by Polly Noshir Chenoy My mother’s contention is: “British gayan ne’ opre vadhare British thai gayan” (We have become more British after the British have left). This, she attributes mostly to the fact that the Parsis; especially the younger generation speak no other language except English and have no knowledge of any Indian language. But… Continue reading Anglicisation Of The Parsis
Author: arZan
Endangered vultures put Parsis in a fix
Hundreds of vultures once circled above a sacred area in one of India’s poshest suburbs, waiting to feed on the remains of followers of an ancient religion that does not allow its dead to be buried or burned. Older members of the small-but-prominent Zoroastrian Parsi community of Mumbai say it usually took only half an… Continue reading Endangered vultures put Parsis in a fix
The secret of embroidering a Parsi ‘gara’
The secret of embroidering a Parsi ‘gara’ is now being taught to those willing to learn, as a part of a five-day workshop at Khareghat Colony Parsi gara embroidery, which is a specialty of the Parsi community has long been appreciated by the fashion industry all over the country. History suggests that this beautiful silk… Continue reading The secret of embroidering a Parsi ‘gara’
Iranshah in 1909
This is a photograph of the Iranshah Atashbehram in Udwada, shot in 1909. The photograph is part of the National Geographic archives and was taken by William Thomas Fee. Image source here More info on Parsis from the same source can be found here
Its TATA every where
Its TATA every where !!! ‘TATA’ in your life!!! What makes you lick your fingertips, but of course TATA SALT. What makes your costumes neat and clean? TATA SHUDH. Who gives a foundation to your dreams? TATA FINANCE.
In The Song of Kahunsha
In The Song of Kahunsha (Doubleday Canada, $29.95), the second novel from North Vancouver’s Anosh Irani, paradise is a place of no sadness. Or so believes his protagonist, 10-year-old Chamdi, an orphan who winds up on the streets of Bombay just as Hindu-Muslim violence is tearing the city apart. This paradise–Kahunsha–will be a place of… Continue reading In The Song of Kahunsha
First Trip to India
We saw schools and hospitals established by the Parsis (Persians who follow the Zoroastrian faith and who migrated to India over a thousand years ago.) community. Continue reading here