My growing-up years were inextricably linked to the Banaji agiary — physically, too, because our rambling 120-year-old house shared a wall with it. My mornings were infused with the fragrance of sandalwood mingling with the mundane aromas from our kitchen. The house...
Dinshaw Avari: Karachi Was the Dubai of the 1970s
Karachi’s history does not reside merely in its buildings, its roads, or the long curve of its shoreline. It lives in the memories of those who saw the city up close, who breathed with its rhythm and understood its pulse. Dinshaw Avari is one such witness — a...
Early morning fire at godown on Ezra Street ravages Calcutta’s oldest Parsi temple
Twenty-five fire tenders battled the blaze in central Calcutta for over six hours from 5.30am, when the first alarm reached the Kolkata Police headquarters, LalbazarA fire that broke out early on Saturday morning at a godown on Ezra Street left Calcutta’s first Parsi...
Short stories about Mumbai: Murzban Shroff
Short stories about Mumbai: A woman is outraged when she sees a stark-naked sadhu on Marine DriveAn excerpt from the story ‘Mental About Mumbai’ in ‘Muses Over Mumbai’, by Murzban F Shroff.Published in ScrollMurzban F Shroff. | Via Author's Instagram page. It was an...
Remembering Bapsi Sidhwa
The celebrated author’s passing in December 2024 marks the end of an eraDecember 25 holds significance for many reasons. However, in 2024, it brought the sorrowful news of another star fading from the already struggling intellectual and literary horizon of an...
A Parsi ceremony in Hong Kong delivers a universal message
I don’t think I’m alone in having an ambivalent attitude toward religion. My ambivalence is captured perfectly in an International Baccalaureate examination question titled: “Is organized religion a force for good or evil in the world?” The answer, of course, is both,...
Dr. Rustom Soonawala passes away at 95
Dr. Rustom Soonawala, a distinguished gynaecologist noted for his work in women's health and family planning, passed away at 95. His invention of the polyethylene IUD and significant contributions to infertility treatments were groundbreaking. Respected for his...
A Memorial to Pestonji Nowroji Kharas in Bastar village honours tragic love, vengeance
Every New Year’s Day, the remote village of Kutru in Bastar, Chhattisgarh, comes alive with a poignant ritual that relives the tragic love story of a Parsi couple and the vengeance of a wild buffalo. Villagers gather at a grave in the village to honor Pestonji Nowroji...
Famous Pakistani author Bapsi Sidhwa dies at 86; A look at her literary legacy
Bapsi Sidhwa, a globally celebrated author and a prominent voice in cultural and partition literature, passed away on Wednesday in Houston, Texas, at the age of 86. Her death is a loss not just for the Zoroastrian (Parsi) community, but also for literary groups of...
