We are extremely saddened to hear about the passing away of Vada Dasturji Dr Peshotan Mirza, who was one one of the two Vada Dasturjis of the Pak Iranshah Atashbehram.
We were informed of this by Vada Dasturji Khurshed Dastoor who writes……
It is with deep sorrow that I have to inform you that our beloved Vada Dasturji Peshotan Dastur Homuzdyar Mirza has passed away.
Funeral to be held at Mumbai Doongerwadi at 5.00 pm today.
Dasturji Khurshed Dastoor
Dasturhi Mirza had been ill for some time now. The entire Parsi community mourns the loss of this splendid and erudite Zoroastrian — one of our finest Vada Dasturjis.
Till the end he served the community with integrity, scholarship and commitment. May his glorious soul find Garothman Behest, and may his family find solace in their hour of grief.
Below is a 2013 article about Vada Dasturji Mirza
High Priest of Iranshah Atashbehram at Udvada
Saturday, November 16, 2013 | Afternoon DC
Dr. Peshotan Dastur Hormazdyar Mirza is fantastic combination of religious fervour and technical excellence. Born at Udvada in November 1944, Dr. Peshotan Mirza acquired his priestly Education and Training at Seth Sorabji Manekji Damanwala Madressa, Udvada and The M.F. Cama Athornan Institute, Andheri.
Ordained the Zoroastrian Priestly orders of Navar, Maratab and Samel; performed higher liturgical services and ‘Boi’ ceremony of Holy Iranshah Atash-Behram, Udvada.
As for his academic and theological education; he passed SSC examination and joined St. Xavier’s college Mumbai and obtained B.Sc (Honors), M.Sc and Ph.D. degrees in Chemistry from the University of Bombay.
He studied Avesta-Pahlavi and Iranian History at Sir J.J Zarthosti Madressa and Mulla Firoze Madressa, Mumbai alongside University studies in Science.
He was appointed to the exalted position of Dastur (High-Priest) of Iranshah Atash Behram; Samast Anjuman, Udvada on 13th May 2004.
Apart from being a priest of the highest calibre, few in the community know that he was a lecturer in Chemistry at St. Xavier’s College; Mumbai Development and Documentation Scientist at International Draxon Industries, Tehran, Iran.
Retired from the post of General Manager – Technical Services in a Chemical manufacturing company in Mumbai.
Former member -Science and Technology Sub-committee, Bombay Chambers of Commerce and Industry.
Member – Research Committee – The K.R. Cama Oriental Institute, Mumbai
Member of Managing Committee – M.F. Cama Athornan Institute and its ex-student Association.
Trustee – Athornan Mandal and Udvada Anjuman.
Besides discharging religious duties as a high priest of Iranshah Atash Behram Udvada Anjuman, he is also presently working as a technical advisor in a chemical manufacturing company in Mumbai.
He has attended and participated in religious and technical seminars and conferences. He was an invitee to the world conference on spiritual regeneration and human values at Bangalore in January 2003, and addressed the gathering there on Spirituality and science. He also attended a conference of world religions dialogue and symphony at Mahuva, Bhavnagar in 2009.
A great orator, he has lectured on Zoroastrian religious and historical subjects at various places of Parsi settlements in India, Singapore, Dubai, Karachi and Iran.
Dr. Peshotan Mirza is a shining jewel of our community. A man of not only great virtue, sincerity and spirituality, but also of technical excellence. May his tribe increase with the divine benedictory of Pak Iranshah Atashbehram, our prophet Zarathushta and Pak Dadar Ahura Mazda. Atha Jamyat Yathra Afrinami!
Message to the Parsi/ Irani Zarthostis
Religion is the Divine Law of life revealed by the Prophet. It is the divinely inspired knowledge about the creator, spiritual beings and about the life in this world and life here after. It teaches us our duties, responsibilities, commitments towards our creator, ourselves and others.
Religion plays an important part in our daily life. If properly interpreted, understood and practiced, religion guides our destiny and moulds our character. It inculcates spirituality in the worldly life and leads us on the path of piety, virtue and thus inspires us to do good deeds of benevolence. In distress, it gives solace and comfort; in difficulty and danger it affords courage and fortitude.
There can be no worldly life without difficulties and problems. In their long and chequered history, our fore-fathers had to face innumerable difficulties, problems and hardships. Yet, they remained deeply rooted in their ethnicity and religious teachings, customs and traditions. By sheer dint of their faith in Religion, Prophet Zarathustra and Almighty Lord Ahura Mazda, they trounced the difficulties, maintained their religious identity and flourished practically in all walks of life in spite of their small number. They spent their life with hard work, high standard of integrity, spirit of enterprise and service, noble qualities of benevolence and philanthropy.
Zoroastrian Religion enjoins daily prayers and rituals along with moral, ethical virtues of life with purity of mind body and soul. This is the Zoroastrian Path of life in accordance with Humata Hukhta Huvarshta – Good Thoughts, Good Words and Good Deeds.
With these noble qualities they maintained religious identity and at the same time became friends to all India and contributed handsomely in development of our country.
In the present day it becomes our religious duty to emulate our forefathers. It becomes our religious duty that Parsis work hard and flourish in their chosen fields; marry within the fold at the right age and expand their family to the right size. The Parsis must maintain their religious identity and at the same time treat the members of the other communities with respect, justice, harmony and friendship just as our fore fathers did. This is the religious duty and responsibility of every member of our community.
May Lord Ahura Mazda shower his divine blessings upon, eyery member of the Parsi/Irani Zarthosti community in particular and humanity at large!