Served at the Delicious Dining Awards, this fizzy pink soda stirred up nostalgia, and proved why some classics never...
arZan Articles
Sacred fire still burns as many Zoroastrians quit Iran for America
A small fire is lit at dawn and quenched at dusk at the Zoroastrian center in Orange County, California in imitation...
Zoroastrian Tower of Silence
A “Tower of Silence” is the place where Zoroastrians laid their dead to rest in the life-giving power of the sun. Zarathustra is the ancient Persian prophet who founded Zoroastrianism...
Chaiye Hame Bawaji
This is a wonderful piece written by Ms. Natasha Viraf Deboo of Poona The word 'Parsi' is derived from the word Pars or Persia. Hence, Parsi literally means 'people who have come from...
Yazdani Bakery
Here is a wonderful video of Yazdani Bakery, one of the last few bakeries of its kind left in Bombay
No Family Planning for Parsis
NCM’s pill for falling Parsi numbers: no family planning CITHARA PAUL Posted online: Saturday, June 14, 2008 at 0034 hrs New Delhi, June 13: Concerned about the dwindling population of the Parsi...
Dwindling Numbers: A Legal View
A very interesting article from the Indian Law Blog “Law and Other Things” Dwindling number of Parsis The National Minorities Commission 's Report on the dwindling number of Parsis...
Vulture Culture
This is a youtube video about the Parsis of Bombay and the issues that face the community today. If the video does not show, please click here
Villoo Patell Bags Top French Award
Villoo Morawala Patell, founder-chairperson of India's leading life sciences firm Avesthagen Ltd, was on April 23 honoured with a top civilian award by the French government for her...
Parsi Kolah No Sarko
Among Indian vinegars the most interesting by far is the dark and complex tasting barrel matured sugar-cane vinegar made by E.F.Kolah & Sons of Navsari since 1885. Parsis are the other Indian...
Visiting Persepolis, the ancient source of Iran’s power
The ancient Persian capital of Persepolis, in a vast and arid plain 40 miles from Shiraz in southern Iran, is the greatest ancient site between the Holy Land and India. This is a rare place that...
Pune’s Parsi Online Portal
With an online portal disseminating information about all their activities and projects, Zoroastrains in the city find it easy to stay connected The Internet has always been appreciated for making...
Pioneer woman-journalist Roshan Peiris departs
Roshan’s typewriter ticks no more Hers was a familiar ‘byline’ to many generations of readers. Veteran journalist Roshan Peiris, a stalwart of The Observer and in later years of The Sunday Times who...
The Ceremonies of a Parsi Wedding
Parsi Lagan or Wedding is marked by vibrant and joyful customs that spread over a couple of days. Unique and interesting rituals begin from the time of engagement and culminate with a lavish post...
Parsis may be silenced by success
By Sudha Ramachandran BANGALORE – The clock is ticking for one of India’s most prosperous communities, the Parsis. Always small, the Parsi population is diminishing at an alarming rate,...
About Freddie Mercury Being a Parsi
By Vir Sanghvi in The Mint. I know a lot of people are going to treat this as blasphemy so I better just come out and say this. I saw a DVD of a concert by Queen with Paul Rodgers on vocals and you...
Parsi Reformists Ready with a New Fire Temple Plan
By Manoj R Nair A group of Indian-Zoroastrian reformists acquires land at Malad to build a fire temple that will be open to even spouses of community members married outside the fold It could be an...
Zubin Karkaria: Travel Executive in Conversation
Time is a precious commodity for Zubin Karkaria, chief executive officer and managing director, India & South Asia, Kuoni Travel Group. Steering the Rs-1,800-crore travel company, the largest...
A Passion for Persia, Disneyland and Dolphins
KISH, Iran — The indoor dolphin show was in full swing as Hossein Sabet walked in to a burst of applause from the 1,200 people in attendance. Clad in tight beige equestrian pants and tall black...
Ratan Tata: The 2008 TIME 100
By Simon Robinson Since Ratan Tata first suggested building a car that could sell for 100,000 Indian rupees ($2,500) four years ago, rival automakers have sniggered. “If you think about the...
Indian vultures may be gone in 10 years
Despite a 2006 ban on veterinary diclofenac, an anti-inflammatory drug for cattle, vultures are fast vanishing from India. So quick is the decline in numbers that experts say three species could be...
Salgreh this Adar Mahina
Wed 30th April: Daepmeher roj Zaiya Wadia Dadgah at Surat Fri, 2nd May: Sarosh roj Cama Baug Agiary, Mumbai Mewawalla Agiary, Byculla Soonawalla Agiary, Mahim Chinoy Daremeher, Gandevi, Gujarat...
Dead as a dodo? Why scientists fear for the future of of the Asian vulture
You have to feel sorry for vultures. For animal campaigners they are a difficult case. Other, more photogenic, slightly less sinister creatures may gain the world’s sympathy at the drop of a...
Parsi Statues: Cenotaph To History
The route from Churchgate to Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus is sprinkled with memorials to sentinels of Mumbai history. Only, nobody cares Sipping my masala chai one morning, I suddenly realized that...
Eeda Par Agiary
Eggs and toddy jars for a fire temple? The good-life-loving Parsis are not finicky about mixing the sacred and the secular. Still, I was intrigued by the E&T detail in Nauzer Bharucha’s...
Fire temple enters its 300th year
24 Apr 2008, 0434 hrs IST,Nauzer Bharucha,TNN MUMBAI: For the past few centuries, they have been one of Mumbai’s most important religious and architectural landmarks. On Thursday, the...
Why read the Khordeh Avesta
…when we cannot understand it???? This is beautiful story sent to us by Cherag Sam Karkaria, a good friend and regular reader of Parsi Khabar An old Priest lived on a farm in the mountains...
Ancient game boards and compass discovered in southern Iran
Archaeological studies on some engravings on rocks on Khark Island have identified them as a compass and ancient game boards. The engravings are between 2000 and 3000 years old, archaeologist Reza...
Around the world bicycle trip memoirs to be released after 80 yrs
Vadodara, April 18 One of the three men was a Barodian; almost 80 years after it was first published, his son will release a new edition of the book today Just in their twenties and living off a...
With Cyclists Around The World: Book Review
With Cyclists Around The World (Roli, Rs 350) by Adi B. Hakim, Rustom B. Bhumgara and Jal P. Bapasola It is the fascinating memoir of three young Parsi men of a group of six from the Bombay...
Thana Parsee Zoroastrian Anjuman Wins Court Battle
Received via an email comminique From: pervezbhesania Subject: Another victory to savour: The mail: To, All Zoroastrians of Thana, We have a phenomenal piece of news to share with you once again. As...
New Construction Near Doongerwadi
A proposal to build a multi-storey residential building near the Towers of Silence on Malabar Hill has caused concern among a section of Parsis. They worry that residents of the upper floors of...
The Tomb of Cyrus in Danger of Fungus and Lichen
What experts have warned and feared for the past few years about the humidity level at the world heritage site of Pasargadae after the inundation of Sivand dam, has now become a bitter reality as...
Remembering Navroz Mody
New Jersey in the 80’s was undergoing a wave of attacks on Indians. These attacks were perpetrated by a group of locals who saw the new “immigrants” as unwanted nuisances in their...
Zoroastrian helps keep the traditions of ancient religion alive
An interview with Dr. Farzana Irani. Irani was born and raised in India, where she graduated from medical school. She immigrated in 1978 to Albany, where she is an obstetrician and gynecologist in...
Bhicoo Manekshaw:Recipe of youth
Bhicoo Manekshaw, elegant with her short, elegantly set silver hair, finger nails neatly manicured is 85 years and proud to be so. One of the best-known names in the world of gastronomical delights,...
Persian Day Parade In NYC
The Persian Day Parade was held in NYC to celebrate Navroze. The parade was organised by the Iranian-American association. Continue here for more pictures and a detailed report.
Jimmy Engineer’s waistline
Jimmy said when he was six, his kidneys failed and the doctors told his parents that their son was as good as dead. But then something very odd, if not miraculous, happened, and happened on its own....
Ratan Tata rode the tiger economy and now he drives Jaguar
“Chairman of Corporate India” By William Langley It is tempting to look at Ratan Tata, the Indian tycoon whose company last week took over Land Rover and Jaguar, as a symbol of a...
Is Mumbai Really Secular ?
Lawmakers may have given Mumbaikars a loud speaker deadline of 10 pm, but I guess laws are meant to be broken. True there have been cases wherein Mumbai’s event organisers never cross the set time...
Adi Ichhaporia Arrested in Sex Scandal
Adi Ichhaporia’s “fledgling health” didn’t stop him from “enjoying sex” even at 62. But it forced Matunga Police to grant him bail on Wednesday, after medical certificates were produced by the...
Launch of Jeroo Mehta’s Parsi Cook Book
What’s the one thing that Parsis love to talk about? Food of course! The occasion was right for celebrating food on Monday evening as Jeroo Mehta spoke about her book consisting Parsi recipes. The...
Copper Chimney: Parsi Cuisine in Toronto
It’s unlikely cuisine – Parsi – in an unexpected place – Ajax. Its owners boast that Copper Chimney likely offers the only Parsi cuisine in North America. Owner Meharnosh Daruwala and...
Parsi Lagan Nu Bhonu: In Pictures
Lagan Nu Bhonu at a Parsi wedding or navjote is something that one and all look forward to. Here are some pictures of the entire lagan nu bhonu at one such wedding at Jeejebhoy Dadabhoy Agiary in...
The Navroze table
Parsis have a reputation for being major food lovers, as anyone attending a Parsi celebration will confirm. And that’s a reputation likely to be upheld on March 21, when Parsis the world over mark...
PM greets Parsis on occasion of Navroz
Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh today greeted the nation, especially the Parsi community, on the occasion of Navroz, the New Year Day of the Zoroastrians. In his message, Dr. Singh said that the...
Katayun Saklat: Parsee artist from Calcutta
Katayun Saklat, the septuagenarian Parsee artist from Calcutta, was here as an organiser of Art in Industry painting workshop held at the Centre for Excellence. The co-owner of art gallery in...
Indian Business Empire Eyes Global Role
A dozen years ago, many believed that India’s Tata Group – the country’s oldest and largest conglomerate – was a bloated behemoth that would eventually go under. Instead, it...
Parsi fascination
I first went to Bombay when I was 14 or 15. An uncle worked for an antique store inside the Taj, then the grandest hotel in India, and lived in a rented flat in Bandra. The journalistic offerings of...
Vultures on the brink
The Indian government has a big job on its hands. It is accused today of ‘overseeing’ the decline of tigers. Another iconic creature, the vulture, is also on the brink of extinction and the...
Sooni Taraporevala to direct Little Zizou
John Abraham has added another feather to his hat with his presence in the directorial debut of the internationally acclaimed photographer and screenplay writer, Sooni Taraporevala. The film titled...
Adaptable cooks
Indian Parsis, originally from Persia, absorbed various cultures’ cuisines and made them their own On a cool, gray San Francisco morning, Niloufer Ichaporia King, the author of My Bombay...