Dear friend and Panthaki Saheb of the Behram Baug Daremeher, Ervad Marzban J. Hathiram has a very nice article about the consecration of a new Afarganyu for the Ustad Saheb Behramshah Nowroji Shroff Daremeher Readers of Frashogard would recall that I had written about the deeply mystical significance of the Afarganyu which holds the Atash… Continue reading The consecration of a new Afarganyu for a Daremeher
Category: Heritage
Hanging by a thread
Parsi embroidery is being kept alive by a few patrons in the Capital. At Navjote or during a Parsi wedding, the entire congregation of Parsi women is transformed into a sea of Gara saris, in shades of magenta, royal blue, turquoise and red. At other times, these heirlooms are barely visible as Parsi embroidery, like… Continue reading Hanging by a thread
Weaving a Kasti: Threads of Continuity
Ashdeen Z Lilaowala walks us through the creation of the hallowed Zoroastrian kusti or sacred thread that is an integral part of spiritual tradition among members of the Parsi community [ TOI Article Link ] The Sudreh and Kusti have become universal symbols of the Zoroastrian faith. While there are no written records of when… Continue reading Weaving a Kasti: Threads of Continuity
Weave of glory: Parsi Panorama Exhibition in New Delhi
At a time when the Parsi-Zoroastrian community records a drastic decrease in its population with every count, what’s the point of basking in its glorious past, a few cynical minds can always ask, but a balanced outlook will only appreciate the agenda behind “Parsi Panorama” a four-day festival celebrating different aspects of Parsi culture with… Continue reading Weave of glory: Parsi Panorama Exhibition in New Delhi
Vada Dasturji Invites Narendra Modi to Udvada
Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday wished that all Parsis settled in various parts of world should come to Udwada once a year and celebrate the occasion. A Chief priest of Parsis worldwide Shri Khurshedji Dastur and Udwada’s Chief priest Dr. Peston Mirza Dastur called on the Chief Minister and presented him a letter… Continue reading Vada Dasturji Invites Narendra Modi to Udvada
Update on the Udvada Land Issue: Dinyar Patel
Below is an update on the Udvada Land Issue by Dinyar Patel. Dinyar is a doctoral student at Harvard University. He is currently in India doing research for his thesis Dear all, I know that there has been some confusion over what has been happening in Udvada with regard to planned development near the Atash… Continue reading Update on the Udvada Land Issue: Dinyar Patel
India’s Zoroastrians dying out for lack of Parsi clergy
In the cramped heart of the suburb called Andheri, the MF Cama Athornan Institute was strangely quiet. The institute, founded in 1923 to train Zoroastrian priests, is a large, M-shaped edifice with excellent infrastructure and teachers dedicated to the welfare of their students. By Samanth Subramanian At present, those students number precisely four. Classroom after… Continue reading India’s Zoroastrians dying out for lack of Parsi clergy
Udvada: The Land Controversey
It’s a change of different sort, a not-so-nice one, where one of the world’s most ancient religions finds its nook of worship threatened. Parsi-Irani Zoroastrians in India and around the world have been a worried lot after 200 acres of lush agricultural land in the backyard of Udvada’s sacred fire temple were handed over to… Continue reading Udvada: The Land Controversey
Dorabji Damania and Life in the Indian Railways
Below is an article by A. B. Damania who talks about his uncle Dorabji Damania. Parsis were once a very large presence in the Indian Railway system, both pre and post Independence. MY FATHER’S OLDER BROTHER, Dorabji M. Damania, after having passed his SSC from the Parsi Orphanage at Lalbaug, Mumbai, found work as a… Continue reading Dorabji Damania and Life in the Indian Railways
