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Mumbai’s Parsis, Iran refugees from centuries ago, have a justice folklore

Mumbai’s Parsis, Iran refugees from centuries ago, have a justice folklore

Jul 7, 2026 | History

Few things represent life in Mumbai better than the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT). The colossal, 19th-century railway station sees thousands – students, office-goers, tourists, vendors — flit in and out at all hours, giving a glimpse of not only the...

Dr. Mahzarin R. Banaji Named a Carnegie “Great Immigrant, Great American”

Dr. Mahzarin R. Banaji Named a Carnegie “Great Immigrant, Great American”

Jul 1, 2026 | News

Why Mazda Is Literally A God-Tier Name For A Car Company

Why Mazda Is Literally A God-Tier Name For A Car Company

Jun 30, 2026 | News

Remembering Nariman Mehta of Nowroze Baug Mumbai

Remembering Nariman Mehta of Nowroze Baug Mumbai

May 14, 2026 | News

Government, Community Leaders, and Scholars Gather in Mumbai to Discuss the Future of Parsis in India

Government, Community Leaders, and Scholars Gather in Mumbai to Discuss the Future of Parsis in India

May 12, 2026 | News

Piruz Khambatta Launches Ashoi and Announces New Entrepreneurial Fund for the Next Generation

Piruz Khambatta Launches Ashoi and Announces New Entrepreneurial Fund for the Next Generation

May 11, 2026 | Books, News

The gendered cost of exogamy for India’s Parsi women

The gendered cost of exogamy for India’s Parsi women

Apr 27, 2026 | News

Zoroastrian Trailblazer Zerbanoo Gifford Honored as Founding Fellow at GW University Global Launch

Zoroastrian Trailblazer Zerbanoo Gifford Honored as Founding Fellow at GW University Global Launch

Apr 22, 2026 | Books

Love Letters: Divya Cowasji

Love Letters: Divya Cowasji

Apr 12, 2026 | Art

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Parsi Khabar is a portal of information about Parsis and Zoroastrians, appearing on the world wide web everyday.

The main objective of the site is to inform the public about news articles referencing Parsis. From time to time, there shall be opinions, commentaries, and announcements.

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Farrukh Dhondy: “Writing fiction is never a purely Farrukh Dhondy: “Writing fiction is never a purely logical process” On his hometown, Pune, religion as wilful human delusion, and the different strands that inspired his new novel, Tibetan Gospel Did Tibetan Gospel emerge from a fascination with belief and scepticism? Or was it simply the current world political situation that has caused you to pick a fight with several religions simultaneously? Article by Saaz Agarwal | Hindustan Times Though I was brought up to be a good Zoroastrian I determined, at an early age, to abandon all belief in religions as wilful human delusions. I had a lifelong friend called Darius Cama, who did convert from Zoroastrianism to Catholicism and did indeed become a priest and go to Bolivia as a missionary. The idea of the novel came to me when I read that Osho had claimed in writing that Jesus was buried in Kashmir. The plot then suggested itself. My late friend historian Charles Allen’s research into the origins of the Hindu and Zoroastrian idea that the plant they called Soma or Homa led to mystical experiences contributed to this plot. You’ve drawn on so many religious traditions and historical sources. Did you begin with years of accumulated reading, or did the demands of the story send you down new research paths? To call my allusions to religious beliefs in the novel ‘research’ is like saying President Trump’s policies are based on a profound reading of Machiavelli, Thomas Aquinas and John Maynard Keynes.
Meherwan Irani's Marghi Na Farcha Named "Most Flav Meherwan Irani's Marghi Na Farcha Named "Most Flavorful" in Food & Wine's Fried Chicken Taste Test Chef Meherwan Irani's Parsi-style fried chicken, Marghi Na Farcha, was singled out as the "most flavorful" entry in a recent Food & Wine taste test that pitted six fried chicken recipes from well-known chefs against each other. The taste test Food & Wine's editors and Test Kitchen staff tested and tasted six fried chicken recipes from famous chefs — including Thomas Keller, Bobby Flay, Jonathan Waxman, Shaun Doty, and Angie Mosier, whose Super-Crispy Pan-Fried Chicken ultimately took the top overall spot. Irani's Marghi Na Farcha was recognized in its own category as the most flavorful of the bunch. About the recipe Irani's Marghi Na Farcha (Parsi Fried Chicken) starts with a marinade of cilantro, lime juice, and dried spices including turmeric and Kashmiri chile powder. The marinated chicken — boneless, skinless thighs, in the version tested — is then dredged in flour, dipped in egg, and shallow-fried in a cast-iron skillet while being basted. Active time is about 40 minutes, with a total time of roughly 1 hour 10 minutes. Food & Wine's tasters loved the flavor of the dish, though they noted that the added moisture from the marinade and egg meant the breading didn't crisp up quite as much as some of the other recipes tested.
Sold His Dadar Pagdi Flat for a Dubai Venture, Mum Sold His Dadar Pagdi Flat for a Dubai Venture, Mumbai Parsi Family Now Faces Homelessness A Mumbai Parsi family says it is racing against time to find a roof over its head after a business venture in Dubai left them with nothing, according to a report in Mumbai Mirror. What happened Zubin Lala, 37, along with his 61-year-old mother Rita Lala and his elderly grandmother Silloo Lala, are currently staying at a Parsi Dharamshala in Kalbadevi, having returned from Dubai. The shelter has allowed them only 14 days' stay, after which the family says it has no home, income, or immediate support to fall back on. Lala says that in March, the family sold its only residence — a pagdi-system flat in Dadar Parsi Colony — at less than half its market value, in order to fund what he believed was a promising business opportunity in the UAE. "I sold everything because I believed I was investing in a better future for my family. Today, we don't even have a roof over our heads," he said. The Dubai venture According to Lala, he invested roughly AED 230,000 (about ₹52 lakh) in a Dubai-based cloud kitchen, Yes Healthy Restaurant LLC, in which he says he holds a 25% stake. He says the funds were moved through a mix of cash, hawala transactions, the Wise money-transfer platform, and debit card payments made toward government fees and business expenses. Lala says his name appears on the company's trade licence, its Memorandum of Association, and the partnership agreement — but he alleges he was never treated as a genuine partner.
Mumbai's 110-Year-Old Parsi Dairy Farm Loses Food Mumbai's 110-Year-Old Parsi Dairy Farm Loses Food Licence After FDA Hygiene Crackdown The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has suspended the food business licence of Parsi Dairy Farm Pvt Ltd, the 110-year-old Mumbai institution, after an inspection found serious hygiene and food safety violations at the outlet. What the FDA found Inspectors cited fungal growth and the presence of flies at the premises, along with other hygiene lapses, as grounds for suspending the FSSAI licence. News reports indicate the FDA also seized goods worth roughly ₹1.90 lakh from the shop during the raid. Parsi Dairy Farm has halted operations following the action. Part of a wider drive The move against Parsi Dairy Farm was one part of a broader, statewide FDA crackdown on food adulteration and hygiene violations across Mumbai and Palghar, led by FDA commissioner Tukaram Mundhe. Inspection teams targeted dairy establishments, hotels, restaurants, and sweet manufacturers as part of the drive. Other well-known names caught up in the same operation include Shalimar and K Rustoms. A 110-year run, told through Parsi Khabar's own coverage Parsi Khabar has followed Parsi Dairy Farm's story for over a decade, and that archive gives useful context for how the brand got here. The dairy was founded in 1916 by an 18-year-old Nariman Ardeshir, who began with a single can of milk sold on Princess Street in Marine Lines, then went on to pioneer home delivery of milk in pre-Independence Bombay.
Parsi Khabar is happy to share some good news abou Parsi Khabar is happy to share some good news about a good friend of ours. Zubin Nalawalla — Founder of Content Digital Agency (CDA), radio jockey, and indie-pop singer — has been named one of Forbes India's Emerging Personalities Making Their Mark in 2026, a list celebrating visionaries, innovators, and creators shaping industries and inspiring change across business, art, technology, and the creative world.Zubin is a familiar name to many in the community, and it was wonderful to see him at the 3rd World Zoroastrian Youth Leaders Forum in the UK this past May, where he joined young Zoroastrians from around the world for a few days of connection and conversation. It is exactly the kind of engagement that makes his recognition on the global stage feel that much closer to home.Forbes India describes Zubin as one of the rare professionals with over two decades of pure digital advertising experience. His agency, CDA, now operates across India, Germany, and the UK, and is looking to expand well beyond Europe after recently signing a global client. Alongside the business, Zubin is stepping into film as well, with his first indie movie releasing in 2026 as a producer.But 2026 carries a more personal milestone too: it marks 20 years since Zubin first stepped behind a radio microphone. To celebrate two decades on air, and true to his roots, he created what is being described as the first cinematic Zoroastrian hymn, "Ahura Mazda – An Ode," filmed across Azerbaijan and India, with Zubin producing and lending his own voice to the piece. You can watch the video album here: The hymn has found an enthusiastic global audience since its release, giving the community a rare piece of devotional music shot on a genuinely cinematic scale. It follows his 2025 pop single "Chal Chalein," filmed in Europe, which has already crossed 1.5
When Nariman Karkaria, an Indian-Parsi soldier who When Nariman Karkaria, an Indian-Parsi soldier who fought in World War I, departed from Bombay on October 24, 1923 for a trip to Iran, the country was in the throes of a regime change. Before Karkaria could reach Iran, Ahmad Shah Qajar, the Shah of Iran, went into exile on November 10, 1923. Article by Murali Ranganathan | The WIRENariman Karkaria at Yazd. Photo: Author provided.During the First World War, Britain and Russia jointly fought the forces of the Ottoman Empire on Iranian soil. After the war, the Russian (who were now the Soviets) and British armies became colonial occupiers of Iran, but adversaries, both vying for a share of Iran’s newly discovered petroleum riches besides its other resources. When the occupation armies finally agreed to withdraw from a politically weakened Iran in early 1921, it encouraged Reza Khan, a brigadier who commanded the Persian Cossack Brigade, to march into Tehran and seize power to become the de facto ruler. Before departing from Iran, Ahmad Shah Qajar acknowledged the transfer of power by appointing Reza Khan as the prime minister of Iran. Sardar Sepah Reza Khan. Photo: Author provided.Though Iran was no longer a mysterious land to the Parsis of India, it was still a potentially dangerous place for a Zoroastrian. Karkaria would have imagined himself as walking in the footsteps of Manekji Limji Hataria (1813–1890) who was sent from Mumbai to Iran in 1854 by the Society for the Amelioration of the Condition of Zoroastrians in Persia. Hataria returned to Mumbai in 1863 and delivered a series of lectures about his experiences that he later compiled into a book, Iran Deshni Safarna Saarno Report (1865). He reported that centuries of persecution and dwindling numbers had left the Iranian Zoroastrians in a precarious condition. Describing the dangerous conditions of travel in Iran, Hataria noted that, “During my travels, I always secured the necessary government permits and sought assistance from local officials in every city.
Two years ago, Nozer Amalsadiwala captained India’ Two years ago, Nozer Amalsadiwala captained India’s senior side at the Pickleball World Cup in Peru, chasing the dream at the age of 50. This September, in Vietnam, the family is back on the world stage. Only this time, the name on the tricolour belongs not to the father but to his daughters.Article by Gaurav Sarkar "| Mumbai MirrorPearl, 19, and Naomi, 16, the Mumbai sisters known within the Parsi community as the “Sisters of Destruction,” have been selected for the Pickleball World Cup 2026 in Da Nang. It is the third edition of the tournament and the first ever in Asia, drawing thousands of players from over 80 countries.At the Indian team selection trials, the sisters took over the Open category, clinching Gold together in the Pro Women’s Doubles. In the mixed doubles, lined up on opposite sides of the net with different partners, Naomi took Gold with Arjun and Pearl Silver with Divyanshu. “It was the most intense match of the tournament, because we were on opposite sides,” they recall. “It went down to the last point.” Naomi, still 16, will pull double duty in Da Nang, turning out for the Under-18 team as well.“We were in Vietnam, so we celebrated with our fellow athletes over a few pizzas,” they say. “Before we could even call our parents, they had already seen the announcement and called us. In our family, when one of us wins, the whole family wins.”From table-tennis to a world stagePearl’s road to pickleball began at a different table. She spent nearly eight years in table tennis, representing Maharashtra, before the sport stopped giving back what she put in. “There came a point where I felt completely burnt out,” she says. It was the Covid period, and she was preparing for her Class 10 boards. “Walking away wasn’t easy, especially since my career was progressing well, but mentally I knew it was the right choice.”Pickleball arrived three years later, in 2023, as a suggestion from her parents, picked up just to enjoy a sport again.
Three Bombay Parsi Punchayet trustees have opposed Three Bombay Parsi Punchayet trustees have opposed a proposal to convert Leave and Licence agreements into permanent tenancies for trust-owned flats. They argued the move could weaken community housing safeguards, while Chairman Viraf Mehta said legal protections, including a 'Parsi-only' covenant, would be incorporated into tenancy agreements.The BPP has its office in the Sir Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy Fort Boys’ High School building on D N Road Article by Manoj Ramakrishnan | Free Press JournalA sharp divide has emerged within the Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP), one of Mumbai's largest landlords, after three of its seven trustees publicly opposed a proposal to convert Leave and Licence (L&L) agreements into permanent tenancies for nearly 4,500 trust-owned flats across the city's Parsi baugs.Open Letter WarningIn an open letter published in a community newspaper on Sunday, trustees Anahita Desai, Hoshang Jal and Adil Malia criticised a resolution, passed in May 2026 through Chairman Viraf Mehta's casting vote, to replace the long-standing Leave and Licence system with tenancy agreements. They warned that the move could undermine a housing framework that has protected the community for over five decades.The trustees argued that permanent tenancy could weaken the "Parsi-only" covenant governing the baugs, potentially allowing non-Parsi occupants to remain indefinitely through inherited or transferred tenancy rights. They cited long-running legal disputes involving non-Parsi families residing in colonies such as Cusrow Baug and Jer Baug as evidence of the complications associated with tenancy.Historical ContextDesai told The Free Press Journal that the Leave and Licence system was introduced after rent control laws granted statutory protection to tenants, making it difficult for the trust to regain possession of its properties.Of the BPP's housing stock, around 1,900 flats are currently under Leave and Licence agreements, while the remainder are tenanted.

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