Avesthagen Limited, India’s leading Life Sciences Company brings to you, in association with Mallika Sarabhai and Darpana, an original dance theatre performance celebrating the historic journey of the Parsis titled “And They Came To India”. Of the many different people who have migrated to India over the centuries, one group that stands out for its industriousness and maintenance of their ethnic difference is the Parsi. From before the birth of Zarathustra, this dance theatre piece traces the early Persians and their myths, the birth of Zoroastrianism and their final flight to India.
Avesthagen aims to enhance the quality and texture of human lives through safe, predictive, preventive, personalised healthcare & agriculture. The scientific and business related activities whether in the field of pioneering research, innovation, product development or strategic alliances, stem from the company’s commitment to thread research with humanity.
Parsi history, like most others, is dramatic and eventful. As a community they have stuck to their promise of laying down weapons and have added sweetness to the lives of people without being a burden. India is richer today due to the contributions of a tiny community. In the sciences, the arts and industry, Parsis have given back more than a thousand-fold. Any wonder then what Mahatma Gandhi had to state about the Parsi stock? He once said, quote “I am proud of my country, India , for having produced the splendid Zoroastrian stock, in numbers beneath contempt, but in charity and philanthropy, unequalled, certainly unsurpassed.”
As an ethnic group, Parsis have excelled in a way no other community has and it would seem that their upbringing and strong religious belief may be the reason for this. Starting with business and industry, through law and literature, including the armed forces, and spanning the arts, music and nuclear science, Parsis always gave more than they took from their adopted land.
Dr. Villoo Morawala Patell, Founder, Chairman and Managing Director of Avesthagen Limited and Mallika Sarabhai, share common ideologies – they believe art and science are co-related. This meeting of minds and then hearts lead to the creation of this unique dance drama recital to share their work to the common people. Avesthagen Limited is very proud to be associated with this unique production. The name Avesthagen is derived from the ancient word Avesta, the primary collection of sacred texts of Zoroastrianism. Avesta means “Respect for the environment & harmony between all living forms and the cosmos”.
Avesthagen is ready to go to the market and we are doing some extraordinary projects like the Avestagenome project – a Systems Biology study of the Parsi community to determine the genetic basis of longevity and its related disorders. In addition, the study will generate a model for pharmacogenomics-based therapies, development of biomarkers for predictive diagnostics and drug discovery, and to enable the archiving of the genome of the community.
This unique performance will tour across India spanning 15 cities. The performance is open to all and more details on the performance, please visit http://www.avesthagen.com/program/index.html.
