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Freddie Mercury: Rock ‘N’ Roll’s Humble Showman

Freddie Mercury: Rock ‘N’ Roll’s Humble Showman

Posted 02 September 2010 | By arzan sam wadia | Categories: Individuals, Music | No Comments

Freddie Mercury chose a stage name in perfect harmony with his voice. The mercurial rock star and lead singer of Queen was born Farrokh Bulsara on the East African island of Zanzibar on Sept. 5, 1946. The Bulsaras were Parsi — a group with ties to ancient Persia. Both his parents were from India. by [...]

Commander Firdosh Mogal Dies While Saving Indian Navy Colleague

Posted 31 August 2010 | By arzan sam wadia | Categories: News | 1 Comment

Mumbai, Aug 31 (IBNS): An Indian Navy commander died in the sea off Mumbai on Monday while trying to rescue his colleague who was swept away by the sea. The incident happened when one of four sailors working on the hull of submarine Shankush, a Shishumar class submarine, got swept away. The officer, Commander Firdosh [...]

A Wish List for 1380 Yz

Posted 30 August 2010 | By arzan sam wadia | Categories: News, Opinion | No Comments

The following is an article by Ervad Marzban J. Hathiram on Frashogard.com On 16th June, 632 AD, Yazdegard, son of Shaharyar ascended the throne of Iran as the 29th King of the Sassanian dynasty. As was the custom in those days, the Imperial Calendar was reset, with the year of the new King’s ascension to [...]

A Date With Parsis

A Date With Parsis

Posted 30 August 2010 | By arzan sam wadia | Categories: News | 1 Comment

The new saviours of a 3,500 year-old faith are hip and tech-savvy. Parsi-Zoroastrian youngsters are using Facebook, speed dating, and paintball competitions to meet, make merry and perhaps marry. By Janaki Viswanathan / Mid-Day Can we not have that piece of art in the frame, please? We are apolitical," requests 27 year-old Tashan Mistree, referring [...]

The Story of the Taj Mahal Hotel

Posted 29 August 2010 | By arzan sam wadia | Categories: Bombay, Heritage, Mumbai | 1 Comment

The Taj Mahal Hotel was founded, according to legend, after Jamsetji Tata was refused entrance into a European-owned hotel which displayed a sign forbidding entry to dogs and Indians. He vowed to build a luxury hotel that would be open to Indians and where Indians could entertain and be entertained without being insulted. There is, [...]

They’ve got the ZYNG thing

They’ve got the ZYNG thing

Posted 28 August 2010 | By arzan sam wadia | Categories: Events, News | 2 Comments

Nearly 2,000 young Zoroastrians from India and abroad have got together to tell the nay-sayers and the no-hopers, inside and outside the community that they can overcome. By Priyal Dave / Afternoon DC If the members of the Zoroastrian Youth for the Next Generation (ZYNG) are to be believed, then, neither is the population of [...]

Parsi Theater Personality Silloo Mahava R.I.P.

Parsi Theater Personality Silloo Mahava R.I.P.

Posted 27 August 2010 | By arzan sam wadia | Categories: Individuals, Theater | 1 Comment

The following is a write-up submitted by Dr. Arnavaz Havewala  Silloo Aunty, as she was  affectionately, was a well-known actor.She has  acted in several English Movies – ‘TRYING TO GROW’ Produced by BBC and a Documentary Movie “THE LAST DANCE” Directed by Mr. Akshay Roy(which was shown on NDTV 24 X 7 for three consecutive [...]

BPP Chief Dinshaw Mehta in an Interview

Posted 26 August 2010 | By arzan sam wadia | Categories: Bombay Parsi Panchayat | 8 Comments

Dinshaw Mehta, chairman, Bombay Parsi Punchayet, was a member of the group that stopped the ceremony held at the Zoroastrian College near Sanjan, Gujarat, on February 19 to make Mikhail Chistyakov, a 48-year old Russian, a Zoroastrian priest. Mehta said he opposes conversions because during its 1,300-year history in India, Parsi-Zoroastrians have never allowed the [...]

Baroda Agiary Priest Home to Undergo Renovation

Posted 26 August 2010 | By arzan sam wadia | Categories: fire temple | No Comments

The British colonial building, which is home to the priest of Parsi agyari built by Pastonji Contractor in 1923, is also set to get a facelift. The residence is spread across 3,500 square feet area with 11 rooms built to house two families of the priest referred as dastor. By Darshana Chaturvedi / Times News [...]

A CA turned Avestan scholar

A CA turned Avestan scholar

Posted 25 August 2010 | By arzan sam wadia | Categories: About | 9 Comments

Khojeste Pudam Mistree is a frank and fearless crusader of the faith. As Trustee of the Bombay Parsi Punchayet, Managing Trustee of Zoroastrian Studies and Trustee of the Athravan Educational Trust, he has virtually brought about a religious renaissance in the community. Published in the Afternoon DC Through his lecture tours around the world and [...]

Noshir Dadrawala Reminisces about Jamshed Guzder

Posted 25 August 2010 | By arzan sam wadia | Categories: Individuals | No Comments

Jamshedji Nusserwanji Guzder’s passing away did not come as a surprise to those who were observing his deteriorating health over the last few years. Whenever I used to meet his daughter in Poona, I used to ask about his health and she would always respond with a sad shrug. By Noshir H. Dadrawala My memories [...]

We want to break free

We want to break free

Posted 24 August 2010 | By arzan sam wadia | Categories: History, India, Individuals | 1 Comment

India’s Independence month has another little-known first. It was in August 1907 that Madam Cama defiantly unfurled the first Indian flag to the world and inspired a generation of Parsi firebrand women patriots It became an irony the British took time to digest. A community, which was small, yet known for its loyalty to the [...]

OBITUARY: JAMSHED GUZDER

Posted 23 August 2010 | By arzan sam wadia | Categories: Individuals | 3 Comments

JAMSHED GUZDER : LAST OF THE SETHIAS Jimmy Guzder, as he was popularly known, may not have been Parsi aristocracy but was certainly the last of the Parsi Sethias. With Lady Jehangir’s demise, the rule of the aristocracy over the community ended. Neither Boman-Behram nor Dr. Nellie Noble who filled her shoes were from the [...]

Understanding the Ratan Tata DNA

Posted 22 August 2010 | By arzan sam wadia | Categories: About | 1 Comment

It is India Inc’s most closely watched succession and there is speculation on who will, or can, fit into the shoes of the Tata group chairman Ratan Tata when he lays down office in December 2012. A five-member committee has been appointed for the hunt. Names that have popped up include Noel Tata, Ratan Tata’s [...]

On new year, Delhi Parsis talk change

Posted 21 August 2010 | By arzan sam wadia | Categories: Festivities, Issues | 8 Comments

NEW DELHI: There are 734 Parsis in the NCR Delhi, Gurgaon and Noida. And about half of them turned up to celebrate Navroze, the Parsi New Year, at Delhi Parsi Anjuman on Thursday evening. One piece of statistics must be haunting them in the past 18 months, the community had one birth, 21 deaths and [...]

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