Built in 1882 by Bomanjee Hormarjee Wadia, this clock tower was a gift of service and foresight. Today, its legacy...
Bombay Articles
How Mumbai’s corporators evolved from colonial elites to elected representatives
On July 26, 1875, just over 1,200 citizens voted in the first elections to the Bombay Municipal Corporation. The 64...
140-Year-Old Ripon Club At Kala Ghoda Faces Eviction From Landlords; Court Hearing Scheduled On November 24
After a furore over the proposed sale of the Sanjan sanatorium, Parsis have raised concerns about the future of another community Institution - the 140-year-old Ripon Club on Mahatma Gandhi Road,...
Now reopened, the Parsi Museum in Mumbai offers a compelling insight into Zoroastrianism
Pheroza Godrej, co-curator of the Framji Dadabhoy Alpaiwalla Museum, gives AD a special tour of the Parsi Museum in Mumbai.Recently restored with great discernment, the Framji Dadabhoy Alpaiwalla...
The Bizarre Connection Between a Cow Painkiller and the Disappearance of India’s Vultures
On a hill in Mumbai surrounded by banyan trees lies the Doongerwadi grounds. It is home to the city’s ancient Towers of Silence. For centuries, members of India’s small Parsi community brought their...
Parsi Tower of Silence gets plaque with a view
Mumbai’s historic Parsi Tower of Silence cemetery on Malabar Hill, established in 1672, has been honored with a heritage plaque under the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) Mumbai Legacy...
Alpaiwala Museum: Of opium, fire temples, and sarees: A peek into the world of India’s dwindling Parsis BBC
Tucked away in a lane in the southern end of India's financial capital, Mumbai, is a museum dedicated to the followers of one of the world's oldest religions, Zoroastrianism.The Framji Dadabhoy...
F D Alpaiwalla Museum Opens after Restoration
The Parsi community has reason to be pleased as FD Alpaiwalla Museum near Hughes Road opened after a spell of restoration work Thursday. Instituted by Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) in 1954, the...
Vintage Zoroastrian Bikers of Bombay: Parsi Bikers With An Insane Vintage Bike Collection
Parsis have a unique connection with their motorcycles, treating them like family and keeping them in pristine condition for generations. In this episode of History on Wheels with the Vintage...
140 years and counting: Mumbai’s Parsee Gymkhana to celebrate its sporting legacy in February
On Feb 25, 1885, over a dozen prominent Parsis, including Dorab Tata, son of Tata empire founder Jamsetji Tata, met at Ripon Club in Bombay's Fort area to discuss an exclusive gymkhana for Parsi...
Century-Old Visitors’ Pavilion At Doongarwadi – Tower Of Silence In Malabar Hill Restored
The Panday Pavilion, named after the family that originally built it, is one of the two seating areas in the cemetery for non-Parsis. The pavilion, and another structure restored earlier, are part...
133-year-old Mumbai’s Byramjee Jeejeebhoy Parsee school wins two honours in quick succession
Under the 'My School, Beautiful School' scheme, Byramjee Jeejeebhoy Parsee Charitable Institution, Charni Road, clinches third prize in Mumbai Division D Ward for Private & Unaided Schools,...
‘Jaan-e-Mumbai’: The slim Persian book that came to be the first urban biography of the city
Mahomed Ghyasoodeen’s account, published in 1817, remains a prototype for the numerous biographies of the city that continue to be written 200 years on.Article by Murali Ranganathan | Scroll"View...
City Finds: A Look At The Best Of Mumbai’s Parsi Architecture
City Finds: A Look At The Best Of Mumbai's Parsi ArchitectureDuring the 17th century, the Parsis established themselves in Bombay, where they achieved notable prominence. Their rich culture left a...
Maestro Zubin Mehta returns to conduct the Symphony Orchestra of India (SOI)’s Autumn 2024 Season concerts
The Symphony Orchestra of India (SOI), the nation's only full-time professional orchestra, is delighted to announce the return of maestro Zubin Mehta for the SOI Autumn 2024 Season, at the...
J B Vachha School: On this day 100 years ago, my Zoroastrian high school was founded in Mumbai, India
Dear friends,I woke up today to the pleasant news of longevity and resilience—my high school located in the beautiful Zoroastrian enclave of Dadar Parsi Colony, Mumbai—The J. B. Vachha High School...
Parsis Protest Over Plans To Relocate Ranji Agiarry Fire From Falkland Road Fire Temple To Girgaum Shrine
Suggestion to shut down fire temple comes after former trustee of Bombay Parsi Punchayet wrote in community newspaper that community should sell off some of its 48 fire temples and use money from...
BMC Begins Work On Restoration Of Marine Drive’s ‘Parsi Gate’
The dismantling of the monument, built in the early 20th century by Parsi philanthropists, had created a furore in the Parsi-Zoroastrian community which uses the site for religious rituals...
Why Mumbai’s 300-year-old Bhikha Behram Well is more than just a sacred site for Zoroastrians
Why Mumbai's 300-year-old Bhikha Behram Well is more than just a sacred site for ZoroastriansA year short of turning 300, the Bhikha Behram Well in the heart of Churchgate is not only sacred to...
Fat deposit, low rent: Wealthy Parsis are moving into historic baugs
Bai Jerbai Wadia funded 1500 flats in iconic Parsi Baugs. Wealthy Parsis pay high security deposits for residences. The auctioning process has faced criticism for favoring the affluent over the...
Rattan Kunj–Talati Bungalow: One of last century-old seafront Seven Bungalows faces demolition
Natasha Patel writes….Throughout my life, I have spent countless man-hours explaining my building’s name to people - Talati Terrace. In a pool of new age, greek-god inspired Bombay building names...
Mumbai’s iconic Parsi eatery Sassanian turns 111, continues to offer value-for-money experience
As the Dhobi Talao-based Parsi food joint Sassanian Boulangerie completes 111 years, we look at the years gone by and how they managed to remain afloat.Article by Heena Khandelwal | Indian...
Churchgate’s Bhikha Behram Well Gears Up For 300th Birthday With Revamp Plans
Among the plans are a project to do up the compound, a small museum, a photo gallery, an arch, and a new drinking water fountain for the public who may want to drink the spring water from the well....
Mumbai Samachar, since 1822: Know about India’s oldest continuously published newspaper
Mumbai Samachar had its humble origins in the form of a handwritten weekly publication.Article by Khushboo Ali | KnocksenseMumbai Samachar stands as India's enduring beacon of information. Embarking...
Conservation & Restoration of Large Pavilion at Bombay Doongerwadi
Conservation & Restoration at Doongerwadi Large Pavilion Renovated in Honor of Roda & Noshir PardiwalaThe Conservation and Restoration of the Large Pavilion, officially known as the...
Mumbai’s Parsi Gate To Be Restored At 75m From Original Location
Here’s Why It Is So Sacred For ParsisIf you’ve been to Marine Drive before it was arrested by the development of the Mumbai Coastal Road Project, you must have noticed two brown pillars standing...
Malcolm Baug Parsi Housing Colony: A Century of Tranquility Amidst Mumbai’s Hustle and Bustle
Later this month, the colony will hold its centennial celebrations.Mumbai: As you exit the traffic-clogged S V Road near Jogeshwari railway station and enter the metal arches of the Malcolm Baug...
Mumbai City’s Parking Woes In Spotlight as Wadiaji Atashbehram Security Guards Accused of Allowing Illegal Parking in Compound
The trustees of the Wadiaji Atash Behram fire temple have called for a meeting on Monday after receiving complaints from devotees. Manoj Ramakrishnan | Free Press JournalMumbai: City's parking woes...
Heritage Parsi Bhikha Behram Well In Churchgate Ready To Defy Monsoon Flooding
This fresh-water well, situated adjacent to Cross Maidan, holds significant historical and cultural value for Parsi-Zoroastrians and is a designated landmark on Mumbai's urban heritage list. Article...
Mumbai: Proposed Dandiya Event At Doongerwadi Stirs Up Debate
Some residents of the area have claimed that the ground is part of the 300-year-old cemetery and the proposed dance event on October 23 will destroy the sanctity of the sacred place. Article Manoj...
Michael Stausberg: ‘Many cab drivers said that they “worship” their taxis. Is this religion?’
A new, fascinating volume of essays explores how people make sense of their religions in the fast-changing city of Mumbai, whether in a chawl, high-rise or kaali-peeliWhile it is widely known that...
Come Friday June 9 2023, Dadysett Agiary to open once again
The agiary will soon have an elaborate religious ceremony to have the sacred fire back in the Kebla, where it will burn 24 hours. Article by Ashutosh M Shukla | Free Press JournalMumbai News: Come...
Reverse Orientalism, Slander and the Origins of Bombay’s Once Fashionable Capitol Cinema
The theatre, now closed, began its life as the Gaiety for the upper crust of Bombay to see plays.The Victoria Terminus (today Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus) is the undisputed highlight of any tour of...
Rustom Baug in Byculla celebrates centenary year
Built by Bai Jerbai Wadia in memory of her late son, the residential colony, continues to be a ‘self-contained’ thriving community centre for 330 families Rustom Baug boasts of a library, gymnasium,...
Carrom and camaraderie in the colony
With Rustom Baug just hitting a century, we revisit other Parsi enclaves founded by the community’s visionaries It’s a privilege I haven’t had. Of living in a baug, that quaint yet quintessential...
Rustom Baug Is 100 Years Old
Well done, bawa! Rustom Baug smashes a tonne Byculla’s 32-building Parsi housing enclave set to celebrate 100th birthday with year-long events planned by grateful residentsBuildings are being lit up...
Turmoil for Residents of Hong Kong House in Malcolm Baug, Jogeshwari Mumbai
The below is an article by esteemed journalist Nauzer K. Bharucha on the happenings at HongKong House in Malcolm Baug, Jogeshwari, Mumbai.WHEN PARSI FAMILIES ARE BULLIED BY THEIR OWN IS THE N M...
From India to Iran, via Bombay and its Parsis, Rabindranath Tagore and a forgotten book
Elements of Indian culture and pre-Islamic Persia that survive in India shape modern Iranian culture, even today. Article by Adhiraj Parthasarathy & Mohammad Dawood | Scroll A copy of The Blind...
Mumbai: Give defunct Parsi maternity home to Tata Memorial, says retired naval officer
Retired naval officer urges Bombay Parsi Punchayet to keep up the good work done by the community and facilitate cancer care at Parsi Lying-in Hospital, FortArticle by Suraj Pandey | Mid-DayVehicles...
Maharashtra govt wants to bring vultures back to life
State forest department and Corbett Foundation to take conservation measures to remote villages; seek to highlight the many threats to the birdThe poster that seeks to raise awareness about vulture...
Aur, Irani chai
Zoroastrian, Shia Muslim (Yazdi and Shirazi) and Baha’i Iranian migrants, and of course the Palanpur-hailing Cheliyas, have been feeding this city for over a century with cheap eats and colourful...
Empowering Mobeds Trust Inauguration Event
Saturday April 23, 2022 will forever be a red letter day in the annals of the Parsi Irani Zarathushti community in India, and all over the world. It was on this day that the Empowering Mobeds Trust...
Bandra Parsi Convalescent Home: Parsi trust sells sea-facing Bandra property for Rs 350 crore
The plot now contains this dilapidated early 20th-century bungalow, once used as a convalescence homeMUMBAI: A Parsi trust has sold its prime, sea-facing bungalow property at Bandra Bandstand to a...
Sir Homi Mody … Dadabhai Naoroji: Five Parsis behind Mumbai’s street names
These five roads in Mumbai are named after politicians, bankers, lawyers and activists who had two things in common: one, they were Parsi, and two, they all contributed to the development of Mumbai,...
Dadar Parsi Colony: Cherishing the Bombay that was
Inflatable pools, barbecues, open backyards…this is how architect Rooshad Shroff recalls the better part of his childhood spent with his parents in the Dadar Parsi colony. With the endless...
Mumbai: 100-year-old Parsi Gate to be relocated 75mt away
BMC has relocated the century-old Parsi Gate at Marine Drive to make way for the coastal road project. While one pillar of the gate was moved on April 17, the other was moved three days later. After...
Kayomi Engineer: Want to have every single building in Parsi Colony sketched for archival value
A Dadar Parsi Colony resident’s four-year-old attempt at using photos, anecdotes, municipal records, memories and sketches to the iconic neighbourhood in a book speaks of public participation in...
Mumbai: Parsis aggrieved as BMC plans to relocate Parsi Gate to facilitate coastal road project
Mumbai: Members of the Parsi community are aggrieved with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) as the fate of the iconic 'Parsi Gate' continues to remain uncertain. In order to facilitate...
Maneckji Seth Agiary – Parsi Imprint on Mumbai
Anyone who has lived in or grown up in Mumbai would know at least one Parsi for sure. And if new, you will wonder about the fuss around Bun-Maska (Bun-Butter), Bhurji-Pav (Scrambled eggs-Bread) and...
Sign The Petition: Save Parsi Gate at Marine Drive
A group of concerned citizens have started an online petition to save the Parsi Gate at Marine Drive in south Mumbai, which is likely to be relocated by the BMC for the upcoming coastal road....
80-plus Irani brothers with a zest for life die of Covid-19 in Mumbai
Everyone who has known of the Ferzandi brothers — Darius, 85 and Plumarz, 81 succumbing to the deadly coronavirus within weeks of each other last month, have been aching with memories of the two...
Proposed shifting of Parsi Gates lead to a lot of shouting
Proposed shifting of Parsi Gates lead to a lot of shoutingDissent cleaves community after meet to move Parsi Gates at Marine Drive; social media the battlegroundThe Parsi Gates at Marine...