Darius Khambata, the additional solicitor general (ASG) is now the newMaharashtra advocate general (AG). The state...
Month: March 2012 Articles
Get a glimpse of Gujarat’s fire temple in city
For the next ten days, the city’s art and history enthusiasts can get a glimpse of the timeless charm of the...
Bombay High Court: Go by income criteria for house allotment to Parsis
Go by the income criteria that defines the eligibility for a Parsi to get a flat allotted at subsidized rate at Panthaky Baug in Andheri, the Bombay HC told Bombay Parsi Punchayet on Tuesday. By...
Parsi Cricket Pioneers in Pakistan
WHILE we celebrate Pakistan’s sensational victory in the Asia Cup against Bangladesh at Dhaka we must also not ignore the fact that the game that we are passionately in love with owes much to the...
Zarathushtra: The Amar Chitra Katha Edition for Children
Amar Chitra Katha have for long been one of the best sources of children’s story books in comic format. Over the past few decades they have explained religion, mythology and historical figures in...
A walk through the loves and lives of the Masanis
The best part of Zareer Masani's memoir, And All is Said, on his late parents – Minoo Masani and Shakuntala – is the candour with which he tells the story of their tempestuous lives. By Rasheeda...
The compilation that could save a community
Two members of the Zoroastrian community have taken the initiative to preserve the community's oral history by compiling a book on Parsi-Gujarati idioms. You can contribute too By Aviva Dharmaraj |...
Asian Art Museum Acquires Rare Zoroastrian Bowl
One of the Asian Art Museum’s newest acquisitions is a solid-silver muktad bowl, a gift from the Zoroastrian Association of Northern California and several private donors. By Sunita Sohrabji | India...
Gujarat high court dismisses Parsi woman’s plea to worship in fire temple
The Gujarat high court on Friday dismissed a petition filed by a Parsi (Zoroastrian) woman, married to a non-Parsi, seeking permission to enter and worship in the Agiyari ( Zoroastrian fire temple)...
The Parsis, Once India’s Curators, Now Shrug as History Rots
In the course of over one year of archival research in India, I have been heartened to see how, in a few institutions like the National Archives, the country’s rotting history now has a fighting...
Jamshedpur Parsis: Prayers at Fire Temple ring in Parsi New Year
It was a day of happiness and devotion at the Fire Temple here on Wednesday. Clad in traditional attire, members of the Parsee community celebrated Jamshed-e-Navroze, the Parsi New Year, by...
Remembering Parsi greats on Navroze
Today Parsi’s celebrate Jamshedi Nauroze and will engage in celebrations, largely featuring good food and drink. They are possibly the smallest but most visible Indian minority. You will find a...
Nagpur Parsis: Wining & dining rings in Navroz
While festivals are all about loosening up, it was more so on Wednesday when the Parsi Gymkhana members decided to welcome their New Year with the Nagpur Wine Lovers' Club along with a whole lot of...
A gung ho spirit and business acumen: The Parsi Community
Parsis are said to have come to the city during the reign of 3rd and 4th Nizam Apart from the delectable cuisine that includes ‘Patra ni machi' the other cultural element for which the Parsi...
BAWATIPS: Tips for a Majja Ni Life
Mumbai owes a lot to the Parsi community be it the far sightedness of its visionary thinkers. or their benevolence that helped set up some of the city's most well-known landmarks, educational and...
K R Cama Oriental Institute
Not just Parsi: The K R Cama Oriental Institute, soon to turn 100, has a wealth of resources and a willingness to share By M Saraswathy | Business Standard Parsi culture and art are dying out — so...
Navroze Mubarak 2012
Parsi Khabar takes this opportunity to wish all our readers a very Happy Jamshedi Navroze. May the festive season bring happiness and prosperity, peace and understanding, good health and long lives...
Feroza Seervai: An Obituary
OBITUARY: A DEVOTEE OF TRUTH FEROZA SEERVAI, 89, died at Mumbai on Monday, 5th March With a husband as legendary as H.M. Seervai, one would have expected his wife to have played second fiddle. One...
Learning Parsipanu: A Book Review
LEARNING ‘PARSIPANU’ with Meher & Sarosh by Silloo Mehta 350 pages, richly illustrated, hardbound Published by The Mazdayasnie Connection November 2011 This unique wonderful book meant...
Noshir Mistry: Ace Cyclist at the Australian National Championship
Indian Australian cycling ace Nosh Mistry has won a bronze medal at the 2012 Cycling Australia Masters National Championships. The prestigious annual event was held at the Dunc Gray Velodrome in...
Noruz: The Definitive Primer on This Important Zarathushti Day
The below is an extensive article about all aspects of Noruz, or Navroz as the Parsis of India call it. This detailed primer has been put together by Mr. Jehangir M. Darabna. The content below is an...
Fined once for frivolous case, but advocate targets CJI Sarosh Kapadia again
Within 10 days of being slapped with a fine of Rs 50,000 by the Supreme Court for filing a "frivolous" petition alleging conflict of interest against Chief Justice of India S H Kapadia in...
What Katy Did: Rhea Mitra-Dalal
Katy Dalal was one of the doyens of Parsi cooking for decades. She passed away two years ago this month. To those of us who have eaten her food, the taste remains in the mouth forever. And her...
Should Parsis promote funeral alternatives?
The discovery of a desiccated human body part in the garden of a fire temple on Napean Sea Road last week caused a lot of distress and deliberation among the city’s Parsi-Zoroastrians. By Manoj Nair...
BPP Chairman Dinshaw Mehta Clarifies BPP’s stand on the Global Working Group Initiative.
In recent times there has been a new initiative by Zoroastrian bodies around the world. Called the Global Working Group or GWG, it has brought the leaders of Zoroastrian Federations from the USA and...
Bun maska at Kyani
Here lies the old-world charm of home-baked bread and earthy chai. “Khosh aamadi! Ke khoshaamad maraa ze aamadanat. Hezaar jaan e geraami, fedaa ye aan qadamat” (Welcome! For your presence has...
Ratan Tata: The Nano Heads Overseas
India's cheapest car, the Nano, is heading overseas, says Tata group head Ratan Tata. After introducing its now famous so-called $2500 car, the Nano, to the streets of its home country, India's Tata...
Shahnaaz Irani at Nizam’s Kitchen in Texas Celerates Cuisines of Hyderabad and Karachi
Nizam’s Kitchen may be the newest kid on the block, but the establishment, located on bustling Highway 6 near Kirkwood, has garnered a faithful following since throwing open its doors on...
Negativity and creativity never go together, says author Russi Lala
The first time I met Russi Lala, he gave me a copy of his book Celebration of the Cells: Letters from a Cancer Survivor, saying "that should keep you out of mischief for a few hours." By...
Pallonji set to quit after six decades
Reclusive billionaire Pallonji Mistry has relinquished board seats in some of his companies as a precursor to possible change of guard in the 147-year-old Shapoorji Pallonji Group, regarded as one...
Bachi Karkaria: Readymoney vs Parsimoney
Rustom Readymoney switched off the engine of his Tata Indica, swung out his pale hairy legs and locked the door, going round the car thrice to check that all the doors were indeed secure. At...
Need for a Facility for Mentally Challenged Parsi Children and Adults
Below is a letter by our dearest friend and neighbor Dr. Katayun Palia to the Editor of Jame Jamshed. Dr. Palia talks about the need for a residential facility for mentally challenged Parsi...
Parsi Cyclists played to enjoy : Cricket and Parsis
Sledging can be fun. As long as the right spirit and right humour is there, sledging can add up to the fun of the game. Parsi Cyclist was a team whose players were never short of a fun-foul word. It...
The Cyrus Cylinder And A Dream For The Middle East
Recently we pointed to the TED Talk about The Cyrus Cylinder. Today we come across Jacob L. Wright's commentary and reaction to that TED talk, and in a larger scenario: The Cyrus Cylinder And A...
Shahnameh The Persian Book of Kings: Q&A with British author Elizabeth Laird
Peyvand Khorsandi interviews Elizabeth Laird about her recent book SHAHNAMEH: THE PERSIAN BOOK OF KINGS What do you get the little people in the family for Norouz or as Indian Parsis call it Navroj?...
Zia Mody: One of Asia’s 50 Power Businesswomen
Zia Mody, the founding partner at AZB & Partners is featured as one of the top 50 Asian Businesswomen by the Forbes Magazine. This Cambridge and Harvard Law School grad is one of India's leading...
The Irani Café : A gastronomic experience heading towards extinction
The two videos below are created by “indiandocumentaries” and are posted on youtube. Reader Dara Acidwalla also informs us of an article: The Quivering Café – The Touch of Iran in Mumbai compiled by...
Parsi Vicissitudes: Of vision and hard work
Amongst the communities whose study has suffered an eclipse are the Parsis. The reason lies in the decline of business studies, but also in the decline of Parsis as a business community. Parsi...
Jamshedi Navruz: A Detailed Explanation of the Calendars
Jamshedi Navruz, March 21st and thereabouts: Zarathushtis have been celebrating Navruz, which falls around March 21st since time immemorial, since our Peshdad King Jamshed celebrated it first and...
Britannia & Co. : Parsi eatery in 30th year of serving iconic berry pulao
"There is one secret that even the American security forces will not be able to decode," said Boman Kohinoor, 90, owner of Britannia and Company Restaurant at Ballard Estate. By Reetika...
Minoo Driver Wins £250,000 payout from Air India
A FORMER catering manager has won a long-running battle against ex-employers Air India after the Supreme Court refused to grant the airline an appeal. By Salina Patel | Skyport Heathrow Air India...
A poor Parsi: One who doesn’t earn Rs 50,000 per month
The Bombay Parsi Punchayet on Friday told the Bombay High Court that it considers a Parsi who earns under Rs 50,000 a month to be "poor" and hence eligible for allotment of a flat at subsidised...
What is the origin of Parsi marriage and who is a Parsi?: The Legal Angle
The Parsi Marriage and Divorce Act were passed in 1865. The Parsi Central Associations took up the question of law relating to marriage and divorce in 1923 and appointed a subcommittee to suggest...
Zareer Masani: When personal meets political
London-based historian Zareer Masani’s new book, And All is Said — a memoir on the breakdown of his parent’s marriage — is no ordinary tale. Article by Aarefa Johari, Hindustan Times His Parsi...
Cyrus Todiwala’s Café Spice Namaste Featured in the New York Times
In London, Flavors of India Without the Fuss Article by Mark Bittman | NYTimes MORE than 15 years ago, the first “upscale” Indian restaurants began appearing in London, including the now-famous...
My Father Was Manmohan Singh’s Inspiration: Zareer Masani
Charismatic politician Minoo Masani, founder-leader of the pro-Western, free-market Swatantra Party, is acknowledged by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as his ideological inspiration rather than...
The Khada Parsi: Mumbai’s oldest Parsi set for makeover
Four years after promising to restore the city's heritage fountains, BMC will commence work on the Khada Parsi fountain at the onset of this financial year; work on Flora Fountain will also begin...