On April 18 which is observed as World Heritage Day, among the several monuments with a story to tell in Kozhikode is its only Parsi temple in Kerala. The local people are not well aware of this fire temple, the Parsi Anju Amman Baug, where Parsis are the only worshippers. This sacred temple, which is over 200 years old, is located off the busy streets of the famous Sweet Meat Street. Over 300 Parsis once resided there but today, Kozhikode is left with only one family, the Marshalls, which has only six members.

Article by  DEVIKA SREEKUMAR | DECCAN CHRONICLE

Parsis live chiefly in Mumbai and in a few towns and villages mostly to the South of Mumbai, but there are a few in Karachi and Bangalore. The fire temple was built in the 18th century when Parsi traders settled in Kozhikode about 200 years ago. The Parsis, the name means “Persians”, have  descended from Persian Zoroastrians who immigrated to India to avoid religious persecution by the Muslims. Devotees visit the temple for mainly two purposes, related to marriage and for good health and longetivity of the husband.

“They come here for worship only on Sundays”, says a nearby shopkeeper of the flower shop. “A Parsi  has to be cremated in here. They are very unique in their costumes and rituals”, he added. There customs are different from that of the other communities. Fire is given supremacy in the Zoroastrian faith. It is closely associated with Ahura Mazda, the lord of endless light and wisdom, according to the Parsis. Most religious ceremonies are performed in the presence of fire. Just before entering the temple, the hands are washed and a ‘kusti’ (ritual) is performed and a scarf is used to cover the head.

The Supreme Court today agreed to examine a contentious issue whether a Parsi woman can be deprived of her religious identity, acquired by the virtue of her birth, after marrying a man of different religion.

The apex court was dealing with an appeal challenging the Gujarat High Court’s March 2012 verdict in which it was held that a born Parsi woman, by contracting civil marriage with a non Parsi under the Special Marriage Act, would cease to be a Parsi.

It was also held that she would be deemed to have acquired the religious status of her husband unless a declaration is made by a court for continuation of her Parsi status.

A bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra observed that the issue actually dealt with the aspect of “religious identity” of a woman.

“We are actually dealing with identity… Presently it is about religious identity, as before marriage, you are a Parsi and you say after marrying a Hindu man, I cannot be deprived of my identity by virtue of birth and my identity by religion,” the bench, also comprising Justices A M Khanwilkar and M M Shantanagoudar, said.

“There has to be a broader canvass of understanding,” the bench observed and fixed the matter for hearing in the first week of August.

The counsel appearing for the petitioner said the issue which required consideration was whether a woman, after her marriage, is deemed to have acquired the religion of her husband.

The petitioner, a born Parsi woman, had approached the high court contending that even after her marriage with a Hindu man, she has continued to follow Zoroastrian religion and thus she has the right to enjoy all privileges under the Parsi religion, including right to offer prayers at Agiari, a Parsi temple having the ‘holy fire’ and the ‘tower of silence’.

She has contended that her rights as a Parsi Zoroastrian cannot be denied on the ground that she has married a non- Parsi man.

She had also argued that a male Parsi Zoroastrian continues to enjoy all rights, as available to born Parsi, even if he is married to a non-Parsi Zoroastrian woman.

I have a dreaded fear that I am sharing in the open. When I grow old, I may become feeble. When I become old, my children may be far from me. When I grow old, I may become lonely. In perhaps no other prominent urban community is this reality more evident, than the Parsis. This community resides at the other end of India’s demographic dividend; even as India is getting younger, the Parsis are getting older (60 per cent of the community in Kolkata is above 65). Even as India’s population is growing, the Parsis are shrinking (down from 4000 in Kolkata about 40 years ago, for instance, to 450 today).

The Kolkata community was ill equipped to address shrinkage, so it is addressing the challenge of age, a game over which at least some control can indeed be exercised. The Calcutta Zoroastrian Community Religious and Charities Fund allocated annuity income (generated from property ownership) for a project that addresses the needs of their elderly. This is what CZCRCF (trust only the Parsi ingenuity to create this tongue twister) did: it identified 27 individuals needing periodic care; it created a team of five women caregivers; it created a regular roadmap of who would need to be visited by whom on which day and what time; it ensured that each individual would be attended at least eight times a month; it allocated a fund to remunerate the care-givers (not a fancy salary plus dearness allowance, but a ‘we would be grateful if you accepted this’ kind of emolument).

There are some remarkable things to be learned from this model. One, it is utterly simple. What Kolkata’s Parsis have achieved is not some fancy multi-competence operation: just a few individuals getting together to make things happen. This Kolkata operation is stewarded by a lady (who incidentally told me thrice during my conversation ‘please don’t mention my name’) who opted for a VRS with a multi-national and was the happiest to start this service. Two, this is a serious day-job for care-givers. They start at ten, visit one home, spend about half an hour, engage in chitter-chatter, say their goodbye (‘Oh sweetie, time over already? Havey kyaarey aavso?’), take public transport, move to the next individual and repeat the exercise.

Three, the caregivers have customised their act: they recognize that Freny aunty cannot be visited early because her BP is usually high before noon, that Jal uncle is usually irritable before lunch and best left alone at that time, and that since Katy aunty lost her husband the only thing that perks her up are walks to the club. Four, the caregivers are not just engaged in a home-delivered service; they need to put the recipient at ease – and that could mean taking an 86-year to the bank to withdraw cash from the ATM during demonetisation, arranging avisit to the doctor followed by a visit to the diagnostic centre for tests and purchase of corresponding medicines.

Five, the service has extended beyond the functional; the old and the informed don’t only want someone to periodically visit and ask ‘Tabeeyat kem chhey Cyrus uncle?’ But someone who can take them for a Dangal multiplex screening on World Elders’ Day, or drive them to Bakkhali for a spray of the sea breeze (crazy but that’s how it is), or take an 83-year-old for her manicure and pedicure, or even take someone to Jamshedpur (which for those who don’t know is the Parsi’s Avalon from where they dissolve and go straight to heaven). Six, the engagement can often become a 24×7 calling.

There are a number of times when the caregivers need to respond with urgency to shift an elderly to hospital at 2am; the families of the care-givers have gradually been drawn into providing logistical support; two community youngsters have volunteered to provide an anytime car pick-up-and-drop service. Seven, the service is beginning to evolve. One of the care-givers – she is nice, pretty, effervescent and youngish based on her WhatsApp DP before you assume that this must be a grim exercise for grim people – has graduated to preparing the expired body for the final rituals.

This has brought her eyeball-toeyeball with mortality; she tells me philosophically that ‘all we really need in life is a room with a view, sun in the sky, a cupboard and a toilet – the rest is life’s overheads.’ There are fun moments too. Like coming across 86-year-old Roshan aunty who needed to be shifted from the hospital after an operation to someone else’s place for recuperation but who insisted (‘ziddi’ was the word used) on going home first to get her hair dyed and set. I am going to take the money I earn from this column and create a seed fund to start this initiative in my Dawoodi Bohra community in Kolkata. Wish me luck.

Parsi Khabar has been associated with the Zoroastrian Return To Roots Program since its inception in 2013. Over the last three trips over 45 Zoroastrian youth from all over the world have had an opportunity to participate in these tours. Young adults between the ages of 22-35 spend about 14 days in India experiencing Zoroastrian life, culture, history, religion and meeting amazing folks and their own peers. If you know of any young adults, we urge you to ask them to apply for this transformative and life-affirming program.

Zoroastrian Return To Roots writes….

The Zoroastrian Return to Roots Program is pleased to announce the opening of applications for Return to Roots 4 Trip scheduled to take place from 22nd December, 2017 to 3rd January 2018. This will be the fourth tour after the first three very successful tours in 2013-14, 2015 and 2016.

The aim of Zoroastrian Return to Roots is to bring together young Zoroastrians from across the world between the ages of 22-35; to return to their roots, reconnect with their culture, and revive the community. Participants (‘Fellows’) will explore various significant Zoroastrian historical, religious, cultural, and archaeological sites in India over a trip of 13 days.

The itinerary will take participants to Mumbai and Gujarat. The tour in 2017 is unique since it will overlap with the Iranshah Utsav in Udvada in December 2017.

One of the key aims of this program is to foster a sense of community amongst Fellows and for individuals to contribute to the institutions they visit as well as the program even after they have participated. Another aim of the trip is for participants to understand and realize the influence Parsis have had on modern-day India. Fellows also understand and experience first-hand the meaning behind our long-standing religious customs and traditions.

Fellows from previous trips returned from India with a deep understanding and appreciation for our small but powerful community. They are becoming more involved with their local Zoroastrian associations, giving back to the community, and encouraging other youth to participate in Return to Roots.

Applications close on November 15, 2017.

We encourage applicants to apply using the following link: http://zororoots.org/apply/ before the deadline and approach one’s local community members and associations for funding and sponsorship. Applications are accepted on a rolling-basis.

Return To Roots website: www.zororoots.org

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ZoroastrianReturnToRootsProgram/

2017 Trip Program: http://zororoots.org/2017-return-to-roots-tentative-itinerary/

To Apply: http://zororoots.org/apply/

Image Gallery: http://zororoots.org/gallery/

Studies conducted by the National Commission for Minorities, and other joint studies conducted by Parzor and Tata Institute of Social Sciences, have identified several reasons for the decline in the Parsi population.

“At the age of 41 when most women start experiencing the symptoms of menopause, I am experiencing the symptoms of a long awaited pregnancy. At the end of every tunnel, there is light.”
– Facebook page, Jiyo Parsi

Article by Anuradha Mascarehnas | Indian Express

NEARLY FOUR years ago, a private foundation joined hands with the central government to launch a unique awareness and fertility scheme to revive India’s shrinking Parsi population — 1,14,000 in 1941; 69,601 in 2001; 57,264 in 2011. Last month, the Jiyo Parsi scheme celebrated the birth of its 101st baby in Mumbai. Since 2014, 95 couples have signed up for Jiyo Parsi after personal counselling was held for 400 people and group sessions covered 22,645 others. And, during this period, 23 babies were born in Mumbai, three in Pune and the rest across Navsari, Surat, Bengaluru and Secunderabad.

“I heard about the Jiyo Parsi scheme through a friend. My wife could not conceive due to endometrial tuberculosis and it was due to the scheme that we could connect with Dr Anahita Pandole, a gynaecologist in Mumbai who directed the line of treatment. We were reimbursed the treatment cost for assisted pregnancy,” says a Parsi executive with a private firm in Pune. Today, says the 40-year-old, he returns early to his home at the Parsi colony to spend a few extra hours with his one-year-old son who was born in March last year.

There are similar success stories on Jiyo Parsi’s Facebook page. The expectant mother, who posted about seeing light at the end of the tunnel, writes: “The advances in Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) have made the impossible, possible for many couples like us. After four attempts at In Vitro Fertilisation IVF, we had accepted the fact that our dream of holding a baby in our arms may never be fulfilled. With Jiyo Parsi’s support we shall soon fulfill our dream.”

Jiyo Parsi was launched in September 2013 by the Parzor Foundation and the Union Ministry of Minority Affairs. The Rs 10-crore initiative focused on infertility treatment for Parsis at hospitals empanelled by the Union Ministry of Minority Affairs. However, with not many hospitals empanelled after the first year, the scheme started reimbursing costs incurred by patients for medical tests and to pay hospital bills.

“We found that lecturing people to have more children did not help. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has also warned that medical intervention in the older age group would only have a 30 per cent success rate. That’s when we resorted to a hard-hitting campaign, called ‘Don’t use a condom tonight’. It caused much consternation and went viral on social media. Chat rooms sprang up and instant messages made Jiyo Parsi a household name,” says Dr Shernaz Cama, founder director, Parzor.

In Mumbai, key members of the Jiyo Parsi team include Dr Katy Gandevia, programme co-ordinator; Pearl Mistry, counsellor; Pearl Tirandaz; and, Binaifer Sahukar, apart from Cama. “Only one family in nine has a child below the age of 10. The Total Fertility Rate of the Parsi community has reached below one… 31 per cent of Parsis are over the age of 60 and more than 30 per cent are not married. In addition to late marriages, voluntary and involuntary childlessness is another important factor,” says Cama.

Studies conducted by the National Commission for Minorities, and other joint studies conducted by Parzor and Tata Institute of Social Sciences, have identified several reasons for the decline in the Parsi population.

According to birth and death records of the community, for every 200 children born, there are 800 who die, says Gandevia.

“There is a significant higher percentage of unmarried Parsi males compared to non-Parsis and the focus on our advocacy is to influence the mindset of the community to have more than one child and marry at the correct age,” says Gandevia.

The plan also included counselling family members and youths of marriageable age, treatment of medical issues from puberty, and assistance in treating infertility. “We have so many challenges ahead of us. First, we have to identify couples, then convince them about medical intervention. The advocacy programme also needs more funds from the government, which is now assessing the impact of the scheme,” says Gandevia.

“But what has given us new hope is some women among the 95 couples are going for a second child,” says Mistry. On July 29, Jiyo Parsi will launch another campaign. And they are calling it the “Joy of Family”.

The second phase will be launched on July 29 by the Union Minister of minority affairs, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, who will be in Mumbai for it

After a successful 20 per cent increase in the birth rate in the Parsi community after the launch of Jiyo Parsi scheme, the government of India will be soon launch phase two. The second phase will be launched on July 29 by the Union Minister of minority affairs, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, who will be in Mumbai for it.

Launched in 2013-14 as a special scheme for containing population decline of Parsis in India, it comprises two components — the advocacy component and medical component. It provides financial assistance to married Parsi couples for medical treatment under standard medical protocol and also focuses on outreach programmes to generate awareness among the Parsi population for lineage enhancement. The scheme has been implemented with the help of Parzor Foundation, Bombay Parsi Panchayat and local Anjumans across India.

Recently, the scheme celebrated its 101st birth after the launch. “Not all the births happened through in-vitro fertilisation (IVF). A number of births took place naturally, without medical intervention after we counselled couples on staying healthy, and addressed issues like diabetes and thyroid,” said Dr Katy Gandevia, programme co-ordinator of the scheme.

In the second scheme, those looking to implement it said they will be focusing more on counselling and advocating people to produce more kids. “In the second scheme we are looking to have creches, and counselling families with only one earning member, as having a large number of dependent family members should not deter having more children,” said Dr Shernaz Cama, director, UNSECO Parzor, which looks to preserve vulnerable human heritage.

“Among Parsis, there are many who are ageing and unmarried, therefore dependent. The elderly often desist their children not to have more kids. What we want to do in the second phase is to reach out to them so that they encourage their kids to have more children,” he added.

This would be part of the advocacy plans like making pastors out of Mobeds. “Parsi priests were also asked to counsel couples like in the Christian community,” said Dr Cama.

Those working for the programme said they will be asking the government to increase the share for advocacy and counselling instead of limiting the budget to just medical treatment. The government had initially set aside Rs 10 crore.

Known for their quirky sense of humour and love for food, Parsis are regarded as honest businessmen. Parsis in the twin cities have made a mark in the fields of automobiles, confectionary, software and in the good old days even minted their own currency known as the Pestonshahi Sicca.

The biggest name in the world of business is Lord Karan Bilimoria, founder of Cobra Beer, who was a student of the Hyderabad Public School. But much before that when the Parsis first came to the city about 200 years back, the then Nizam trusted the Parsis to such an extent that he entrusted the mint in Aurangabad to two brothers Seth Viccajee and Seth Pestonji.

Post-Independence, the Parsees in the city kept excelling in all fields and a few in the community continued with their business acumen. Homi J Chenoy and Farooz Viccaji and Sons in automobiles, Captain K F Pestonji in textiles, Sohrab Mojgani, Minoo Siganporia in confectionaries and Baria of Baria Foods have contributed to different businesses in the city.
In fashion jewellery, Normak Fashions Ltd, the Hyderabad-based manufacturer of exporter of fashion jewellery, is making a mark across the country under Gusti Noria.

The younger generation has ventured into software development and many have migrated to Canada and the USA and set up companies of their own.

Shapoor Toorkey, a businessman says, “Parsis have all along come to be known for their honesty and that separates them from others. Even to this day, when one places an advertisement of a Parsi owned vehicle, property or business there is a premium.”

You have the Tatas, Godrejs and Wadias at the national level but Parsi businessmen in the twin cities too have contributed to the growth of the city for the last 200 plus years.

Among several Parsi families, the Viccajis and Pestonji Meherjis are known for their enterprise constructed bridges and Faridoon Chenoy was responsible for the Manjira Water Supply system.

The Parsis have come a long way since the days when Sir Salar Jung I invited men from different parts of the country in 1853 to improve administration. The Parsis were most sought after for their knowledge of English and Persian. They still pitch in not just in administration but also in business, sports and other fields.

Members accuse federation of selling valuable properties

The plan to sell a piece of land in Dharwad, Karnataka, has become a matter of contention in the Parsi community.

Article by Jyoti Shelar | The Hindu

While the Federation of Parsi Zoroastrian Anjumans of India (FPZAI), an umbrella body of all Parsi anjumans in the country, is selling the land, some community members have called it yet another attempt to sell off valuable Parsi properties. On Monday, FPZAI secretary Noshir Dadrawala resigned from the post to protest the sale.

The community has used part of the Dharwad land as a cemetery due to the absence of a dakhma or Tower of Silence, where Parsis traditionally lay the dead to rest.

“Instead of preserving and protecting these properties, the FPZAI is attempting to wipe out all of them. Who is giving them the permission to do so?” said Rayomand Zaiwalla from Mumbai. Another Parsi, Homi Dalal, said there is no transparency in these decisions.

Funds for legal case?

Mr. Dadrawala told The Hindu that the proceeds from the sale may be used to fight a legal case. A woman has moved the Calcutta High Court seeking entry for her grandchildren, born to a Hindu father, into the fire temple in Kolkata. The FPZAI is intervening in the case.

“I cannot see myself as part of this policy, process or procedure,” said Mr. Dadrawala, who is also a trustee of the Bombay Parsi Punchayet. “A community with our kind of demography cannot afford infighting. The need of the hour is to arbitrate internally, not waste time and money in courts.”

Community members say it is surprising that FPZAI needs funds for the case, as the lawyers are working pro bono.

FPZAI president Yazdi Desai, however, has rubbished the allegation. The decision to sell the Dharwad property was discussed at the FPZAI meeting in March 2011. “Therefore, its sale has no link to the Calcutta HC case,” he said.

“Dharwad is a small town with not a single Parsi. The property is in danger of being encroached upon. FPZAI has years ago decided to sell all such properties and use the money for the welfare of the community.”

October 1st is Senior Citizen’s Day.

100 school children from the Sett RJJ High School in Navsari visited the WZO Trust Funds Senior Citizen’s Centre to meet our Senior Citizens. The students had interactive and meaningful conversations with many of our residents and then escorted them to their school in a procession.

At the school the seniors were felicitated, they sang devotional songs together and the got an opportunity to share some of life’s most meaningful lessons with the students.

Watching the different generations come together and interact in such meaningful ways was a heartening experience for us all.

The initiative by the Hon. Collector of Navsari to have such a get together was deeply appreciated.

Dinshaw K. Tamboly;

The WZO Trust Funds.

The nation remembered its Mahatma – Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi – on his 148th birth anniversary on Monday.

Gandhi had great respect for people of all communities and religions, including the Zarthushtis – Parsis. Interestingly, Gandhi took a lot of inspiration from various Parsi leaders and also learnt his initial lessons of nonviolence and humanity from some of them.

Article by Niyati Parikh | Times of India

In an article addressing the Parsis in a 1921 edition of Young India, Gandhi attributed learning some of his lessons of Ahmisa i.e. non-violence from Dadabhai Naoroji.

“It was he (Dadabhai) who, when I wanted to give battle to a political agent as far back as 1892, restrained my youthful ardour and taught me the first practical lesson of Ahimsa in public life,” wrote MK Gandhi.

Gandhi also acknowledged the influence and contributions of Rustomjee Ghorkhodoo, a Parsi merchant whom he met in Durban. He also made an indirect reference to Jeji Petit whose virtues of humility and humanity inspired him.

A number of prominent Parsi figures including Dadabhai Naoroji, Madam Bhikhaji Cama, Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy and Jeji Petit, had direct or indirect contributions to Indian freedom movement, said noted historian, Makarand Mehta.

In his publication, `Navjivan’, Gandhi addressed the Parsis as `Dear Friends, and acknowledged the inspiration he took from Dadabhai Naoro ji. “Apart from your being fellow-countrymen, I am bound to you by many sacred ties. Dadabhai was the first patriot to inspire me. He was my guide and helper when I did not know any other leader.”

Members of Parsi community in fact, draw several similarities between the ideologies of Gandhi and Da dabhai Naoroji and in fact, the Parsi culture in itself.

“The virtues of charity and selflessness by putting the other man first is part of the core Parsi ideology. In fact, one of the Parsi prayers, also speaks about the virtue of righteousness being true happiness. These qualities are core to Gandhi’s ideologies as well,” said Jahangir Anklesaria, president, Ahmedabad Parsi Panchayat.

Walking through any cemetery is bound to stir feelings.

And perhaps even more so in this secluded graveyard in central Delhi that belongs to the rapidly dwindling Parsi community, descendants of a religiously persecuted people who sought refuge in India more than 1,000 years ago.

Article by Mayank Austen Soofi | Hindustan Times

Parsi cemetery, called Aramgah or the House of Rest, at Prithviraj Road.(Mayank Austen Soofi / HT Photo)

Parsis adhere to the ancient Zoroastrian faith, with its own special tenets. Yet although Parsis traditionally opt for last rites in Tower of Silence, quite a few of them — as we can see — opt to be buried.

In any case, Delhi has no such tower, though it does have a Fire Temple near ITO crossing, the only one in North India.

This Parsi cemetery, called Aramgah or the House of Rest, is akin to a garden with thoughtfully laid out flower beds and benches. Narrow gravel paths run alongside tombs inscribed with the impression of Faravahar, the winged symbol of Zoroastrianism. Most graves are astonishingly well maintained, and many have flowers growing out of them.

According to the website Delhi parsis.com, the National Capital Region has fewer than a thousand Parsis. The graveyard itself has about 300 graves. The newest is still a mound of earth — it came up just last month. The tombstone bearing the departed person’s name is yet to be installed.

Another recent grave — “1930 to 2017” — was dotted with plants.

As always, we started doing what we love most about graveyards — reading the epitaphs.

One grave was inscribed with: “Missed with a grief/Beyond all tears”.

Another had a most heart-touching line across its stone: “You are always in our hearts”

As we turn around we spot something almost as rare as a Parsi — a tall bougainvillea tree. And then, a narangi tree in full bloom, its fruit studding all over like colourful stars in the sky.

We also notice another poignant aspect about the cemetery: a substantial part of it is still empty, probably waiting for its share of graves.

After leaving, we walk for 10 minutes and reach a similarly unique place — Delhi’s only Jewish graveyard.

We are thrilled to share the news that our dear friend and mentor Aban Marker-Kabraji has been conferred the Tamgha-i-Imtiaz award.

Tamgha-i-Imtiaz (Medal of Excellence), is a state-recognized honour awarded by the State of Pakistan. It is one of the highest decoration given to any civilian in Pakistan based on their achievements. The award will be conferred by the President of Pakistan, Mr. Mamnoon Hussain in the investiture ceremony on PAKISTAN DAY on March 23, 2018 in Islamabad.

This award is a clear testimony to Aban’s outstanding contribution and dedication to the cause of environmental protection, sustainable development and nature conservation.

Aban grew up in Quetta in Baluchistan province of Pakistan. Her initial years growing up in Quetta formed the  basis of everything she has been doing inlife since. Today as one of top Pakistani environmentalist on the world stage, Aban brings this deep sense of rootedness, an understanding of her roots, religion and philosophy into her professional role as the Regional Director, Asia of the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Aban oversees the functioning of over 100 environmental initiatives in 24 countries. In her role at IUCN she has the privileged position where she can “influence a country’s work with being a politician”.

SInce 2013 Aban has also been the co-chair of the Zoroastrian Return To Roots program where she bring her vast knowledge, expertise and connections in creating meaningful and life-transforming experiences for young Zoroastrians from all over the world through travel to India.

Dressed in regular ‘nighties’ with a dash of sacred ash on their forehead, Rathi and Dhan Kavina could easily pass off as Malayalis.

But a look around their modest flat reveals a picture of Prophet Zarathustra on the wall, as well as a prayer note with the Faravahar (symbol of Zoroastrianism), pasted behind the front door. The sisters, into their seventies, are the only remaining members of the Kavina family, one of the only two Parsi families in Kerala today.

But neither Rathi nor Dhan are too concerned about their Persian roots, or the fact that they don’t share a God with many others in the State. “God is one, only the names are different,” says Rathi, the older of the two, a perpetual smile playing on her lips. On a shelf in the bedroom are pictures of Gods of all religions, besides that of their late parents and brother, with rows of small lamps before them.

“We celebrate all festivals including Onam, Christmas, Vishu besides Zoroastrian festivals,” they say. In fact, when their brother was alive, they used to go on pilgrimages to various temples, as well as the Anjuman Baug, the only Parsi Fire Temple in Kerala, situated near SM Street, Kozhikode. “We worship the fire and recite a prayer in Gujarati to Ahura Mazda (the Lord of Wisdom) every day. But we don’t have a holy book. Our only motto in life is: good words, good thoughts and good deeds,” says Rathi.

Their family settled in Kerala after their parents moved to Thrissur from Ahmedabad, home to one of the largest communities of Parsis. Their father, Padamsha Kavina, had come to work in a textile mill in Thrissur, and the two sisters were born here. “We attended school and college in Thrissur, and have lived here all our lives,” says Rathi. While their brother started a textile business later, where Rathi assisted him, Dhan has been a home-bird all her life. “I’m the one who does all the shopping and banking, but I don’t even know how to make a cup of tea. Dhan is a great cook and homemaker,” Rathi says with a laugh.

The sisters speak fluent Malayalam and English, and a bit of Gujarati, but can’t read or write either of the Indian languages. “When we were young, our relatives from Gujarat used to ask us why we were speaking English at home. So, we didn’t fit in completely with them. But since we were not Malayalis, we didn’t fit in here completely either,” says Rathi, but again with a laugh.

However, in keeping with the Parsi tradition of not marrying outside the community, none of the three siblings got married. “When we were younger, our parents used to discuss our marriages. But we didn’t want to leave Kerala,” says Rathi. “After a while our parents realised that there was no use asking us. They decided that they just want us to be happy.”

As they have never left Kerala, they have never attended a Parsi wedding, nor are they aware of the much-debated Parsi death rituals of exposing corpses to scavenger birds. “Our parents and brother were cremated in Kozhikode, at the Anjuman Baug,” says Rathi. The only other Parsi family in Kerala, the Marshalls, is in Kozhikode and take care of the Fire Temple. “There used to be a renowned Paris surgeon in Thrissur — Hirji Sorab Adenwalla – our very good friend. But he is now settled in Coonoor post retirement,” says Rathi.

The sisters remember a time when their parents were alive, when they would celebrate Navroz, the Parsi New Year. “We would wear new clothes and mummy would cook special dishes. Our Malayali friends too used to wish us ‘happy new year’. Mummy used to be a great cook and did all kinds of embroidery. She would wear the sari Gujarati style, and she trusted everyone,” she recalls.

Their brother died in 2009 and their cousins in Ahmedabad too have passed away. Didn’t they ever feel like going back to Gujarat? “Never. My parents too never wanted to leave Kerala. We always had plenty of Malayali friends. People ask us what we will do when we grow older. But Kerala is home to us. We are happy here. We trust fully in God.”

The Parsi community, known for its entrepreneurial and philanthropic activities, has been a significant part of the history of Amritsar. The city, known for its open heart and the ability to seamlessly merge different cultures together, has its own special connection with the Parsi community.

Article by Neha Saini | Tribune News Service

One of India’s most famous sons, Field Marshal Sam Hormusji Framji Jamshedji Manekshaw, was born in Amritsar. Popularly known as Sam Bahadur (Sam, the brave), he was the first Indian Army officer to be promoted to the rank of Field Marshal.

Another famous Parsi from the city is fondly remembered as the Grand Old Lady of Amritsar. Tehmi Bhandari, a woman who was much ahead of her times, opened the doors to luxuriously hospitality and global flavours with the famous Bhandari guesthouse. So, as the Parsi community celebrates its new year, city, too, fondly remembers its lost legacy.

“The Parsi community had a significant presence in Amritsar till early 80s. They had established business here and were quite active part of the city’s cultural and social map. Tehmi Bhandari’s father had ice factories and her family was close to Sam Manekshaw’s and my late father,” shared Ashok Sethi, a former media professional and a businessman. He remembers how Tehmi was the first woman in the city to set up her own business. “She is probably someone, who was one of the pioneers of the hospitality sector in Amritsar. She became the first woman in these parts to run a business when she converted her palatial home into a guesthouse, which became the favorite stay option for foreign visitors in those times.”

In the early eighties, the onset of terrorism hit the community bad. “Most of the Parsi families gradually moved away from the city, settling in Delhi and Mumbai,” said Sethi. Tehmi was the last of Parsi community to remain in Amritsar. With her demise, her family too moved away.

Dr Pusphinder Singh, a historian, said Tehmi and Manekshaw were the last link of the city with the Parsi community. “The Parsis had brought a lot of cultural influences with them, despite being a very exclusive community. The younger Parsi generation either lost their status in the community by marrying outside their community or by migrating to other countries.”

Reminiscing about the Parsi palate

As the Parsi New Year begins, Hyatt Regency is paying homage to the Parsi community’s legacy in the city by hosting a food festival dedicated to them.

“With Amritsar having a deep connect with the Parsi community and the Parsi food being very rich in texture, much like Amritsari food, it made perfect sense to host a Parsi food festival for our patrons. The Parsi New Year gave us the perfect platform to do so. Parsi delicacies like Dhansak, Patrani Machhi and Salli Jardaloo are some of the dishes that were a part of city’s food legacy,” shared Shiiv Parvesh, head chef of Hyatt Regency, Amritsar.

It is because of a private member’s bill introduced by Feroze Gandhi in 1956 that it is possible for media to report Parliament proceedings.

New Delhi: He was just 48 when he passed away on 8 September 1960. But the inscription on Feroze Jehangir Gandhi’s gravestone at the Parsi cemetery in Allahabad best describes how full and glorious a life he led: “He is not dead who lifts Thy glorious mind on high. To live in hearts we leave behind is not to die.”

To those who don’t know much about him, Feroze Gandhi was Indira Gandhi’s husband, grandfather to Rahul and Varun Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi-Vadra.

But, more importantly, the two-time MP from Rae Bareli, a constituency now represented by his daughter-in-law Sonia Gandhi, was a fighter, who never shied away from taking on his own party’s government when his father-in-law Jawaharlal Nehru was the prime minister of the country.

Personal life

Feroze Gandhi was born in a Parsi family in Bombay on 12 September 1912. He was youngest of his five siblings. After his father’s death in early 1020s, his mother along with the kids shifted to Allahabad. It is where Feroze spent a good part of his life. In 1930, he came in contact with Kamala Nehru, Jawaharlal Nehru’s wife and later quit studies to take part in India’s freedom struggle. His surname was Ghandy, which he changed to Gandhi after getting inspired from Mahatma Gandhi. He actively participated in freedom movement and soon became a known face in Allahabad.

He was regular to the Nehru family’s ancestral house, Anand Bhawan, in Allahabad and came close to all the family members. When Nehru’s wife Kamala fell ill, Feroze took care of her and even went to Lausanne in Swtizerland, where she was recuperating from her tuberculosis. Kamala Nehru died in February 1936.

In the later years while studying in England, Feroze and Indira came close and they got married in March 1942. During the Quit India movement both Feroze and Indira went to jail. The couple had two sons Rajiv and Sanjay born in 1944 and 1946 respectively.

A journalist-turned-politician

Having started as a journalist, Feroze Gandhi understood the importance of freedom of press.  After independence, journalists were not allowed to report on the parliamentary proceedings and it could attract a suit against publication of any such proceedings. Feroze had won the first general elections of independent India in 1952 and was an MP in the House. He was a backbencher who would prefer listening to talking. But when he spoke he made relevant observations and in the later years created trouble for his government.

Noted Swedish journalist Bertil Falk in his book Feroze: The Forgotten Gandhi describes the incident which allowed press coverage of the parliament proceedings in India

In 1956, Feroze Gandhi introduced a private member’s bill advocating press freedom that later became a law as Parliamentary Proceedings (Protection of Publication) Act 1956.

During his speech in Parliament on the bill brought by him, Feroze Gandhi said, “For the success of our parliamentary form of government and democracy and so that the will of the people shall prevail, it is necessary that our people should know what transpires in this House. This is not your House or my House, it is the House of the people. It is on their behalf that we speak or function in this chamber. These people have a right to know what their chosen representatives say and do. Anything that stands in the way must be removed.”

This was one of the rare occasions in Parliament when a private member’s bill was passed by all and became a law, which made it possible for the media to report Parliament proceedings.

Today, when we have two channels — one each for Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha — which telecast live proceedings from Parliament, we should thank Feroze Gandhi for facilitating it.

That, several years later, in 1975, a Congress government led by his wife, Indira Gandhi, enforced Emergency in the country, almost destroying the idea of free and independent press, is a different story.

A Congressman in opposition to his own govt

In the years after independence, the Congress was the largest party in government and there was virtually no opposition. But even as a Congress MP, Feroze Gandhi made an exception and at times played a crucial role in keeping the democratic fervour alive by raising issues that trouble the government of those days.

In fact, Feroze Gandhi unravelled a financial scam that led to the resignation of then finance minister.

On 16 December 1957, Feroze Gandhi raised the issue of a scandal in the newly nationalized Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) in the Lok Sabha. He raised flag on an investment of Rs 1.25 crore by the LIC in different companies of a Kolkata-based industrialist and stock speculator Haridas Mundhra. Despite the fact that it was a Congress government and it was headed by his father-in-law Nehru, Feroze didn’t hesitate in making sharp allegations against the government.

During his Lok Sabha speech he said, “Mr Speaker, there is going to be some sharpshooting and hard hitting in the House today, because when I hit, I hit hard and expect to be hit harder. I am fully conscious that the other side is also equipped with plentiful supplies of TNT.”

It was possibly independent India’s first financial scam. In his address in Parliament, he presented his well-researched facts and demanded an inquiry by an in-house committee. He was not in favour of a judicial inquiry as in his speech he said, “I am not much enamoured of the word judicial.”

“When things of such magnitude occur silence becomes a crime. Public expenditure shall be subject to severe public debate, is a health tradition, especially so in an era of growing public enterprise,” he explained why he, as an MP, was raising an issue that could embarrass his own father-in-law’s government.

However, a one-man commission was formed under former chief justice of Bombay High Court, M.C. Chagla. Within two months, the commission submitted its report indicating involvement of then finance minister T.T. Krishnamachari. Krishnamachari was forced to quit on 18 February 1958.

After India got independence in 1947, Feroze and Indira stayed in Allahabad. Feroze at the time worked as managing director of  National Herald newspaper. In 1950 he became member of provincial parliament and in 1952 contested the first general elections of the country from Rae Bareli. He got elected as an MP and moved to Delhi. In 1957, he got re-elected from Rae Bareli. He died on 8 September 1960 after suffering from a heart attack at Willingdon Nursing Home which is now Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital.

Feroze Gandhi may be the patriarch of the Congress’s first family, but the party as well as his family members seem to have neglected his cemetery in Allahabad, now rechristened as Prayagraj.

As per records available with DNA, Congress president Rahul Gandhi last visited the grave of his grandfather way back in 2011.

Inviting Rahul Gandhi to attend the Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Dinesh Sharma recently said that the leader should also visit the tombstone of his grandfather. He asked Rahul Gandhi to pray for the “soul” of this forgotten Gandhi. Sharma’s remarks came at a time when Rahul has been hopping temples and asserting his gotra.

The tombstone of Feroze, considered India’s original anti-corruption crusader, sits in a neglected state in a corner of the Parsi cemetery at Stanley Road on Allahabad-Lucknow Highway. It’s just miles away from Anand Bhawan, once the seat of Nehru-Gandhi dynasty.

Tourists visit Anand Bhawan, the ancestral home of the Gandhi-Nehru family, but anyone hardly goes to Feroze’s tombstone. The cemetery has nearly 100 Parsi graves.

DNA has found that Rahul has visited the tombstone just twice. It was during November 2011, in the run-up to the 2012 assembly elections, he had last paid homage. He had then stayed overnight at Anand Bhawan. Earlier, Rahul had visited the cemetery in August 2008 and was accompanied by his uncle Rustom Gandhi, aunt Shehernaz and a few relatives.

Rustom, son of Feroz’s eldest brother Fardiun, lives in Prayagraj. DNA tried to contact him, but he wasn’t available for comments. Sources said Rustom stays away from the limelight.

Rahul’s sister Priyanka Gandhi had visited the tombstone of her grandfather once – in 2009.

UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi too had visited the grave of her father-in-law once in 2001. During that visit, locals said, she had expressed “concern” over the “deteriorating condition” of the place. Four years later, she assured financial support to revamp the grave. But the beautification is yet to happen.

A caretaker named Brijlal has been tasked with the upkeep of the grave. “This is a tombstone of late Feroze Gandhi. He was a great man. His vanshaj (descendants) must visit the place frequently,” said Brijlal.

“He is not dead who lifts thy glorious mind on high to live in hearts we leave behind is not to die,” reads the epitaph on the tombstone. Feroze died of heart attack in Delhi on September 8, 1960. Before his death, he had insisted that he should be cremated as per Hindu rites.

His elder son Rajiv Gandhi, who was 16 at the time, had lit the funeral pier at Delhi’s Nigam Bodh Ghat. His wife Indira and father-in-law Jawaharlal Nehru were present.

After the cremation, the mortal remains were divided into three parts. The first part was immersed in Sangam, second was interred in the cemetery and the third was immersed in Haridwar. An Uthamna ceremony as per Parsi custom was held at Hotel Finaro in Allahabad.

Feroze’s original surname was Gandhy. But he was so inspired by Mahatma Gandhi that he had changed the spelling of his surname from Gandhy to Gandhi when he was a member of Vanara Sena wing of the Congress during the independence movement.

He was a member of the provincial government from 1950 to 1952. He won India’s first general elections from Rae Bareli in 1952 and was re-elected five years later. Feroze never shied away criticising the then Congress government led by Nehru on the allegations of corruption. He brought a private member’s bill in Parliament to allow the press to cover parliamentary proceedings. Press Club of India owes its building to Feroze Gandhi Trust.

The city’s Royapuram fire temple stands on the brink of turning 110

In Royapuram, heavy with humidity and the sharp tang of sea salt, stands a white building that has sheltered an undying flame for over a century now. Below its balustrade-lined terrace are engraved the atash (holy fire) and the farohar (winged symbol of the faith). Its four cusped arches are bordered by red steps that lead to a verandah from where doors open into the deep recesses of the nearly-110-year-old Jal Phiroj Clubwala Dar-e-meher — the only Zoroastrian place of worship for the community in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry.

Article by Deepa Alexander

The Parsis, followers of Zarathustra and descendants of the Magi, fled the Muslim conquests of 8th Century Persia for Sanjan, western India, bringing with them their worship of Ahura Mazda, sense of entrepreneurship, industriousness and fair-play. A second wave of Zoroastrian migrants, known as Iranis, came in the 19th Century. Although they number only around 85,000 in 21st Century India, no other community, perhaps, has been more influential. With their ascent into prominence during the Raj, Parsis were at the sharp end of the stick when it came to industrialising the country, promoting education, upholding the law, spearheading research, conducting orchestras or leading the defence forces. Some of the names are legendary — Jamsetji Tata, Homi J Bhaba, Zubin Mehta, Freddie Mercury (born Farrokh Bulsara) and Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw.

Strength in numbers

It is on these eminent Parsis, and others from Chennai, and their religion that has influenced the Judeo-Christian faiths, that Tehnaz Bahadurji spoke of at a recent talk at the Madras Literary Society. Among the many slides in the presentation was one that holds a mirror to how the community is shrinking; it showed a couple gazing at each other with the words ‘Be responsible. Don’t use a condom tonight’ written underneath.

“We are 250 people in Chennai. With pets, it’s about 300,” says Darius Bahadurji, tongue-in-cheek. Darius, president of the Madras Parsi Zarthosti Anjuman, and chairman, Jal Phiroj Clubwala Dar-e-meher, moved to Chennai 35 years ago. “The numbers in Chennai have been constant over the last couple of years, while in Kolkata what was 1,200 is only 450 now. We are defined by being Parsi more than anything else. I know for sure we are much loved. It’s an advantage to be so accepted,” he says, when I meet him with a few other Parsis at his office.

“The first Parsis came to Madras from Coorg where they were traders and dubashes,” says Zarin Mistry, historian and honorary secretary, Madras Parsi Association (MPA), who was born and raised here. “In 1809, a delegation met the Governor of Fort St George. Hirjibhai Kharas was one among them and the first Parsi in Madras.”

Kharas and five other Parsis, along with two priests, bought a sliver of land in Royapuram and were later leased a plot for a burial ground. For nearly 50 years, there seems to be no record of the community here. In 1876, they formed the Parsi Panchayat that was renamed Madras Parsi Zarthosti Anjuman (MPZA) in 1900. However, there was no place of worship until the Dar-e-meher was raised in 1910 in memory of Jal, the young son of philanthropist Phiroj Clubwala.

In the years since, the Parsis have been a significant weave in the fabric of Chennai. “We don’t feel like outsiders but we are still looked upon, at least in the South, as such. People don’t know much about us and we have to identify ourselves with a truck from Tatas or a soap from Godrej,” laughs Jasmine Kabrajee, language expert and president, MPA.

“That’s because we have never publicised ourselves or our contributions,” says Firdause Jila, vice-president, MPZA. “But everyone knows us to be a happy-go-lucky lot.”

This zest for fun underlined Parsi life in Madras for well over a century. While the Clubwalas strengthened the community through their philanthropy, three generations of the Daji family served as priests even refusing to leave the fire unattended when Madras was bombed during the First World War and evacuated in the Second. Mary Clubwala Jadhav, first lady Sheriff of Madras, founder of the Guild of Service and Chennai’s most famous Parsi, was awarded the Padma Vibhushan.

Jehanbux Tarapore set up a formidable construction company that built the Tungabhadra and Hirakud dams and a host of buildings in Chennai. Three generations of students at Madras Medical College were taught Anatomy by Dr Meherji Cooper, while every memorable film made in the 1940s had cinematographer Ardeshir Irani’s stamp on it. Minoo Belgamvala founded the Madras Motor Sports Club that put Sholavaram on the racing map of India. Ninety-three-year-old Katy Bharucha, a telephone operator for the Indian Air Force in the Second World War, is the oldest member.

“Seventy per cent of the community is 70 and above. Late marriages and single children have led to it shrinking,” says Jasmine. “But we are young at heart,” says Darius, adding that senior citizens still go motoring during weekends. “Some Parsis have moved to Chennai to work in the IT and automobile industries. They have married, stayed on and had children. That has moved the needle for us.”

“It’s only recently that we see children running around at our monthly community lunches,” says Tehnaz, of the times when they meet for a wholesome Parsi meal served on banana leaves. The navjote (thread) ceremony, and the festivals of Navroze and Jamshedi Navroze are also when the community gathers at the Clubwala Memorial Hall. “We also extend the facilities to other communities, at times, free of cost,” says Pervez Mulla, honorary secretary, MPZA, who was raised in Chennai.

Legal debate

While there is much legal debate about the acceptance of children of Parsi women who marry outside the community into the fold, socially there is complete integration. “Zoroastrianism sees women as equal but when they marry out, their children are not considered Parsi. It has led to heartbreak, sometimes. Some women go ahead and have the navjotes of their children in the hope that the religious stringency may ease in the future,” says Tehnaz.

Shirin Patel (name changed on request), a 27-year-old copywriter, says, “If the community is worried about shrinking, they should accept the children of women marrying outside. However I have never felt pressure and Chennai is the place I call home even if I’m still explaining who a Parsi is. I wish people could meet the fun-loving, older lot to know who we really are.”

This Madras Day, members from one of the oldest communities in the city speak through their traditions, roots, cuisines and culture.

Amid the clamour of a bustling Royapuram lies the Parsi fire temple, offering a moment of tranquillity from the chaos outside. The porch is dotted with simple chalk images of fish and flowers. The doorway is adorned with intricately woven and beaded torans.

Article by Vaishali Vijaykumar | Express News Service

As we enter the building, which shelters an undying fire, we are told that the priest alone can tend to the fire. He is the only person permitted inside the sanctum sanctorum. Entry into the prayer hall is restricted to Zoroastrians who offer sandal sticks to the priest, who throws it into the fire on their behalf.

On a warm Sunday morning, some senior members from the Parsi community hosted an engaging talk on their cultural practices inside the 110-year-old Jal Phiroj Clubwala Dar-e-meher, and a breakfast comprising heirloom delicacies, as part of Madras Week celebrations on Sunday.

Generations of style

Dressed in their fineries, the women are draped in their gara (saris) in the native Parsi style. They tells us that earlier, Parsi women would cover their head with one end of their sari during rituals. Hence, only one earring was made, usually with gold or silver.

“The community’s elaborate embroidery work has its influence from China. Blouses either match the sari or are left plain. The garments are difficult to maintain and are expensive. We send them to Mumbai for dry cleaning. These are passed on to us by our mothers and grandmothers,” says Tehnaz Bahadurji.

The men are dressed in their traditional dagli made of thin cotton cloth paired with white trousers and a white cap. “Sapat is our traditional footwear made of velvet or leather. The demand has gone down because of dwindling numbers in the artisan community. People continue to order it from Mumbai,” says Tehnaz.

Quaint customs

The men and women also wear sadra, a white muslin vest that stands for innocence and purity, and kasti, a holy thread wrapped around the waist thrice. It consists of 72 threads, for each chapter in the holy prayers, and is mandatory to wear after Navjote, a holy communion performed for children between seven and 13.

“We are hardly a 250-member community in the city. We seldom have marriages. Two priests pray primarily over the bride and groom in an archaic language called Avestan. That apart, we celebrate new year’s day, which is after the spring equinox on March 21, in the memory of King Jamshedji Nowruz who started the festival,” shares Tehnaz.

She explains that it’s not the fire they worship but their prophet Zarathustra, who brought the message of the creator Ahura Mazda. As fire is said to be the most powerful and incorruptible of the five elements, it is symbolic of their creator on Earth.

Early years

We move to our next location — Parsi Anjuman Baug Dharamshala — a few buildings before the fire temple. Zarine Mistry, the community’s historian, was ready with her facts to take us through their early settlement in Madras and stories of prominent contributors.

“The first Parsi came to Madras in 1795 from Coorg. A Parsi man, Heerjibhai Maneckji Kharas, bought the first plot and kept adding to it. By 1822, we had 32 grounds taken on lease. When the Crown assumed sovereignty in 1858, all the property became our own,” she says.

The Madras Parsi Zarthosti Anjuman was formed in 1900. When the son of the philanthropist Phiroj M Clubwala died, he donated the fire temple in his son’s memory, which was consecrated in 1910. The Parsi club was formed in 1930, where the community meets once a month.

Community outreach

Despite dwindling numbers around the globe, the community has maintained a stable count in the city, making their presence felt through their philanthropy. “Hormusji Nowroji was a civil engineer who was said to have built the Kilapuk waterworks and introduced piped waterlines to the city. Philanthropist-trader Phiroj M Clubwala built the Anjuman Bagh for guests from other cities to stay,” says Zarine.

Minoo K Belgamwala was a well-known figure in motorsports and horse racing. Adi Merwan Irani was a popular cinematographer and Dinshaw Tehrani, a reputed sound engineer started Newtone Studios in Kilpauk.

“Mary Clubwala Jadhav was the daughter-in-law of PM Clubwala. After her husband’s death, she joined the Guild of Service in 1935 and went on to introduce social service to well-to-do ladies. In 1940, she set up the Indian Hospitality Committee to help soldiers in the world war. She started the first school of social service in 1952, Madras School of Social Work, and was the first lady sheriff of Madras,” says Zarine.

For the love of food

As the talk concludes, Mahiar Shroff and his wife Zavera Shroff set the table with elegant crockery and a sumptuous spread of copiously buttered buns, scrambled eggs and paneer, minced meat, roasted potatoes and a dessert made of semolina.

“We try to include meat in some way in our food. For instance, broad beans are used in kebabs, cluster bean is cooked with shrimp and all vegetables have egg added to them. We have a month dedicated to the angel of animals when we avoid meat,” says Tehnaz as we down cups of piping hot Parsi chai.
The walk was curated by Rajith Nair from Travelling Gecko.

A leftover of time but living testament to the Parsis in Kolkata.

“Manackjee Rustomjee Dharmashala for Parsi travellers” — the inscription in an old-fashioned font on the doorway transports one to the days when accommodation wasn’t pre-booked online and travel itself was fraught with uncertainties.

Article by Bishwanath Ghosh | The Hindu

The building itself, with slatted windows, belongs to that era, and so does the neighbourhood where it stands — Kolkata’s famous Bow Barracks, located off the busy Central Avenue. The dharmashala is one of those leftovers of time that still remains in business — a living testament to the Parsi community in the city — though there aren’t too many Parsis in the country today, leave alone travellers, to avail themselves of the facility.

“Once upon a time tourists came to Kolkata, spent a couple of days here and went on to Darjeeling and the northeast. But now many cities are directly connected to Bagdogra (gateway to the northeast), so people hardly come to Kolkata,” says Dara Hansotia, who hails from Ahmedabad and has been the manager of the dharmashala since 2014.

“Also, now when people come to the city on work, they are put up in hotels by their companies,” he says. Even then, according to Mr. Hansotia, the facility, with 13 operational rooms, hosts about 30 people every month. A double room costs ₹1,150 and single ₹950, inclusive of breakfast.

Though the rooms are available only to the Parsis, the dining hall is open to all: just about anyone can walk in to get a flavour of Parsi cuisine, provided they have placed their order well in advance with Mr. Hansotia, who loves cooking and briefly looked after catering at the dharmashala before being appointed its manager.

Does he remember this place being ever packed to capacity? “On two occasions,” Mr. Hansotia’s wife Meher replies. “Once in 2014, when three Parsi weddings were held simultaneously in the city, and again in 2017, when a tournament of five Parsi cricket teams was held in Kolkata. One was the local team, and of the remaining four, one stayed at the fire temple and three with us.”

The dharmashala was originally built in 1909 in the memory of Manackjee Rustomjee by his friends living in Bombay, Calcutta and China. The rent was eight annas a day. In 1936, that building was demolished and the present structure constructed by architect and civil engineer Ardeshir Dinshaw Vehvalvala, and the rent hiked to 12 annas. Today it is run by a trust called the Calcutta Zoroastrian Community’s Religious and Charity Fund.

According to Mr. Hansotia, there were about 3,000 Parsis in Kolkata until a few decades ago, and now the number stands at around 400, almost half of it consisting of the elderly. As one of the nodal persons of the community, he is also expected to conduct funerals. At the Tower of Silence, he says, solar panels are used these days to disintegrate a body because vultures have almost disappeared.

Mrs. Hansotia believes that focus on career is partially responsible for the dwindling population. “Youngsters these days don’t want to marry early because they want to build a career, and by the time they are ready to marry there is no suitable candidate within the community. We are quite horrified about the future,” she says.

Vice President Venkaiah Naidu releases commemorative postal stamp and coffee table book to commemorate 100 years of Jamshedpur

Applauds Tata group`s ethical approach to business

Jamshedpur, Feb 17: M Venkaiah Naidu, Vice President of India, released the commemorative postal stamp, coffee table book at Tata Auditorium -XLRI today. He was the Chief Guest of the Commemorative Function of 100 Years of Jamshedpur and was accompanied by Droupadi Murmu, Governor of Jharkhand; Champai Soren, Minister of Welfare, Government of Jharkhand and Anil Kumar, Chief Post Master General, Jharkhand.

Addressing the gathering at Tata Auditorium – XLRI, the Hon’ble Vice President of India applauded the Tata group for its ethical approach to business and commended Tata Steel for its contribution towards improving the quality of life of the community for over 100 years. He described Jamshedpur as India’s first planned industrial city that had earned the distinction of becoming the country’s role model for sustainable urban and industrial development.

He dwelt at length on the priorities of the government and outlined the investment opportunities that can contribute to the economic growth of the country. He said that the development of a sustainable strategy is increasingly becoming an imperative for companies’ survival and longevity and Jamshedpur is a glowing example of sustainable development.

In her address, Droupadi Murmu, Governor of Jharkhand said that over the last 100 years, Jamshedpur had transformed itself to become the most populous and economically-prosperous city of Jharkhand. She stressed upon the imperatives to preserve and protect the State’s rich tribal culture and heritage. “Tribal folk and dance forms such as Jhumar, Chhau, Mundari and Santhali must not just be preserved but also nurtured. Focus should also be laid on the preservation of tribal languages, practices and social ethos,” she said.

TV Narendran, CEO & Managing Director of Tata Steel, recalled that, in the year 1919, the then Governor General of India, Lord Chelmsford, had rechristened Sakchi as Jamshedpur in honour of its Founder, Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata. He thanked the Government of India for releasing a commemorative postal stamp to mark the centenary of the naming of the city.

Earlier in the day, Vice President of India visited the Centre for Excellence (CFE), where he and Hon’ble Governor of Jharkhand planted banyan tree saplings. They were facilitated through a walkthrough exhibition on the 100-year journey of Tata Worker’s Union (TWU) by R Ravi Prasad, President TWU. Committee Members of TWU were also present on the occasion and introduced to the Vice president of India. TWU is the first union in the country to complete 100 years having been built on the fundamental principle and spirit of “working together”.

Vice President of India and Governor of Jharkhand were also shown the Tata Steel Archives at CFE where the Tata Steel story was shared with them.  Tata Steel Archives is the first Business Archives in the country.

Among those present at CFE from Tata Steel were Suresh Dutt Tripathi, Vice President (Human Resource Management), Chanakya Chaudhary, Vice President (Corporate Services) and other officers from the leadership team of Corporate Services.