The bank, hailed as the country’s first Swadeshi bank wholly owned and managed by Indians, is considered as much...
arZan Articles
India is no longer seen as outsourcing destination: Lord Karan Bilimoria
With the India-UK Free Trade Agreement being signed, Bilimoria asserts that India and UK will soon be supporting each...
Hello New York: An Introductory Video Montage
The XVI North American Zarathushti Congress got off to a fantastic start today morning at the Hilton Westchester in Rye Brook, a suburb of New York City. Over 600 delegates from all over North...
Karachi Parsi Volleyball Tournaments
KARACHI: Come Ramazan and Parsis in Karachi gear up for a volleyball face-off which is not just a 46-year-old sports tradition, but a highly competitive one. By Kulsum Ebrahim | The Express Tribune...
Homi Adajania on the Fresh Look of ‘Cocktail’
He’s just made “Being Cyrus” before this, an English thriller that starred Saif Ali Khan, won critical appreciation, and was a commercial success considering its budget and genre. Homi Adajania is...
The Role Parsis of India Played for the Survival and Endurance of the Zartoshtis of Iran
In the name of the Just and Benevolent The Role Parsis of India Played for the Survival and Endurance of the Zartoshtis of Iran Research and Compilation by Farid Shulizadeh More than a thousand...
Parsiana: A Video on Parsi Customs and Life.
The Parsis are probably as old as the Mughals in India. But the poor importance they received doesnt really spell popularity! This documentary is not only a tribute to the Zoroastrians but an...
Only 87 girls born in the Parsi community in 2011
The number of girls born in the Parsi community in Mumbai dipped from 104 in 2010 to 87 in 2011, according to data released by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). The average annual births...
Zarathushti Presence in Zanzibar
A great post and some photographs of the Zoroastrians in Zanzibar by Farah Bala If you are familiar with the Zoroastrian community, you probably know that it is one whose numbers are dwindling very...
Ghambar: Parsi-style Thanksgiving
Come summer and the Zoroastrian community is buzzing with excitement, in anticipation of ghambar, a Parsi thanksgiving feast. Everyone is eager to know which residential compound is going to host...
Dotivala Bakers and Confectioners of Nanpura Surat
Surat is well-known as the city of silks, satins, brocades and diamonds, but together with textiles and jewellery, few leave the city without buying a box of nankathai, khari and butter biscuits....
Cyrus Mistry: Chronicles of a Corpse Bearer
I’m a sucker for books about Parsis. They’ve got some mad stories about them. Dysfunctional families, property disputes, affairs with first cousins, renting out apartments to suspicious tenants,...
A Tribute to Arbab Mehraban Zartoshty
A MAN WITH THE HEART OF GOLD “ZARTOSHTY” thy name is “CHARITY” At the age of 95 Entered Eternal Life on July 6, 2012 We at NAMC are keenly conscious of the legacy of immense philanthropy that Arbab...
XVI NAZC 2012 Launches iOS and Android App
In a first for a Zarathushti event anywhere in the world, ZAGNY and the hosts of the XVI NAZC 2012 are happy to announce the launch of their App. This app is free and is available for immediate...
Parvez Jamasji: Maharashtra gives Rs 111 a month to 1971 war hero
They are ready to lay down their lives for the country, often shed blood for it. But when it comes to repaying our war heroes, the country cuts a sorry figure. By Nauzer K Bharucha | TNN Take the...
Alexander the not so Great: History through Persian eyes
Alexander the Great is portrayed as a legendary conqueror and military leader in Greek-influenced Western history books but his legacy looks very different from a Persian perspective. By Prof Ali...
The Lens and Life of Homai Vyarawalla: Rubin Museum of Art New York
Homai Vyarawalla (1913-2012) was India’s first female photojournalist. This exhibition, the first on Vyarawalla outside of India, will present her photography from the late 1930s to 1970, and...
Behramji Merwanji Malabari (1853 – 1912)
A Tribute to Behramji Merwanji Malabari (1853 – 1912) on the occasion of his death centenary By Marzban Jamshedji Giara He was born at Vadodara on 18th May 1853. His father’s name was Dhanjibhai...
Where Vultures Dare
Soon there shall be 150, yes, 150 vultures at Doongerwadi . This is not a Gustad Gossip story. It is true. Just as we thought that BPP had abandoned its vulture aviary project (for the uninitiated,...
BPP Chairman Responds to Reforming Parsi Matrimonial Law
The below is a response from Mr. Dinshaw Mehta, Chairman of the Bombay Parsi Panchayat. This is in response to an Article to ‘OVERHAUL MATRIMONIAL LAW’ appearing in your esteemed...
Sam Balsara: Advertising Has Become A Cut-Throat Dog-Eat-Dog Business
Sam Balsara of Madison Communication speaks to Merril Diniz For those students who want an exciting, challenging and creative career, Sam Balsara, the doyen of advertising advises them to not look...
Shapoor Mistry seen within the Shapoorji Pallonji Group as a 'big picture strategist'
Reclusive Indian-born Irish tycoon Pallonji Mistry, 82, officially bequeathed the chairman’s role of the $2.5-billion Shapoorji Pallonji Group (SPG) to eldest son, Shapoor Mistry, 47, in early...
Shooter Turns Saviour
On a serene fishing trip with his father, the last thing city shooter Kynan Chenai expected was to be in a situation that required him to save three lives. “It was an instinctual reaction,” says...
Dilnaz Karbhary: Fashion and the Parsi Connection.
Dilnaz Karbhary was 13 when she decided to pursue fashion as a career. “I had seen a photograph of Milind Soman, Madhu Sapre and Mehr Jesia in a newspaper and they were styled by Shahab Durazi. It...
Last Rites for Zoroastrians in North America
Meher Amalsad, via email informs: Last Rights for Zarathushtis: By Ervad Zarrir Bhandara My Dear Friends:In this educational audio program: “LAST RIGHTS” Mobed Zarrir Bhandara has beautifully...
Piroze Khan: Delegate on Parsi Matrimonial Court Suggests Change
DELEGATE OF MATRIMONIAL COURT SUGGESTS CHANGES By Piroz Khan | Mumbai Samachar I am very glad and would like to thank you for giving your article in Mumbai Samachar of the 17th June, 2012, under the...
Rockefeller Foundation Bestows Lifetime Achievement Award on Ratan Tata
New York: Tata Sons Chairman Ratan Tata has been awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award by the prestigious Rockefeller Foundation here for innovation in philanthropy. The Foundation, celebrating 100...
Shernaaz Engineer Editor of Jame Jamshed In Conversation.
Behind the Ingrid Bergman-esque smile is a steel gritty woman, steering over one-and-a-half-century-old boat in turbulent waters. Shernaaz Engineer speaks to the Deccan Herald The journalistic...
The Parsi Feast: NDTV Documentary on Parsi Cuisine in Mumbai
Join Aneesha Baig as she digs out the quintessential Parsi cuisine hot spots in Mumbai.
Parsis and Jews, Exile and Return
At the turn of the 16th century, the Portuguese discovered an eastern passage to India that afforded them easy access to well-priced goods and to India’s natural wonders and human curiosities. ...
NDTV Looks at the Poor Parsi Controversy
This is a NDTV segment with panelists Alyque Padamsee, Dinshaw Mehta, Rustom Marshall and Jehangir Patel. UPDATE: The full 21 minutes segment is on NDTV’s website:...
Overhaul Parsi Matrimonial Law
Phiroze Khan, 87, our friend and insurance agent for many decades is a remarkable gentleman. A loyal employee of Bombay Dyeing for many years, he worked really hard as an insurance agent to bring up...
Parsis lead the way on charity housing
The city’s biggest private landlord, the Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP), on Tuesday explained how it had fixed a monthly income of Rs 90,000 as the upper eligibility limit for getting new...
Poor Parsi redefined: One who earns up to Rs 90,000 per month
The Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) on Monday told the Bombay high court that it had revised the definition of a poor Parsi as one who earns up to Rs 90,000 a month, in order to be eligible for a...
Discovering the Zoroastrian e-diaspora: A Paper by David Knaute
David Knaute is writing his PhD thesis on Zoroastrianism for the Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales, Paris. More specifically, his research concerns the outmigration of Zoroastrians from...
A Parsi Lady: Poem by Siloo Kapadia
Below is a poem by long time reader of Parsi Khabar, Siloo Kapadia. A Parsi Lady By Siloo Kapadia I’m rolling my chapatti And I’m swinging my hips And from my rose water I’m taking a sip The smell...
Atashkadeh in North America: A Paper by the North American Mobeds Council
At the request of many FEZANA Associations, NAMC have been working on a paper: Atashkadeh in North America which gives guidelines for constructing an Atashkadeh (Dar-e-Maher, Agiary, etc.) in...
Jehangir Sabavala’s Painting Vespers 1 Fetches Rs 2.1 Crores
A work by one of India’s leading modernist painters Jehangir Sabavala set a new world auction record for the artist on Thursday. Titled Vespers 1, the painting sold for £253,650 (Rs 2.1 crore)...
Nargol and Sanjan: Fire, water and a holy calm
The sandy shores of Nargol and Sanjan along the Maharashtra-Gujarat coast offer respite and a quiet escape, as well as a look at the Zoroastrian community’s strong ties with this land....
Boman Irani to play Saddam Hussein
We wonder if there’s a better character actor in the country than Boman Irani. Or if we may, there aren’t many better actors than him at all. The man has always defied odds to portray extensively...
Reliving the Parsiana andaaz
Laughter In The House: A Tribute To Adi Marzban is back on popular demand after it premiered two months ago as a homage to the veteran Parsi director Journalist Meher Marfatia still recalls how, as...
Karachi Zarathusti Bannu Mandal: Centre celebrates 100 years of serving Zoroastrians of Karachi
After a hundred years of philanthropic activities, the Karachi Zoroastrian Bannu Mandal (KZBM) is celebrating its centenary anniversary throughout 2012. This historic moment will be marked with...
Nergis Mavalvala: Just Herself
Nergis Mavalvala, professor of physics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge, can check off a whole lot of boxes on the diversity form. She isn’t just a woman in...
Boman Irani : ‘Playing a Parsi is similar to any other person’
Boman Irani, who plays a Parsi in his next, feels young filmmakers can finally break the cinematic stereotypes built around communities In conversation with Shakti Shetty | Mid-Day A proud Parsi,...
Bhandara Joins Pakistan Muslim League – N
Prominent industrialist and a leader of Parsi community on Tuesday announced to join the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) after a meeting with PML-N President Nawaz Sharif. Nawaz welcomed...
Of Garas and Patra Ni Machhi
Every year, in March, the Parsis, who are probably Delhi’s smallest community, celebrate Navroze, their New Year, at the 62-year-old Parsi Dharamshala on Bahadurshah Zafar Marg, next to Delhi...
“THE K FILE” MOVIE
Directed by Oorvazi Irani Story and Screenplay by Farrukh Dhondy, Produced by Sorab Irani "THE K FILE” (Running Time: 9 Minutes 24 Seconds) AN ENTERTAINING SHORT FEATURE FILM ON THE 26/11...
The Ghost Who Talked: Ardeshir Irani Ardent Dream Or The story of India’s First Talkie
Indian cinema, having found its voice in silent reels, was still enjoying its burgeoning, hypnotic pull, when sound turned it on its head in the year 1931; in a stroke, its euphoric silence was...
Dire demographics of Parsi-Zoroastrians
Between 1951 and 2001, when the country’s population increased by 185%, the number of Parsi-Zoroastrians fell by 37.7%. This probably explains why no other community in India watches its...
BPP Trustee Yazdi Desai Clarifies against Charges of Defamation
The following email is circulated via email… CLARIFICATION BY YAZDI DESAI, BPP TRUSTEE An article was published in the Parsi Times dated 19th May 2012, and subsequently circulated widely on...
Thread Bare: The Art of Kusti Weaving
An unusual book on the weaving of the sacred thread worn by the Parsis adds to the craft revival stories in India Few, even among textile conservationists, would imagine a book deconstructing kusti,...
Lord Bilimoria’s Speech at the House of Lords On the Occasion of the 150th Anniversary of ZTFE
House of Lords – Thursday 24 May 2012 Opening speech by Lord Bilimoria to move the motion: “That this House takes note of the contribution made by minority ethnic and religious communities to the...