Dear Friends,
There have been many developments since the Hon’ble Finance Minister of India announced the Everlasting Flame (EF) Programme 2016, in his Budget Speech. We are delighted that with the support of the Government of India, the world will come to recognize the importance of Zoroastrian civilization and culture as well as its contribution to world history.
Our EF Programme is the culmination of many years of hard work, possible only because of the support of people like you from many parts of the world. We are indebted to MOMA, Ministry of Minority Affairs, our Platinum Sponsor Mr. Cyrus Poonawalla, SOAS, Google Cultural Institute, the National Museum, Delhi for helping us create an event of such magnitude. I enclose a Schedule of Events, so that you can make your own Programme to be with us on this occasion.
Today, we are happy to share with you that Google Cultural Institute will help us make the Parzor Exhibition Threads of Continuity an Interactive Exhibition covering Zoroastrianism in philosophy and practice.
It is with immense pleasure that I also wish to share with you the Online Exhibitions that have been recently curated by the team at Parzor Foundation for Google Cultural Institute –to enable a virtual experience of Zoroastrian Heritage.
Having launched Parsi Zoroastrians: From Persia to Akbar’s Court – https://goo.gl/pMb058 last year, we now share with you a Series of three Exhibitions on the Kusti – the sacred girdle worn by Zoroastrians on their waist. To do justice to this complex living tradition, we have divided our Research into three exhibitions.
The First Exhibition Kusti-The Sacred Cord – https://goo.gl/0HSJkz explains the significance of the girdle in Zoroastrian worldview and the ritual ceremony of the Navjote, in which a young Zoroastrian makes an active choice to be a ‘Hamkar’ – the agent of Ahura Mazda in this world.
The Second and Third Exhibition explain the coming together of the extraordinary in the everyday as Spinning the Kusti –https://goo.gl/gRG7eT and Weaving the Kusti – https://goo.gl/ODLZ9b give a detailed explanation of the craft of weaving, where religion, culture and technique blend in making the Sacred cord.
The Exhibitions, we hope, will engage you using photographs, video and textual descriptions. We would be most happy to see your further interest in knowing about the Kusti, for which we may kindly recommend our book titled Threads of Continuity available for ordering on Parzor’s website www.unescoparzor.com .
Lastly, we also share a Fourth exhibition – Jamshed-i-Navroze – https://goo.gl/0bsblW , way in advance of March 2016, hoping that it tempts you to turn up for the Everlasting Flame Programme 2016.
Warm Regards,
Dr. Shernaz Cama
Director UNESCO Parzor
Parzor Foundation
EF Programme of events 19-9-15
