Parsis settled in Madras ran most of the single-screen theatres in the city since mid-1910sArticle by Sriram V | The...
arZan Articles
The taste of tradition: Shelley Subawalla
Shelley Subawalla sells Parsi spices not just for business, but to keep her community’s...
Tata is Everywhere in India
Yesterday was another dull day on Wall Street. The Dow rose 2 points. Oil held at $81. Gold didn't move enough for us to remember, one way or another. By Bill Bonner The recovery continues...or so...
Steel frame of standards: Jamshedji N Tata
Given the kind of factionalism that India is witnessing today, and the general air of intolerance that sweeps our land, there are very few things we can truly be proud of. One of them happens to be...
Diaspora: A Talk by Khojeste Mistree
What the Diaspora can do for India and what India can do for the Diaspora A talk given by Khojeste P Mistree at the 10th World Zoroastrian Congress, Dubai on 31st December 2009 Good Morning Ladies...
Saving Miss Pestonjee
Pranab Babu's pioneering budgetary allocation for threatened communities wasn't met with the raising of a Parsi peg or gongs resounding from Mumbai's fire temples. A community that controls enough...
Is It Too Little Too Late
Mahatma Gandhi once said of them, “In numbers Parsis are beneath contempt, but in contribution, beyond compare.” By Nauzer K Bharucha, TNN, Never has the contrast been starker. The community that’s...
Navroze Recognition by United Nations
The UN has acknowledged the festival of Navroze as a Heritage of Humanity. The below is an email forwarde by Mickie Sorabjee. Dear All, You will be happy to know that finally, after some years of...
Indian Govt Budgets for Dwindling Parsi Population.
Not much is known about what can be done to check the dwindling number of Parsis. There has been much concern, even heartburn, but solutions have proved elusive. But the Centre has decided to step...
Parsis storm Zoroastrian College to stop conversion of a Russian
Bombay Parsi Punchayet chairman alleged the institute’s head Meher Master-Moos was indulging in ‘wrongful’ conversion, which is reserved for only sons of priests By Manoj R Nair and Ram Parmar /...
The Life of Bai Jerbai Nusherwanji Wadia
An ordinary lady with an extra-ordinary vision: Bai Jerbai Nusherwanji Wadia (1852-1926) This is a simple story of an ordinary Zarathushti lady, who possessed an extraordinary vision.. Born in 1852,...
Parvin Jungalwala Escapes 17-year Confinement
For 17 years, Parvin Jungalwala, 40, a Parsi widow, allegedly spent her life in home confinement. However, she decided to end her torture and the reason for this his is her daughter's well-being,...
Small Yet Significant
The Parsi community in the city continues to play a vital role in the field of education and business Indian Express While the dictionary defines them as members of Zoroastrian origin who came to...
Life After Death: Concepts in Zoroastrianism
The following is an article on "Life After Death as in Zoroastrianism" by Ervad Pervez D. Mithaiwala, revealed to us by Behesti Minocher N. Pundol Saheb as per teachings of Magav Sahebs of Demaavand...
Thousands gather to celebrate ancient Zoroastrian fire festival
CHAM, Iran - Thousands of Iranians gathered at dusk against a snowy mountain backdrop to light giant bonfires in an ancient midwinter festival dating back to Iran’s pre-Islamic past that is drawing...
Parsis More Prone to Cancer: Study
An alarming statistic emerging from the Mumbai Cancer Registry indicates that Parsis are at a higher risk of getting cancer than those from other communities. By Jyoti Shelar / DNA According to the...
The Iranian Pilao: Berry at its Best
The Zereshk Pilao is one of the most stunning rice dishes one can possibly serve. The dish has a warm ruby glow with the burberries studding the rice with colour and the saffron with fragrance. This...
Oldest Parsi high priest is a lawyer, flautist
By Nauzer K Bharucha / TNN Perhaps for the first time in the more than 1,300-year history of the Parsis in India, the community's oldest high priest at age 83, was anointed at Navsari in Gujarat on...
Anu Aga of Thermax India Awarded the Padma Shri
Anu Aga, the ex-Chairman of Thermax India has been awarded the Padma Shri. Her name featured on the list of awardees announced by the Government on the occasion of Republic Day 2010. Here is a short...
Ervad K. N. Dastoor appointed Vada Dasturji of Navsari Atash Behram
From Ervad Marzban Hathiram I am happy to inform readers that the Bhagarsath Anjuman has elected Ervad Kaikhushroo Navroze Dastoor (more popularly known as K. N. Dastoor, or KND) as the 17th Dastur...
Dasturji Meherjirana: An Obituary
Parsi Khabar joins all the Parsis in expressing condolences on the passing away of Dasturji Meherjirana. Ervad Marzban Hathiram has written a wonderful obituary. It is my solemn duty to inform...
Even in Death, A Parsi to the End.
A very interesting account from way back in the 19th century. It was a hot and sultry afternoon, that 21st day of April, 1844 as Mr. Mancherji Hormuzdiar Chanddaru left the offices of the popular...
Jam-e-Jamshed: Return to the fold
With a new editor taking over Jam-e-Jamshed, the recently acquired reformist views of the 177-year-old Parsi weekly may be toned down By Manoj R Nair / Mumbai Mirror On Sunday, readers of...
Young Parsis toil to make agiaries shine
Do not be alarmed if you see a group of masked youngsters armed with brooms and mops entering a fire temple on a Sunday morning. KEEPING HERITAGE SPIC AND SPAN By Mahafreed Irani / TNN Mumbai: They...
Report: 9th World Zoroastrian Congress
The following is a report filed by Marzban Giara on the occassion of 9th World Zoroastrian Congress held in Dubai in December 2009. The 9th World Zoroastrian Congress was held at Dubai from 28th to...
Ratan Tata: Global visionary rooted to reality
Assume you are the head of a multinational group some of whose leading businesses are weakened by a troubled market and lack of refinance in overleveraged balance sheets. What’s the likelihood that...
Jokhi Agiary in Godrej Baug Celebrates Anniversary
More than 2,000 Parsis flocked to celebrate the anniversary of the city's youngest fire temple last week. Posted in DNA India The Shapurji Fakirji Jokhi Agiary in Godrej Baug, Malabar Hill,...
Dinaz Vervatwala Enters Guinness Book of Records
“I finally made it and can’t believe it’s over,” beamed a visibly exhausted fitness trainer, Dinaz Vervatwala, after claiming the Guinness Book of World Record for completing 26-hour-long aerobics...
Parsis hear chants of holy change
Farhad Bhesania, 31, a Godrej Baug resident, has never regretted the decision he took nearly 17 years ago. Belonging to a family of Parsi priests, Bhesania chose a different path for himself. By...
The Exodus
She calls it the U-Trip. Setting out from Karachi, 15-year-old Rosheen Birdie plans on visiting every major hub of Zoroastrians in the world, just so she can find one to marry. It’s not so easy to...
Can Zoroastrians save their faith?
By Deena Guzder / The Washington Post Many of us recently finished celebrating Christmas, Eid, and Hanukkah; however, few of us have heard of the religion that deeply influenced those traditions of...
Mumbai Parsis divided on intermarriage
With numbers dwindling, young Parsis turn to organized social events to meet, and hopefully marry, others of their cultural group. By Hanna Ingber Win — GlobalPost A group of about a dozen young...
9th World Zoroastrian Congress 2009 Opens in Dubai
World Zoroastrian Congress Opens in Dubai Today 28 December 2009 DUBAI - The global Zoroastrian diaspora will converge in Dubai for a four-day congress, starting today. The 9th World Zoroastrian...
Mani Cooper: Faberge Eggstraordinary
An ‘eggsceptionally’ talented lady, handcrafts and decorates Faberge-style eggs By Indira Rodericks / Upper Crust Magazine. There’s never a dull moment in Mani Cooper’s life. A lady of rare and...
Baug flats won’t be a burden on Parsis
The Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) and the Alert Zoroastrian Association (AZA) on Friday resolved the flat allotment issue for poor Parsis at Panthaky Baug, Andheri (East). The AZA had challenged the...
Of An Edwardian India
When life in a Parsi household was lived at a leisurely pace... By Silloo Mehta Indian cities were beautiful a century ago. Bungalows had gardens, leafy parks were well maintained and flowering...
Dorabjee & Sons: Flavours of the Past
Going to Dorabjee’s is like stepping into the pages of a Farrukh Dhondy short story (many of which were set here, in the gullies of Sarbatwala Chowk). In fact, looking around, we could swear we...
Lone family left to guard Parsi legacy in Kozhikode
This ancient commercial city on the coast of Kerala once played host to a flourishing Parsi community, but all that is now left is a lone family struggling to keep the community's legacy alive....
Parsis Seek Seat in Maharashtra Assembly
The Parsis have decided to ensure that, like other communities, they too have a representative in the Maharashtra assembly. Members of the Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) and BJP legislator Mangal...
Free flats for Parsis on the anvil
By Nauzer Bharucha, / TNN In a city where a decent two-BHK apartment within 30 km of the business district is the exclusive domain of crorepatis, the Bombay Parsi Punchayat (BPP) will sell almost 75...
Tata Chairman Doesn’t Sweat the Timing on Global Expansion
By PAUL BECKETT / WSJ MUMBAI—During his 18-year tenure as chairman of India's venerable Tata Group, 71-year-old Ratan Tata has led a drive to expand internationally, a strategy India's other...
Neville Wadia: World’s Oldest T20 Centurion
He is a grandfather and yet Neville Wadia's passion for cricket at the age of 63 is never-ending. He has been playing cricket for over 40 years now. Some six months ago, he achieved something...
A Vegetarian Parsi
By Rakshande Italia / Inside TORONTO DESI DIALOGUES: Turning vegetarian leaves a pleasant taste on the palate The past 15 days have been one of my most testing times. That's because I decided to...
“Parsis exude no sense of victimisation”
By Farrukh Dhondy / DNA India Sitting next to the grandson of a late great English writer, himself a writer, at a dinner party in Exmoor, I am asked if I am a practising Zoroastrian. I say 'not...
Murree Brewery Still brewing in a dry land: Pakistan’s Parsi Brewery
Still brewing in a dry land: Pakistan's only beer and whisky firm After 150 years, business is booming at Pakistan's only beer and whisky firm. Andrew Buncombe finds out why On the walls of...
Parsi athletes shine at World Masters Games
The rough football ground of Dadar Parsi Gymkhana is cultivating rare laurels. Two middle-aged neighbours have won India a gold and a silver medal at the prestigious World Masters Games held in...
Charity Commissioner Clears BPP of any wrongdoing
In a reprieve for Bombay Parsi Punchayat chairman Dinshaw Mehta, the charity commissioner's office recently dismissed a complaint seeking his removal for alleged irregularities and nepotism in...
Akuri: Eggsciting recipes
One of my favourite breakfast preparations is scrambled eggs, even higher on the scale of delicacy, is the akuri, a much underrated dish. Akuri means egg curry in its most basic sense.It is like...
Indian filmmaker unveils her own minuscule Parsi Minority
Men in PLO T-shirts march through noisy, chaotic streets; their leader, all in white, stands before the wrought iron gate of a Zoroastrian fire temple urging followers to pledge purity and denounce...
Parsi Memories: Ideal Restaurant
By Rusi Sorabjee IDEAL RESTAURANT ….a gastronomic heaven (Still there in 2009,But shifted about 100 mtrs away and inside from main road.) (The IRANI Restaurant… quintessentially Zarathushti...
Parsi Memories: Chom-e-shvaa
By Rusi Sorabjee In our scriptures there is a mention that 'it was obligatory, as thanks-giving' to save a bit of the meal at the end for the dog - during Sassanian times, it was called the...
Parsi Memories : Daily Loban Ritual
By Rusi Sorabjee One of the daily ritual in a Parsi/Irani homes in India of the early 20th Century, that brings back happy memories of our childhood, of a bygone era, when the days had morehours,...