Some of the most enduring ancient myths in the Persian world were centred around gardens of almost unimaginable beauty...
arZan Articles
Alarm after FBI arrests US army veteran Bajun Mavalwalla II for ‘conspiracy’ over protest against Ice
Alarm after FBI arrests US army veteran for ‘conspiracy’ over protest against IceArticle by Aaron Glantz | The...
Iranian minorities to attend Bahman 22 rallies
Deputy head of Tehran's Zoroastrians Association said here on Saturday that members of all Iranian religious minorities, along with their Muslim brothers, will attend Bahman 22 rallies marking the...
Modi, Mody & Co
There are two Mr Modis I know in Gujarat. One spells his surname with an ‘i’, the other with a ‘y’. Narendra Modi is a familiar household name. He is the Chief Minister of a ‘Vibrant...
Being Boman Irani
From playing the eccentric Dr Asthana in Munnabhai MBBS to the boisterous Lucky Singh in Lago Raho Munnabhai, Boman Irani has played characters everyone can relate to. In a chat with CNN-IBN’s...
From Parsi Priests to Profits: The TATA Story
Like his devout Zoroastrian ancestors, Ratan Tata avoids conspicuous consumption. Yet he has guided his company through India's economic boom to revenues of more than £10bn a year and his takeover...
Air Marshal Fali Homi Major is New IAF Chief
The Government today appointed Air Marshal Fali Homi Major, PVSM, AVSM, SC, VM, ADC, presently Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Air Command, as the next Chief of the Air Staff with effect...
The Israel Philaharmonic and Zubin Mehta
The NYTimes carries a piece on the 70th anniversary of the founding of the Israel Philaharmonic. Zubin Mehta, the legendary Parsi Conductor is the Director for Life at the IPO. The current music...
Wing Cdr Hoshang K Patel
I came across a wonderful interview with Wing Commander (Retd) Hoshang K Patel. He talks about life in the Air Force and over Burma. Here is an excerpt. Image copyrights bharat-rakshak.comWg Cdr...
Indian of the Year: Ratan Tata
Think India, think Tata. The visionary business house that grew up with independent India, driving down new highways, providing the nation its morning cup of tea and adding that vital pinch of salt...
Astad Deboo Awarded Padma Shri
The phone hasn't stopped ringing at the Antia residence in Parsee Colony for a couple of days. Not that anybody minds. After all, one of their kin, noted choreographer Astad Deboo, has just been...
Corus deal: Lord Bilimoria chips in for Tatas
In a boost to Tatas' bid for Corus, UK lawmaker of Indian origin, Lord Karan Bilimoria asked shareholders of the Anglo-Dutch steel maker Corus to keep in mind the reputation of Tatas before voting...
Kayhan Irani: Artivist with a cause
Kayhan Irani's play, 'We've Come Undone,' has been playing to audiences around the nation since 2003. From Harlem to the streets of Baghdad, all the world's a stage for actress, playwright and...
Cdr Kurush F Morris United States Navy
CDR Kurush F. Morris Commanding Officer USS TAYLOR (FFG 50) Commander Morris was born in Mumbai, India and migrated to the U.S. at the age of 5 with his parents. Upon graduating from high school in...
Hill Road hawkers
Hill Road has long since been a bone of contention between the shopkeepers, the residents, the ward officers and the hawkers. Protests were evident when the BMC announced their plan of widening the...
Courage Under Fire: A Tribute to Nani Palkhiwala
This is an edited version of Teesta Setalvad’s acceptance speech on being conferred the Nani A Palkhivala award, 2006 Nani Palkhivala has been described alternately as a passionate democrat, a...
ZAGNY Essay Competition For Children
As per brief on ZAGNY's website. 2007 Gool Kothawala Essay Competition Topics: 1. “No, in fact, I’m Zoroastrian†(An unusual personal story about telling a new friend that you are a...
Parzania: Death of humanity in Mahatma’s land
Film on Gujarat riots gets green signal; to be released this Friday Almost five years after Gujarat riots of February 2002, a gutsy English-language feature film that looks at the communal carnage...
Safe in Poonawalla’s hands
Dara Bhesania: Life at the Mahalaxmi Racecourse
It’s not just the members, horses, trainers and jockeys who make things happen at the Mahalaxmi Race Course. There are many others who play vital roles in their own capacity. Sadly, limelight...
Yazdani Bakery Fights Inflation and Globalization
The nearly century-old bakery, set amid crowded streets lined by massive stone Victorian-era buildings near the city’s Stock Exchange, looks like a gingerbread house and stands out in sharp...
Parsi Judge in Body Building Gym Ad
One can't say for sure if Justice B J Shethna really packed some power in the punches he allegedly rained on his colleague, Justice P B Majmudar, in Ahmedabad on January 11. But, if he really did,...
Ancient religion may face extinction
This article appeared in the Boston Globe. I cannot seem to find the online direct link. However, read on... As screaming children raced around the hall in joyous play, adult workers readied food in...
The shy architect: Ratan Tata
Ratan Tata has transformed India's biggest company, and done it alone CASTING about for someone to run a big family firm when a successful tyrant is due to retire is usually a troublesome business....
Investing in Gujarat: Parsi Connection
It is stupid if you are not in Gujarat: Ratan Tata “It is stupid if you are not in Gujaratâ€, this is how the Tata Group chairman Ratan Tata described the advantage of investment in Gujarat. He...
Aden to India: Shifting of the Parsee Fire Temple
Shifting of the Parsee Fire Temple from Aden to India (Aden 1886 - 1976) The Flames of Faith: A Historical Saga by Pervez Daruwala Jam-e-Jamshed Weekly, Parsi New Year Special Published originally...
Happy New Year 2007
On behalf of all of us at Parsi Khabar we wish our dear readers a very happy new year 2007. The last year has seen parsi Khabar grow from one blogger to three. All three of us endeavor to bring you...
Talking with Bapsi Sidhwa
Bapsi Sidhwa has become well-known as the author of the novel Cracking India, which was made into the 1998 movie 'Earth', directed by Deepa Mehta. She, however, has been around for a lot longer than...
Dan David: Prizes in 3 time dimensions
Zubin Mehta was awarded the The Dan David Prize for the Present Time Dimension, which this year was dedicated to Contemporary Music. Zubin Mehta, who is one of the world's leading conductors, was...
Parsis love their bikes more than their wives!
Parsis have a certain love affair with their two wheelers, which only they can fathom. They'll proudly spend hours lovingly washing and polishing their prized possessions and God help you if you...
Heads of UNESCO National Commissions to Finalize Norouz File
Heads of UNESCO's national commissions in ten countries sharing the Norouz tradition will get together in Tehran in April 2007 for a final review of Norouz file to be sent to UNESCO for inscription...
Out with the Old
A similar situation exists across the 120-foot Road at Parsi Colony where as many as 45 out of 225 four-storey building plots have been cleared. A multi-storey building, complete with a swimming...
Redevelopment doesn’t enthuse all
Sporting a fresh court of paint, a group of 70-year-old cessed buildings at Dadar and Churchgate are enjoying a new lease on life. Even as incentive floor space index (FSI) lures landlords and...
Mumbai’s Parsis do a Dhoom 2
Big boys like playing with their favourite toys and while they are at it, their girlfriends are keeping a watchful eye on their men who for one day seem to be paying a lot more attention to other...
Perizaad Zorabian gets married to Boman Irani
Saturday was a big day for actress Perizaad Zorabian as the actress got married with her longtime boyfriend Boman Irani. No not the actor Boman but an estate developer based in Mumbai. The couple...
Lover of Life, Singer of Songs: The Very Best of Freddie Mercury
Album: Lover of Life, Singer of Songs: The Very Best of Freddie Mercury Solo (Hollywood) Why we care: Queen's late, great rock god (who would have been 60 this year) didn't have a prolific career...
A Few Stray Thoughts by Farzana Contractor
Sweet Dadi, younger brother of Behram is here, all the way from the South of France, St Rapheal, where he now lives It's not often that I have house guests. And rarely if ever as welcome as the one...
Bawa Bikers on a roll for a good cause
Led by Jimmy Mistry, 300 Parsi bikers will spread the message that Parsis do a lot more than just bicker On Sunday morning when the roads of Mumbai are still sleepy, around 300 Parsi bikers will don...
Parsi apex body seeks universal franchise
By Nauzer Bharucha MUMBAI: Parsis may be one of the most literate and progressive communities in the country. But for the past 350 years, a vast majority of them in Mumbai had no stake in appointing...
Fars Railway Path Changed
Transportation Ministry Obliged to Change Fars Railway Path One of the bas-reliefs of Naqsh-e Rostam, depicting Sassanid king Ardeshir I with defeated Roman emperors Valerian and Philip at his feet...
Karate champs
Sisters Zinatra and Mahzarine Bonesetter make their parents proud by clinching seven medals at the recently held 8th All Gujarat Shotaokan Karate Championships Tennis and badminton move aside. The...
A family’s attempts to trace their missing son
Tears well up in her eyes as she remembers the ill-fated day in 2002 when her 13-year-old son went missing during the Gujarat riots. Even after five years, Rupa Dara Mody carries his photograph in...
Zoroaster’s Kaba: A Potential Victim of Railway Construction
Studies on the map of a railway which is planned to pass close to the historic site of Naqsh-e Rostam in Fars province show that it would for sure result in destruction of Achaemenid monument of...
Ibad lauds role of Parsis in development
KARACHI: Sindh Governor Ishratul Ibad has said that the services rendered by Parsis in the development of Pakistan and particularly Karachi and their welfare work will never be forgotten. He was...
A Parsi Wedding
A good friend of Parsi Khabar and problogger Manish Vij of Ultrabrown fame was invited for a Parsi Wedding. He has some great observations and wonderful snaps. Check them here Incidentally, the...
Zubin Mehta Felicitated at Kennedy Center
Kennedy Center Chairman Stephen A. Schwarzman has declared that Zubin Mehta's "profound artistry and devotion to music make him a world treasure." No doubt that's why he'll be celebrated as one of...
Naqsh-e Rustam site in danger
The railroad project had been stopped on the order of the Marvdasht public prosecutor some time ago, but he revised his ruling and the road construction machines recently resumed operations at the...
Bandra residents want BMC chief’s written promise
The Bandra Hill Road Citizen's Committee movement to save old heritage structures, including the Tata Parsi Agiary, St Peter's Church, St Stanislaus' High School and St Andrew's Church, from being...
First Iranian Kings of Persian Poetry
By Manouchehr Saadat Noury, PhD - Persian Journal INTRODUCTION: According to a great number of eminent scholars and highly respected experts in Persian Literature and Poetry, there are many Iranian...
City’s at the heart of art mart
This was fuelled initially by the wealthy community of Parsis who were known not just for the acquisitions of art, but their appreciation of the arts and promotional activities," an art market...
It’s a small but powerful community and Parsis…
It's a small but powerful community and Parsis in Mumbai are joining hands to protect a 123-year-old community temple. Built by the Tatas, the agiary on Bandra's Hill Road is under threat from the...
1400 people turn up to save Bandra Agiary
Parsis from Mumbai gather at agiary gates after SMS campaign Never underestimate the power of people. That's what the Bombay Municipal Corporation (BMC) discovered on Saturday morning. About 1,400...