The Gujarati-language film Paswaar puts a story about elder care and India’s Parsi community front and centreDr Homi,...
arZan Articles
Jiji Irani Cup: A Perfect Match: Parsis Celebrate Cricket, Culture & Bonding
This innings was built over 37 years, and many partnerships were stitched not only on the pitch, but also off it....
Behzad Dabu: In Conversation with Showbiz Chicago
Showbiz Chicago Interviews: JEFF Award Nominee BEHZAD DABU February 21st 2016 Showbiz Chicago Feature Editor Stacey Crawley catches up with 2015 JEFF Award Nominee Behzad Dabu, who returns to the...
Boman Irani talks movies: In Conversation
Article on Filmfare.com He’s one of the best things about Rohit Shetty’s Dilwale. Tell Boman that and he beams. He reveals what’s unique about working in a Rohit Shetty movie. “Generally, you...
Why We Need To Thank Homi Bhabha for India’s Role In The Discovery of Gravitational Waves
The three stages of black hole collision as observed in supercomputer simulation of Einstein Equations. C V Vishveshwara from the Raman Research Institute, along with S. Chandrasekhar (Nobel Prize,...
Jim Sarbh: The Parsi who plays a stellar role in Bollywood Blockbuster Neerja
Theatre actor Jim Sarbh marks his debut on the silver screen with Ram Madhvani’s biopic on airhostess Neerja Bhanot. Ankita Maneck | Scroll Named as one of Forbes magazine’s 30 under 30 people to...
Framroze R. Bhandara: A World War II Parsi Hero
This is the story of our hero and our father Framroze R. Bhandara, who served with pride in the British Navy during World War II. He was born in Mumbai into a middle class Zoroastrian priestly...
Dara Rivetna: My Sojourn At Navsari
My dear wife Dinsoo passed away at the WZO Trust Funds Senior Citizens Centre at Navsari on 24th December 2015 around 7 am. EXPERIENCES OF MY SOJOURN AT NAVSARI By Dara M. Rivetna, Chicago. I...
Karachi bike repairman inspired Mavalvala
Now working at the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory(LIGO) in the United States, Dr Nergis Mavalvala still thanks a bicycle repairman in Karachi for her hands-on skills. by Yusra...
We’re Zoroastrians first
Often, during first-time meetings with non-Zoroastrians, when I identify myself as a ‘Zoroastrian’, I get a puzzled look in response. When I say ‘Parsi’, they ease up and smile and promptly quote a...
Nergis Mavalvala and First Direct Detection of Gravitational Waves
Regular readers of Parsi Khabar will remember our article from 2012 on Nergis Mavalvala. The brilliant professor of physics at MIT is in the news again as one of the lead researchers who has worked...
Bid To Move Bharuch’s 700-Yr-Old Doongaji Agiary To Navi Mumbai Divides Parsis
UPDATE: Since posting this article, Jame-Jamshed reports #BreakingNews Percy Hansotia and Kiazad Sethna have moved the Bharuch District Court and filed for a Stay against the shifting of the...
Dolly Dastoor Among Fifty Indo-Canadians Honoured as ‘Bridge Builders’
Dolly Dastoor a dear friend and mentor of Parsi Khabar and the current editor of the FEZANA Journal, and past President of FEZANA was one of the 50 prominent Indo Canadians on “The A-List”. She and...
Persis Khambatta: The First Indian and Parsi At the Oscars
There has been recent euphoria about a Bollywood actress being one of the presenters at the Oscars Award Ceremony. However it is worth nothing that over 35 years ago the first Indian to do so also...
Lord Karan Bilimoria Named Chairman of Cambridge School’s Board
Indian-origin British entrepreneur Lord Karan Bilimoria has been appointed as the Chairman of the Advisory Board of the prestigious Cambridge Judge Business School. Bilimoria, 54, Founder and...
Chennai’s Newest Parsi Restaurant: Batlivala and Khanabhoy
Batlivala and Khanabhoy, their Parsi Destination and other stories by Deepika, hungryforever.com We arrived at Batlivala and Khanabhoy in Alwarpet late one afternoon. We were handed a beautifully...
The evolution of Kyani and Co.
When burger chain McDonald’s came to town 20 years ago, exciting the city of Mumbai in the first flush of post-liberalization consumer boom, it worried Farokh Shokriye. As the man who would later...
The Mawa Cake
The beautiful and heartwarming story of an old man and his Mawa Cake....Watch it and feel a surge of emotions run through you..
S S Tarapore: The Diminutive Colossus: Obituary
Few people born after 1980 would know of S S Tarapore. He retired from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) as deputy governor at the end of September 1996. When his last day at RBI ended, he refused the...
A True Legacy: Rusi Dinshaw
My uncle, Rusi Nadirshah Dinshaw, was the last of a family of noted gentleman cricketers, and had the notable distinction of being the first non-Muslim and the only Parsi-Zoroastrian to be a member...
ColdPlay Beyonce and the Parsi Connection: Soraabb Kumana
Over the past few days there has been a video that seems to have “broken the Internet in India”. “Hymn for the Weekend” by the band Coldplay also features Beyonce and the video for the most part is...
World Zoroastrian Chamber of Commerce Promo Video
The World Zoroastrian Chamber of Commerce (WZCC) met in Goa in December 2015 for its Annual Global Meeting. At the award function they launched a beautifully created promotional video, showcasing...
BPP Chairman Yazdi Desai: In Conversation
Parsis need reservations in educational institutes: chairman, Bombay Parsi Punchayet chairman, Bombay Parsi Punchayet Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) is the world’s largest Parsi-Zoroastrian...
BH Wadia Clock Tower in Mumbai Vandalized
How safe is Mumbai's heritage from wrecking? How safe is Mumbai’s heritage from wrecking? A theft at Fort’s century-old BH Wadia clock tower throws up uncomfortable questions Mumbai isn’t free from...
Statement from Udvada Samast Anjuman On IUU 2015
STATEMENT FROM UDVADA SAMAST ANJUMAN ON RECENTLY CONCLUDED IRANSHAH UDVADA UTSAV-2015 Udvada Samast Anjuman was proud to co-host the ‘Iranshah Udvada Utsav’ (IUU) with Foundation for Development of...
Kynan Chenai secures Spot for Rio De Janeiro Olympics 2016
On a day when the old guards fell by the wayside, young Indian shooter Kynan Chenai stole the limelight by securing a quota place for the Rio Olympics in Men’s Trap on the second day of the Asian...
FEZANA And The 60th Commission On The Status Of Women (CSW)
In July 2010, the United Nations General Assembly created UN Women, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. This was a historic step taken be UN Member States in...
Hormuz Javat: 13-year-old Zoroastrian priest keeps tradition alive
When Hormuz Javat was 8 years old, he faced a pretty serious decision: did he want to begin training as a Zoroastrian priest? He'd have to begin soon because the training took four years, building...
Sooni Taraporevala: India’s 10 Best Contemporary Photographers You Should Know
Sooni Taraporevala, a fantastically talented photographer, screenwriter and film maker was featured in a list of the Top 10 Photographers of India. “…….India has a legacy of cultural variety and...
The Parsi Cemetery of Hong Kong
A recent work trip to Hong Kong gave me an opportunity to visit the famed Parsi Cemetery in Happy Valley, Hong Kong. This is one of three cemeteries that were founded by the The Incorporated...
Arresting Developments: A photography exhibition by Parhad Goghavala
What: 'Arresting Developments' a photography exhibition by Parhad Goghavala on the windows of Bombay When: 31st Jan - Feb 20; 11 am to 7 pm. Where: Gallery 7, G3 Ground Floor, Oricon House,...
American Desis: In conversation with Freya Motafram
The Indian Subcontinent is dominated by three religions: Hinduism, Islam, and Christianity. But just there are thousands of dialects, there are also many different religions. This week we bring to...
Arzan Khambatta Creates Memorial to Indian Naval Ship Vikrant
"THE LEGEND" A sculpture dedicated to the Mighty VIKRANT made from the original parts of the Legend itself. Inaugurated by Vice Admiral SPS Cheema, PVSM, AVSM , NM, ADC, Flag Officer Command-In...
Three Parsis Awarded Padma Awards in 2016
Construction tycoon Pallonji Shapoorji Mistry, Architect Hafeez Contractor and founder of Gharda Chemicals, Dr. Keki Hormusji Gharda are the three Parsis who have been announced as awardees of the...
Meher Mistry In Lead Role in Disney’s ‘Beauty And The Beast’
Meher Mistry: Destiny’s child Dadar girl Meher Mistry on how she turned princess for the lead role in Disney’s ‘Beauty And The Beast’ When Meher Mistry walks in for a chat at a cosy café in Mumbai’s...
7th World Zoroastrian Youth Congress to be held in 2019 in United States
The Federation of Zoroastrian Associations of North America, in a recent website update informs: FEZANA wishes a Happy NewYear 2016 to all Zarathustis globally in North America and around the world....
Fali Vakeel: ‘The last of the Mad Men’ bids adieu to Advertising
Mullen Lowe Lintas group vice chairman Fali Vakeel calls it a day with a lot to cherish “A lot has changed, hasn’t it?” we asked Fali Vakeel, as we settled into our bar stools at the Bombay...
Rishad Daroowala: Helicopter Photography
Sitting inside helicopters, sea planes, and even commercial airliners with his camera at the ready, Travel and Lifestyle Photographer Rishad Daroowala has captured some truly stunning aerial views...
Zarathushti Wedding Ceremony in Australia shows love must overcome fear
Cronulla couple Rutty Talati and Tristan Harley were married according to the rites of the Zoroastrian religion, one of the world’s rarest faiths.The multi-cultural aspects of the marriage included...
Aapro App to be Launched Soon
Mumbai-based model-actor plans to launch a dating and social connectivity app in association with a Pune tech firm exclusively for single Parsis to mingle; reformists ask why not for all...
6th World Zoroastrian Youth Congress: Highlights
The recently concluded 6th World Zoroastrian Youth Congress was held in Auckland New Zealand in the last week of December 2015 and over New Year's Day 2016. Below is a short video highlight shared...
Sleepless in Udvada: Er. Marzban J. Hathiram
Good friend of Parsi Khabar and esteemed Ervad Marzban J. Hathiram pens an editorial on the recent Iranshah Udvada Utsav So the great Udvada Utsav has ended. The statues have been lifted...
Nostalgia
There are certain incidents and memories that are forever imprinted in your mind’s eye. It just needs a trigger to awaken those memories and then you remember as though that incident took place just...
Mexican Drug Lord El Chapo and the Zarathushti Connection
What in the world would be the connection between the dreaded Mexican drug lord El Chapo Guzman and Zoroastrians ?? On the face of it, none. But that’s not really the truth. Now that the world's...
Draame-Bawaas | Parsi Theatre Competition
Witness the finals of the Draame-Bawaas one-act play competition, in which four finalist teams, rigorously mentored by veteran artistes, perform a quartet of sparkling productions. The competition...
The Second Coming
Draame-Bawaas, a competition of one-act plays, aims to give a new lease of life to Parsi theatre. FOR me, theatre is religion,” says Sam Kerawalla, 84, one of Parsi theatre’s greats. Trained as an...
Section of Parsis Cry Sin As More Opt For Cremation
Cremation among Parsis see rise Article by Ashutosh Shukla | DNA India The information by weekly magazine, Parsianna, stated that the number "Parsi/Irani deaths recorded at the new Prayer Hall in...
Seven Parsi high priests condemn conversion and interfaith marriages
MUMBAI: In an open letter to the community, seven Parsi high priests have condemned both conversion and interfaith marriages. While acknowledging that several issues plague the community—not the...
Bachi Karkaria: Why Is India’s Wealthy Parsi Community Vanishing ?
Udvada is an obscure hamlet in India's western Gujarat state which houses the holiest fire of India's Parsi community. Legend has it that it was consecrated some 12 centuries ago on the nearby...
Vada Dasturjis Voice: “No Conversion or Mixed Marriages”
Below is a letter signed by all the Vada Dasturjis in the aftermath of the Iranshah Udvada Utsav 2015 Preserve identity and maintain religious practices, say Vada Dasturjis in one voice, as they...
Darius Khambata Clarifies Stand on the IUU 2015 Talk
Darius Khambata was one of the speakers on Day 02 of the recently concluded Iranshah Udvada Utsav 2015. His talk raised a lot of controversey over what was said/heard/implied.....or NOT....by those...
Pianist Neville Bharucha Wins 24th Ennio Porrino Competition
Phiroze Bharda of the Bangalore Parsi Anjuman informs.... I am delighted to inform all the members of our community that Neville Z.Bharucha has won the 24th Ennio Porrino International Piano...