Brownpaperbag knocks on doors from Cusrow to Behram Baug to scout six Parsi ladies with hobbies and businesses that you should know about. 30.04.2015 Ranging from suspicious and wary to chatty and cheery, we found Gulshan, Zenobia, Benaifer, Gool, Nilofer and Roshan, all with mad skills. You should see what they can do with a… Continue reading Six Parsi Aunties You’ll Want For Company !
Category: Heritage
Longing and Loss at Dadar Parsi Colony
The heritage precinct is both, a tree spangled island and the last bastion of a threatened community. To its residents, the BMC’s move to fill its streets with hawkers has become a metaphor of loss. Jimmy Gymkhanawalla is flexing his muscles. Homi Homeopath looks like an overdose of Nux Vomica. Soli Solicitor is preparing a… Continue reading Longing and Loss at Dadar Parsi Colony
Bordi: In Search of Serenity
‘Chikoos’, ‘aamras’, Parsi food and empty beaches—Bordi offers a restful break from the city rush When you’re driving in Mumbai, you never get to speed, or even feel the wind in your hair. Road trips can change that. They may begin with a slow crawl out of the city but then, at some point, like… Continue reading Bordi: In Search of Serenity
Death and Legal History on Sunday Afternoons
Cemeteries as Historical Evidence In Law and Identity in Colonial South Asia, Mitra Sharafi argues that rather than trying to maintain collective autonomy and integrity by avoiding interaction with the state, the Parsis sank deep into the colonial legal system itself. One way their unique identity was evident was in the cemeteries they dedicated for… Continue reading Death and Legal History on Sunday Afternoons
Emperor Akbar’s Parsi counsel: The First Dastur Meherji Rana
Established in 1874, the first Dastoor Meherjirana Library in Navsari is named after the first Parsi high priest of India. The most priceless manuscript at the library is a framed original document deed that states 200 ‘vighas’ of land has been granted to Dastoor Meherji Rana by Emperor Akbar Article by Ashleshaa Khurana, TNNThe history… Continue reading Emperor Akbar’s Parsi counsel: The First Dastur Meherji Rana
Navroz in New Delhi: Shernaz Italia
While a dwindling community struggles to survive, filmmaker Shernaz Italia documents the little-known lives of the Delhi Parsis who moved to the capital at the turn of the 19th century “Aavoji, aavo, aavo! Welcome to Delhi! Let me show you my beautiful city.” The booming voice of Nowrosji Kapadia could be heard across the length… Continue reading Navroz in New Delhi: Shernaz Italia
Jamsetji Tata’s residence wins UNESCO honour
“A good conservation job is like a root canal,“ says architect Vikas Dilawari.“It does not happen quickly and requires many sittings.“Recently , one such root canal took Dilawari 10 years. His hair went from black to grey as he healed the Esplanade House, the opulent home of industrialist Jamsetji Tata built in 1885. Article by… Continue reading Jamsetji Tata’s residence wins UNESCO honour