Satara district collector Santosh Patil has ordered reopening of the Parsi Gymkhana property in Mahabaleshwar and...
arZan Articles
Luxury Watches & Legacy | Aviva & Hormuz Pundole on 117 Years of C.T. Pundole
CT Pundole & Sons, India’s oldest watch retailer, has marked 117 years of trust, tradition, and expertise. In a...
India, Iran to hold seminar on Iran and Zoroastrianism
The Islamic Culture and Relations Organization (ICRO) and India’s Cama Oriental Institute are to hold a seminar on Iran and Zoroastrianism on April 27. ICRO International Department Director Khalaj...
Cinema in India and Iran: Will past open the doors for future?
We have same beginning, same memories and same cultural roots. Yes this is the story of India and Iran, at the beginning of past century. When first Persian talkie Dokhtar-e-Lor (Lor Girl) produced...
Armaity Tirandaz Wins BPP Trustee Elections
Parsi Khabar has been informed from various sources that Armaity Tirandaz has won the elections for the 7th Trustee position at the Bombay Parsi Punchayat. She won with a clear majority of 650...
Understanding Tata in the UK Business Scenario
IT is six months since we revealed that Tata, the owners of Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), had asked the government to help the struggling British carmaker. Since then things have moved slowly – so slowly...
No more Farzins
Concerned community comes together for last prayers for shunned half-Parsi child who died of starvation By Manoj R Nair in the Mumbai Mirror Neglected in life, Farzin Batlivala - the seven-year-old...
Was Homi Bhabha’s plane hit by Italian aircraft?
On January 24, 1966, Air India flight AI 101 Mumbai-Paris crashed on Mont Blanc, the highest peak in the Alps on the border of France and Italy. Amongst the 117 passengers killed was noted nuclear...
A Taste of Persia, and Old Bombay: Irani Chai Restaurants
By Kavitha Rao MUMBAI | As Mumbai’s classical architecture gives way to skyscrapers, the curious traveler needs to be quick to see those parts of old Bombay that still remain. There were once...
Parsi couple seeks divorce after 40 years of marriage
A Parsi couple, married for 40 years, is fighting a legal battle for divorce in the Bombay High Court which has asked both life partners to settle their dispute amicably without any further...
Parsi Punchayet bypoll an expensive affair
The electorate is a measly 9,000, but the expenditure being incurred by two of four candidates in a Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) by-election is an eye-popping Rs40 lakh. The irony is, Rustom...
India’s Youth Vote Rises From Ashes Of Mumbai Attacks
MUMBAI -- Before the November terrorist attacks on this city left three of his friends dead, Kaizad Bhamgara, 19, spent his evenings jamming with his hipster goth-rock band or chilling on the...
BPP Says It Tried to help Ferzin Batlivala’s Mother.
Yesterday we reported about the really tragic story of little Ferzin Batlivala who died due to starvation. Here is a follow up article. In a case before the Bombay High Court on housing for poor...
Farzin Batlivala: 7 year old found starved to death
When neighbours broke open the door of Farzin Batlivala’s house and rushed the inert child to the hospital, doctors were horrified to find not a single particle of food in her body By Manoj R Nair...
Parsis and National Politics of India
We Parsis have had a long tradition with politics at the national, state and city level. Dadabhoy Navroji was one of the founding fathers of the Indian National Congress in the late 19th Century. He...
Armaity Rustom Tirandaz: An Interview
Shernaaz Engineer interviews Armaity Tirandaz, wife of recently deceased BPP Trustee Rustom Tirandaz. What does one call you – Rabri Devi (as you have recently been rechristened) or Armaity Rustom...
Bangalore Dasturji in Critical Condition
Received via email on a newsgroup It is unfortunate that Ervad Jamshed Unvalla, younger brother of our departed Bangalore High Priest Nadirshah Unvalla has suffered burns to 70% of his body....
Dokhmenshahi in UK: A contrarian view
Farrukh Dhondy, noted writer, talks about religious funeral practises in a recent article in the DNA India. It talks about a petition filed by a Hindu UK resident to be allowed in death to be...
Vispy Kapadia Awarded Lifetime Achievement Award
Noted karate coach Vispy Kapadia was recently awarded Lifetime Achievement award by Union home minister P Chidambaram for his service to various wings of the police force, including the special task...
Nowruz Celebrations in China: Xinjiang Uyghur
Nowruz Festival is a traditional holiday with a long history. In Xinjiang, all national minority believe in Islam celebrate the festival. The word came from Iranian, means “Spring Water“, equating...
Bapsy Sidhwa: Mystique of Her Art
The irremovable stains of blood marked on the dead body of an innocent girl compelled her to pen her thoughts and that’s when it all started. Bapsi Sidhwa, noted writer and Pakistani-based American...
The Persepolis Celebrations of 1971
From Teheran to Persepolis: All the Glitter of the Empire This is the title of a fantastic website that has the entire event in photographs and text. A definite must read. Website Link
2500 Years: The Persepolis Celebrations of 1971
Aryanmehr, an Iranian blog has a long write up about the Persepolis celebrations of 1971. We are awake 2,500-year celebrations revisited By Cyrus Kadivar The sky was dark on that Christmas Day in...
The Northernmost Zoroastrian Fire Temple in the World
Source: Sasanika, The History and Culture of Sassanians, UC Irvine School of Humanities The Caucasus is a land of diverse population and beliefs. Today, Christians, Muslims, Jews, and Yazidis live...
To steer Nano, 96 is not old
She captured through her lens India’s tryst with destiny. Now, Homai Vyarawalla wants to be in the driver’s seat when the country makes automobile history. India’s first woman photo-journalist, the...
Pioneer Photojournalist Homai Vyarawalla Wants a Nano
Homai Vyarawalla, owner of 1955 model Fiat, wants to have ‘Nano’ The Nano may target young people and nuclear families, but in Vadodara, the country’s first lady photojournalist cannot wait to book...
Announcement for BPP Trustee Elections
Announcement for the election for the one-off trustee election. Candidatures were received from the following persons for the Election to be held In April 2009, to fill in the vacancy of a Trustee...
Nawaz Modi Singhania on Navroze
Mumbai: It's an early start to the day for Nawaz Modi Singhania, wife of industrialist Gautam Singhania, just like when she was younger, she says. "New Year binds you with family and religion, and...
Brun Pav Bun Maska and Chai
By Mark Manuel for the Times of India. Sahebji, and Navroze Mubarak! I present Boman Irani and Shenaz Treasuryvala, Zoroastrians both; he a blustery and excitable Irani, she a petite Shenaz...
There is nothing like Parsi Bhonu
Mumbai: It's that time of the year again -- a day when every Parsi home will prepare traditional foods in a special lunch, for March 21 that marks the vernal equinox is special to Iranis and Paris...
A Persian feast for spring equinox
A Zororastrian celebration of this often-overlooked cuisine is the perfect antidote to Lenten guilt By Alex Renton Tonight we're going to eat Persian: herbed and spiced rice, smoked fish, baklava...
Jamshedi Navroze Celebrations in Mumbai
[The original article is titled "Jamshedji" Navroze. I am surprised that the writer Ismat Tahseen at DNA India did not bother to fact check that its actually Jamshedi....a big differences from the...
President Obama’s Norouz Message to The People of Iran
This is a fantastic video that was aired all over the Middle East Television networks. President Barack Obama uses the new year to greet the people and the leaders of Iran.
From Azerbaijan To India, Spring Festival Norouz Begins
Iranians set off fireworks during the celebrations leading up to Norouz March 20, 2009 By Abbas Djavadi, Bruce Pannier Across much of the non-Arab Muslim world, people are celebrating Norouz, the...
Happy Jamshedi Navroze 2009
Parsi Khabar and all its three editors wishes all our readers and subscribers a very happy and prosperous Jamshedi Navroze (Nooruz / Nowruz). We value your readership and your participation on our...
Irani or Parsi, what’s the difference?
By Meher Marfatia in DNA India Who hasn't smiled at quaint "By Order" instructions written in coloured chalk at Irani restaurant entrances? But walk to your corner café today. The interior will...
Zubin Antalia Wins Maruti Suzuki-Autocar Young Driver Contest
ubin Antalia from Mumbai has won the inaugural Maruti Suzuki-Autocar Young Driver contest, beating 32 other competitors from across the country. Maruti Suzuki-Autocar Young Driver 2009 is a...
The Typology of A Parsi Fire Temple
The following is compiled from various sources for The Informal Adult Classes on Zoroastrian Religion & History, by Keki B. Shroff, Toronto, Canada DADGAH, AGIARY & DAR-E-MEHR TERMS...
High Court Relief for Bombay Parsi Panchayat
It came as a major relief for the newly-elected trustees of the Bombay Parsee Punchayet (BPP) when Bombay High Court on Tuesday stayed an order passed by the charity commissioner, directing...
Norooz Celebrations in Dubai
What is Norooz? Norooz, the Iranian new-year holiday, is celebrated on the first day of spring – according to the Persian calendar – and goes on for 13 days. The holiday is commemorated by spring...
Dilshad Patel : I can play anyone
Dilshad Patel is one hell of a performer. With a cheerful laugh she says, "I can play anybody you want, between 22 and 26 years. I would call that my screen age." Patel, the latest entrant...
WZCC Confers Outstanding Entrepreneur of the Year to Dr. Villoo Morawala-Patell
Outstanding Entrepreneur of the Year; Dr. Villoo Morawala-Patell, Conferred Upon By The World Zarathusthi Chamber of Commerce (WZCC) at Houston,Texas, USA Submitted by sukhmani on March 12, 2009 -...
Zubin Mehta performs in Abu Dhabi
Ahead of his Abu Dhabi Classics concerts, the conductor Zubin Mehta speaks to Philippa Kennedy about his work with some of the world’s most renowned orchestras and his efforts to recreate the Vienna...
Cambridge Univ to observe 1,000 years of Shahnamah
Cambridge University will observe 1,000 years of the Shahnama or book of kings by the Persian poet Firdausi in 2010. This epic verse was compiled in 1,010 AD which narrates the history of the...
Sooni Taraporewala draws ire of conservative group
In spite of a frown from the conservatives, Sooni Taraporewala has gone ahead and done something that no other director would dare to do. The director has replicated a Parsi fire temple onscreen...
Sooni Taraporewala: A Parsi state of mind
Naomi Canton, Hindustan Times Mumbai, March 04, 2009 Her first film Little Zizou will be released on March 13. Fifty-two-year-old writerphotographer Sooni Taraporevala speaks to Naomi Canton about...
The Other Mumbai
An Acclaimed Screenwriter's Latest Film Takes on Indian Zoroastrianism In the film "Little Zizou," 10-year-old Liana asks her friend Xerxes if he knows where their people, known as Parsis,...
All in the family
Celebrating the world she knows best, Sooni Taraporevala brings all our favourite Parsis together Parizaad Khan But the cast member doing the kissing is her fox terrier Toots who, along with various...
Parsi family of three tries to commit suicide
In a case of what can be described as arm twisting by creditors, a family of three, tried to commit suicide in Ahmedabad. They had consumed heavy dose of sedative and they were found unconscious in...
BPP trustee supports needy Parsis
After years of fighting for a home under the Bombay Parsi Punchayet's (BPP) homes-for-the-needy scheme, needy Parsis found support from an unexpected quarter. A trustee of BPP, Noshir Dadrawala, on...
Rahul connects with his paternal roots
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi connected with his paternal roots and met up with his Parsi relatives at the wedding of his distant cousin Tanaz Patel at a gala traditional function at the Jeejeebhoy...
Bombay Parsi Punchayat May be Dissolved
The newly-elected Bombay Parsi Punchayet faces dissolution. The over 350-year-old trust, among the oldest in the city, had for the first time conducted a universal adult franchise to elect trustees...