For sixty years, Parsiana has documented the everyday and the extraordinary within the Parsi world — from births and...
Blog Articles
Love in the time of loneliness: Paswaar spotlights Parsi elders’ lives
The Gujarati-language film Paswaar puts a story about elder care and India’s Parsi community front and centre Dr Homi,...
To Eternity And Back: Shirin Kumaana-Wadia
We are proud to announce that our very own Shirin Kumaana-Wadia shall be holding her first solo exhibition of photography at The Viewing Room in Mumbai, India. The exhibition runs from December 6th...
Active marketing important in publishing: Author Cyrus Mistry
Marketing holds tremendous importance in the publishing industry and ensures a book doesn’t become a sinking stone, says Cyrus Mistry, the reticent author of “Chronicles of Corpse...
Cyrus Todiwala’s jardaloo ma murghi
“This Parsee chicken dish will please everyone,” says Cyrus Todiwala, one half of The Incredible Spice Men and the chef behind Café Spice Namasté in London. “It’s not too hot, and it signifies...
Sooni Taraporevala and Meher Marfatia’s Parsi Bol to hit the stands next month
Position ma puncture — If you have any doubt about what this phrase could possibly mean, think like your favourite Parsi. If that doesn’t work, wait for Sooni Taraporevala and Meher...
Kayhan Irani’s Book Reading in London
Good friend of Parsi Khabar and a fantastic artivist, Kayhan Irani will read from her upcoming works, in London. TREE OF SEEDS A narrative of migration and memory. A young woman and...
Charges Against BPP Chairman: Is the World Congress in Jeopardy ?
Four Trustees of the Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) Arnavaz Mistry, Khojeste Mistree, Jimmy Mistry and Yazdi Desai filed a complaint with the Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Mumbai against BPP...
Bakewell: UAE’s Only Parsi Bakery in Dubai
Here is a short video report on Bakewell Bakery of Dubai, UAE. It is the only Parsi bakery in the UAE, and has been run for a few decades now by Rustom Sorab Wadia, originally of Bombay, India...
BPP chief Dinshaw Mehta threatens complaining trustees with Rs50cr defamation
Days after dna reported that Yazdi Desai, Khojeste Mistree, Jimmy Mistry and Arnavaz Mistry the trustees of the Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) had filed a complaint against trust chairman Dinshaw...
After 23 Years World Zoroastrian Congress returns to Mumbai
The Parsi community laid the metaphorical building blocks that made the city of Mumbai. On December 27, the World Zoroastrian Congress — a conference that brings together Parsis from across the...
Stars in the milky way: Parsi Dairy Farm
Relative Value: Sarfaraz K Irani, 28, and Bakhtyar K Irani, 31 Meet the two boys who gave Mumbai’s iconic dairy a steroid shot of success. Brothers Bakhtyar, 31, and Sarfaraz K Irani, 28,...
Persepolis – The Lost Worlds
One of the impressive locations of the ancient world, Persepolis was burnt and destroyed by Alexander the Great in 330 BC and lay forgotten for over 2000 years. This film travels to Iran to bring...
Infosys Prize 2013 for Physical Sciences awarded to Prof. Shiraz Naval Minwalla
Shiraz Naval Minwalla Member, School of Natural Sciences, Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton, and Professor, Department of Theoretical Physics, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR),...
Niloufer’s Mavalvala’s Kitchen and E-books on Cooking Recipes
We would like to introduce our readers to Niloufer Mavalvala and her e-books on Parsi cooking. Per Niloufer’s website: Born and raised in Karachi, I started to bake when I was 8 years old. I...
Kaum Banegi Crorepati
An entire community’s hopes seem pinned on a man called Marzi Bhesania. Its networks have gone viral over this hitherto unheard of fellow-Parsi. By Bachi Karkaria | Times of India He’s...
Bombay Parsi Punchayet trustees cry Rs 45 lakh swindle, put chief in a spot
Four trustees of the Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) on Wednesday filed a complaint with the joint commissioner of police against their chairman, Dinshaw Mehta, for misappropriation of funds, cheating...
Marzi Bhesania: First Zoroastrian on Kaun Banega Crorepati
Marzi Bhesania of Navsari, Gujarat; India is slated to be the first ever Parsi contestant on Kaun Banega Crorepati, the Indian version of the original Who Wants To Be A Millionaire. In the long run...
In the Line of Laughter – Sooni Taraporevala and Meher Marfatia
Meher Marfatia & Sooni Taraporevala on why they turned archivists with a new book that’s trying to ‘save’ quirky Parsi phrases. By Tinaz Nooshian, Mumbai Mirror It’s well...
Pakistan’s Institute of Business Administration names centre after Ardeshir Cowasjee
In memory of Ardeshir Cowasjee, one of Pakistan’s most renowned columnists, social activist, and philanthropist, the Institute of Business Administration (IBA) Karachi has launched the Ardeshir...
Parsee Gymkhana Vice President Sold Cricket World Cup 2011 Tickets on The Black Market
The Parsee Gymkhana vice-president, Khodadad Yazdegardi, has been accused of selling two complimentary tickets for the 2011 World Cup final between India and Sri Lanka for Rs 2.5 lakh. By Jyoti...
Mazda, Thomas Edison and one far-out Zoroastrian connection
Ancient god ties the automaker, incandescent bulb together Perhaps you’ve seen that Mazda CX-5 commercial that compares the capable crossover to Thomas Edison. As far as advertisements go,...
The book Parsis of Ahmedabad – A Brief History by Meher Medora
Meher Medora presents a book on Amdavad Parsis which her husband began & she completed Parsis may be dwindling in numbers. But, they stand out in all their shining glory. A member of the...
Ignoring community’s help, Parsi family lives on footpath
They were given monetary assistance and put up at a dharamshala, yet the family of three have, for four years, been embarrassing the community by living outside the Petit Sanatorium at Cumballa...
A Will To Live
By six in the evening, dozens of senior citizens assemble on concrete benches across the seven-acre vicinity of Cusrow Baug, the queen of Parsi colonies. Sprawled by the sea in South Mumbai’s...
Uttar Pradesh government inflating Parsi numbers, says activist
A media activist here has accused the Uttar Pradesh government of falsely showing an increase in Parsi population in the state to siphon off educational scholarships meant for minority...
Launch of Zoroastrian All Party Parliamentary Group in the U.K.
Lord Bilimoria of Chelsea, CBL, DL and Gareth Thomas MP are pleased to announce the establishment of the Zoroastrian All Party Parliamentary Group. The event, hosted in the Members’ Dining Room of...
Tata tops list of Indian firms which are most transparent in BRICS: Corruption watchdog
The anti-corruption watchdog Transparency International has admonished Chinese companies for their opaque business practices while praising Indian firms’ relatively high standards, in a survey...
BBC: India tries to boost its dwindling Parsi community
India is a country full of diverse religions and communities but the Parsis – who boast the highest literacy rate in the country and some of India’s best known business families –...
Dina Pestonji: Stroke patient to run in Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon
After 10 months of therapy, goal of completing half-marathon within reach After suffering a severe stroke that required emergency brain surgery to remove part of her skull, 29-year-old Dina Pestonji...
Parsis: Beloved, But Endangered ?: An NDTV Special
This is an NDTV one hour special With the Parsi community in a real danger of getting extinct, we debate the challenges within and outside the much loved Parsi community of India. .:
The Bombay Parsi Punchayet and Housing Woes
The Bombay Parsi Punchayet is one of the largest landlords in the city of Mumbai. And it has been in the crossfire in recent years because of an inconsistent and sometimes ad-hoc policy of allotment...
The Story of Two Mumbai Riots in the 19th Century
In 19th century Bombay, Parsis and Muslims fought each other on the streets on two separate occasions but eventually buried the hatchet and moved on. In 2013, we are still grappling with the problem...
JRD Tata: The father of commercial aviation in India
Hardelot is a beach town in the north of France. It is in the Pas de Calais, a region along the English Channel where the distance to Britain is short and, unlikely as it may seem, this is why it...
Parsi community to teach their fold how to make the sacred cord
Anxious to preserve a dying art of their diminishing community, the Bombay Parsi Punchayat is promoting kustiweaving classes for those in their fold; 67-year old Dolly Mistry’s sessions have...
Sorabji N. Pochkhanawala And His Wild Ambition: Barons of Banking
In 1910, a young Parsi assistant accountant with the Bank of India in Bombay had the far-fetched idea that he could set up a bank of his own. When news of this alarmingly ambitious enterprise...
13 years after judge’s death, ex-pilot in the dock over threat calls
Thirteen years after the death of a former Bombay High Court judge, the court is likely to frame charges against an ex-pilot accused of criminally intimidating him and his family over a property...
Five Parsi trusts move court over civic authority’s notices on property tax
Five Parsi trusts based in Mumbai have approached Bombay High Court challenging the civic authority’s notices on property tax levied on the base of capital value as against ratable value. The...
Pheroza Bilimoria receives International Advertising Association’s Champion Award
At the Intercontinental Hotel in London, a 300-strong gathering of advertising communication veterans from across the globe who had come together for a black tie dinner to celebrate IAA’s 75th...
Panel at Cyrus Cylinder Exhibit Debates King’s Zoroastrian Roots
Three eminent Iranian scholars debated the possible Zoroastrian roots of Persian King Cyrus the Great, at a panel discussion on the opening day exhibit of the Cyrus Cylinder at the Asian Art Museum...
Zoroastrian Research Group Online
Bakhtyar Taila of Boston, USA writes: I have started a Zoroastrian Research Group on Yahoo. This group is Dedicated to research and inquiry about Zoroastrianism and about everything Zoroastrian. If...
WZO Trust Funds Launches New Website
Good friend of Parsi Khabar, and Chairman of the WZO Trust Funds, Mr. Dinshaw K. Tamboly informs us: Dear Friends, Donors, Well Wishers, The website of World Zoroastrian Organisation Trust / WZO...
India Urges One Community to Reproduce
The Indian government, though faced with a rapidly expanding population, is trying to encourage one community to have more children. Author: Atish Patel | Source: Wall Street Journal The Parsi...
Kei Kianpoor's Cyrus the Great: A hero for all ages
In a world spiralling out of control, one man hopes that the story of one of history’s most secular leaders would prove an inspiration. Joanna Lobo talks to the man bringing Cyrus the...
Jiyo Parsi: Govt scheme to boost population of Parsis
The Parsi community that boasts of the highest literacy rate and sex ratio in India is staring at extinction. In a population of 1.2 billion in India, there are only about 69,000 Parsis. Author:...
Hosi Daruwala: Colaba’s Patchwork Man
Seated in a chair at the head of a rickety old sewing machine, Mr. Hosi Daruwala matches its battle-weariness with some of his own. Author: Reza Noorani | Source: Home Grown At 71, he is a small,...
Parsis to get govt stimulus for raising their numbers
Under the minorities’ bonanza plan, couples to get Rs 5 lakh for infertility treatment Author: Aditi Tandon Source: Tribune News Service Ahead of elections, the Congress-led UPA government is all...
Dhunjiboy Bomanji's Pineheath mansion opens a window on the past
Sir Dhunjibhoy Bomanji was a true son of the British Raj. A Parsee shipping magnate from Bombay, knighted for his philanthropy, he was as comfortable in the countryside of his adopted Yorkshire as...
An ode to India's Parsis
Sooni Taraporevala is not a new name in the field of photography. She is widely known for documenting her community – the Parsis – through her photographs and has come out with several exhibitions...
'Aapro Zubin's concerts a real treat'
Master conductor Zubin Mehta’s twin concerts at the NCPA might have drawn to a close on Tuesday night, but they were an event the 1,109-strong audience would replay in their minds for months....
Supreme Court to Review Gujarat High Court’s controversial decision: Goolrukh Gupta Case
A Special Leave Petition (SLP) has been filed in the Supreme Court challenging the Gujarat High Court’s controversial ruling that a woman who enters into wedlock, even under The Special Marriage...
Remembering Khorshed Gandhy
The Indian art community will dearly miss one of its custodians, the inimitable Khorshed Gandhy, the director of Gallery Chemould since its inception in 1963, who passed away on Friday. While her...