Parsi Khabar

Sari sorority: Why Parsi ladies are a national fashion treasure As this small but influential Indian community has their new year this week, CNNGo’s shop section celebrates the embroidered Parsi gara sari — the ultimate vintage fashion find By Deepika Sorabjee / CNN Go Attending a Parsi wedding or navjote (initiation) ceremony of the old [...]

Ervad Marzban J. Hathiram clears a very common misnomer…that of wishing “Pateti Mubarak” on Parsi New Year. On 19th August, we Parsis will celebrate our New Year with traditional gaiety, visiting Agiaries and Atash Behrams, going to see comic theatricals, eating Pulao Dal, sali boti, patra-ni-machhi and wishing one another ‘Pateti Mubarak’. Newspapers will diligently [...]

Ervad Marzban Hathiram at Frashogard.com writes a very informative piece on the Muktad Days at the end of the Parsi Calendar year. Ten days before the Parsi New Year, fire temples around the city are dotted with roses and other flowers. One can see Parsi families dressed in spotless white, heads covered with scarves or [...]

The 150-year-old gara embroidery is stunning, mysterious, but not dead, as it was once believed. Designers and entrepreneurs are doing their best to revive what was originally a Chinese art form. By By Kareena Gianani / DNA If a visit to Perveez Agarwal’s home induces kleptomanical tendencies in you, you won’t be the only one. [...]

An exhibition by Kersi Dubash, displaying a wide range of antique Parsi Garas, Gara borders and Gara shalwar kameez suits, French chiffons, Lucknow saris and shalwar kameez suits, Kantha saris and pure cotton saris, is attracting large number of visitors especially women. The exhibition that would continue till July 14 at a local hotel is [...]

Below is the text of presentation by Pervin J. Mistry at the Parliament of Worlds Religions, Melbourne, December 5th, 2009. This was circulated by the author via email to a newsgroup. All copyrights are with the author.   We are the oldest monotheistic religion. Asho Zarathushtra is our Holy Prophet. Our Revealed Book is the [...]

It’s a Sunday morning. A fire is burning on a silver urn in the sanctum sanctorum as about 30 children pray with a priest in the main hall of the Darbe Meher, the place of worship and community activity for Zoroastrians, in the Sydney suburb of Annangrove. By Neena Bhandari, Womens Feature Service Nestling amidst [...]

The following is an article on “Life After Death as in Zoroastrianism” by Ervad Pervez D. Mithaiwala, revealed to us by Behesti Minocher N. Pundol Saheb as per teachings of Magav Sahebs of Demaavand Koh, Iran. The article although lengthy, vividly describes a Zerthosti Rawaan’s journey to this world from Hasti and its return to [...]

In the 10th century, a group of Zoroastrians arrived from Iran on the shores of Gujarat, India, and sought refuge in the kingdom of Jadi Rana in Sanjan. An oft-told tale then describes a meeting between the reigning Hindu king and the community chief, Dasturji Nairyosang Dhaval. “My kingdom is like a cup of milk, [...]

With numbers dwindling, young Parsis turn to organized social events to meet, and hopefully marry, others of their cultural group. By Hanna Ingber Win — GlobalPost A group of about a dozen young Parsi professionals gather around a table at the Parsi Gymkhana or social club at Marine Lines in Mumbai. They drink Pepsis and [...]

A decade ago, karate champion Vispi Kapadia (52) lost his five-and-a-half-year-old daughter Fareena. Seven years ago, she appeared in his dreams and asked him to do "something for children" and the annual Zochild Day was born. By Anahita Mukherji, / TNN Every year, the Zoroastrian Children’s Foundation (of which Kapadia is a trustee) celebrates the [...]

When life in a Parsi household was lived at a leisurely pace… By Silloo Mehta Indian cities were beautiful a century ago. Bungalows had gardens, leafy parks were well maintained and flowering trees arboured the streets. There was an air of space, tranquillity and wellbeing. We were a joint middle class family, Grandpa the benign [...]

SHERNAAZ ENGINEER peers into the minutiae of life in the Parsi colonies (or our baugs bustling with busybodies) and dishes up some delightfully saucy details. Forget ‘Life in a Metro’. ‘Life in a Parsi  Colony’ should be made into a movie! In Mumbai, you will unarguably find the largest concentration of Parsis in the community’s [...]

Nargol is set to become the first village in the country to host a Parsi festival. This will be similar to government sponsored annual fests like Tarnetar fair, Kutch festival and kite festival. The historic village was developed by first generation immigrant Parsis who landed on the Arabian Sea coast in Valsad’s Umbergaon taluka bordering [...]

Somewhere in the noisy lanes of Dhobi Talao stands a picturesque shop; a little old fashioned, with a small cosy bench, and loads of memories. The owner is a fourth generation Parsi; but the heavy wooden name board proclaiming the store’s 1887 roots has been recently replaced with a new one. “But the character and [...]