Category: History

Today is the 200th birth anniversary of the academic, activist and freedom fighter who contributed immensely to the rise of the nationalist movement. March 10 marks the 200th birth anniversary of one of the most influential figures to emerge from western India during the 19th century, one who played an outsized role in the political… Continue reading Navrozji Fardunji, 19th-century reformer and the great son whom India forgot too soon

This Man Laid the Foundation of a Billion-Dollar Made-In-India Business Empire in Colonial Times Rome wasn’t built in a day, as the popular saying goes. Some of the world’s biggest businesses are, in fact, the culmination of decades of hard work and perseverance. Such is the story of the Godrej Group, one of India’s most… Continue reading Ardeshir Godrej: Founder of a Billion Dollar Indian Business Empire

On the Calicut seafront, Raghu Karnad traces the lingering stories of the Parsis who lived there, including a thrice-great-grandmother It’s soon after sunrise, and women in burqas are power-walking on the Calicut seafront. Their stride is long and they swing their arms up higher than their shoulders, so their burqas pull out into shapes—triangles and… Continue reading Family matters: Raghu Karnad and the Calicut Parsis

Delhi’s Parsi community is by far the smallest minority group residing in the city. According to the 2011 Census report, the number of Parsis in the national capital is now down to three figures, which has caused great concern among those campaigning to preserve the cultural heritage and collective identity of India’s Parsis, writes Srija… Continue reading Vanishing point:The last remaining parsis of Delhi

Q&A With Author Mishi Saran on Uncovering Shanghai’s Parsi Past sixthtone.com | Sep 2nd 2016 “Who says nationality is the sole barometer of belonging?” asks Indian novelist Mishi Saran. The peripatetic author has a point. Born in the north Indian city of Allahabad, and still an Indian citizen, Saran has also lived in Switzerland, Indonesia,… Continue reading Uncovering Shanghai’s Parsi Past: Mishi Saran

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 knew what her plan ahead would be. “I wanted things to take their own course and lead me to a story,” says the… Continue reading Such a long journey: Malika Abbas