Month: October 2011 Articles

Zubin Mehta Reminisces About the Shah of Iran’s Invitation to Parsis

Darius Kadivar over at Iranian.com writes about legendary conductor Zubin Mehta meeting the Shah of Iran in 1967. The Shah of Iran personally asked Zubin to spread the word that Parsis were welcome back to Iran.   Years later Zubin narrates...
Marzban’s Dark Laughter

Marzban’s Dark Laughter

In my boyhood in Pune, the West End cinema would, at least once a year, transform itself into a live theatre to host a Parsi natak by a visiting troupe from Bombay. The wooden benches of the...

The Freddie Mercury we didn’t know

To his legions of fans, Freddie Mercury was a flamboyant, and very British, rock star. But in the background was a much more complex sense of identity, summed up by one picture, a black and white...

A Treasure Chest For An Opera House

Jamshed Bhabha's NCPA will remain on song thanks to a generous endowment. Until a few years ago, at most concerts held at the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) in Mumbai, two plum seats...

Authentic Parsi Cuisine: Part 1

What constitutes authentic Parsi cuisine is a matter of great debate. One of our colleagues who hails from a blue blooded Parsi family contends that any vegetable ma gosht and any vegetable pur...

Authentic Parsi Cuisine: Part 2

This columnist’s maternal grandfather, Behramji Baria of Navsari, was a bad businessman but a great cook. He ran a catering business between the two World Wars. Article by Berjis Desai | Mumbai...

Raspberry: The Rose Drink of Persia

Raspberry: The Rose Drink of Persia

Raspberry soda? Raspberry fizz? Duke’s raspberry? Or as some of us used to call it, by dint of its identical packaging with a more famous soft drink: raspberry Mangola? “Please never call it...

Parsi population in Surat up 6% in 6 years

Extinction is one of the biggest concerns of the Parsi community in India, given their rapidly dwindling numbers. But the Parsis of Surat have bucked the trend. In the last six years, the community...

Z-Meds: Zoroastrian Doctors Without Borders

A note from Parimah Irani: I am involved with a Zoroastrian group called Z-Meds. This group is the Zoroastrian version of Doctors without Borders and its mission is to gather a directory of...

Freddie Mercury To Be Honoured At Asian Awards

The Queen star will be given a special Founders Award… Paying tribute to Freddie Mercury on what would have been his 65th Birthday this year, The Asian Awards will honour Freddie's life and...