and 2 times Meher Neyayesh. It is important to note that in Rapithwan Geh the Vispa Humata prayer is NOT to be recited.
Note: However when Havan Geh is recited from Hormazd roj of mah Avan till the last Gatha (Vahishtoisht) instead of Rapithwan Geh, (Second Havan Geh) one should follow the prayer set given above for Havan Geh, but only 2 times, and NOT 3 times.
In Uzirin Geh :
3 Khorshed Neyayesh,
1 Meher Neyayesh
Only one set as prescribed above is to be recited in this Geh. Thus in Uzirin Geh one would recite 3 Khorshed Neyayesh and 1 Meher Neyayesh. No Vispa Humata prayer in Uzirin Geh.
This set of prayers in the three different Gehs is to be recited only once in a year. It is highly recommended to a true Zoroastrian to do so and get the benefit out of it.
Some forgotten prayers
In our Mazdayasni Daen there is a wealth of prayers out of which a wise person can select some.
Yazdaan Panah baad.
From:
Ervad Yezdi M Turel
Mob: 98255-88327
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Mobed Empowerment Workshops
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Zoroastrian-themed Colouring Book Is Top Navroz Gift Idea
Rewind to March 2017 when you received the most adorable picture of Baby Zarathustra in your inbox/Whatsapp messenger app. Yes, we are referring to the same viral picture that you couldn’t resist forwarding to everyone on your contact list for Navroz last year.
We caught up with Delzin Choksey, who we previously introduced to you, as the artist and illustrator of that viral image, and learned that she has even bigger news to share this year.
Delzin — a California-based Zoroastrian entrepreneur — is excited to introduce her latest venture, “Color and Learn – My First Zoroastrian Coloring Book” to Zoroastrians all over the world.
Delzin originally set out on this project as a way to introduce her own daughter Zinaya to Zoroastrianism through an activity most children thoroughly enjoy—colouring. But in time she recognized the need to compile her illustrations into a book and to make it available to every Zoroastrian parent around the world.
“Color and Learn” is an eight-page colouring book, that aims to introduce children to our culture and traditions by highlighting basic Zarathushti symbols like the Sagan Ni Ses, Farohar, Atash, etc. Printed on 8″ x 11″ premium quality paper the book is great for crayons and holds up well even to watercolours. It provides many hours of fun and encourages our young bawas and bawis to recognize as well as identify with all things Zoroastrian. For all you Sunday School teachers, this book also makes a fantastic addition to Sunday School programs for young Zarathustis.
Already in its second print run, Delzin’s book is currently a best-seller for her studio Crispy Doodles with orders from Zoroastrian Sunday school programs across the United States. The Crispy Doodles online store also features cute frames for Baby Zarathushtra and other gift ideas like personalized inspirational canvases for kids rooms, an ABC coloring book and her highly popular Baby Ganesha frames.
Find her book and other products in India at: bit.ly/crispydoodlesindia and in the U.S. and the rest of the world at: bit.ly/crispydoodles
For bulk orders email: delzin@crispydoodles.com
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The significance of Ses
“Ses” is the most prominent auspicious symbol among Parsis. It is a round metallic tray of varied shapes and sizes, present at all times in a Parsi house, especially on auspicious occasions. The Ses for general occasions is a small one and the Ses for special occasions, like weddings and Navjotes, is a big one.
The Ses has a wonderful collection of auspicious items in it:
Paro: It is a conical metallic utensil in which patasha and/or rock sugar (khadi sakar) is kept. It’s reminiscent of the conical sweets wrapped in green paper in Iran till this day.
Pigani: It is a small metallic utensil with a lid in which Kanku (vermilion) is kept to put an auspicious red mark/tila on the forehead. The Parsis generally put a vertical mark on the forehead of a man and a round one on the forehead of the woman. The former signifies rays of the sun, the later signifies the moon. Rice is placed on to the red mark to signify plenty.
Gulabaz: It’s a metallic sprinkler-cum-container, which has rose water (Gulaab-jal) in it. In Iran it was used to sprinkle on guests while welcoming them and saying: Khush amadid or “welcome”.
Miscellaneous items: Coconut, betel leaves (paan), betel nut (sopari), almonds (badaam), dried dates (khaarak), rice, curd and fish (fresh fish or sweet meat in the shape of a fish). Nowadays, metallic replicas of some of the above things are placed in the Ses instead of real ones.
At the time of the Navjote and marriage, a special Ses is prepared. The tray is bigger, since a special set of clothes are kept, which differ for a boy and girl. If the Navjotee is a boy, then shirt, pant, dagli, socks and shoes are kept. If the Navjotee is a girl, a sari is kept. This sari will be most probably the first sari that the girl would wear when she grows up.
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