The Sanatorium at Sanjan is the result of a munificent donation received by the WZO Trust Funds from the generous...
Month: July 2016 Articles
Emperor Akbar’s Parsi counsel
Established in 1874, the first Dastoor Meherjirana Library in Navsari is named after the first Parsi high priest of...
Book Launch: Lt General Faridoon Bilimoria: His Life & Times
On Monday 25th July, Lt General Bilimoria: His Life & Times – a biography of Lord Karan Bilimoria’s father, was launched at the Nehru Centre, the cultural wing of the High Commission of India,...
Restoration of the Sardar Patel Agiary in Pune
The Sardar Sorabji Ratanji Patel Dar e Meher Agiary Pune is undergoing a massive renovation and restoration, with the final goal to bring the 173 year old Agiary back to its pristine condition....
India’s vanishing people
India's vanishing people New Delhi: It is a fact that India's tiny Parsi community is dwindling but the latest census figures show the ethnic group hurtling towards extinction. Parsis are...
Khurshid Mehta: From Nonna’s Kitchen – A Trip to Mumbai
Anna Francese Gass runs a website “Heirloom Kitchen” where she chronicles her cooking escapades with grandmothers. One such grandmother she cooked with is Khurshid Mehta of New York. Anna writes…...
Book launches for Dadabhai Naoroij: Selected Private Papers
Zoroastrian scholar and our friend Dinyar Patel informs us about a new book he has co-authored, that will be released soon in India. Dinyar writes… In early August, Oxford University Press will be...
Salesman held for selling shoes with Parsi religious symbols
The Tardeo police on Wednesday arrested a 28-year-old salesman from a shop in Heera Panna for selling shoes that had religious symbols of Parsees etched over them. The accused has been booked under...
Kaizad Hansotia Co-Founder of GetNatty Provides Platform for Indian Fashion Designers
GetNatty, a young Gujarat-based platform for designers with original creations, to hop on the digital wagon An exhibition is nothing less than a congregation of artists, and the pride you associate...
Cricketer Freddy Sidhwa Has a Dream Run at Lord’s
Septuagenarian Sidhwa’s dream feat at Lord’s Left-arm spinner defies age to take the prize wicket of McCullum Although in his seventies now, Freddy Sidhwa continues to be active on the UAE’s...
Westminster Service Honours Parsi/Irani Soldiers in United Kingdom
A service was held in remembrance of the 100th Anniversary of the Battle of Somme 1916-2016. Many Indian soldiers sacrificed their lives during this devastating war and 19 Parsi soldiers died on the...
Indian Census Shows 18% Decline in Parsi Population
An alarming 18% decline in Parsi population since 2001 census has community worried. Below are two articles. The first is by dear friend and the Director of the UNESCO PARZOR Project Dr. Shernaz...
Meher Marfatia: Whose lane is it anyway?
UPDATE: An earlier version of the article stated that it was Rohinton Mistry who was taught by Moti Dalal of Sunrise building. It is now corrected to Firdaust Kanga, who was a student of Moti Dalal....
Todiwala’s Café Spice Namaste Wins UK’s National Recycling Award
Café Spice Namaste, Cyrus and Pervin Todiwala’s flagship restaurant, won a coveted National Recycling Award for Waste Prevention (Commercial Category) at a ceremony held at the London Hilton Park...
Zoroastrian Cooperative Bank staff strike work over transfers
Work at the Zoroastrian Cooperative Bank came to a standstill from Tuesday till Thursday as its employees observed a pen-down strike against transfer of 37 staffers. Union members claimed the...
Quetta Parsis: The Untold Story
In the heart of the city, surrounded by beautiful mountains, Quetta’s Parsi Colony is picture-perfect. The lush green trees sway in the breeze. There is a rare feeling of trust: instead of the...
Uthamna Service on WhatsApp
Our dear friend Yazdi Tantra informs us of new enhancements to the very unique Uthamna Announcement service that he has set up Yazdi writes The hugely popular Uthamna SMS Service, is now on Whatsapp...
Nazneen Contractor Joins CBS Drama ‘Ransom’
You may remember Nazneen Contractor as Kayla Hassan, the daughter of President Omar Hassan (Anil Kapoor) and Dalia Hassan (Necar Zadegan) from the eighth and final season of the Fox series “24,”...
Jame Response on the Recent Happenings
The below is an Op-Ed piece sent to us by Shernaz Engineer, Editor Jam-e-Jamshed Shernaz writes… Four BPP trustees proposed a “ban” on the Jam-e-Jamshed on June 28, 2016, to which several pages of...
Lord Karan Bilimoria and Bahram S. Bekhradnia Awarded Honorary Doctorates from University of East Anglia
Lord Karan Bilimoria and Bahram S. Bekhradnia, two distinguished Zoroastrians in the United Kingdom were awarded honorary Doctorates from the University of East Anglia. In an announcement...
Noshir Dadrawala’s Open Letter to Jam-e-Jamshed Weekly
Below is an open letter by Noshir Dadrawala, a current trustee of the Bombay Parsi Panchayet, addressed to the Jam-e-Jamshed newspaper Open Letter to the Editor of Jam-e-Jamshed Weekly They say, for...
Dasturji Peshotan Mirza: Obituary by Dinyar Patel
The passing of Dasturji Peshotan Mirza has been a loss on many fronts. We have lost a high priest who helped sustain the spiritual needs of the community, took an active part in our religious...
Dhunji S Wadia: Write a buzzing chapter in the history of Rediffusion
He is the man of the moment, having scripted the turnaround of Rediffusion Y&R. The agency did well at Cannes Lions this year. BestMediaInfo caught up with Dhunji S Wadia, President, Rediffusion...
Open Letter to the Editor of Jame Jamshed
Below is a reader submitted open letter to the Editor of Jame Jamshed. Dear Ms Shernaz Engineer, I am a reader and well-wisher of Jame Jamshed our grand 184 year old newspaper. The 5 pages dedicated...
From Modi’s Fate To The World’s End, Bejan Daruwalla Unwraps The Future On His 86th Birthday
Bejan Daruwalla Official website: https://bejandaruwalla.com Shree Ganesha Namah! It's Bejan Daruwalla's birthday on Monday. That bawdy Parsi astrologer and celebrated Ganpati-bhakt will turn 86. He...
Khushroo Poacha’s idea to crowdsource food now touches 2,500 lives
Khushroo Poacha wanted to feed kin of the poor in hospitals. The result was an initiative that now spans 7 cities. Article by Disha Shetty | dnaindia.com Khushroo Poacha, 38, holds a regular job...
Getting Better: A Documentary on KEM Hospital By Gulserene Dastur at New Hope Festival
Gulserene Dastur made her documentary film making debut at 64. Her film titled "Getting Better" is being screened at the New Hope Film Festival on 26th July.This is a small Film Festival in New...
Reminiscing Memories of Three Parsi Stalwarts we lost in last three months
It is hard to believe that we have lost three of our Parsi commuity’s esteemed luminaries – internationally acclaimed Neurolgist Dr Noshir Wadia on 10th April 2016, renowned Advocate & Solicitor...
Niloufer Mavalvala: The Art of Parsi Cooking; Reviving an Ancient Cuisine
The launch of a new book is always a happy event. But when one knows the author personally, the books become even more dear. That is the case with the upcoming book by dear friend of Parsi Khabar,...
Where Did All The Vultures Go ?
Raghav Mandava takes the disappearance of the vultures in India head on. In a hard hitting video he lays the problems out head on. Written & Performed by - Raghav Mandava Director -...
OZCF Atashkadeh In Canada Comes One Step Closer To Reality
OZCF GALA RAISES A STUNNING $2.24 MILLION FOR ATASHKADEH Oakville, ONTARIO, July, 2016 - It was an evening of absolute magic as over $2,240,000 was raised at the Ontario Zoroastrian Community...
Parsi prayer hall’s success produces new worries
It has been nine months since Parsi-Zoroastrians inaugurated a prayer hall at the Worli municipal crematorium as an alternative option for people who do not want to be consigned to the Towers of...
Dina Pestonji: A Profile in Courage and Determination
To our regular readers, the name Dina Pestonji may ring a bell. Way back in 2013 we had posted about her running a marathon after a debilitating and life changing illness. As Dina writes on her...
Del Irani stands for diversity on Australia’s television screens
Indelible impression ABC personality DEL IRANI stands for diversity on our television screens Article by Jasmeet Kaur Sahi | Indian Link It’s been a hectic few weeks for Del Irani. The shock Brexit...
Such a long journey: Malika Abbas
On her first visit to Mumbai, a Pakistani photojournalist embraces her Parsi roots and learns about a community her ancestors once belonged to. On arriving in Mumbai last week, Malika Abbas barely...
Digging up the past: Neil MacGregor
Former director of the British Museum is in the city to re-kindle his love for Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sanghralaya, and learn more about the Parsis' relationship with fire After successful...
In Search of Bobby Mugaseth Bags Raghu Karnad the Sahitya Akademi Yuva Award
The writer’s search into his family’s history is a riveting biography, that recently won the Sahitya Akademi Yuva Puraskar. If you don’t know your history, you cannot fully fathom the present or...
The First Navjote: A Book By Ava Mehta.
'The First Navote ' is a new book written by Ava Mehta for both children and their families in the same style as her first very successful book, now in 4 th edition 'The story of the religion,...
Villie M. Appoo Named “Most Intriguing” by Who’s Who Diversity in Color
Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois’ CEO Villie M. AppooNamed “Most Intriguing” by Who’s Who Diversity in Color Glen Carbon, Illinois – Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois (GSSI) is pleased to share that...
In New York, New Temple Provides A Focal Point for Zoroastrians
"I think most of the human race subscribe to [the tenets of good thoughts, good words, and good deeds]. So when I heard that I said, 'Hey, OK, so I'm a Zoroastrian.'" That realization from actor...
In Memoriam: Dasturji Peshotan Dasturji Hormazdyar Mirza
Our dear friend Ervad Soli Dastur wrote a very personal piece on the passing away of Vada Dasturji Mirza. We are sharing the article here with his permission. Ervad Soli Dastur writes… As all of you...