Today September 4th, 2025 is the 200th birth anniversary of one of the greatest Indian’s ever to be born. Our dear...
History Articles
How the idea of paradise dates back to the ancient gardens of Persia
Some of the most enduring ancient myths in the Persian world were centred around gardens of almost unimaginable beauty...
A sense of belonging: We must recognise the contributions of our minorities
KARACHI: The Parsi community in Karachi has always been small, but it has gifted an unmistakable legacy to the city. They have left their mark on the metropolis, especially in its older parts, with...
Bhonu Prakash: A Talk by Dan Sheffield
Here is a wonderful video presentation titled: “Bhonu Prakash: Zoroastrians and Food in Historical Perspective” by good friend of Parsi Khabar, Dan Sheffield who lectures at Princeton University in...
His Honourable Son-in-Law: Feroze Gandhi
Late on the morning of 8 September 1960, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s first Prime Minister, heavily lugged himself up the staircase at Teen Murti Bhavan, the Prime Minister’s residence in New...
Kavasji Jamshedji Petigara: An Extraordinary Policeman
On reading a recent article on the Irani brothers in the Mumbai Police Force, Parsi Khabar reader Shahpur Doctor writes in to remind us of a legendary Parsi police officer from nearly a 100 years...
Zoroaster: The World’s First Bessemer Ship
Framroze K. Patel, good friend of Parsi Khabar sends us this very interesting article. Framroze writes “These days Alfred Noble is in news. You probably did not know that the world’s first Bessemer...
Shahnameh, a Persian Masterpiece, Still Relevant Today
Long before HBO’s wildly popular Game of Thrones was created, Iranians turned to the national literary epic ‘Shahnameh” (The Book of Kings) for intriguing tales of knights, nobility and mystical...
An Excerpt from the life of Dosebai Cowasjee Jessawalla
Old school English stands proud Article by Bhavani Krishna Iyer | The Sun Daily Malaysia THERE have been generous outpourings of all things women in the past weeks, among others, and I...
Chinese excavations likely to redefine Zoroastrianism’s origin
Zoroastrianism was the state religion of the ancient Persian Empire. Its founder, Zoroaster, or Zarathustra, is thought to have been born in what is now Northeast Iran or Southwest Afghanistan. A...
Parsis and their cars
Why are Parsis into cars? Why do their prized possessions enjoy a unique brand equity in India? We meet a few Parsis to learn about their passion for their mechanical mistresses. From the archives:...
Royapuram: Wheel of time takes the sea away
In the 1970s, Ajit Diaz’s family was among the very few non-Anglo Indian families to make Royapuram their home. Article by Serena Josephine M | The Hindu What he vividly remembers about this north...
Found & lost: Tata villa in Shanghai
A hundred and ten years ago, Parsi businessman Bejan Dadabhoy Tata, a distant relative of the founder of one of India’s oldest corporate houses, sailed from Mumbai to Shanghai to further his...
‘Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw: The Man and His Times’
The army headquarters had recommended that the Republic Day parade in 1972 be cancelled but the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi wanted the pageant to take place to celebrate the Indian Army's...
Mumbai Samachar: Going strong at 192
On July 1, Mumbai Samachar, the city's second most circulated Gujarati paper, will reaffirm its position as the oldest surviving newspaper in Asia. When copies of the Mumbai Samachar (MS) hit the...
Jamshed Nasarwanjee Rustamjee Mehta: The Real Father of Karachi
'Ownership', as defined by Oxford English Dictionary is ‘the act, state or right of possessing something’. In Urdu, it translates into Milkiyyat, while in Sindhi the alternative is Maaliki. When...
Homi Bhabha’s iconic home on the block today
Mehrangir on Malabar Hill, the bungalow where the father of India's atomic energy programme, Homi Bhabha, once lived, will go under the hammer on Wednesday afternoon. Article by Nergish Sunavala...
The Tradition of Indo-Persian Literature
The recent removal of Persian, Arabic and Pali from the list of subjects in UPSC exams has given rise to the question of the validity of these languages. Article by Rana Safvi | DNA India The reason...
In Search of Kersasp ‘Kish’ Ardeshir Dadabhai Naoroji
Good friend of Parsi Khabar, Dinyar Patel referred us to Simon Buck who sends us the following appeal Eastside Community Heritage, a charity based in East London, are in search of anyone with...
The Tatas of Shanghai: A Fascinating Story
Mesmerized by the tale of the Tatas bilateral relationship with a city that was once known as the Paris of the East Inchin Closer explores a personal story, which highlights scintillating Shanghai...
Decoding Religion: Zoroastrianism
Ancient Persian faith perseveres today despite declining populations, limited presence on campus In an effort to further understand UTD’s diverse popluation, what follows is part one in a four-part...
Burjorji Jamaspji Padshah: The Man Behind the Formation of the Tata Group
Burjorji Jamaspji Padshah was born in Bombay on May 7, 1864 in a high talented family, hailing from Navsari. He was the fourth son of Jamaspji Padshah who died prematurely in 1880, leaving him at...
Perin Pudumjee Coyaji And Avestan Calligraphy
With every Avestan letter I mastered, I felt like I was securing a piece of Zoroastrian culture’ Perin Pudumjee Coyaji is the only person in the world to have written a book of Kusti prayers in...
How Bombay’s Parsis cracked the opium trade
In the opening chapter of Amitav Ghosh's River of Smoke, Bahram Modi of Navsari, recently married into the Mistrie family of Bombay, is trying to persuade his wealthy fatherin-law to let him get...
B. Merwan and the Irani Cafe: A Fading Icon
Recently the news about B. Merwan the iconic Irani cafe with the best Mava cakes in the world, shutting down; has brought a sense of gloom over all those who love the restaurant and in fact the...
Parsis and the Art of Automobile Maintenance
The intense relationship that the community shares with its cars explains the premium they command in the second-hand market By Lhendup G Bhutia | OPEN In 1970, an American economist named George...
Persepolis – The Lost Worlds
One of the impressive locations of the ancient world, Persepolis was burnt and destroyed by Alexander the Great in 330 BC and lay forgotten for over 2000 years. This film travels to Iran to bring...
The Story of Two Mumbai Riots in the 19th Century
In 19th century Bombay, Parsis and Muslims fought each other on the streets on two separate occasions but eventually buried the hatchet and moved on. In 2013, we are still grappling with the problem...
JRD Tata: The father of commercial aviation in India
Hardelot is a beach town in the north of France. It is in the Pas de Calais, a region along the English Channel where the distance to Britain is short and, unlikely as it may seem, this is why it...
Kei Kianpoor's Cyrus the Great: A hero for all ages
In a world spiralling out of control, one man hopes that the story of one of history's most secular leaders would prove an inspiration. Joanna Lobo talks to the man bringing Cyrus the Great's story...
Dhunjiboy Bomanji's Pineheath mansion opens a window on the past
Sir Dhunjibhoy Bomanji was a true son of the British Raj. A Parsee shipping magnate from Bombay, knighted for his philanthropy, he was as comfortable in the countryside of his adopted Yorkshire as...
Prominent Parsis of Karachi
The below is a short compilation of some of the prominent Parsis of Karachi, Pakistan. This write up was compiled and forwarded by Phil Masters of Canada. Baba-e-Karachi "Jamshed Nusserwanjee...
The Marshalls keep the Parsi flame alive in Kozhikode
Though Marshalls, the lone family of Kozhikode keeping the lineage of the Parsi tradition, seems to have embraced the rhythm of Malabari culture, they remain intact in Zoroastrian beliefs and...
Parsi Baug Builder: Bai Jerbai Naoroji Nusherwanji Wadia
A few days ago we had posted an article titled “The Parsi Baugs of Mumbai” A Parsi Khabar reader, Mr. E. J. Kanga wrote in with further information on this topic. To All Diaspora & Bharati...
In Hong Kong, a Once Prominent Parsi Community Faces Demise
Each Oct. 12, Homyar Nasirabadwala, the gaunt, white-haired priest of Hong Kong’s Parsi community, pays a visit to the University of Hong Kong to conduct a brief ceremony of thanks on the birthday...
Lucknow Parsis: A wish that is breathing its last
Till a couple of years back, few elderly Parsis in Lucknow nursed the desire of breathing their last in Mumbai, thanks to the 'Tower of Silence', the last abode where bodies are left for the...
Kainaz Amaria in Conversation: Being Zoroastrian
Photographer Kainaz Amaria has been born and brought up in America. As a child, when she’d tell her friends at school she was a Zoroastrian, they thought she was pretending to be a superhero....
Lady Jehangir Kothari Memorial Hall: Bangalore's own Tudor Taj Mahal
For those who regularly cross the Queens Road-Cunningham Road junction in the heart of the city, this stone building, halfheartedly bordering the road leading towards Shivaji Nagar, is not a rare...
Ancient Persian blueprint for Middle East peace touring U.S.
An ancient Persian symbol of freedom, tolerance and coexistence has joined documents like the Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights and the Emancipation Proclamation in Washington. By Tara...
Chennai Parsis: A tale of grit and hardwork
Though they have always been a small number, from the time the first group of Parsis came to the city from Coorg in 1795, the community has had a major role in shaping the history of the city from...
A Small Town Wonder: The Meherjirana Library By Dinyar Patel
Dinyar Patel writes about the Meherjirana Library on the occasion of it’s 140th anniversary and the global conference that was hosted to celebrate this landmark The Meherjirana Library in Gujarat is...
Chaiye Hame Zarathoshti Mimics Nazi Era Anthem ?
UPDATE: On further research… The original tune is the Blue Bell March by Theodore F. Morse and Edward Mullen composed in 1904. Kavi Firoz Rustomji Batliwala composed Chaiye Hame Zarthosti. More on...
Oklahoma University Professor Travels to India to Research Zoroastrianism
Afshin Marashi, OU professor of International and Area Studies, will travel across the globe to further his research on Iranian nationalism and Zoroastrianism, the religion of most Iranians before...
Irani Restaurants: Bye-bye to Brun maska?
A little of Iran blossomed on the streets of South Bombay in the form of restaurants and bakeries in the late 19th century. A few have closed down owing to various pressures. What about those that...
On Sanjan Day, Parsis dwell on future
As you travel north on the railroad route from Mumbai towards Surat, the first station beyond the Gujarat border is Umargam. The second is a small, unassuming coastal settlement named Sanjan. By
A Who’s Who of Persian History.
Who was Who in Persian History. All the ancient Iranian historical events/facts are taken from a century old book. This list is compiled by Phil Masters. [Hat Tip: Mickie Sorabjee] 1)...
Tracing Dadabhai Naoroji’s Descendants: Request for Assistance
I would like to ask readers for assistance in helping trace any descendants of Dadabhai Naoroji. Letter to Dadabhai Naoroji by his young grandson, Sarosh. Dadabhai Naoroji Papers, National Archives...
Surti gave mystical insights into the Avestha
After Mumbai, Surat has the largest number of Parsis in India. The city has also played an important role in the religion of the community as it is the birthplace of a school of Zoroastrian...
We join BACHI KARKARIA as she wishes members of her Parsi community a Happy Navroz and takes us through a typical Parsi New Year celebration in Mumbai and Kolkata The Parsis celebrated their...
Flashback: Like sugar in milk
Gulbano Bamji talks to Moniza Inam about her golden childhood in Quetta: Legend has it that when the Zorastrian king of Persia, Yazedird, was defeated in the Battle of Nehavand, many Parsis fled...
Star Spangled Banner and the Parsi Connection
The American National Anthem and the Wadia Parsi Family America’s National Anthem is sung thousands of times on every 4th of July weekend. What many may not know is that it was written by Francis...
Nargol and Sanjan: Fire, water and a holy calm
The sandy shores of Nargol and Sanjan along the Maharashtra-Gujarat coast offer respite and a quiet escape, as well as a look at the Zoroastrian community's strong ties with this land. Chikoos,...