On World Bicycle Day, we look back at a charming chapter from Indore’s civic and commercial history, one in which the...
History Articles
Finding Keki Gazdar: New exhibition traces the roots of an Indian Parsi family through its archives
It is easy to see why Joyona Medhi turns to cinema to describe her latest photobook and exhibition, Sparseeing. The...
Why a proposal to resettle Parsis in Iran in the 1940s never took off
In June 1947, as India stood on the brink of independence, sections of the Iranian press began publishing articles suggesting that Parsis would emigrate in large numbers from India to the land of...
The Bomanjee Hormarjee Wadia Clock Tower Restored: A Legacy of Service, Craft, and Civic Collaboration
Built in 1882 by Bomanjee Hormarjee Wadia, this clock tower was a gift of service and foresight. Today, its legacy stands complete once more.Standing tall in Fort since 1882, the Bomanjee Hormarjee...
1,500-year-old church found next to Zoroastrianism place of worship in Iraq
A 2,000-year-old palace in the Republic of Georgia and a 1,500-year-old church in Iraq suggest Zoroastrians coexisted with people of other religions.The Gird-î Kazhaw archaeological site is in...
Ambedkar and Bhathena: An unlikely friendship that stood test of time
Revisiting the special bond between Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar and his Parsi businessman friend Naval Bhathena on Mahaparinirvan DiwasEven great men need friends who are not overawed by their greatness,...
The Parsi Legacy of Jamshedpur
The Parsi community’s connection with the steel city dates back to its earliest days. Following the establishment of the Tata Steel plant in 1907, the first group of Parsis arrived in Jamshedpur...
The women who made Parsis India’s one of the most progressive community
They were few, but far ahead of their time. In a country still grappling with child marriage and female illiteracy, Parsi women were already walking into universities, laboratories, and courtrooms....
An Enduring Hero: Remembering Dadabhai Naoroji on His 200th Birth Anniversary
Today September 4th, 2025 is the 200th birth anniversary of one of the greatest Indian’s ever to be born. Our dear friend and mentor Zerbanoo Gifford commemorates the birth and life of Dadabhai...
How the idea of paradise dates back to the ancient gardens of Persia
Some of the most enduring ancient myths in the Persian world were centred around gardens of almost unimaginable beauty and opulence.The biblical Garden of Eden and the Epic of Gilgamesh’s Garden of...
Looking for Parsi footprints in Delhi
From Kashmere Gate to South Delhi, the city's Parsi community marks 100 years of influence across the national capitalArticle by Vivek Shukla | The PatriotTucked inside the Parsi Anjuman is Delhi's...
Parsis of Delhi: How the small community survived, thrived and made the Capital their home
The first set of Parsis, who started settling in Delhi in the 19th century, were mostly shopkeepers and traders. Historian and author William Dalrymple mentions that during the Delhi siege of 1857,...
Proud recreation of the Parsi past
Who were the dynamic duo of collectors who contributed rare finds to the city’s only centre dedicated to Zoroastrian history and culture? We find out more at the re-opening of the FD Alpaiwalla...
A Memorial to Pestonji Nowroji Kharas in Bastar village honours tragic love, vengeance
Every New Year’s Day, the remote village of Kutru in Bastar, Chhattisgarh, comes alive with a poignant ritual that relives the tragic love story of a Parsi couple and the vengeance of a wild...
New Study of ‘Passover Letter’ May Change What We Know About the Birth of Judaism
The 2,400-year-old papyrus from Elephantine, touted as the earliest evidence for Pesach, may in fact reference Zoroastrian-influenced rituals, Israeli scholar concludesThe fragment of the 'Passover...
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,...
How Madam Bhikaiji Cama became the first Indian to raise the tricolour abroad
Born into privilege, Madam Cama could have enjoyed a life of ease. Instead, she founded the Paris Indian Society to support revolutionaries in exile and became the first Indian to hoist the...
Madagascar’s Enigmatic Rock-Cut Architecture may have been of Zoroastrian origin
An international team of researchers found an enigmatic rock-cut architecture at Teniky, a site in the remote Isalo Massif in southern Madagascar, that has no parallels on the island or the East...
Minority Generosity: The Ruttonjees, a Parsi family, exemplify the diversity of Hong Kong benevolence
Along with other great philanthropic families in Hong Kong history, the Ruttonjees have left an indelible mark on the city. Their legacy has been amazing acts of giving and the establishment of...
Sisters divided: How partition ruptured a family in a vanishing community
To mark this week’s anniversary of the partition of India and Pakistan, a writer recalls her encounters with two sisters from the Zoroastrian community whose lives were divided forever in...
The overlooked Gandhi: a legacy for our times
After 64 years since September 8, 1960, when Feroze Gandhi bid farewell to the world, not many remember him. He had an eventful life till he died prematurely of heart failure at the age of...
Historic 1980 Rock Concert by ‘The Police’ in Mumbai Was Organised by Parsi Ladies
Did You Know? Historic 1980 Rock Concert by 'The Police' in Mumbai Was Organised by Parsi LadiesIn 1980, Parsi ladies from the Time and Talents Club organised a concert with the rock band The Police...
Two Centuries of Service: Parsi and Zarathushti Presence in Ooty
The below article appeared in the print and online edition of Inside43 Two Centuries of Service From a shop that opened almost two hundred years ago in Ooty, until today, the Parsi community has...
‘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...
A forgotten link of Govadia heritage
Going back to the roots: an emotion in motionA forgotten link of Govadia heritageArticle by Adil J. GovadiaOur large 3-tiered family haveli (bungalow), built way back in 1887, is located in a small...
Secret Lives of the Wise Men
The scene of three ornately dressed potentates handing out the very first Christmas presents has been depicted in countless ways -- in classical paintings, greeting cards and town-square tableaux.We...
In War and Peace – The Life of Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw, MC
in 2003 UNESCO’s PARZOR Project produced “In War and Peace” a documentary abou tthe life of India’s first Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw. Directed by Jessica Gupta, the documentary travels back in time...
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...
The Faravahar Soars: Parsis in the Indian Air Force
Prepare to be amazed by the Parsi community’s extraordinary journey in the Indian Air Force! From soaring heights to gallant tales, their legacy is an awe-inspiring testament to the spirit of...
Majestic Naqsh-e Rostam under threat from climate change
TEHRAN - The hot summer, unauthorized deep-water drilling, and other challenges associated with the changing climate are threatening to destroy invaluable cultural landmarks including Naqsh-e...
Remembering the Rich Life Feroze Gandhi Lived Before His Untimely Death
Feroze Gandhi was a freedom fighter, prominent parliamentarian and crusader against corruption. This piece traces the various threads in his rich life, including his joining the Nehru family, before...
Vadodara’s Faramji Road, a testimony to Parsi heritage
The famous lane is named after Faramji Cowasji Contractor, the state civil contractor of erstwhile Baroda State. He owned a brick factory and built many of the city's architectural delights,...
The pioneering Parsi adventurers: Indian cyclists who conquered the world
From rugged mountains to bustling cities and serene countryside, cyclists have been embarking on daring expeditions, experiencing the world in a unique and exhilarating way. With each turn of the...
Looted relics worth US$3.5 million on loan to New York’s Met museum returned to China
Stone carvings valued at more than US$3 million handed back after investigation into private art collectionThe artefacts were ripped from a seventh century tomb Article by Cyril Ip | South China...
Who was Muncherji Cowasji Murzban?
The Esplanade area was still a blueprint when Muncherji Cowasji Murzban arrived in Bombay in 1863MUMBAI: The Esplanade area was still a blueprint when Muncherji Cowasji Murzban arrived in Bombay in...
The Parsi Graveyard in Lahore
Baalwala Explores A Secret Parsi Graveyard Located In Lahore That Very Few Know About.
Gujarat’s Legendary ‘Walking Mango Tree’ at Sanjan Village Where Parsis First Sought Asylum
Mango lovers all around the country wait impatiently for the mango to sweeten their tongues as summer approaches, but in Gujarat, Sanjan hamlet in Umargam taluka of Valsad district holds a special...
Monnock Parsee, Pendia Pattell & The British Flag
How an early version of UK’s national flag helped Bombay merchants grow their businessA pass for ‘Monnock Parsee’ and ‘Pendia Pattell’ sailing aboard the Tiger was issued at Fort Bombay carries an...
Alexander the ‘Accursed’ and Zoroastrianism
In his epic the Shahnamah (Book of Kings), the poet Firdawsi (940–1019 or 1025) vividly describes how Alexander (Iskandar/Sikandar) came upon the Persian emperor Darius (Dara) as he fled north after...
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...
Streetwise Kolkata: Parsee Church Street, named after Kolkata’s 183-year-old Parsi fire temple
A significant part of the lane and the larger neighbourhood’s documented history starts during the 19th century when the Parsi and Jewish communities began settling here.Written by Neha Banka |...
175 years after Parsis flocked to Karachi, glimpses of the community’s fading history
On April 22, 1847, Parsis from across India assembled in Karachi as the foundation for the city’s first Tower of Silence was laid.Article by Ammad Ali | ScrollPhotos of long-time Parsi residents of...
Streetwise Kolkata: Parsi Bagan Lane, a neighbourhood that played important role in freedom struggle
What is less well known is the lane's association with the development of psychoanalysis in the subcontinent. Article by Neha Banka | Indian ExpressParsi Bagan Lane in Kolkata. (Express Photo by...
How Parsi-Irani Oral History Project is documenting the community
An aural archiving initiative records big-hearted Parsi-Iranian stories to inform the future of oral traditionsFreny Daruwalla with Mani BhagatThey are a community of stories. They understand life,...
Memories We Carry: Migration Stories of Zoroastrian South Asian Americans
The South Asian American Digital Archive announcesThis collection of oral histories represents the living and lived histories of Zoroastrians from South Asia who’ve migrated to the United States in...
Avabai Wadia: The lawyer who became India’s family planning pioneer
In 1933, a sari-clad teenager made international headlines.Avabai Wadia, 19, became the first woman from Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) to pass the bar exam in the United Kingdom. Her success encouraged the...
Godrej locks its history in Amar Chitra Katha in outreach to youth
The challenge, Godrej says, was to reach a younger audience and children who might have had very little association with the brand It is not the first time the history of the Godrej family is being...
Nariman Karkaria: How a young Parsi from Gujarat went to fight in World War I and had the adventures of his life
An excerpt from ‘The First World War Adventures of Nariman Karkaria: A Memoir’, translated from the Gujarati by Murali Ranganathan.Article in Scroll IndiaFrom Manchuria station, a separate line goes...
When the British asked the French to jail Madame Cama
When the British asked the French to jail Madame Cama, the ‘mother of Indian revolution’For decades, the British government surveilled the Parsi freedom fighter.Article by John O’BrienA postal stamp...
Khurshedben Naoroji: The singer who preached nonviolence to bandits
In most countries, the life of an elite, sophisticated woman renouncing her career as a classical soprano to preach nonviolence to bandits and kidnappers would merit significant study and attention....
Doyens of medical service: Byramjee Jeejeebhoy Medical College in Pune celebrates 75th foundation day
The hospital had played a crucial role during the 2009 Swine flu outbreak and even now, before PMC could upgrade its hospitals with ventilators and tertiary care, Sassoon was the only government...