Burning sandalwood thickens the air in a room that’s so exclusive only a vanishingly small number of people are...
arZan Articles
Echoes in a Parsi attic: How a box of keepsakes opens story of early Jamshedpur via Mumbai
In 1935, Khurshed Maneckji Bharucha, the first Indian chief cashier of Tata Steel in Jamshedpur, borrowed ₹3.5 lakh...
Part and Parsi of Madras
This Madras Day, members from one of the oldest communities in the city speak through their traditions, roots, cuisines and culture.Amid the clamour of a bustling Royapuram lies the Parsi fire...
Tracing a Parsi trail through Gujarat
For Zoroastrian heritage, the shadows may be lengthening, but at least the flame continues to flicker.Article by Meher Mirza CN TravellerAn old Parsi house in Navsari. Photo: Dinodia...
The legacy of Rowena Irani – daughter, sister, student and children’s advocate
It was a momentous day for Officer Rooshad Irani — the day he knew he’d finally made it. He’d recently picked up his degree in criminal justice from Wichita State and was finally starting his...
2019 Iranshah Udvada Utsav Announced
We are thrilled to learn that the the third edition of the Iranshah Udvada Utsav shall be held in December 2019. Readers of Parsi Khabar will remember our reports from IUU 2015 and IUU 2017 and we...
From A Hong Kong businessman to philanthropist: Jehangir Hormusjee Ruttonjee.
Jehangir Hormusjee Ruttonjee faced business failures, political unrest and personal tragedy in Hong Kong, but his devotion to the city and its people never wavered By Rhea Mogul | South China...
Legendary Hockey Coach Marzban Patel wins Dronacharya Award for Lifetime Achievement
Marzban Patel—better known as Bawa—has been doing this for almost 40 years, and he did not change it on August 17, when it was announced that he had been awarded the Dronacharya in the Lifetime...
Boman Irani to play Farokh Engineer in Ranveer Singh starrer ’83
Both the fraternity of Indian cricket fans as well as that of Bollywood lovers are keenly awaiting the arrival of the movie '83 on the silver screen. This movie, based on Indian cricket team's...
Bombay Parsi Punchayet constitutes committee to resolve issues facing the community
Trustees of the Bombay Parsi Punchayet, founded in the 17th century to look after the welfare of the Parsi community, have constituted a 16-member consultative committee of prominent people to...
The last of the Parsees: The only family in Balasore, Orissa tells their tale
Balasore, August 25 (LocalWire): The eastern state of Odisha is known for its culture, age-old traditions, temples and its indigenous people. People of all religions have called the state home...
Touring Parsees meet in England for the ‘1886 Trophy’
Zoroastrian festival of 'Khordad Sal' celebrated prior to the match Friday 23rd August 2019 was a beautiful English sunny day for the historic cricket match to be played at the Kia Oval between the...
The Parsee pioneers of 1886
More than 130 years after a team made up entirely of Parsees arrived in the UK for India’s first international cricket tour, a group from England travelled in the opposite direction to honour those...
Artist Anaheez Karbhari Is Capturing The Experience Of Being A Zoroastrian Woman In India
Our dear friend Anaheez Karbhari, an extremely talented graphic artist in Toronto, was recently featured on the Indian Women’s Blog. “My artwork relies heavily on my background as a Zoroastrian,...
A breakfast date with the Parsis of Chennai
The city’s Parsi community break brun at their Dharamshala for Madras Week, to explain their history and unique culture over multiple cups of mint chai, generously buttered buns, and eggs akuri...
2019 Muktad in Southern California
Our dear friend Ervad Zarrir Bhandara has been the leading mobed in the Los Angeles area for nearly three decades. He writes in about the most recent Muktad prayers…My dear family and friends,I...
Another Happy Birthday to Dr. Mickey Mehta
Our dearest friend, mentor, guide and world class Wellness guru Dr. Mickey Mehta celebrates yet another circle around the Sun this August 29th. Below is an article on him in the recent Parsi Times....
Naatak nights on Tejpal heights
Capers to thrillers, Parsi plays have enjoyed great runs at the 59-year-old Tejpal Auditorium in Gowalia Tank. Tracing the journey of this drama genre here, ahead of Navroze weekThe young guard...
Our Mobeds – Our Community’s Lifelines
Our dear friend, mentor and community leader Dinshaw K. Tamboly shares some thoughts on the occasion of Parsi New Year 2019Dinshaw K. Tamboly writes….At the outset, on the auspicious occasion of...
Dadar Athornan Institute marks 100 years, struggles to stay afloat
The school estimates that it will be required to spend Rs 2 lakh per head for boarding, lodging and educating each student and has sought donations from both Parsis living in India as well as...
Mumbai Muktad Diaries 2019
During the recent 10 day farvandian/muktad days I posted some observations on social media. Below is a compilation of all the posts. Many of the images were in black and white, but a lot of people...
Navroze Mubarak 2019: Happy New Year 1389 Y.Z.
On this the first day of the “navu varas” new year 1389 Y.Z. we all at Parsi Khabar wish you and your families and loved ones a very Happy New Year. May this be the year when we find the best in all...
DHANSAK & CO. – FIRST ZOROASTRIAN CLOTHING LINE OFFICIALLY LAUNCHES
Today is the official launch of Dhansak & Co. - the first Zoroastrian streetwear brand! The clothing brand includes premium quality, limited-edition t-shirts, hats and phone cases created by...
Twenty decades of Mumbai Samachar
While the print media across the world has been showing signs of fatigue, Mumbai Samachar, a Mumbai-based newspaper, is celebrating its decades of success in the field of printing; a testimonial to...
100-year-old sacred fire to be relocated from Bharuch to Navi Mumbai
A 27-year-old dispute within the Parsi community came to an end last week, after the Supreme Court (SC) allowed the Atash Adaran — a 100-year-old grade-two fire — at Pestonji Aslaji Doongaji Agiary...
The Secrets of Saher Agiary in Mumbai
Meher Mirza takes us on a walk around the delightful Saher Agiary.Mumbai has lost so many of its memories under highways and malls that I am loath to share the few pockets that remain, but I shall...
Freddy Vachha To Stand for Election As Leader of UK Independance Party
Freddy Vachha, London’s Regional Chairman has been selected by 1,400 UKIP members to stand in the election for the next leader of the UK Independence Party. Having run UKIP London totalling 15% of...
7th World Zoroastrian Youth Congress: A Report
Official website of the 7WZYC: https://wzycongress.org All Congress Sessions on Video: https://wzycongress.org/video/ All Congress Photographs: https://wzycongress.org/memories/ 400 Zarathushti...
Parsi Presence at the 24th World Scout Jamboree 2019 in USA
Scouting and Guiding are very much a part of the Parsi DNA for over a century. India’s oldest continuously running scout group is the Sethna’s 18th West Bombay Scout Troop and since its inception in...
Niloufer Mavalvala Launches New Book “The World Of Parsi Cooking: Food Across Borders”
Our dear friend Niloufer Mavalvala has just launched her latest cook book titled “The World Of Parsi Cooking: Food Across Borders”. Niloufer is an award winning author and chef, and has over the...
Shernaz Patel: Theatre is not a stepping stone for cinema
I have done many other things. First, I thought of becoming a psychologist.It has been 35 years since Shernaz Patel debuted with the play, The Diary of Anne Frank. Excerpts from her time in Indian...
‘At 60, I still encounter condescension and pity’
Freny Manecksha on fighting the myopic vision of society that denounces single Parsi women for being 'choosya and 'selfish'My progression into singlehood happened, perhaps, because I had started...
Beyond winning and losing
SEEING the legendary Farokh Engineer among the spectators at the Old Trafford, with his shock of curly white hair and a Falstaffian girth that seemed to meld nicely with his incorrigibly impish...
Israel Philharmonic bids emotional farewell to Maestro Zubin Mehta
After 50 years as musical directorIsrael Philharmonic bids emotional farewell to Maestro Zubin MehtaConductor, 83, performs one last time at Tel Aviv’s Yarkon Park to a vast crowd of adoring fans;...
Pain Management with Dr. Rohaan F. Mehta
Dr. Mehta offers a comprehensive approach to treating customers suffering from painful conditions. He believes that by addressing pain as soon as it starts, rather than waiting to see how it...
Zoroastrian Humbandigi Prayers at 24th World Scout Jamboree 2019
The 24th World Scout Jamboree will be held at the Summit Bechtel Family National Scout Reserve in West Virginia from 22 July to 2 August 2019. The hosting duties will be split between the Boy Scouts...
White House Honors Neville Sanjana with Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers
NYU's Neville Sanjana, an assistant professor in the Department of Biology and at NYU School of Medicine, has been awarded a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers. Neville...
Migrated but kept the Apartment ? Parsis must give ’em up
Is it fair to keep low rent, charity apartments in prime localities of the city locked while the tenants have migrated to the US or Canada? The Bombay Parsi Punchayat (BPP), the city's biggest...
Know All About India’s Most Badass War Hero: Sam Manekshaw Whose Last Words Were Inspirational
Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw is an iconic figure in the Indian Armed Forces. He’s known for many things- for successfully fighting for the country in major wars, for being in the first batch to pass...
Parsis get an exclusive matrimony app, Parsi Shaadi
According to a 2017 study, almost 99.9% Parsis within the age group of 18-25 said they wanted to marry within the communityParsi youth can now find a match within their community with the help of a...
Cyrus Poonawalla Gets Honorary Degree from Oxford University
It was a select group of his inner circle that accompanied Cyrus Poonawalla, founder and chairman of Serum Institute of India, when he received an honorary degree from the University of Oxford for...
Dr Cyrus F. Hirjibehedin Presented Royal Microscopical Society Medal for Scanning Probe Microscopy
We are thrilled to share the news that our dear friend Cyrus F. Hirjibehedin received the Royal Microscopy Society (RMS) Gold Medal in Manchester, UK on July 2, 2019 for his work in STM microscopy...
Tata vs Mistry: Book Excerpt
Minutes of the Oct-16 Tata Sons Board Meeting at Bombay House. There was not much time to think. Mistry messaged his wife, Rohiqa, that he may soon be sacked. There was probably no time to consult a...
On World Refugee Day: How Parsi Refugees From Yesterday Became Citizens of Today
Let alone India’s first cotton mill, first steel plant and first institute for fundamental research in science, we have Parsi Theatre to thank for the musical routines of Bollywood!by Amulya B June...
Tata Trusts to give new life to 99-year-old Parsi hospital in Surat
The Seth Rustamji Dhanjibhai Tarachand Parsi General Hospital, locatedin the centre of the city in Shahpore area, was started in 1920. The general hospital, which will celebrate its centenary next...
The Sari Closet of Cornelia Sohrabji, India’s First Female Lawyer
How the self-chosen dress codes of Cornelia Sorabji gave her a distinguished persona like no otherCornelia Sorabji (1866-1954) was India’s first woman lawyer. Beyond that, she doesn’t fit easily...
‘Bobby’ Talyarkhan: The Pioneer Of Indian Cricket Commentary
Talyarkhan, Indian cricket's first commentator, began speaking from a little corner of a Bombay maidan.In the ‘Signpost’ section of the magazine India Today, dated 15 August 1990, an announcement...
Mumbai boy Jehan Daruvala zooms to victory with Formula 3 win
It all began in 2009, when Khurshed Daruvala from Dadar picked up a copy of Bombay Times on a flight, and noticed a WhatsHot listing on go karting in Powai, during the weekend. He made a mental note...
The Funny Parsis: Not Just Dhansak Ep 07 Featuring Kunal Vijaykar and Cyrus Broacha
On this new episode, Bawi Bride Perzen Patel talks to two famous television personalities, Cyrus Broacha and Kunal Vijaykar about their childhood memories around Parsi food.Together, they recall the...
At ZTFE UK, A Life Well Lived: Khojeste Mistree Conducts A Marathon 8 hour Workshop on Zoroastrianism
Khojeste P. Mistree’s association with Zoroastrian Trust Funds of Europe (ZTFE) is a long standing one. A life member since the early 1980s, Khojeste has given talks at ZTFE, beginning soon after...
VFS Global CEO Zubin Karkaria honoured with Global Game Changers Award at The Indian Awards in London
· Founder and CEO of VFS Global recognised for outstanding contribution to India-UK relationship development and to global travel by transforming the visa application process· Award comes as VFS...
The Noble Family of Port Blair: Only Parsis in a 1000 km radius
A sea-loving Parsi family moved to Port Blair 35 years ago, to a house that had no electricity, no toilets, and on one occasion, no roof. Today, they run a thriving homestay, a spice farm and a...