KARACHI, Feb 25 (IPS/IFEJ) – “The thought of my carcass being pecked at by vultures isn’t at all pleasant,” said Bapsi Sidhwa, a leading Pakistani diasporic writer now living in the United States. She was referring to the ancient Parsi funerary rite of ‘sky burial’. “There are many Parsis like me in Pakistan and in… Continue reading Warnings From Vanishing Vultures
News and Updates
Prof. Jamshedji Chinoy: First Among Equals
IRST AMONGST EQUALS By Dina Bilimoria Our Zoroastrian Community is rather famous for firsts in many fields. Our men and women have excelled in whatever they do and this quality prevails even today. Since time immemorial individuals have been born in our illustrious community who have reached and received greatness by sheer hard work and… Continue reading Prof. Jamshedji Chinoy: First Among Equals
Parsis Reminisce about Karachi of yore
Karachi’s finest mayor: it’s not who you think By Sabeen Jamil If there is anyone who can comment on the administration of Karachi in its early days, it is the elderly members of the Zoroastrian, or Parsi, community. These senior citizens have weathered Karachi’s many governments from the very beginning, and nearly each one of… Continue reading Parsis Reminisce about Karachi of yore
Zidane and Little Zizou: A close miss
French soccer legend Zidedine Zidane might have had a Parsi connection. Had things gone according to plan, the soccer star would have done a cameo in Sooni Taraporewala’s award winning film Little Zizou. Jahan Battivala as Little Zizou and Zidedine Zidane Sooni approached Zizou (as Zidane is popularly known) with a request to hear her… Continue reading Zidane and Little Zizou: A close miss
A Thousand and Counting
Over the weekend, Parsi Khabar crossed a small milestone. We had our 1000th post up on the website. The website began as a labour of love way back in August 2005 and still remains one. On August 19, 2005 I posted a Welcome note followed by a Saal Mubarak the next day on the occassion… Continue reading A Thousand and Counting
Ancient Zoroastrian Valentine’s Day Custom Remains Alive
Love conquers all but tradition Maryam Sinaiee, Foreign Correspondent Young people shop for Valentine’s gifts in a mall outside Tehran on Valentine’s Day. Newsha Tavakolian / The National TEHRAN // While Iranian teenagers have lately chosen Valentine’s Day to express affection to their loved ones, many older Iranians, who find the popularisation of the day… Continue reading Ancient Zoroastrian Valentine’s Day Custom Remains Alive
Gustadji Ghode Chadhya
Surprise is the spice of drama. “Don’t think Gustadji is going to ride a horse in the play as a groom,” director of Gustadji Ghode Chadhya’ Yazdi Karanjia tells the audience, “one rides different kinds of horses. The one Gustadji rides is his jidd’ (stubbornness).” The two and a half hour long play gave a… Continue reading Gustadji Ghode Chadhya
A towering icon of India stumbles, raising alarms
In this Nov. 29, 2008 file photo, people sit next to the waterfront in the backdrop of the Taj Mahal hotel, owned by the Tata group, after the completion of an operation against terrorists in attacks that left 164 dead in Mumbai, India. The 141-year-old Tata company, India’s oldest and largest conglomerate whose story is… Continue reading A towering icon of India stumbles, raising alarms
The permanence of Persia
The remarkable perseverance of Iran’s cultural identity By David Morgan Iran is now widely spoken of as a “regional superpower”. That status owes a good deal to the operation of a law that Michael Axworthy mentions in his book, the law of unintended (though in this case, predictable) consequences: the American elimination of its two… Continue reading The permanence of Persia
