Enduring Legacy: Parsis of the 20th Century Edited and published by Nawaz B. Mody 4 volumes Pages: 1,168 In my early years at school, I was frequently embarrassed by the clannish appeals of my Parsi friends. This was not a Parsi school, but a fine Jesuit institution with a thoroughly cosmopolitan mix of boys. Yet,… Continue reading Parsi History: Objective documentation or hagiography?
Month: February 2006
Pleasure palace
… Its walls have seen so much, heard so much, kept so many secrets, shared so many memories – built in 1903 by the Parsi industrialist Jamsetji Tata (his Tata … Read on…
Going, going, gone?
Only four of these rare trees, popularly known as branching palms, remain in the city. They are found in an open plot between buildings A and B at Godrej Baug in Hanging Gardens. But they may cease to exist if the Bombay Parsi Panchayat allows construction on the land. “The panchayat is contemplating a highrise.… Continue reading Going, going, gone?
For Iranians, It’s Time To Leave Islam?
One wonders how many intelligent people in Iran, or among the Iranians in intelligent exile, wish that Islam had never arrived, that “gift” from far more primitive people, the gift that for the Iranians keeps on giving — giving trouble, pain, anguish, mental desarroi. How many secretly would wish they could tow their own country… Continue reading For Iranians, It’s Time To Leave Islam?
A Busy Locality, A brutal death
Residents of Kakad Estate at Worli, where 73-year-old Adi Kurshetji was murdered in May 2003, on Friday recalled the stormy years when the old Parsi gent and the woman held guilty of his murder lived in their midst. Many residents had gathered in the building’s compound adjoining a busy street after hearing of Geeta Soni’s… Continue reading A Busy Locality, A brutal death
Woman jumps to death in Court premises
Geeta Soni, who conspired to kill her 72-year-old foster father Adi Kurshedji along with her husband and mother, broke down on hearing the verdict. When she was being taken to jail from the court, she suddenly jumped from the third floor of the court and died on the spot, police said. Soon after the incident,… Continue reading Woman jumps to death in Court premises
Sooni Taraporewala reminisces about the Oscars
Sooni Taraporewala, prolific screen writer and photographer, writes about the time SALAAM BOMBAY was nominated for the Oscars. This was in the days before the media explosion in India, so nobody was heralding us, betting on our chances, praying for us to win. Except for family and friends, I don’t think anybody even knew or… Continue reading Sooni Taraporewala reminisces about the Oscars
159th Salgreh of Karani Agiary
A report on the anniversary of the Cusrow Baug Agiary filed by Marzban Jamshedji Giara on the TZML email group Seth Nasserwanji .Hirji Karani Agiary located in sylvan surroundings of Cusrow (Khush Raho) Baug at Colaba, Mumbai has the unique distinction of perhaps being THE ONLY AGIARY IN THE WORLD that serves the Parsi Zoroastrian… Continue reading 159th Salgreh of Karani Agiary
Intermarry Me
Like other aspects of globalization, social integration threatens cultural uniqueness. And Jews aren’t the only ones sounding the alarm. Among Parsis living in the West, intermarriage rates are roughly the same as those for Jews. But the existential calculus for Zoroastrians is more dire, as a posting on zoroastrian.com points out. “The world Jewish population… Continue reading Intermarry Me
