On a hill in Mumbai surrounded by banyan trees lies the Doongerwadi grounds. It is home to the city’s ancient Towers...
Blog Articles
Mira Mehta named to Bloomberg New Economy’s 2025 “Catalyst” class
Mira Mehta, co-founder and CEO of Tomato Jos in Nigeria, has been named to Bloomberg New Economy’s 2025 “Catalyst”...
Tuition class teacher held for sexually abusing students in Mumbai
Eight students of the class eight and nine have approached the Shivaji Park police station against their coaching class owner, Feroze Katrak, 49, who had reportedly sexually abused them. By Manish K...
Avesthagen Completes the First Whole Genome Sequence of a Parsi Breast Cancer Patient
Avesthagen Limited has yet again established its position as a leader in the successful application of next gen technologies as it announces the completion of the first Parsi breast cancer whole...
Dr. K B Grant Passes Away
Dr K B Grant, founder and chairman of the Grant Medical Foundation that runs Ruby Hall Clinic in the city, passed away here on Monday. He was 91. Credited as being the man who brought in some of the...
Poor Parsis can look forward to new homes
The New Year is bound to be good for some Parsis as they could get their much-awaited homes. By Ashutosh Shukla | DNA The poor Parsi housing issue was entangled in court cases, with the result that...
10 Predictions for Parsis for 2011
Taking a leaf out of Bejan Daruwalla, the renowned astrologer, Bombay Samachar takes a shot at predictions for Parsis in 2011 A BPP trustee will resign and elections will be held. Efforts to find a...
BMC Wants to demolish contested toilet block near Bhikha Behram Well
The much-contested toilet block, built almost 15 years ago near the Bhikha Behram well at Churchgate, will be demolished so that the facility does not block views of the newly restored garden at...
The Magi: Where did the Three Wise Men come from
Where did the Three Wise Men come from, and how did they know the importance of that Child? The Three Wise Men, who came from the East, to find the newborn Jesus Christ are only described in...
Planning Commission says No to boosting Parsi numbers
The government's plan to boost the dwindling population of Parsi community received a severe jolt with the Planning Commission rejecting a scheme proposed by the minority affairs ministry to improve...
Playwright Nozer Buchia: Vari Baanna Paachhal Thi
Nozer Buchia has been writing, directing and acting in plays for over 25 years under the banner of Nozer Buchia Productions. The latest play to release on stage is “Vari Baanna Paachhal Thi”...
Parsi Punchayat gets SC nod to build on Panthaki Baug Plot
After almost three decades of litigation, the Bombay Parsi Punchayat is free to construct at least a hundred flats at Punthaky Baug in Andheri. Last Friday, the Supreme Court cleared the decks for...
Neville Wadia: Bicycle Ride from Bangalore to Bombay to Raise Cancer Awareness
28-year-old Mumbai born and bread Neville Wadia looks to raise awareness and funds for a cancer awareness centre in Mumbai by riding his bicycle solo from Bangalore to Bombay a distance of 1000 kms....
Villie M. Appoo Makes Her Mark as CEO of Illinois Girl Scouts
Villie M. Appoo, the current CEO of Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois assumed her postion in 2009 and later formed a Senior Leadership Team that successfully led the merger of two legacy...
Have they been barred from entering the temple?
A notice at a fire temple prohibiting inter-married Parsi-Zoroastrian women from bringing their children has them wondering whether their religious rights are at stake All fire temples in the city...
Shiamak Davar: India’s Most Successful Choreographer
On June 7, 2005. India is playing host to Bill Clinton and the sleepy town of Lucknow is a stop over. On the menu is the finest Awadhi cuisine and the best dancer India can find to entertain a...
Vidal Urges Obama To Meet With Parsi Leaders In Iran
Author, playwright and scholar GORE VIDAL has repeated his plea for PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA to meet with Parsi leaders in a Christmas letter to the U.S. leader. In the missive, released via movie...
High Court Relief for Bombay Parsi Punchayat
In a reprieve to the Bombay Parsi Punchayat (BPP), the HC on Friday stayed an order passed by the assistant charity commissioner. The commissioner had directed the punchayat to furnish documents...
Bangalore Dakhma Dysfunctional
Bangalore’s explosive growth, while triggering a huge demand for living spaces, has caused an acute shortage of land for the dead. The pressure on graveyards is mounting. Here’s a searing look at...
Planning Commission Still to OK Scheme for Parsi Population Decline
The Planning Commission has not given "in-principle" nod to a Central government scheme aimed at containing the population decline of Parsi community, the government told the Lok Sabha...
Parsi children return to roots
Religion is best understood by children when it is not preached pedantically. A testimony to this was Zochild Day organized by the Zoroastrian Children's Foundation (ZCF) at Shanmukhananda hall in...
Gustadji Hathiram And The Power of Prayers
Over the years Parsi Khabar has published several articles [ 1, 2, 3, ] about the tremendous, fantastic feat of Parsi Cyclists cycling around the world in 53 months way back in the 1920's. One of...
NYC Zarathushtis celebrate Halloween
The Zoroastrian Association of Greater New York is one of the oldest Zoroastrian organisations in America. For over 30 years they hold a prayer class for kids every first Sunday of the month. Last...
Sanjan Day Celebrated amidst controversey
Below are two article on the recent Sanjan Day Celebrations. Conversion issue mars Sanjan Day celebrations Published by DNA India / Manoj R Nair The issue of religious conversions raging in...
Ruttie Jinnah: A Book Review
THIS study deals with Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s marital life and its tragic break up, resulting finally in the death of his 29-year-old young beautiful and highly talented wife, Ruttie. Originally...
Two trains to stop at Sanjan in special arrangement on ‘Sanjan Day’
Western Railway has given special stoppage of two scheduled trains Flying Rani(up) and Gujarat Express(down) at south Gujarat’s Sanjan railway station on 18th and 19th of November on the occasion of...
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...
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...
India’s religious community in irreversible decline
Parsis are an ethnic community in India that follow the Zoroastrian religion. They are originally from Fars in Iran and had migrated to Western India more than 800 years ago. They are an essential...
Oh, for the love of beautiful, embroidered Gara
In a bid to bring back the popularity of Gara — the intricately embroidered saree on Chinese silk — the Parsi community has thought of a new method: Help the young learn draping the traditional...
Parsis to organise matrimonial meet in Bardoli, Gujarat.
To promote marriages within community and arrest the decline in population, the Parsi community in the state has decided to hold a two-day matrimonial meet at Bardoli. The meet has been organised to...
Delkash Shahriarian: US T20 Women’s Cricket Player
WHAT an honor for the first Zoroastrian participant in the US. Women's T20 Cricket Open Championship which engraves a new Chapter in American Sports History The home of the first official Cricket...
Parsi theatre group from Surat in Karachi for play
Surat-based Yezdi Karanjia drama group, which is due to mark its Golden Jubilee this year, will perform a Parsi comedy play “Kutra Ni Punchdi Vanki” in Karachi, where the troupe comprising mostly...
Yaraana: Edited by Hoshang Merchant
Hoshang Merchant is a senior poetic star in the firmament of Indian poetry. He and his work sparkle bright, like the mischief in his eyes. His Parsi background and early years in Mumbai, coupled...
Vada Dasturji Meherjirana on the Udvada Land Issue
Below is a message from Vada Dasturji K N Dastur Meherji Rana on the Udvada Land Issue received via email from Kaizad F Keravala. The matter of the Udvada land near Paak Iranshah Atash-Beheram has...
Proposed industrial zone near Udvada fire temple angers Parsis
A land transaction in a tiny Gujarat village has caused concern among the Parsi-Irani community in Mumbai as well as the diaspora worldwide. About 200 km from the city is located Udvada, the...
Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi Approached to Resolve Udvada Land Issue
Parsis to approach Modi to save their first settlement Community fears non-agricultural status of holy land in Udvada may herald industrialisation The threat of industrialisation of Udvada,...
Now, Parsis take conservatism debate to Facebook
“You, Parsis, have a great responsibility to carry your faith to the next generation safely. But it’s hard to stick by these rules...Most young people would get frustrated by them and some may even...
Spurred by faith, Parsi man walks from Mumbai to Udvada
Jehangir Randeria, a childhood friend and neighbor at the Moholla at Wadia Street, Tardeo recently walked from Tardeo, Mumbai to Udvada to spur his faith. The article below was published in the...
Theobroma opens in Bandra
As patisserie Theobroma opens its second outlet we talk to owner Kainaz Messman about the toils and joys (not to mention kilos of cocoa) involved in satisfying Mumbai's sweet tooth. By Alisha Patel...
Mumbai Parsis step in defence of banned priests
The Bombay high court has admitted an appeal, filed by eminent Parsis, challenging a ban on two Zoroastrian priests from praying at the Towers of Silence because they have been conducting initiation...
Mum’s The Word On Mistry Novel
Rohinton Mistry’s novel, ‘Such a long journey’ has accidentally stumbled into a controversy, many years after its publication. It has earned the Shiv Sena’s ire and the Mumbai University (known for...
Lady With The Lens
Like most of today’s generation, you must have been introduced to her photographs in those boring history textbooks. Homai Vyarawall , 97, a Gujarat-born photographer, captured some of Delhi’s...
The Tatas Without Ratan
He's packing his bags -- again. December 2012, when he turns 75, is the third scheduled retirement for Ratan Tata. The Tata Group has been at this inflection point twice earlier, and stepped back...
Udvada Pak Iranshah Under Threat
The Udvada Samast Anjuman would like to inform community members all over the world, about the possible threat that our sacred Shreeji Pak Iranshah is presently facing. The tenure of a huge plot of...
Archbishop of Canterbury Addresses Zoroastrian Community
The Archbishop of Canterbury addressed the ZTFE at its London Headquarters on Friday 1st October 2010. The below is the text of that address President Malcolm Deboo, Lord Bilimoria, Honoured Guests...
Author Rohinton Mistry slams Mumbai University after book ban
Mr Mistry's second novel Such a Long Journey, which won the Commonwealth Writers' Prize and was shortlisted for the Booker Prize, was removed from Mumbai University's literature syllabus following...
Parsi Delegation at Art of Living Centre in Bangalore
Parsis were represented at a well attended inter-faith conference held at the Art of Living International Centre in Bangalore on 27 & 28 September 2010. By Noshir Dadrawala. The Parsi delegation...
Don’t take my book away
A Mumbai University student responds to the Shiv Sena’s syllabus censorship. I am just another Mumbaikar who has lived all his life in the suburbs. The 50-minute Harbour Line local train journey...
Parsis pitch for cricket to revive it among youth ‘lost in Facebooking’
When British colonialists first introduced cricket to India, the first Indians to take up the sport were Parsis. They dominated the game in Mumbai for more than a century. Lately, it seems, the...
Tata Group endows $50 Million to Harvard University
Harvard Business School on Thursday announced it received a $50 million donation from India's diversified conglomerate Tata Group, the largest gift the school received from an international donor in...
Dance Bawa Dance: ZYNG Organizes Dance Competition
When this group of Parsis decided to get the country’s Zoroastrian youth on one platform, they chose to do it reality-TV style. By Aarefa Johari, Hindustan Times On Saturday evening, Mumbai’s...