arZan Articles

Dinshaw Avari: Karachi Was the Dubai of the 1970s

Karachi’s history does not reside merely in its buildings, its roads, or the long curve of its shoreline. It lives in the memories of those who saw the city up close, who breathed with its rhythm and understood its pulse. Dinshaw Avari is one such...

Plan to boost Parsi numbers gets nod

The Planning Commission has cleared a scheme to arrest the dwindling population of the Parsi (Zoroastrian) community, in what will be the first intervention of its kind. The Plan panel had earlier...

Hello New York: An Introductory Video Montage

The XVI North American Zarathushti Congress got off to a fantastic start today morning at the Hilton Westchester in Rye Brook, a suburb of New York City. Over 600 delegates from all over North...

Karachi Parsi Volleyball Tournaments

Karachi Parsi Volleyball Tournaments

KARACHI: Come Ramazan and Parsis in Karachi gear up for a volleyball face-off which is not just a 46-year-old sports tradition, but a highly competitive one. By Kulsum Ebrahim | The Express Tribune...

Parsiana: A Video on Parsi Customs and Life.

The Parsis are probably as old as the Mughals in India. But the poor importance they received doesnt really spell popularity! This documentary is not only a tribute to the Zoroastrians but an...

Only 87 girls born in the Parsi community in 2011

The number of girls born in the Parsi community in Mumbai dipped from 104 in 2010 to 87 in 2011, according to data released by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). The average annual births...

Zarathushti Presence in Zanzibar

Zarathushti Presence in Zanzibar

A great post and some photographs of the Zoroastrians in Zanzibar by Farah Bala If you are familiar with the Zoroastrian community, you probably know that it is one whose numbers are dwindling very...

Ghambar: Parsi-style Thanksgiving

Ghambar: Parsi-style Thanksgiving

Come summer and the Zoroastrian community is buzzing with excitement, in anticipation of ghambar, a Parsi thanksgiving feast. Everyone is eager to know which residential compound is going to host...

Cyrus Mistry: Chronicles of a Corpse Bearer

Cyrus Mistry: Chronicles of a Corpse Bearer

I’m a sucker for books about Parsis. They’ve got some mad stories about them. Dysfunctional families, property disputes, affairs with first cousins, renting out apartments to suspicious tenants,...

A Tribute to Arbab Mehraban Zartoshty

A Tribute to Arbab Mehraban Zartoshty

A MAN WITH THE HEART OF GOLD “ZARTOSHTY” thy name is “CHARITY” At the age of 95 Entered Eternal Life on July 6, 2012 We at NAMC are keenly conscious of the legacy of immense philanthropy that Arbab...

XVI NAZC 2012 Launches iOS and Android App

XVI NAZC 2012 Launches iOS and Android App

In a first for a Zarathushti event anywhere in the world, ZAGNY and the hosts of the XVI NAZC 2012 are happy to announce the launch of their App. This app is free and is available for immediate...

Behramji Merwanji Malabari (1853 – 1912)

A Tribute to Behramji Merwanji Malabari (1853 – 1912) on the occasion of his death centenary By Marzban Jamshedji Giara He was born at Vadodara on 18th May 1853. His father’s name was Dhanjibhai...

Where Vultures Dare

Soon there shall be 150, yes, 150 vultures at Doongerwadi . This is not a Gustad Gossip story. It is true. Just as we thought that BPP had abandoned its vulture aviary project (for the uninitiated,...

Shooter Turns Saviour

Shooter Turns Saviour

On a serene fishing trip with his father, the last thing city shooter Kynan Chenai expected was to be in a situation that required him to save three lives. “It was an instinctual reaction,” says...

Last Rites for Zoroastrians in North America

Meher Amalsad, via email informs: Last Rights for Zarathushtis: By Ervad Zarrir Bhandara My Dear Friends:In this educational audio program: “LAST RIGHTS” Mobed Zarrir Bhandara has beautifully...

Parsis and Jews, Exile and Return

At the turn of the 16th century, the Portuguese discovered an eastern passage to India that afforded them easy access to well-priced goods and to India’s natural wonders and human curiosities. ...

Overhaul Parsi Matrimonial Law

Phiroze Khan, 87, our friend and insurance agent for many decades is a remarkable gentleman. A loyal employee of Bombay Dyeing for many years, he worked really hard as an insurance agent to bring up...

A Parsi Lady: Poem by Siloo Kapadia

Below is a poem by long time reader of Parsi Khabar, Siloo Kapadia. A Parsi Lady By Siloo Kapadia I’m rolling my chapatti And I’m swinging my hips And from my rose water I’m taking a sip The smell...

Boman Irani to play Saddam Hussein

Boman Irani to play Saddam Hussein

We wonder if there’s a better character actor in the country than Boman Irani. Or if we may, there aren’t many better actors than him at all. The man has always defied odds to portray extensively...

Reliving the Parsiana andaaz

Reliving the Parsiana andaaz

Laughter In The House: A Tribute To Adi Marzban is back on popular demand after it premiered two months ago as a homage to the veteran Parsi director Journalist Meher Marfatia still recalls how, as...