Aug 1975

'v r! fti I 1^ h ^(85 IW It"'' l?r IV! ri\ RW 5«i LV r** L^ Bl i’ 1 -• • iv .’¦^ '*' .-^f 9 g|? V| ?jfi A w il' '^' ’* • V i' fC* . ’si" 5 r *U'-. LQ. ¦*' • CONTENTS < August - November 1975 i;EDITOR'S COLUMN READERS' PORUM IN THE NEWS ?* W X ^Page No. * 3 7 11 WAR AND PEACE THE ptiQHt OF TH i PRIESTS by Sanobfir Marker ' RITES, READING AND 'RITHMETIC .. WEST SIDE STORY by Pervez Patel THE PARSI PRIESTHOOD by Sir Jivanji JamsbOdiixModi THE RISE^ND FALL t)F THE CLERGY THE LOST generation SHOULD >RiESTHOe»b BE l^ CIfeTE? 4k'-’ -*r ¦ 13 14 20 22 24 31 ¦? 3 •• -y ’If by Fa*t»a Paymaster JAMV4 OHALO * wr^iviv^ . . by Pervin l^at^ey l!:;' HIEROOLYPklC 4:ON . by Ruzbeb Antia IN FOCUS, OUT-OF REA^TY^ «»¦ 32 *; 34 . - ' ' «¦»-* - -*v <« 38 ’X>’ '>s I I byManjuta Pa(|manabhan IN NIEMORIAM: ADI DAVIE^WALLA .. *' .: z - ' Parsiana Cover design 6y Manjula Padmanabhan '* S k*' ,5i' 43 48 f'J 3 1 *1 1 B3 / I ,^6 aUf^ -JESSail. ..; ,.--.10'; ~°'im J. d “^11 editor’s column 0 Oyy I worry about getting old...who wants to be nine??? Courtesy: Charles Schulz lishment open even when they were denied permission to repair the makeshift roof before the onslaught of the last monsoons. Amid the cascades of water that flooded the premises and sent chills down your spine they continued to serve who sat and waited. Growing old then is growing alone. All your friends have either married or emigrated or stopped subscribing. It ’s not that one complains but we do need the subscriptions. For if at 30 Parsiana continues to gather and disseminate information, it is only through the munificence of a hand ­ ful who, without seeking any return, stretch out their hand in friendship. They live the moral of the Ashem Vohw. The greatest happiness comes to those who practise righteousness for its own sake. It is regarded as a sign of senility when a journalist starts to write about himself. So for a long time we debated whether I should in ­ form you that I had just turned 30, and what a trauma it was (it happened overnight). Everyone said there must be some justi ­ fication for stating such a personal fact and we thought of somehow tying it up with larger issues at stake such as the emergency, the Prime Minister ’s 20-point pro ­ gramme (if it had only been 30), the kharif crop and so on. Finally it was decided to link it with the editorial policy of the magazine, noting that as your editor had finally reached the age of reason, the magazine would follow suit. For thirty is an age of recon ­ ciliation, if not compromise, of reassessing policies, if not prin ­ ciples, of admitting that others may be right (on the few occasions they are). In my callow youth, the deep insight I gained into life from fairy stories and illustrated classics convinced me I could change the world. Today if I can just convince my mother that two eggs for breakfast will raise my cholesterol, I feel I have achieved more than most. Growing old is growing senti ­ mental. If you see a 30-year-old crying in his tea-cup because The Victory Stall is being closed down, don ’t write him off as hopelessly view death? That was one bourgeois. After all a port city of several questions we put to the is entitled to one decent restau- convicted killer, Phiroze Daru- rant on the waterfront. To deny wala, through the good offices of his father, Rustom. Phiroze was in St. George ’s Hospital at the time, recuperating from a kidney removal operation (he had donated a kidney to the ailing social I n if « * * How does a condemned man view death? That was the common man (at 30 you have no illusions of grandeur) the south-west sea breeze (or is it north-east?), the cry of the sea gull, the wheel ’s kick and the misty salt spray, verges on the worker, Hamid Dalwai). Appeals criminal. We can understand if the Atomic Energy Commission, which unfortunately owns the place, wants it back either for a high-rise office block or a nuclear blasting site (one never knows, these being matters of national security) but to trade off butter Parsiana\ How do you view your for bombs is self-defeating in the long run. Anyway, the last cup of tea to be drunk at The Victory Stall will be toasted to those intrepid women of the Time and Talents Club who kept the estab ­ being made then to spare his life but met With no success and the young man who took the lives of four others in February 1971, was hanged on December 31. Below are the questions and Daruwala ’s unedited replies: crime today? Daruwala-. As the court has given its verdict upto the Supreme Court, I have to accept its decision and bow before its judgement. But my statement to the Courts are The Parsi Connection Communication moulds individuals into a commu ­ nity. The exchange of ideas, the free flow of information, knowing what others are doing and sharing in their successes and setbacks, cements the bond between people. The Parsis are a diverse and widespread community linked together by a common heritage but sepa­ rated by the chasm of urban living. Communication within the community is limited to a chance meeting at a Navjote or wedding, a concert or a nat&k. A more systematic means of staying in touch is necessary. That's vyhy a magazine like Parsiana exists. We keep you inform ­ ed of events and perso ­ nalities in the community. Every other month you get the benefit of a professional team of journalists who gather, research and analyse information that concerns you. Whether it be an inter­ view with a Trustee of the Panchayat or a poet, a report on Zoroastrians abroad or a photograph of a widow's chawl, Parsiana will focus on it honestly and impartially. By doing so we contribute to the wealth of information on the peoples and tradi ­ tions of this great land and so bring them closer to ­ gether. Parsiana is your magazine. It needs your support if it is to continue to serve. Subscribe today and encourage others to do so or gift a subscription to someone you feel should be in touch. Annual Subscription (Six issues) Rs. 16; For two years (twelve issues) Rs. 30; Overseas (Sea mail) Rs. 24 for one year; Rs. 40 for two years. Write to Parsiana, G. P. O. Box 892, Bombay 400 001. Phone; 262624 31 Daruwala’ . Death if natural en­ ables one to complete his duty towards society, to his own people ) out of question. and God. Many people face Parsiana’ . Are you at peace with Par^iana’ . Do you want to live? .................. Daruwala’ . When God has created, 'Daruwala’ . In this fast-moving one should try to live its full span, world peace only few people have Parsiana’ . Do you feel you deserve who are in tune with the Infinite, clear and so do I view it, as my Dcaruwcda'. Criminal activity is conscience says. (Daruwala had to like a shadow cast on me, shadow date denied that he" killed the has no substance, so guarantee is four deceased.) Parsiana'. 1 economic hardships but few go to yourself? the extremes you did. What then " do you feel really motivated you to kill? Daruwala’ . If you study my reply others it^is ajnirage. to your first question then there was no question of any motives arising. Parsiana: faced economic diflSculties in the future you would handle them better? Daruwala’ . I have faced economic difficulties many times, and in future I am quite prepared to face it, if I survive. Parsiana’ . 'Do you feel you would lead a straightforward life if you were spared? Daruwala’ . Those who suffer in ­ justice, they know better how to live and behave, for to criticise is very eaqr. Parsiana’ . Is there any guarantee you could give that you would not indulge in criminal activity? Do you feel if you love aft hrsft ride to live? Daruwcda: That is a question How have you passed difficult to reply but your Creator who gave you life, expects that you should fulfill the mission of This long period of life assigned to you. .... 1 Rustom Daruwala is a soft-spoken my time by reading, as I have been and self-effacing man who fought provided with daily and weekly long and hard to save his son ’s papers. I pray several times in “ a day, not for my release or Parsiana: your time in prison for the last four years? Daruwala: four and a half years, I had to kill life. The only grievance he voiced was that if there was no possi- salvation but for peace of mind bility of the sentence being com- that I get. I am writing my diary, muted, if as the authorities said, which one day I may be alive to it would set a precedent for all produce. I have to face the realities condemned men to donate an as is destined and cannot fool my organ and thereby escape the fate or escape it. Parsiana’ . Are you afraid to die? Daruwala: T everybody and so I am prepared, agony of the major surgical always, only guilty is ^raid to operation. face it. Parsiana extends its condolences Parsiana’ . How do you view to all the families involved in this death? sad chapter of Parsi history. - gallows, the kidney should have been removed after Phiroze ’s Death is certain for death to spare him the painful How do you view ad©ra)i^ii©ini €©irini©s later /< <9 0 i Manufacturers: IDEAL JAWA (INDIA) PVT. LTD. Mysore 570 002 Sales & Service Centres all over India It ’s the smart new look of the Yezdi that wins so many riders* hearts. But the attraction turns to some- I thing more solid after ths first ride. The ample power, the smoothness, the feeling of absolute and easy control. It's the bike of your dreams. And, as the years pass, you'll become a firm believer in Yezdi, for its dependability, its ease of senzicing and its unbeatable fuel economy. Love begins with the first ride. And endures forever. ^ezai 250 cc MODEL 'B* iesnsKTisREADERS' FORUM \\ I I ill ------'•*> w J, -3 p irt 'J I to Shorabji Mancherji Desai, who restaurants but they were sold to was popularly known by his Guja- Iranis or Mohammedans. rati initials as So. Ma. Desai. No restaurant nowadays makes . The present generation may not a loss. No shopkeeper loses money know that he was one of the lead- in his business. But Parsis do ing scholars and philosophers of because they do not like long his times. He wrote exclusively hours of work, particularly the in Gujerati and had a wide reader- young. When a Parsi owns a ship among Parsis, Bohras, Khojas, restaurant his family will consume and indeed all those whose most of the, nice wanis (courses) mother tongue is Gujerati. His causing the owner a loss of Rs. 100 flowing style may rightly be said or Rs. 50 per day while other pro ­ to have transmuted prose into prietors are satisfled with a full poetry. Anyone who reads his plate of biryani each. One works cannot but feel chastened Mohammedan who bought a and elevated above the dross of restaurant from a Parsi developed materialism. Besides Gujerati, he it into four restaurants in the same was a master of English, Persian, building. Avesta, Sanskrit. Arabic and I know of an instance where two I i master of En^ish, Persian, bulling. Sanskrit, Arabic and I k-C".. ---- ---- ------- -y------- His writings were freely Parsi gentlemen returned from service and started a restaurant in partnership, each investing his * Oomph * In the last issue of Parsiana there Hindi. is an interview with a Parsi priest interspersed with quotations from ..... ~ - - - - - vride variety of religious scrip- . _ tures and classics like the Shah provident fund. •• The son of one entitled, “The Priest with Oomph ”. This is insulting in the extreme. The Concise Oxford Dictionary Namah, Ramayana, Mahabharata, defines “oomph ” as a “humorous c _ __ , and contemptuous description of of Tulsidas and Kabir. bigness and coarseness ”. The Unfortunately all his writing is - . Dictionary of Slang imputes sexual out of print. Three of his best to go out with his wife, overtones to the word as well. Is works are: Khuda Namah {Book it not enough that our priests have of God} in five volumes, which is a detailed treatise on the 101 names of God in Zoroastrian Dukhi ne Dilaaso __ _ partner was also working with Gulistan, Boostaan and the works them. Unfortunately, after his marriage the son refused to work in the evenings because he wanted ¦. Then the ~ father died and the other partner had to work from 4 a.m. — to look for work outside the priest- a detailed treatise on the 101 to bazaar and fetching hood in order to keep body and names of God in Zoroastrian milk —till 12 p.m. when the soul together, but must they be scriptures; Dukhi ne Dilaaso restaurant closed. Finally he got mocked and ridiculed in print as {Solace to the Aggrieved), which ^P and sold the restaurant to well? I think it is admirable of convinces readers that God ’s will an Irani. Gowadia to do a full time job in is best and should be cheerfully another Parsi restaurant, five a bank, spend hours doing exercises accepted; and Ganj-e-Shaayeraan brothers were partners but only for the competition he wishes to {Treasure House of Poets). These eldest used to work. If the enter for, and yet put in part time at least deserve to be reprinted in others had worked only two hours a day, the pressure of work on the eldest would have been reduced. The convinces readers that God ’s will is best and should be cheerfully for the competition he wishes to {^Treasure House of Poets). These enter for, and yet put in part time ' ' ' - - . work at an agiary. “oomph ” got to 'do with his work as a priest? PiLOO N. JUNGALWALLA New Delhi No discourtesy was intended and we apolgfze if any was caused. We used the word in the sense of: energy, vitality, enthusiasm, {Ran­ dom House Dictionary.) Soma ^e obij^aty note on the late capital will be spent on buying a July 1975) mentions that he was at least deserve to be reprinted in What has low-priced editions, because the message they convey is of univer ­ sal appeal. B. S. SURTI Secunderabad 9 ‘ Out to lunch Much has been said and written in Parsi papers about unemployed Parsis taking up small shopkeep ­ ing. Well and good —only the major portion of the entrepreneur ’s __ _ a ^®5ai {Parsiana, shop and transferring it to his .. , _______ related to “Soma Desai ” who was work and enthusiasm. Some the author of over a hundred Parsis had small shops but they sold them, got fancy prices and invested the money in shares, the prices of which dwindled because of the dividend control act. Some lost their money in deposits and FAROKH REPORTER Photographer • ADVERTISING INDUSTRIAL CINE 16MM &35MM FASHION own name, work Phone: 263723 g books. The name “Soma ” as it is writ ­ ten, may cause some confusion to Parsi readers because as far as I know, no Parsi has yet been named Soma. It obviously refers others in matka dens. Some had Patel Chambers, 5th floor. Gunbow Street, Fort, Bom bay-1 1When the restaurant opened a new department for supplying meals to homes and offices, it had A Sikh to employ an outsider to manage the new venture. This restaurant too has been sold and the son from the first restaurant and the bro- To Cap it Ail was fined for not wearing a crash helmet while rid­ ing a motorcycle in England. He argued that it was his religious _ ___ ________ ___ ___ ___ custom to wear a pughree, so as thers from the second restaurant a. good Sikh he could not accept are now working hard at other jobs. __________________________ r~j — —---------------------, There are bazaars at Qrant being sent to jail for 20 days. Road, Lamington Road, Dadar and other localities, as well as in the Fort, Colaba and suburbs where it is fashionable to call them the man-made law. ] to pay the fine resulted in his will we end up if we allow their religious customs in U.K.?” We live here to learn. Sarosh Khajotia London Zoroastrians of Tehran His refusal During my short stay in Tehran •_ earlier T had great pleasure in observing the ways and customs of Zoroastrians there. Gone are the uphappy days when my co-religionists mov^ about the streets with fear in their hearts, in those dark pre-Pahlavi regimes. Zoroastrians today move about in perfect peace and freedom, thanks to the benign leadership of the The other day there was an argument on B.B.C. radio which went, “Sikhs do not wear a pughree __ ___ during the Olympics. Where is “shopping centres ”. All the shops their religion then? If Sikhs want in these bazaars open punc- to wear pughrees, they should use tually at 8 or 9 a.m. as the rule cars and give up motorcycles as will open at 10 a.m., that too, by If we permit the Indian religious Shah of Iran, the servant while the shethia with systems in our country, we will In Stalin Avenue. Zoroastrian fenta or pugree will come at noon. in these bazaars open punc- ____ .1___ „ of the bazaar —but the Farsi ’s shop irreligious, like not eating beef. systems in our country, we will after having his lunch and sleep, ghats on U.K. river shores and The result will be that the servant allow the ashes and remains to will pocket much of the profit, float in our rivers; the Parsis and then buy over the shop. The would be building towers on our original owner will be left think- mountains for the disposal of the ing that business is no gcxxl dead and Zoroastrians would not {chaltu nathi). _ extinguish houses on fire, as they Phtrojshah S. Bhiwandiwala feel fire is their God. So where have to tolerate Hindoo burning Lane, the Tehran Anjuman has its • * beadquarters which consists of a secretary ’s office, a reception room for the (Visitors (where every visitor is offered a cup of tea on arrival), a committee room for meetings of the Anjuman and its sub-commit ­ tees, a reception room where mar- • Please turn to page 49 ¦ ------------ — -r No sooner had he stepped down, parently pained by the internecine than the hectic ritualistic search Desai's Manifesto: *An Open Mind’ As you may by now be aware, at the instance of several of my friends - - - — ------ ----------- and welbwishers, I have decided battles of the trustees, the latest for a successor began. Telephones to seek election as a Trustee of to date being a squabble between hummed, reportedly all the way to the Parsi Panchayat, Bombay, for Boman-Behram and Ms Nelie New York, to ask the noted tennis thp varanrv ransed bv the resiena- to date being a squabble between hummed, reportedly all the way to Boman-Behram and Ms Nelie p ” ' , _ ________ 2___ Noble over the sanctioning of a player, Jimmy Mehta, if he would Rs. 5,000 marriage loan. With ‘ ' ' Ms Noble ’s faction alleging nepo- _________ tism and other irregularities in dacy was not strong enough and J, -------- , T. 1 , . ... ---- hotly denying it, the issue spilt take up the post. Mehta reported ­ ly agreed but many felt his candi- New York, to ask the noted tennis the vacancy caused by the resigna ­ tion of Mr. P. P. Khambatta, Advo ­ cate. I have arrived at this deci ­ sion after deep thought and con- __ ___ o ___o- __ sideration, being fully made aware the case and Boman-Behram ’s side he gracefully withdrew in favour that I can be of service to our - - - * ----------- community, into the press and threats of a “It was like a bolt out of the I am 44 years of age, and come defamation suit loomed large. blue, ” said Desai when first asked from a middle-class Zoroastrian According to the Bombay Sama- if he would be interested in the family, whose ancestral home near char, Parsi Tari Arsi column of trusteeship. Aside from his youth Bulsar had in the past housed the Jehanbux Daruwalla, “the last of Desai. “It was like a bolt out of the blue, ” said Desai when first asked if he would be interested in the family, whose ancestral home near 2nd November written by Editor and legal acumen, his being a new- holy Iranshah for a few 3Os*^W’" last comer to Parsi politics and a non- Please turn to page 53 -The Plight of the Priests 4 I Researched by Sanober Marker I’ 1 > i wl 5 r ' fa - :r ? They once interpreted the dreams of kings and served as prime ministers. Their names were synonymous with authority and wisdom. ' It was a priest who negotiated the terms for his peo ­ ple ’s refuge in India and for many years thereafter it was the clergy that governed the Parsi community. But that largely forgotten, illustrious past eludes the priest ­ hood of today. Shorn of their sovereign power and bereft of any central guiding or ministering body, the priests are fleeing their hereditary profession in unprece ­ dented numbers. “They dislike the work and you can ’t force or en ­ slave them, ” says Dastur Khur- shed S. Dabu, high priest of the prestigious Wadiaji Atash-Behram. “The women don ’t like to marry a safed-pugriwala ” (wearer of the white priestly turban). “In fifteen or twenty years, ” predicts Ervad Daraius Bagli, head priest of the Delhi Agiary, “it will be very difficult to get mobeds. ” A mobed ’s day is long and strenuous. It starts when he is needed and ends when he is not. His duties may require him to shop for groceries or sit cross- legged for seven hours praying be ­ fore a smoking fire. “Hernia or heart-attack is what a mobed dies of due to many uLh-haiths"’ (the ritual rising and sitting required while praying), noted Ervad Sorab Mirza, a practicing priest “and all for the paltry sum of two to three hundred rupees a month. Even a mill-labourer or a sweeper in the municipality makes more. ” Besides the economic depriva ­ tion, a priest ’s socialTife is almost non-existent. No Atash-Behram boyewala (priest who tends the sacred fire) is permitted to go to ging in their frayed white robes and priesthood is both of their own “ pugrees is fast becoming as making and the community ’s, much part of the worship Wracked by dissension and weak- scene as the rambunctious sandal- ened by the absence of any effec- Mobeds recessing at Wadiaji Atash-Behram : 'No confidence of the future^ supposed to come in contact with wood vendors. “Time is taxing a woman during her menstrual “ ” ’ period, nor eat of her cooking or enter through the same door. “He has no fixed timings and a very strict discipline to follow, ” says Dastur Kaikhushroo JamaspAsa, improve our condition. Everybody high priest of the Anjuman Atash- has fallen asleep. ” Ervad Rustomji Behram. Panthaki, Principal of the Athor- . , , . , . nan Boarding Madressa at Dadar, As for their old age, the priests jg community to have to fend for themselves with- - - - out the benefit of any provident fund or pension. “A mobed is use ­ ful so long as his feet, heart and throat function. After that he has to beg, ” said one priest. And from the most sacred Atash-Bekram in Udwada, to the fire temples of Bombay, the sight of priests beg- us, ” says Ervad Firoze M. Kotwal, Principal of the M.F. Cama Athornan Institute at Andheri. “There is no organization through which we can push reforms to form an organization and have a constitution for mobeds. But as Dastur N. D. Minochehr-Homji high priest of the Fasli Atash- Kadeh prognosticates, “Nothing will be done until there is only one priest or none left. ” The problems confronting the the theatre. Orthodox priests re ­ fuse to eat food cooked outside their homes. ‘ Ideally, no priest is is part I it thaky cannot pay less due to the laity, scarcity of mobeds. It is the law While the number of Parsis and priests has been steadily dwin- has not. to us requesting mobeds ”, says five organizing body, the priests today the case is different. A pan- are totally at the mercy of an 1‘ increasingly materialistic 1 ' , ‘, “Today ’s Parsis, ” complained one of supply and demand. ” mobed, “are more interested in sweetmeats and fruits than in prayers. They insist on paying the dling, the number of fire ” temples bare minimum for ceremonies has not. “A dozen agiaries write while insisting on the best of to us requesting mobeds ”, says foods. ” As a result a priest has Rustomji Panthaki, “But nobody to spend a good deal of his time wants to go. There is no future hag^ing over prices and serving as a caterer. “Since neither fiour, ghee nor sugar is available the mobed has to get it from the merly, in large ” families, two or three of the naughtiest children were sent here. Now in families 1 Panthaki: 'Everybody has fallen asleep' wants to go. in it. ” And at the Cama Athoman Institute the number of students has declined, says Kotwal. “For ­ blackmarket, so what conscience do they have? ” says Dastur Dabu. “They are working under great of two, parents wish to keep their duress. ” As no rates are fixed for per ­ forming the various ceremonies, a mobed has to settle for what his clients or the panthaky are willing, or can afford, to pay. r tion. We give a subsidy of a hun- explains dred rupees a month to anyone is practising full-time as a mobed. There are ten such mobeds subsidized by the institute. But there is no confidence of the future in this field. ” “It ’s not worth it on a hundred bucks a month. children at home. The trust won ’t allow non-mobed ’s children though we ’d welcome them. Most of the boys from here don ’t be ­ come mobeds —they take the newer opportunities and become doctors A panThaky is a priest who has ” the and professionals. One just can ’t right to have ceremonies perform- get a good mobed —any scope of ed for his clientele in a particular learning well is here in the institu- fire temple. “They are like any tion. We give a subsidy of a hun- ' other entrepreneurs, ” explains dred rupees a month to anyone Ervad Peshotan F. Pire, panthaky who is a navar and martab and of the Tata Agiary in Bandra “They invest the money in cere ­ monies and thus take the risk. Sometimes they are paid after six months or a year and sometimes not at all. As such, a fair share “It ’s not worth it on a hundred Kotwal: Timers taxing us of the profit must go to the pan- bucks a month, ” says Pheroze the gardening and janatorial de- thaky rather than the mobed. But Lashkari, a young accountant at partments and as non-Parsis are Tata Chemicals who had his navar forbidden to enter the houses of ceremony performed at 16. “I’d worship, the mobeds often have take up the profession only if I to lend their hand in the menial were out of a job —from economic work as well. “The solution is to necessity not any conviction. Most reduce the number of agiaries,'’ says navars become mobeds because ' they are not equipped for anything else. ” While many have given up the profession completely, there are a large number who work part- time as priests and hold regular ____ ___ __ ___ ___ ___ jobs elsewhere. Godrej Panthaki could be accumulated. But Dastur j 99 partments and as non-Parsis are Dastur Dabu and from the assets create a fund to support the mobeds. Dastur H. K. Mirza some years back had suggested the crea ­ tion of a central organization where income from all the fire temples 99 ¦‘¦a of the Banaji Atash-Behram is such JamaspAsa feels in the present a person. “I had a liking for the ' ’ ’ ' ¦ ' •” - priesthood but I didn ’t find the pro ­ fession remunerative. I didn ’t want to be rich overnight but it wasn ’t sufficient to make a good living, amalgamation of trusts. 1 I decided to join (the law firm of) 3 Vatcha and Company. ” I Aside from those who turn else- where for sustenance, the priest- hood also loses members every month due to age, physical incapa ­ city and death. In addition to the xvz vx ..uv shrinking mobeds, the fire temples cry was raised by segments of the also lack adequate manpower in laity. Dastur Minochehr-Homji 7 - 1 set-up the plan is not feasible as the panthakies may not be willing to give up their earnings and the trustees may refuse to join the ' j in Dabu: ‘They are working under great duress' Even if the number of fire tem ­ ples are reduced, the demand for ceremonies will also have to be curtailed. When the hi^ priests recommended that the mukhtad prayers for the dead be reduced from 18 to 10 days, a hue and also lack adequate manpower inJ' perform the navjote, wedding and funeral prayers. “It is in the higher liturgical ceremonies that fully qualified priests are required, ” he ’ notes. Whether the priesthood should be by birth or choice raises the question as to the rote of the priest in Zoroastrianism. Eckehard Kulke in his erudite work The Parsees in India notes, “As ... each individual believer bears the responsibility for his deeds and his life after death, there is only very little room in Zoroaster ’s teachings for the priest as the keeper of secret knowledge and the mediator between God and man. ” Dastur JamaspAsa says the role of the priest is to “take the message of Zoroaster to the peo ­ ple ” but he feels this duty is not being performed by the majority of feels the emphasis should be on Dastur Dabu feels the laity the priests. “At present there are the quality rather than quantity of “will have to take up much of the only three or four speakers and no ceremonies. “Instead of five fami- work. We tell them to recite the one else for the diffusion of know- lies performing a ceremony five Farokshi or Ghe Sama prayers but ledge, ” says Dastur Minochehr- times over it would be better if they say no. They are only inter- Homji. “We want others to take it were perform^ once jointly. The ested in food. ” Another alternative our place. A priest could be at- tached to some of the baugs and places like that could be made into centers for the dissemination of knowledge. ” Kotwal feels a priest should “live a good life and know his work V o ) X Mirza (left) JamaspAsa {with veil} : A very strict discipline to follow Dastur Dabu feels the laity times over it would be better if they say no. They are only inter- it were performed once jointly. The ested in food. ” Another alternative payments may be a little less but which is acceptable to many of the high priests is to permit behdins to join the priesthood. “It is for the quality of the prayers will in ­ crease. But will the behdins be ready for it or will they quarrel the Anjuman to decide on this, ” over whose name should be taken first? 9» says Dastur JamaspAsa, but in the ' meantime, he notes, lay people can The Maverick Priest To his admirers Framroze A. Bode against anybody. We have is the Dastooran-e-Dastoor, but to his detractors he is not even con­ sidered a dastur. His views, his body was to be cremated, I went professional and personal conduct and prayed and now there are two priests who are willing to per ­ form all the ceremonies for those bodies consigned to the cremato ­ rium. Disposal of the dead is ac- never inflicted our ideas on others. When Dr. Putlibai Vakil died and her are all subjects of heated contro­ versy. In a profession heavily do­ minated by orthodoxy he is the odd man out. Though not the head priest of cording to the time, conditions and any fire temple, Dastur Bode’s conviction of the individual. If services are very much in demand anybody is cremated in London, by the more liberal element in the the ceremony is often performed community. He is one of the few in the atash-behram here. So priests who will perform the fune- then what difference does it make ral ceremonies for those wishing if someone is cremated here and to be cremated. Below are extracts wishes the prayers to be recited from an intermew with Parsiana. People consider me to be reformist but what I preach is a in the fire temple? One day I will challenge this practice. I will per- form the ceremony in the Anjuman about brining Zoroastrians back Atash-Behram and if there is oppo- to the original Gothic religion and sition I will go to the courts, to remove from it superstition, - People must be free to choose their dogma and ignorance. We are not mode of disposal. ¦•lI things : first the demand by the people and second, the mobed who does it. The Catholic Church is organised differently. If a priest falls ill he is even sent to Rome. We stand on our own feet. ” But how long they will con ­ tinue to do so is debatable. Some note the priesthood has weathered I many storms in its checkered his ­ tory and the present crisis is no more than a passing phase, a time of painful adjustipents from which I they will once again emerge I triumphant. There are others life I Bagli who believe that the calling. I wifi die out but that the priests I are not essential for the survival i of the religion. “There will be I scholars, those who have studied I the Avesta, to keep it alive, ” says I Bagli and to substantiate his point I notes there are “small families just about a hundred miles away from any agiary who are so orthodox than'quantity' ' and concerned about the Zoroas ­ trian religion that aside from wear ­ prayers in order to attract people j^g the sudreh and kusti and recit- to him and the religion. ” As for the ing the prayers, they keep a fire priests undertaking social work he burning in their homes three hun- feels it is not essential. “If others dred and sixty five days of the do social work, why should the year. Even if the religion dies out mobeds? If a 'dastur comes and consoles me and reduces my fear, that ’s fine. ¦ GOOD SAMARITANS ¦V V Minochehr-Homji .• 'Quality rather it will come up again from these roots and one day it will flower But it requires two beautifully. ” 1 Formerly Parsi corpses were viewed by non-Parsis. I don ’t know why all these meaningless restric ­ tions have come up. People must assert their rights. The trustees are only custodians of the Doon- gerwadi bunglis. In the original trust it is mentioned that they be used for the disposal of the dead but it does not specify the mode of disposal, as far as I know. Peo ­ ple wishing to be buried or cremat ­ ed should be allowed to avail of them. Basically the priest is broad- niinded but he is completely under the thumb of the trustees and the d^sturs so it is very difficult to dp anything. Until and unless the priests organize themselves or form a union the economic condi- t^n cannot be better. But unfor- tqnately in the priestly class there Min® unanimity. J ! ¦ .. -f «>. n While the priests have to fend for themselves, a few associations have been form- : ed to see to their well-being. The Poona Athornan Aid Trust (PAAT) founded by the late Mr. Jehangir Sopariwala in 1966 is an organization devoted to the uplift of the mobeds in this growing metropolis. There are around 20 priests working in three adarans and one dadgah, writes Ms Frannie Boy- wala, Chairman of the fund. “PAAT pays half their rent and the electricity bill in full ... every year on our New Year and Jamshedi Navroz the trust distributes daily necessities like clothes, shoes, chappals, cooking oil, diffe ­ rent pulses, tea, sugar, soap etc. worth a good sum. ” PAAT is supported by public donations. In Bombay the Athoman Mandal was formed to aid the priests but it is mori ­ bund. A few other associa ­ tions channel some of their aid to the mobeds. The Parsi Vegetarian and Temperance Society subsidizes two young priests in the mofussil area to the tune of a hundred rupees a month and has also started to allocate religious work to the mobeds in the outlying areas, says Homi Dhalla, society. Aside from the institutions, people can help in their independent capacity by : spending more on the priest and less on the sweetmeats, fruits and loban; buying less sandalwood and instead placing the money in the boye. (Other suggestions by readers are welcome and should be addressed to Parsi­ ana, Post Box 892, G.P.O. Bombay 400001). a trustee of the and pfre : Supply and demand J ITHE HAPPY MOBED pointing to his sleek blue car. “I priestly calling as he found the never miss a hockey or foot ball mobeds very poorly paid. “They long as I was in Bombay, 1 was absolutely miserable there, ” ------ ------------------ ------------ • ¦ . . - „ says Ervad Daraius E. C. Bagli, match. ’’ He wicket-keeps while couldn ’t look after their families, head Driest of the Kaikhushru Pal- playing cricket and once, he re- Sometimes I used to see that they lonji Katrak Dar-e-Meher in Delhi, called, “in the opposite team there couldn ’t even afford new clothes “But when I came here all my bitterness turned to sweetness and Percy and from that day they call- I felt proud to wear my pugri and ed me Father Parsi. ” Being interest- go out. I got respect from people ed in the theatre he produced a of other religions also. The Delhi play during the Chinese aggression and performed many important Anjuman has full faith in me. I tell them what is necessary to per ­ form. ” Bagli stands independent of the Oasturs. For advice he may refer to the Dastur in Navsari, but he has come to rely on his own judge ­ ment. “The trouble is that the high priests don ’t give their frank opi ­ nions, ” he says. “Just as too many cooks spoil the broth, too many high priests result in too many opinions. No strong and fast deci ­ sion is made." Aside from his priestly duties, Bagli participates in a host of other activities. “I play bad ­ minton and billiards and I’m very fond of driving, ” he said, playing cricket and once, he re ­ called, “in the opposite team there was a Christian priest called Father and I used to think —tWs Js not 1 ............ T'-- his grandfather ’s » my correct line, ’’ he said. Due to persuasions, however, Ba^i became a mobed 1; from whidi he collected almost kriakaamo under his grantEather two thousand rupees. A play in aid of the Bangladesh refugees Agiary. “The priest in Bombay brought him a profit of seven thousand rupees. But despite the charms the capital has to offer priests, Bagli found it very diffi ­ cult to get an assistant mobed ward, they (the community mem- for the Delhi Agiary. “For four bers) felt it was an apsoogan^ All years I actually struggled to get a ‘ " mobed. I advertised in the papers but got a very poor response — about one or two letters. If a mob ­ ed could get a part-time job in Bombay, he wouldn ’t come here. Really I’m very much afraid to think that if I die, will I get a mobed to pray for me? ” As a youth in Bombay, Bagli had decided against taking up the and later in the Tardeo Sethna suffers from such a sense of in ­ feriority that sometimes I felt ashamed to wear my pugri and go outside."When a mobed came for- cult to get an assistant mobed ward, they (the community this I actually experienced in Bom ­ bay. ” In Agra and other small towns like Mathura and Bareilly, Bagli found himself in an “abso ­ lutely different atmosphere. Where ­ ver I went as a priest, they gave me so much respect. Today, I am very happy and I don ’t think there is any mobed as happy as me." Sanober Marker I 19. '.V - RITES READING AND RITHMETIC r> >-5 When the Rev. John Wilson con ­ verted two Parsi students in his school to Christianity in 1839, the 38, “for whom everything is free, ” community ’s reaction verged on says Ervad Firoze M. P. Kotwal, hysteria. Amid threats of violence principal of the institute. ( to return to the fold, the Pancha- Religious instruction being given at the Cama Athornan Institute: ‘Something constructive.’ to 60 boys from athornan families. But the present enrolment is only a small trust fund through the efforts of Erach Nadirsha, B. K. Boman-Behram and other trustees and committee members, notes Five Ervad Rustom Panthaki, principal and bribes to persuade the initiates of them will be sent uo for the of the Madressa. The school has to return to the fold, the Pancha- s.S.C. this year. ” Alongside the ' yat filed a suit in the High Court regular academic curriculum, the warning that “i* ---- - --i ’ __ _____ _____ __ ______ would not help, there would be a scriptural languages like Avesta . receive their religious education in terrible uprising in the county, and Pahlavi in preparation for the the Madressa and the regular aca- and the results would be dis- riavar and martab initiation cere- demic curriculum at the Dadar astrous." But the hollow threat of the ____ writ petition slowly gave way to priesthood. Religious studies are sing, our backbone, ” says Pan- a realization among the Parsis that taught through catechisms initial- thaki. “If we were to teach if they wished to safeguard their ly, and later in the essay style, only prayers who would come to .v-.----------------- - - - - ................................................................- -- - to do something constructive. The most efficacious measure, it was decided, would be to upgrade the performing various ceremonies, education of the priests. To this - end the Mulla Feroze Madressa <’ was founded in Bombay in 1854 dormitory. Their day begins at and was followed by the Sir Jam- " ¦ ' setjee Jeejeebhoy Zarthoshti Mad ­ ressa (Bombay) in 1863, the Nus- serwanji Ratanji Tata Madressa __ ____ _____ _______ (Navsari) in 1932, the* Athoman taken for an outing or shown an p--- .r .------------- z , . ... . . . .. 1919 and the Mancherji Framji Cama Athornan Institute (Bom ­ bay) in 1923. ____ _____ ___ __ ,_____ The M. F. Cama Athornan Garda and Jehangir Vimaddal, Institute is located in an impres- has a much smaller endowment _____ sive colonnaded building on a than the Cama seminary. At one school so that they may get large plot of land in Andheri. t'~* ‘ ¦‘r ’____ __________ L. vL. Founded by Merwanji Cama with so desperate that it had to close be exposed to later in 'life. ’ an endowment of 25 lakh rupees, down for two years. The institute. The boys are Quartered in two the school can accommodate up- ' ----- . - - ««' 35 students ranging in age from 6 , to 16 years for whom boarding if Government students study religion and the and lodging is free. The children terrible uprising in the country. and Pahlavi in preparation for the naoar and martab initiation cere ­ monies. Music and voice exercise Parsi Youth Assembly High School are part of the training for the (DPYA). “The DPYA is our bles- a realization among the Parsis that taught through catechisms initial- reli^ous identity, they would have Technical terms with their vari ­ ous shades of meaning are explain ­ ed. The students also practise The boys, ranging in age from script which enables them to study the Yazashna, Visparad and Ven- didad. Ceremonies and rituals ace 5 a.m. and is punctuated with performed to familiarize them with meals, studies and games. Parents the practical aspects of the priest ­ may visit every other Sunday. On ly profession. The students are non-visiting Sundays, the boys are encouraged to perform ceremonies ----------- — ------o — ------- —i th® agiaries and keep whatever rP.- Madressa (Bombay) in educational film. -------------------------- money they earn thereby. The students are taught in two shifts. six to 17, are housed in one long Institute is located in an impres- ' on a 10 the Madressa? ” The religious education begins with the study of the Khordah Avesta and progresses to the Zend The Athornan Boarding Mad ­ ressa at_Dadar, founded by Dastur The older boys attend the DPYA in the morning and the younger in the afternoon. They are made to wear their caps while attending - w - time Its financial condition became toughened to the teasing they may down for two years. The institute, The boys are quartered in two however, was revived in 1966 with large dormitory rooms. The young- Darab Pesotan Sanjana, Dinshaw>1 er opes we on the first floor . “that he ex- w^ich is aisQ OCQ^pied by Panthaki his wife, jalamai, so we can look after, them, ” ]^ned. “My wife is honorary supervisor, mother, matron, or what you will. ” Though the couple not have any children of their own, they always tell visitors they have 35. “We feel lost without them, ” As the Madressa has to operate on a shoe-string budget, they are short-staffed. “Fortunate ­ ly we have two ex-students who help out, while studying, in col ­ lege, ” he noted. A proposal made several years ago to merge the Dadar Madressa with the one at Andheri fizzled out because the Cama Athornan Institute suggested the Madressa close down, says Panthaki. “But we are too well established. We suggested instead that the Cama Institute take over the students training for the mar- tab and higher academic studies while the navar students study here. But nothing came of it. We both have our difficulties, ” 7?^ i The Coma Athornan Institute: ‘Everything is free: 1 Boys queuing for food at the Cama School. 2 Prayers before meals at the Dadar Madressa. 3 The Dadar Madressa Building overlooking Five Gardens. 4 Prayer recital at the Athoman Madressa. [__ i i H f f 1 2 1 I 3 i SanobeR Marker 21difficult to get another priest. Philadelphia and New Jer^y which are about one hundred miles from New York have a couple of priests from my alma mater, the Cama Athornan Institute, who are always ready and willing to help. Their services are requested on more important occasions like Navjotes, marriages and group from other parts of the United Jashans. After the ceremonies, a States or Canada to assist me. brief talk is given e^ecially for The first ceremony I performed the benefit of the non-Zoroastnans in this country was at my own present, explaining the history and - ¦ meaning as well as the idea behmd the ceremony an ’d the significance of the objects used in it. My services have been required on sad and solemn occasions too. WEST SIDE STORY By Pervez Patel the United settle here either from India or States or Canada to assist me. '_____ . " - * uvxux...... V- in this country was at my own accountant, apartment. It was a Jashan cere- Parsi friends had been invited. In these five years I have per- When I arrived in States five years ago, I had not the slightest idea that shortly I would be asked to perform the duties of a priest in addition to rLXugi?' ’w,?hX ‘rom"^ Sony fouowed Jy a housewa^v one pair of a priest ’s attire noth ing_ P.rty where my Other clothes. But it was not t — ------ '“”s®eSS7wa/Te ‘‘oXK formTdo^ns inihanrin-nS;y ^vtaVa ’M time Job to a^d FhTVX yJk aJi InciSalK Parsi homes and have performed to, it is not possible to perform 5^ ctni Siv St here marriages and Navjotes as well, all the death ceremonies spread L^^rtormsceremLiesandldo Most of the Jashans performed important ones like Gehsama after which the deceased is either cremated or buried accorffing to the family ’s wishes. This is what we dread most, living in foreign countries where traditional last rites cannot be performed. There have been some stray instances when the dead bodies have been sent by air to Bombay but the cost is prohibitive and the process too lengthy and bureaucratic. In the last few years, the Parsi population in the United States and Canada has been on the in ­ crease, mainly in metropolitan cities like New York, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Chicago, Montreal and Toronto. At first they would meet one another occasionally at parties but , as time passed, an urge for uniting themselves was felt. Concerned parties got to ­ gether and discussed matters of common interest. Get-togethers on Jamshedi Navroze and Pateti fol ­ lowed by dinners and also picnics during the summer months were held. Later, with the relaxation of immigration laws and ? the arrival of more Parsis, the neces ­ sity of forming Zoroastrian asso ­ ciations was felt and in most of these cities they now exist. In New York, the association works under the name of The Zoroastrian Association of Greater New York and has a membership of about one hundred and fifty in the tri-state area of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. Be- I 7A n •a 111 iti tti 01^.1. / 'x sides the two annual dinners and picnics, we conduct religious meet ­ ings and other activities. The committee members meet regularly finitely do not enjoy the same and work put plans to bring atmosphere and surroundings, members together more often and ~ increase its activities, but they are faced with many problems. Foremost among these is the lack of a central meeting place, mer months. As a result, during As the Parsi population is scat ­ tered over a large area, it is not easy for the majority of them to meet often, and whenever they do, a public hall is rented which costs considerable money. Real estate prices are too high to allow us to buy a piece of property, on which we can construct a house or build a hall large enough for two number of children attending hundred people or more. We havt Catholic schools and convents, the been working on a special fund present generation has a distinct for this purpose. tendency to he westernized and “ to imitate everything foreign and to forsake everything Indian and Parsi. But the plight of the to provide religious children of our community here, will be worse. At fimctions and picnics it is rare to hear a Parsi boy or girl been made by recording the under fifteen speaking Gujarati. In my opinion, the, education and training of the child should start at home. who have been bom here and those who left India arid arrived in America very early in life, de- On account of the scattered Parsi population, these children meet their Parsi friends once a month, maybe twice during sum- these important years, their contact is mainly with the non-Zoroastrian friends at school and in their neighbourhood. These friends be ­ long to various ethnic and religious communities and the child, there ­ fore, is influenced to a great de ­ gree by extraneous factors. Even in India with an increase in the The need for an agiary or a prayer hall is felt by most of our co-religionists here. It is also necessary 1 knowledge to the younger gene ­ ration, the children of pre-Navjote age especially. A beginning has necessary prayers on cassette tapes and they are being distributed to parents who wish to have the at home. The parents must be Navjote ceremony of their children primarily responsible for the up- performed here. Navjote classes bringing of their own children and are being run in a few places, once must ensure that what they every month, where, besides the preach to their children is in fact prayers and their meanings, talks practised by themselves first and on religious subjects and ancient then by the children. This is Iranian history are given and even highly essential in a country attempts to teach the Gujerati where it is not too uncommon to on religious subjects and ancient then by the children. Iranian history are given and even 1 ‘ J language to the younger generation hear a boy or a girl (of other are being made. These efforts are in the right direction and the response too is very encouraging. It is heartening to note that besides children even the parents are leam- communities) say to their parents “why should we do this or that, when you yourselves do not do the same ”? In conclusion, I would repeat ing many things which they never that parents play a pivot^ role in had a chance to learn before, in India. The economic, social, cultural and political conditions are very different here, v- fortunate enough to have spent constitutes our community. It is the important years of our lives only when parents once again start in familiar surroundings, always taking active interest in our re- having had very close family ties ligion, learn at least the basic and surrounded by parents, grand- prayers with their meanings, feel parents, relatives, neighbours and proud of their heritage and truly teachers who ate the same kind of practice arid impart the teachings ' - - - - Qf Zarathushtra that we can ex ­ pect children to follow the the preservation of our identity as Zoroastrians. The root cause for the downfall of our religion is the neglect on the part of the in- We adults, were dividual family which collectively food, spoke the same language, dressed similarly, went to the same schools, colleges and places of examples of their parents and be worship; the younger generation good arid respected members of here, consisting of those children our community once again. Let Us Pray^ To Ahura Mazda 2nd Edition — revised? and enlarged By Noshir H. Vajifdar Available from: • Union Press. Hoznji Street, Fort, Bombay 400 001. • Mr. Sam S. Choksey, C/o Eastern Stores & Trading Co. Pvt. Ltd 115 Nagdevi Street, Bombay 400 003. ¦» • Parsi Zoroastrian Association, 1 Saklat Place, Calcutta 700 013 • Mr. Rustam Saklath, 4 A Auckland Square, Calcutta 700 017. • Perina Printers, 77 General Patters Road, Madras 2. • Mrs. Mehroo J. Wadia, 21 iiF Tansen Marg, New Delhi 1. Also available free of postage and packing charges at Ahmedabad, Poona, Bangalore and Ootacamund. Price Rs. 3. For particulars, please write to the author at ‘Braemar’ Ootacamund- 643 001. Sjxice donated by a well-wisherThe Parsi Priesthood by Sir J. J. Modi .Below is an abridged and edited version of Modi's paper which 'was first prepared for Rev. Hastings^ Encyclopedia of Religion and Ethics. It also appears in The Journal of the K. R. Cama Oriental Institute Vol. 31 (1937) and is published in Parsiana by (heir courtesy. ' The coin depicting two priests tending a sacred fire is from the Sassanian Dynasty (224-651 A.D.} jVe find, in the Avesta, two words, was added. It included all the pro- ‘athravan ’ and ‘moghu, ’ used fessions or trades not included in for a priest. The common Avestan the first three, word for a priest, in popular use, is ‘athravan ’ i.e., “one who vene- _____,__ ____ ____ ______ fates and guards the (sacred) fire. ” priest, the first warrior, and the first agriculturist. The whole crea ­ tion is represented as rejoicing at the birth of Zarathustra as an ‘athravan ’ or “priest. ” According to Herodotus, the selves, at times they came into conflict with the Persians as a class, who were to them as laymen are to the clergy. As one of the Magi interfered in political matters and assumed the throne of Persia as a pretender, Darius had, at one time, ordered the massacre of the whole tribe. Priesthood has been hereditary among the Parsis from very ancient times. It is the son of a priest only who can become a priest. It was so in ancient Persia. How ­ ever, it seems that in the confu ­ sion after the overthrow of the Achaemenian Empire by Alexan ­ der the Great, during the regime of the Parthians, this custom of hereditary priesthood was more honoured in the breach than in the observance. So Artakhsir (Ataxexes) Papakan, when he brought about the Iranian renais ­ sance, revived the custom in its entirety. We find the subject re ­ ferred to in the letter of his Dastur Tansar or Tosar to the king of Tabaristan: “This repartition of men into four classes is a strong guarantee of good order for the world. The passing from one caste into another is prohibited except in the case when one of us shows a particular talent. Then they sub ­ Zarathustra, the founder of the religion, is spoken of as the first This word is the same as the Vedic ‘atharvan. ’ He is so called because like the ancient Roman Flamen (Fire-priest), at first his ^jrincipal work was to look after the sacred fire. Afterwards the Magi were "the priests of the An- Word was applied to all the classes ’ ' of priests, whether they looked 8 formed a peculiar race. They and no sacrifice could be offered without them. They had certain sacred customs and practices of their own. Besides officiating at cient Persians. At first they were . _ . one of the six tribes of Media. They after the sacred fire or not. formed a peculiar race. They ¦ In the early Avestan times, three chanted hymns at religious services principal professions were known and no sacrifice could be offered in Iran. They were those of the athravan, i.e., the priest, rathestar, i.e., the warrior and the ‘vastrya, ’ ___ _____ Le., “the farmer. ” Among these religious sermons, they interpreted three, the priest stood first When- dreams. They had thus interpreted ever these professional classes are the dreams of the Median Kin g mentioned, they are mentioned in Astygus, the maternal grandfather sDOnds hiS niahts in studv the above order of superiority or of the Persian King Cyrus and of * . . , . . . precedence. Latterly, a fourth Class, the Persian King Xerxes. As they acquire noly Wisdom, that of the “artisans ” (‘hutokhs*) had formed a tribe or race of them- 14 k, 4' He is the real priest, who of the Persian King Cyrus and of the Persian King Xerxes. As they Vmit that (exceptional) case before ed by descendants upto the fifth like the wandering monks or the king. After a trial and a long generation. It then.*-dies and can friars of Europe of the middle inquiry by the Mobads and the no longer be exercus^. ages or like the wandering lamas Herbads, if they recognize the It appears from Avesta that of Tibet. merit of the candidate, they trans- the priests who officiated at the On the subject of the duty of an Iranian priest we , read the following in the ‘Mino-kherad ’: “The business of the priests is to maintain the religion properly; and to perform the ceremonial performs the Haoma ceremony and invocation of the sacred be- and strains the Haoma juice. ” 3 ‘Atarevakhs ’ “the priest who no longer be exerciS^. It appears from Avesta that the priests who c^^ated at the fer him into another caste. The liturgical service were divided into Shahansah, by his clear intelligence eight classes : >1 ‘Zaotar ’ disjointed priest. ” the chief officiating “the priest who “i In old Iran there were itinerant priests who went from one place to another, preaching and ministering to the spiritual wants of the people. and by virtue of his genius has reconstituted these ' members, (i.e., refound the old 2 ‘Havanan ’ divisions or classes). He has re ­ stored everyone to his proper place, made him return to his own rank and has arranged that nobody watches the fire used in the ritual, should follow a profession other feeds it and keeps it burning. ” than that for which God has 4 ‘Fra-beretar ’ “the priest who Mazda-worshippers. created him. ” ' .................... We thus find, that the rules introduced by Artakhsir, were 5 ‘Aberetar ’ “the priest who rather old, and that he re-establish- brings the things required for the ed them, and declared that the people must restrict themselves to their own hereditary profession. The priesthood was especially such a profession. Rut we further find from Tansar ’s letter, that Artakh ­ sir had intended to make certain exceptions. For example, a man may, by special qualifications or examinations, qualify himself for a profession, other than that of his forefathers. We find such an ex ­ ception in the case of priesthood, made in Persia; even as late as the seventeenth century, one Das ­ tur Rustam Gustasp Ardasir “is said to have sprung from the laity service. He is also spoken of as and not from a priestly family. ” ‘o It is said that in the time of this Rustam Gustasp, the then ruling makes the worshipper act in Muhammadan king of Persia <’ ordered a general massacre of the of religion. He was a confessor as Persian Zoroastrians, unless they proved that they were monotheists and not idol-worshippers. It was during the performance of the this layman, Rustam Gustasp, who proved this to the satisfaction of the king and he was made a above were requisite. But in the members of the priestly and the ‘Dastur. ’ But in India at least, Yasna and the Visperad ceremonies lay families. The priests married during these last few centuries, performed today only two priests daughters of the priests. Occasion- no exceptions seem to have been officiate: the ‘Zoti ’ (‘zaotar ’) and ally they married with the made, and it is only the sons of the ‘Rathwi ’. /” “ priests or the members of priestly the seven priests (seven besides families, who can become priests. The right can be revived by any male member of the priestly family ‘Rathwi. ’ though his immediate ancestors 7 might not have been actually priests who went from one place when Bombay appointed a com- ordained as priests. For example, to another, preaching and minister- mittee to inquire into the cause ‘A’ was a priest. His son ‘B,’ grand- ing to the spiritual wants of the of the dispute. The committee son ‘C,’ great-grandson ‘D’ had not people. They expected hospitable decided that it was not proper joined the priesthood, but ‘E’ the treatment from the people of the for the priest to refuse to give son of ‘D,’ the great-grandson, can, place where they went. It was their daughters in marriage to the • if he chooses, become a priest. It considered wrong to entertain laymen, as they themselves took is said that the right can be reviv- them with bad food. They were the daughters of the latter in ings well and with attention; and to keep true the decrees, decisions, custom, and control, as revealed by the pure, good religion of the 4 ‘Fra-beretar ’ “the priest who Mazda-worshippers. To make carries and prepares all the ‘alat ’ people aware of the goodness of or “religious implements ” of ritual, good works; and to show the way 5 ‘Aberetar ’ “the priest who to heaven and the danger and avoidance of hell. ” This shows that his duty is two-fold: to per- who form the ceremonial and to teach and guide his flock on the path of righteousness. Though the king of Iran had ritual. ” 6 ‘Asnatar ’ ,“the priest washes or cleans the implements of ritual. ” 7 ‘Raethwiskar ’ “the priest who, removing dirt and uncleanness, usually a ‘Mobadan Mobad, (“a arranges in their proper places all Priest of Priests, ” an Archpriest the requisites for the liturgical or Arch-bishop,) at the head of his ecclesiastical department, at times, the king himself possessed both the offices, if not in practice, at least in name and in authority, obedience to the commandments According - - 'Rathwi ’ or ‘Raspi. ’ 8 ‘Sraoshavareza ’ “the priest who »> Firdausi, King Jamshed of the Pesdadian dynasty, was proud of being a ‘Mobad ’ as well as a king. He said: “I am a king as also a priest. ” Upto a few years ago, there were few marriages between the to well. ” It appears that at one time. Yasna and the Visperad cere ­ monies the eight priests described ofiSciate: the ‘Zoti ’ fzaotar ’) and ally they All the offices of daughters of the laymen (‘Beh- ' i dins ’), but they never gave their the ‘Zaotar ’) are now absorbed in daughters in marriage to laymen, that of the ‘Raethwiskar ’ or This gave rise to a grave dispute with the laymen upto well-nigh In old Iran there were itinerant the middle of the last century or to another, preaching and minister ­ ing to the spiritual wants of the of the dispute.I ‘Vandidad ’ marriage. Even now a priest would like to see his daughter married to the son of a priest. But the original custom is not much observed now. Though priesthood is hereditary, mere birth does not entitle the son of a priest to officiate as priest. In order to be a qualified priest, the son of a priest has to pass through two initiation ceremonies : the ‘Navar ’ and the ‘Murattab. ’ The first ceremony for initiation into the priesthood is that of the 'Navar. ’ The initiate going through the ‘Navar ’ ceremony has to take two ‘Bareshnum ’ ablutions. The first ‘Bareshnum ’ is for ‘tan pak ’, i.e., for the purity of his own body, and the second is for the 'niyaf of the person, in whose memory he becomes a ‘Navar. ’ Thus quali ­ fied, the initiate can perform the ‘Afringan, ’ ‘Navzot, ’ marriage and such other ceremonies, except the ‘Yasna, ’ ‘Vandidad ’ and ‘Baj ’ ceremonies. In order to be quali ­ fied to perform these latter cere ­ monies, the initiate has to go through the ‘Murattab ’ ceremony. For this purpose he has to undergo another ‘Bareshnum ’ ablution, at the end of which he has to per ­ form two ‘Yasna ’ ceremonies for two mornings and a ‘Vandidad ’ ceremony at midnight. The initiating ceremony of 'Navar, ’ was instituted from the first, as a trial of moral worth, of self-abnegation, self-denial and self-renunciation as in the case of Masonic rites, as ,i intended. pected to pass his days during the continuation of the whole cere ­ mony, lasting for about a month, in a kind of retreat, so as to be free from worldly thoughts. During the last four days when he is regularly being initiated and performs the ‘Yasna ’ ceremony, acting as ‘Zaota, ’ he has to take only one meal during the day. This also shows that the ceremony is intended as a trial to prove whether he can control hunger and thirst, and hence, other passions. During the two ‘Bareshnums, ’ i.e., the two early periods of re ­ treat, the candidate has to deny to himself his daily comforts. For he has to make his bedding on the floor and not on a cot, he has to take his meals at stated hours after prayers, and has to The]i Navar ceremony ... is at the same time, a trial and a test for pious beha- through the first initiation cere ­ mony of ‘Navar, ’ is entitled to be called an ‘Ervad. ’ He is, after that initiation, entitled to put on a white turban. In India, a priest can be easily distinguished from a layman, as he puts on a white tur ­ ban while the layman (the ‘Beh- din ’) puts on the black turban. Some members' of the new ‘Kadimi ’ sect of priests, at pre- le case of nave been sent, put on a round shawled tur- rites as orSnaUv •? ban (‘fenta ’), but generally, about 2:5 ’ risk of failure in the test of pious ninetv-eieht ner cent nut nn the The candidate is ex- meditation celf abneaatinn ryr put on tne iiirina the "jeoitation, seit-abnegatiou, or white turban. All the ‘Ervads ’ who have gone through the first initiation cere ­ mony, do not go through the second grade of initiation. They those sons of priests who are really priestly profession. But having inMndM tn ant qc nriacfe 1______ .......................... 4 •w V>- : I viour and moral rectitude. keep himself aloof from other people. It appears, therefore, that this ‘Navar ’ ceremony, an initiat ­ ing ceremony is, at the same time, a trial and a test for pious be ­ haviour and moral rectitude. A good deal of the original lofty ideal seems to have been control of passions, candidates are made to go through the initia ­ tory ceremony in their early boyhood before the age of fifteen ____ me or sixteen Nowadays not only MeTnoT “necessaS7't^e ’ up' the intended to act as priests, go been through the initiation, but others, sacerdotal class, they are entitled too, intended by their parents for t_ L- - - — other walks of life, are made to ligious c~ " y -L i:_. - idea that it is a religious ceremony V ’ • ’ not object to this procedure, if therefore, even in these cases, the original lofty ideals were kept in mind. The salutary effect would not be lost, if a boy were made to go through the ceremony in an intel ­ ligible way. A doctor, lawyer, or merchant, if trained in early boy ­ hood to a little pious meditation, through the initiation, but others, too, intended by their parents for to be called ‘Ervads ’ in the re- ,, , , “o*—ceremonies recited for .tbelr name and honour _ /in their life-time and after death, worth going through. One would All who bear the white turbans even in these cases, the original self-control and self-abnegation, would be a better man in his pro- - fession, by this kind of trial and training. What is wanted is that the original high ideal must always be kept in view. It seems that in ancient Iran, a similar idea of not working as a priest after initiation was con ­ templated. As the ‘Datastar-i-Dini ’ says it was permitted that “those of the priesthood, when there was no daily livelihood for them from the life of the priesthood, should abandon the priesthood. ’’ Priest ­ hood was recommended as making its members “more contented in adversity, more intelligent as re ­ gards stability of character in difficulty. ” But when one 'did not get his daily livelihood out of it, he was permitted to take to “agriculture, sheep-rearing, pen ­ manship ” and even “to bear arms ” but he was not to pass his time in idleness. A priest is nowadays called an ‘Ervad, ’ or ‘Mobad. ’ The son of a priest who has gone I ! ‘Ervad, ’ I once admitted into the are not necessarily priests. But if they like, they can perform certain priestly cere ­ monies which an ‘Ervad, ’ who has gone through the Navar ceremony can perform. None can prohibit them. A white turbaned Ervad as long as he continues to put on the white turban, can re ­Css*’!:- F » -J®? >ia I r I A I - I come so expensive, I have to levy a fee of two to three rupees. A bridegroom might give eleven rupees; for the poor peo ­ ple I do it free. I never ask for payment but people usually give. ” It takes twenty to twenty-five minutes to tie a pugree. A starch ­ ed topi and four to five meters of starched cambric cloth with a width of three to four inches are some of the basic ingredients. The topi is placed on the head and the rear portion of it is made wet, so as to stick to the cloth. The mate ­ rial is then wound from the right hand side, nine times for a small pugree, 12 to 13 rounds for others. To give it shape, paper is placed in the last or penultimate round, the former affording greater pro ­ tection from the rain. The folds are then evened out with a chinp (a rectangular piece of silver). It takes two days for the pugree to sJ dry. 'Often the mobeds who also work in offices feel shy to wear the pugree while it is still wet so 1 I 3 so I The Safed Pugree The most distinguishing feature of they request me to tie it on my head a priest is his pugree. Perched con- ' spicuously on his head, it imme ­ diately sets him apart from his fellowmen. But though every prac ­ tising priest must wear the white cotton turban, not all have master ­ ed the intricacies of tying one. my own head, ” he noted. Below, Parsiana Senior Editor Bhadha learnt the skill of pugree Feroza Paymaster interviews one tying from Ervad Dorabji Pestonji of the few specialists in the field, Mogol, his tutor for the navar Ervad Maneck Bhadha of the ceremony. “He showed us how to Vatchagandhi Agiary on Hughes take the twists, how to arrange ’ the folds and so on. When I came to Bombay I saw that the young ­ sters were not able to tie their pug- and wear it, ” said Bhadha. “I tie it and then travel in the upper deck of the bus so that it dries quickly. ” He bought a mould once but the result was not satisfactory. “If my size fits then I tie it on Parsiana Senior Editor vert at any time to his priestly profession or is permitted to officiate at certain ceremonies, even though he has taken up an ­ other profession. But if he ceases to put on the white turban and puts on the black turban he can ­ not perform any religious seryices. While the word ‘Ervad ’ is used as the appellation of a priest who has gone through the first initia ­ tion degree of ‘Navar ’ the word ‘Mobad ’ is generally used of those who actually follow the pro ­ fession. An ‘Ervad, ’ who has changed his professional white turban for a black one, may con ­ tinue to be called an ‘Ervad ’ but not a ‘Mobad, ’ though he may belong to a ‘Mobad ’ family. It is much more a professional than an honorific appellation. Another term for a priest, also used in India rather as a pro ­ fessional or class appellation than as an honorific or personal appel ­ lation, is ‘Andhyaru. ’ While ‘Ervad ’ and ‘Mobad ’ are old Iranian words, the word ‘Andhyaru ’ is derived from the Vedic ‘Adhvaryu. ’ The term is used be ­ fore the name of a member of the priestly class, even if he has not gone through any of the initiation degrees. A person of the priestly class who has not gone through the ‘Navar ’ initiation is called ‘Osta ’ in religious service. The appellation ‘Osti ’ is prefixed to the names of women of priestly families, in religious recitals. The religious services of the Parsis are divisible into two classes: (1) those ordinarily per ­ formed at any place, even in one ’s own house, and (2) those performed at consecr^ed places such as the ‘Dar-i-Mihir or the Fire temple. In the first class of services can ‘Andhyaru. ’ Road : , “It ’s an art, ” says the bespec ­ tacled mobed who has been tying priestly pugrees professionally for rees, so I used to tie it for them, the last 30 years. “Previously I practiced and became proficient novars yNQTO. taught how to tie the pugree in the course of their train- work. Then I published handbills vices, i e services connected with ing but now they are not. Among and distributed them all over, at the domestic events of a man ’s life the practicing mobeds some don ’t the agiaries, doongerwadi etc. I such as birth, Navzot marriage know how to and some are unable advertised in the Kaiser and Jame and death. They can be termed to due to arthritis or other handi- as well and got a good response, the outer services The second caps. I tie on an average fifteen Since the last fifteen or twenty years class can be called the inner ser- to twenty pugrees a month, the work has increased greatly, vices, performed in the inner circle During the muktad season the There is nobody else who ties it of the temple, the litursical ser- or the Fire temple. be included social or domestic ser- work. Then I published handbills and distributed* them all over, at the agiaries, doongerwadi etc. I advertised in the Kaiser and lame as well and got a good response. figure can go up to two hundred, professionally in Bombay. Dastur initially I did not charge, but the Dabu knows of me and sends peo- price of the paper used in ’ ’ making the pugree has be- has the work has increased greatly. ’ ____;....... .. There is nobody else who ties it of the" tempie/the ITturgical J- T> ‘YaSPa,' ‘Visperad ’ and ‘Van ’didad. ’ Of these two classes of services, the latter are of a higher rank. While the first set of services can be Continued on pa^e 57 pie who want their pugrees tied. Mara hathma art avi gayelo che.” 29 i 09B The Rise and Fall of the Clergy Extracts from Eckehard Kulke ’s The Parsees in India ¦ fl 1865 and by the Panchayat do ­ minated by laymen, it limited it ­ self only to its ritual tasks. With the establishment of an educa- certainly in peace within the com- tional system that took place with- munity: most to the verge of a split, the civil authorities ’ arbitration was Traditional Role of the Priests The Parsees who had migrated to India had no fixed written code of requested, which for their part, had laws at their disposal which would no interest in the matter itself, but have determined the internal orga ­ nization and order of the commu- munity: out participation or the influence nity. As they, as a minority, did a) After the holy fire had been of the clergy (the clergy had actual- not have their own autonomous political organization, they were, with regard to criminal law, actual ­ ly subject to the jurisdiction of their respective ruler. The regula ­ tion of internal, civil as well as religious disputes was left, on the other hand, to the Parsees them ­ selves, whereby the administra ­ tion of justice for centuries lay in the hands of the clergy. Since a Dastur as leader or speaker of the ^roup of refugees had negotiated with the Prince Jadi Rana in San- jan and thereby made the settle ­ ment of Parsees in India possible, the leading role of the priests was undisputed. In Sassanian Iran, b) In 1785, the Governor of Bom- Dasturs had already held the - - - highest civil offices so that it was only too natural that the Dasturs should function as head of the com ­ munity in a situation in which political leadership was lacking. In each region or city of Gujerat in which a group of Parsees settl ­ ed, a leading Dastur family func ­ tioned as speaker (externally) and mediator (internally). The priests of Sanjan, the temporary home of the Iranshah, were acknowledged to be the top leaders of the com ­ munity. In order to avoid over ­ laps in the sphere of priestly juris ­ diction, Gujerat was divided in community that could decide inter- interest. Through the weakness of 1290 into five panthaks with strict- nally, as the superior authority, on the clergy in Bombay (in Gujerat ly defined and geographically limit- law and order. The clergy ’s loss the priests ’ influence remained * ed jurisdiction. of authority is the result of a stronger), the only social factor In disputes in which no agree- beginning emancipation of the that could have checked the ment could be reached in spite of Parsee laity due to its rising eco- enormous dynamics of the social the priests ’ authority, or in which nomic prosperity. This laity was change in the community was con- the clergy itself was divided, there no longer willing, with its newly demned to ineffectiveness, was a choice of two alternatives: ' 1. Starting with 1478, (a total of 26) inquiries —partially of a re- frequently uneducated —^priests. ligious and partially of a secular Changing Role of the Clergy decades. On the one side, nature —were sent to priests who Social change and secularization sonae seminaries for priests were had remained in Persia and whose had led, in the 19th Century, to founded in Bombay, partially with replies were accepted as verdicts the Parsee clergy ’s having lost on active support from laymen, and of a superior authority. influence and prestige in spite of 5® number, even 2. In three serious cases which its numerical strength. After it small, of academically educated priests has at least rehabilitated Please turn to page 59, col. 3 brought from Sanjan to Nau- ly never practised the function of sari, a controversy about the transmitting knowledge to the lai- priestly jurisdiction in Nau- ty), the clergy was surpassed in sari arose at the beginning of the field of education and pushed the 18th Century between the into a position in which it was priests who had fled from San- hardly taken seriously any more jan on the one side and the intellectually. It had to endure priests living in Nausari on the other side. The disputes were submitted to the local Hindu mockery of its uncultured state Prince Damaji Rao, who decid ­ ed in favour of the Nausari priests, upon which the Sanjan munity prospered economically, priests moved to Udvada by most of the priests had to be con- way of Bulsar with the holy tent with the earnings that corres- fire, to the site where it is still ponded to their lesser reputation, kept today. The most intelligent and enterpris ­ ing sons in clerical families took bay. Bodham, appointed, after up, to an increasing extent, civil being urged by the Parsees, a professions that were not closed commission that intervened in to them by taboos. As, around the the marriage dispute between middle of the 19th Century, a laymen and priests and con- movement set in toward reforming firmed the right to inter- and purifying their religion, the marriage. Parsee priests played a relatively c) The conflict smouldering be- subordinate role; the movement tween Kadmis and Shehen- was chiefly initiated and support- shahis since about 1740 engaged ed by laymen. Progressive Parsees a British court in Surat in 1822 registered with satisfaction that the that had to decide whether two Parsee priests had no possibility Atash-Behrams (fire temples) of checking ' the reform move ­ may coexist in one city. ment in the community or of in- Since the 18th Century, no autho- fluencing the community ’s genero- rity existed any more in the Parsee sity in conformity with their own ¦ interest. Through the weakness of won self-consciousness, to subject itself to the jurisdiction of the — senjt to priests who Social change and secularization had led, in the 19th Century, to the Parsee clergy ’s having lost on influence and prestige in spite of its numerical strength. After it brought the community —partially had been relieved of traditional under violent circumstances —al- secular functions by the laws of under violent circumstances —al- I I sarcastic articles in Parsee news ­ papers that overwhelmed it with and “parasite existence.' While the majority of the com- »» I t 'I it I jj ii i) J I I The situation, so far as it con ­ cerns the clergy ’s degree of educa ­ tion, has changed, however, in the I1 Essay Compet ition .£!?9 The Lost Generation I am a Parsee —but unfortunately know little or nothing about my religion. I know, as someone recently said by osmosis —from the conduct and general behaviour of my parents and older relatives — a sort of Code of Conduct. I can also pull out from the cobwebs of my memory, a phrase here and there, such as "I am a Zarthosti — I can't do this" or "I am a Zarthosti —I've given my word and shall keep it". My children here know a little and my son, beyond having a Parsee name, knows less. If then, this is the general condition of us Parsees, then what is the difference between a Parsee and anyone else of another race ? What if all the 85,000 Parseea pass away and we become just a pleasant memory —for the essence of what was a Parsee — a true Zarthosti is already all but gone and forgotten. The Parsees, as I see them now, * are empty shells. We have not even wept or shed a tear at the passing of the Zoroastrian flame within us and it confounds me that we lament at the thought of the anticipated passing away of the casket (and an empty one atthat) and now even agitate ourselves to such great lengths as to how this immaterial object is to be disposed of. There must be many with a son or daughter and grandchildren abroad and even doing well. But somewhere in the secret narrows of their heart, somehow a silent anguish lies, that for all intent and purposes, their children are lost as Zarthostis. Others with children right here, close to them, feel no different. To these and others, who know more about our religion and our past, I direct my words. Turn around from looking at the dead. Look at the I iving —look at the wider scope of the future —look at the children and the young people —they are the wealth of the community —but without doubt, a Lost Generation. That is a tragic indictment for a community which from a very small, shabby, frightened, hungry, motley crowd, that came swarming on to the shores of this land in country craftsand little boats has developed into what the world proclaims to be the ‘cream ’ of this count ry ' s statesmen, industrialists, scientists, doctors, lawyers, artists, soldiers, sailors, airmen and even forming an aristocracy within itself. Once upon a time, our community was young, fresh and prepared to face a challenge. Now it mainly forms the old and the tired, the complacent and the indifferent and the "lam alright, Joes' '. As regards our families: Oh! Dad is at the office —his meetings — his business and his money. Mother ! Well, she's at the club or maybe involved in a fund-raising drive for prevention of cruelty to animals. The children go their different ways. Till tragedy strikes, then Dad with his skin deep religion runs the frantic rounds of Saints and Shrines. This is very much so with Parsees. Visit most homesand you'll see such pictures plastered all over the walls, looking for solace and hope from others. I have no wish to raise a controversy —we are a great community, but our strength is tied up in controversies and dissipated by indifference. Can we not put all this in abeyance ? Can they not wait ? Surely, all our controversies together cannot weigh against the very future of our community. The young ones and children are the future and the wealth of ourT**—r ¦ The following will be the final judges : Lady Hirabai Cowasjee Jehangir, President, Board of Trustees The Parsi Panchayat; Jehan Daruwala, Editor, The Bombay Samachar; Jal Heerjibehdhin, Editor, The Kaiser-e-Hind; Jehangir Patel, Editor, Parsiana. Last date for submitting entries March 31,1976 J community and therefore, a matter which concerns them should bind as well as touch every one of us to the quick. The subject should unite the community and goad it to total action to save the young for the future. The Lost Generation needs all our thoughts and care. The question of the hour is how to save its membdrs? How to gi ve them a sound knowledge of the Zoroastrian ethic? Howto give them a clear picture of their rich heritage ? Howto inculcate in them a pride in being a Zarthosti ? While I have said all this, I do understand this question must have come up before and many worthy mon must have made an approach to solve it. But the problem still persists and a new dimension has been added by the great number of young people moving to far off countries. Therefore, inspite of all that has been done, the problem is increasing and should occupy the thoughts and minds of our intellectuals, our elders and our community ... or else, a time will come, when there will be none left to place intheDokhma. The above subject is worthy of the attention of the entire Parsee community. Besides a great debate being possible, it can also focus the attention on a cause which can bind the community instead of dividing it. Without doubt, we believe the elders have a positive role to play because of their knowledge, yvisdom and experience. The youth have their intelligence, their strength and their capacity to take up a crusade and see it to its final conclusion. Together The Lost Generation' can be transformed into ' Resurgent Youth' and if. they so will it, lay the seeds of a Zoroastrian Renaissance. We invite all readers to take up the invisible challenge and participate in a matter which so widely affects our community. We fully realise and appreciate that the effort from the community will come spontaneously and willingly but inspite of this, we take pleasure in announcing that prizeswill be awarded for the best papers submitted on the subject. For the best paper on the religious and ethical void, frustrations and other related problems caused to Zoroastrian youth and how best these can be remedied and what are the many forms of action required to make a sustained effort Rs. 500 For the next best paper Rs. 300 For the third best paper Rs. 200 If the response is in keeping with the measure of the subject, wo are prepared to double our award and give a set of awards as mentioned above to the elders and another similar set of awards for the youth. Essays should be addressed to ; The Lost Generation 1. C/o The Editor, Parsiana, Post Box 892, G.P.O. Bombay 400001. 2. C/o The Editor, The Kaiser-e-Hind, Old Sassoon Building, Horniman Circle, Bombay 400 001. 3. C/o The Editor, The Bombay Samachar, Horniman Circle, Bombay 400 001. & Wi '^ii' ' ilj s 1 jj. 'ij t ¦ 1“Jamshed divided all men of the priestly (athornan) families seek only the male off-spring of an said, ‘Let every one do his work growing body of people who feel profession after undergoing the navar initiation ceremony. As those interviewed below are not a random sampling and the number is small, conclusions as to what opinion the majority of Times have changed since Jam- lay individuals being absorbed the community does or does not shed ’s days. Today members of into the priesthood, at present hold, cannot be made. world into four classes and he other professions and there is a athoman family can enter the 4- 5 J «T ... --- 1 t • t . «« . - . • and not occupy himself in another that the laity (behdins) should be vocation. ’ If anybody deviated permitted to take up the priest- from the rules which he had hood if they so desire, established, he would put them ~ to death. ” (~ ’ ’ “ ' _ Times have changed since Jam ­ Even though in ancient Iran (Tabari Zotenberg). there are recorded instances of SHOULD PRIESTHOOD BE BY CASTE? J I Interviews by Feroza Paymaster ? i Photographs by Manjula Padmanabhan ad Rupy Gai, 50, Housewife “I feel our community is too small to be split into so many divisions. Even behdins are divided into Fasli, Kadmi, Shen- shahi. We can ’t be so divided. ” Ms Gai, who comes from a behdin family, opposes the practice of a priest ’s daughter will bring dark ­ priesthood by birth. “We should do as the Christians do. They be ­ come priests because they have a liking for it and devotion. Not because they are bom into the understand what they are praying? priestly family. “I never gave much thought to whether women should be priests. I think women should be allowed and present their views. A priest to become priests. They would should practise what he preaches have a more beneficial effect on and serve the community. ’ Even children. Nuns are a devoted group and serve the community. I wouldn ’t mind my son marry ­ ing an andhyaru girl. I don ’t be ­ lieve that andhyaru ni dikri le to gherma andharu ave (marriage to ness to your home). “Many of our priests are priests because they are not qualified to do anything else. Do mobeds Prayer is said in earnest from your heart. Priests should be educated in order to impress the community 'si:!l' iiSi •j C -s Homi Contractor, 23, Student, H. R. College 1 suppose we should have a I priestly class. Otherwise, who I would say the prayers? If there I are sufficient priests to take up I the work, you don ’t have to tap the same priest. ” I other sources. Besides, priests I are poorly paid and if behdins I became priests, then they would I get paid even less. ” By keeping if you give your daughter in mar- the priesthood hereditary, Homi riage to a priest, seven generations feels an aspiring priest has the go to heaven; and that if you take advantage of being “groomed right a priest ’s daughter, you bring dark- from the start, by his father who ... ~. would be a priest himself. “Women should not be priests. They have never been priests be ­ fore; they stuck to preparing the malida. now. Moreover, women have to be clean when they pray, which is not the case all the time. So you don ’t have a continuous source praying for you and people usually want Homi, who is a behdin, feels there is “nothing wrong with intercaste marriage. It is said that 1 ness into the house. There should be no bars either way. “A priest should be educated and able to impart his knowledge . to lay Parsis. Priests deserve It is too late to change respect. Isn ’t praying a social service? ’’ 1 1 Farida Kanga, 19, St eno-typist cum telephone operator and receptionist. Pest Control (India) “No, it causes a lot of problems, and foremost religion does not ask It gives you a complex of caste and for money to be paid. Do the religion, ” says Farida who comes priests know what they are pray- from an athornan family. She feels there is no hereditary, genetic factor of priestliness that is passed priest should be very devoted to on from father to son. “If females his profession, very religious. They became priests, I would not mind, should wear special clothes. To- “1 would marry into a behdin day they wear the priestly clothes family but not into an orthodox athornan family. There are too many restrictions. You can ’t do this, you can ’t do that. If an athornan girl marries into a behdin would have become a priest, family it is considered unlucky. Among Parsis, to be a priest is They will take the girl into the considered very prestigious. That house only after midnight or some auspicious time. It ’s dl humbug. “We treat the priests well but behdins. ” they take advantage of it. First ing or do they just mug up an'd pass their so-called diplomas? A in the morning and ordinary ones in the evening. My father is a navar but not a practising priest. If he were really interested he is why they have chosen to divide themselves into athomans and 11 S sf 4’^'* 4 Jal Daruvala, 73, Retired Professor, Wilson College “It should be open to all. I think in the year 1975, it should also be open to females. “Men and women were consider ­ ed equal among Jains and Bud ­ dhists; they accept females as _ monks. But in most communities understanding of the religion. He priesthood is not open to females, should be educated and capable In our community among the older of advising others. He should have generation, they are not equal. ” Daruvala, a behdin, is not oppos ­ ed to intercaste marriage. “There obsolete and antique. The is hardworking and industrious. But they don ’t want to give their daughter to a priestly family be ­ cause she may be treated like a house maid. “A priest should have a thorough a practical knowledge of life. The training our priests are given is \ : com- is too much in-breeding. People munity does not respect the priests, are willing to accept an andhyaru Most of them don ’t deserve it. A girl into their family because she few do. ” il 1; !lJ Mubed, 41, Partner, "Cafe Oval" intercaste marriage? At least th^ will be marrying within the faith. Science has advanced so much, ' . bothers with these trivial Khusrow “No, there should not be a priestly class. As long as those who want to be pries^ are Zoroastrians, it is I ’'I * ¦ 4, n serouah Because the priesthood who. bothers with tnese is there is a sUtage of superstitions regar^ng. an athor- priests; for instance there are very nan essential in a ScomTdj^n ’TontTfdento ” pries, Mnged expect^ ^^;to SO that priests could earn their livelihood without anyone their place. “In the cause of cleanliness only men should be priests. Be ­ sides women fight and there wiU be no peace in the agiary. ’’ Though from an — — ¦> ¦ says, “I would marry a behdin and let my daughter marry one too. If there are intercommunity marri ­ ages, then what is wrong with Xman family, Mubed be clean. If he eats in a restaurant, taking wears laymen ’s clothes, it is al ­ right. Just so long as he does not charge heavily for his services. “The community giyes respect to the priests and they serve the community. For Christian ^ries^s, IC, lO V,M.C»*WX ___ . _ _ » they get expenses from the Church, while our dasturs do not. If our dasturs were backed financially, then it would be good. to •VI a I Ma ¦¦ I J n I I Tehmina Palia, 75, Housewife “There should be a priestly caste. Behdins cannot be^ priests, behdin can r — the afargan and other ceremonies, but not the big ones. “ ¦¦WoTn ‘ISi “ » monies and not drinking ceriain I they can ’t be priests, ” says Ms I Palia who is an athornan. She is j not against marriages between pecreu ' behdins and athomans: “People todaj^ who are all set to get marned don ’t because of superstitions about intercaste marriage. Certain tragedies may 1---- - but only by coincidence. ” J She feels, “A priest should be take responsibilities, arid be able to perform ceremome^ ImS he ^should" be ’a priest merely in name and not do mobedy. He should follow all the customs: ¦willing to hA nnesTs A and be able to penorm ueicmuiuv- perform the ™r«m and If he is not willing ito^do thlMhen » 11 1--^ an I Zl 11 TlPltT^L lllVl VX Y , XXXM.X ---------- --------- have taken place, profession now. them better. water. “In my time priests were res ­ pected. We don ’t treat them well Mobeds cannot live from thZmoney they earn and are not able to practise. Therefore, mobed s children don ’t want to learn the We should treat 1 Phiroz Amaria, 38, Textile Technician, Bombay Dyeing ii- Eii Tsy "» SI'" S'i ’. se explain the religion to the com- among the Catholics.^ ___ Amaria. “I don ’t'believe causal menstrual taboos can __ UzlXg vxiv* • J, “I don ’t mind female priests, says today/^He is not opposed to athor- nans marrying behdins, I am against a caste system, so there is 1 — . 7 ~ ' 7’'’ “The main thing __is should be — — able to preach. Our priests should -re not treated well be- people feel they are after nans marrying behdins, no point in my objecting. m t oenevc vauov be observed financial S^ms. Being a pnest adiui- should not be looked at from a I am business view point. There must ¦*¦ ** p .. J iez^«<*cr nt* should not be looked at from a be a separate fund, compulsory or voluntary, from the community to priest support them and free them from lain thing is a priest suppuii. uivnx ,, educated. He should be financial ¦worries.JAMVA CHALO By Pervin Mahoney three books are well planned, with instructions that are < written and easy to follow. Like prayers and epic poetry, re ­ cipes for Parsi food have always been handed down by word of mouth from generation to genera ­ tion. If Parsi cookbooks were available at all, they were ancient Gujerati manuals which might be of value as antiques, but their language itself was, increasingly often, a barrier. The methods and ------------- quantities they recommended were instructions that are clearly certainly outmoded; while the written and easy to follow. The novice cook did not know exactly recipes range from simple dishes what was meant by a seer of like akuri and homely staples cream, she knew that she could like papeta ma gos to the classics not afford it. like dhansak and festive wedding But times have changed, and food. The authors show a re- three new cookbooks in English freshing attention to details —such have appeared recently. Favourite as how to extract coconut milk Parsi Recipes* by Yasmin and 101 and tamarind water —so that Parsi Recipes* by Jeroo Mehta even the novice will not be con- deal exclusively with Parsi cuisine, fused. So Yasmin tells the tyro while Traditional Recipes of India* how to buy and grind spices; by Bhicoo J. Manekshaw provides Ms Manekshaw explains how to a cross-section of over 800 recipes grow coriander and methi; and from every state of India and Ms Mehta helpfully provides several smaller districts like Goa, imaginative substitutes to use in Bulsar and Coorg, including a long places where the original ingre- chapter of 85 Parsi recipes. All dients are not available. how to extract coconut milk Within their price ranges, the books are also well illustrated. Yasmin has wicked sketches by Mario of Parsis with glints in their eyes at the- thought of the coming feast; wedding guests and babarchis, mava ni boi and falooda all combine to signpost the way to a Parsi ’s heart. Ms Mehta has the advantage of photographs and four pages of colour plates to show the non- Parsi reader what the finished product should look like. For Ms Manekshaw ’s book, the architec ­ ture, people and staple food of each region are blended by Deb Mahalobnis into illustrations which are stylised and stylish, slightly ?The Books: Favourite Parsi Recipes by Yasmin (published by Yasmin Sibal, Bom­ bay, pp. 144, Rs. 8) 101 Parsi Recipes by Jeroo Mehta (Vakils, Feffer & Simon, Bombay, pp. 146, Rs. 25) Traditional Recipes of India by Bhicoo J. Manekshaw (Nachiketa, Bombay, pp. 242, Rs. 52) 1. 2. 3immediately given a place, and even asked to give a demonstra ­ tion of Indian cooking. Now the correspondence surreal and extremely contem ­ porary. The range covered in Traditional Recipes of India, which took 25 years to compile, is Cordon course recipes, and hers is the only Indian book to have gained the Cordon Bleu seal. Ms Manekshaw ’s Cordon Bleu experience is evident throughout the book. She explains exactly how to chop onions; she evokes whiffs of our rural past with al ­ most-forgotten dishes like ooberiu and undhyu; and she includes little telling details and anecdotes, based in Delhi, she runs private Under ‘‘Lime”, for instance, she not only describes how to make limbu pani, but mentions the uses of lime as skin-whitener, ¦ ¦ “ , sunburn-remover and teeth-cleanser. To illustrate exactly how thin and elastic huge. “Indian cuisine is so varied that even our own countrymen do not know much about the food of different parts of our vast sub ­ continent, ” explained Ms Manek- shaw, who was able to collect and try out recipes because her husband. Air Vice-Marshal Jam­ shed H. F. Manekshaw, as Direc ­ tor of Medical Research of the combined Armed Forces, has been posted all over India. Now Bleu includes some of her classes and plans the menus and trains the chefs at the India International Centre. Her previous assignments included training the dandruff-curer, chefs at Bombay ’s Taj Mahal a.™ ----L - Hotel, supervising and co-ordinat- <___ ing menus at Bangalore ’s West chokha ni rotli should be, she ends End Hotel, and helping to look with this challenge: “When my after the catering at Mysore ’s Raj Bhavan. “For my magnum opus, as I sometimes call it, or sometimes sentimentally my third daughter, I collected recipes from people from all walks of life, ” _ . . said Ms Manekshaw, “including the same meticulous concern for my kallaiwala." Anyone who enjoys Indian cooking can see that Ms Manek- shaw ’s large selection of recipes ____ is sound and authentic, but her tive colour photographs, and spiral book has an added seal of re- 1 cognition —a foreword of appre- hardwearing pages stay elation from the principal of ' ~ London ’s Cordon Bleu School of Cookery. The Cordon Bleu originated one day in the year envelope of cash. 1760 when Louis XV cdled for the chef to compliment him after a particularly fine meal. He was with this challenge: mother-in-law made them, a pile of a hundred would not be higher than two or three inches, and if a rupee coin was placed on top, it would sink to the bottom! ” 101 Parsi Recipes, which shows (detail, perhaps bears this title because it was conceived of as a gift for brides. With its clear, numbered instructions, its attrac- binding which makes the thick, —com ­ pletely flat for easy reference when open, it provides a thought ­ ful alternative to the traditional “Since I learnt cooking the hard way, I knew I should include details like how much water to surprised to find a woman in this put in and what substitutes to male-dominated preserve, and use honoured her with a award —the Cordon Bleu. Paris ’s UEcole du Cordon Bleu has given the right to some of its star graduates to open two schools Indian ingredients explained Ms Mehta, who herself started cook ­ ing only after her marriage. “When I first began to cook, I would have the cookbook open in London and New York, and perenially. Even after the guests Ms Manekshaw is the first Indian to be awarded the Advance Course diploma from the London school, minutes. But cooking should Admission to this course is fiercely never be a chore. The results selective, and candidates are ex- should be tasty, but the methods pected to have a sound knowledge should be quick and simple, ” notes of cookery before they join. After Ms Manekshaw had been told that admission was booked for months in advance, the Direc- ingredients. tor read her manuscript. She was Please turn to page 61 and use when special aren ’t available. >9 arrived, I would go into the kit ­ chen and stir faithfully eveiy ten minutes. Ms Mehta, who is obviously a perfectionist —she even teaches a new cook how to cut and chop give a gift from Gifts& ®fci«8S the gift shop at Bombay Swadeshi Stores Ltd. Sir P. M. Road Bombay 1 Tel: 253443 for wholesale & export enquiries call at 9a, Ash Lane Fort, Bombay 1 Tel: 257977 39 1 I i I I I g 4:Hieroglyphic Confusion I ing more solid than his own in the reverse direction, Pithavala particular prejudice to judge by. argues, “i Matters are made worse by the In the beginning there was the gesture, then the grunt, and fin ­ ally the word. Behram D. Pitha- vala ’s book*, like most treatises opposition of this theory to many on the evolution of language starts < at this point. Conceding at the Philology. The consensus among outset that in ancient times “all languages were at first used only for oral communication, ” and that “people were averse to writing, ” Pithavala goes on to the time when the ancient races started evolving their scripts. After an introduc ­ tion far too cursory to do any justice to the fascinating pano ­ rama of the ‘Evolution of langu ­ ages ’ or the ‘Invention of writing ’, the scope of the booklet narrows down to a discussion of the pre ­ mise set down in the title —the Iranian basis of the Devanagri Sanskrit alphabet, the numerical signs, and the sacred word ‘AUM’ and its symbol. In a nutshell, Pithavala ’s theory asserts that the Devanagri script used in the writing of Sanskrit, Hindi, Marathi, Gujerati, and other North Indian languages, is almost entirely derived from the Avestan script of Persian. According to this theory, the Sanskrit scribes took the basic forms of the letters of the Avestan alphabet, turned them upside down or round and about in one or more of five different ways, added to them the vertical stroke representing the inherent short vowel ‘a ’, and thus coined a whole new alphabet for themselves. His contention is based on the accidentally discover ­ ed fact (as he himself admits) that almost all Devanagri characters resemble, with certain modifica ­ tions, their Avestan counterparts. The question of which came first, close relationship between the numerical quantities is one of the the Devanagri chicken or the Devanagri script of Sanskrit and most attractive parts of the book. Avestan egg, and the testimony of its derivates on the one hand, and The first of these theories traces other scientific researchers, which the Avestan script on the other, the origin of the science of num- would have given the argument considerable force, is treated deli ­ ciously vaguely so that the reader, both lay and specialist, has noth- It is quite'impossible to prove that the Avestan script was derived from Devanagri ”. The of the conclusions of Comparative reason is that the Avestan script ¦' J is written from right to left which most modern phoneticians points is a much older way, according to towards the common ancestry of the evidence of eittant inscriptions the whole group of Indo-European than the relatively more modem 1 „ „ . ................. ~ or French, and dead, like Classical Greek or Sanskrit. languages, both living, like Hindi left to right way used by Deva- nagri. Besides, some of the salient features of the Devanagri script have no counterpart in the Avestan, leading one to believe that they were the innovations of the Hindu scribes. He seemingly clinches the argument for his Zoroastrian readers at least, by referring to the testimony of the Arab histo ­ rian Masaudi that the Avestan characters “were specially invented by Lord Zarathushtra himself tor recording his teachings. Our own tradition speaks of Jamasp Hakini taking down and recording our Master ’s words on parchment in letters of gold, ” It is this ‘our-their ’ attitude which runs throughout the book that leaves one wondering whether Pithavala has indeed ap proached his subject as a detached research scholar rather than as a staunch Zoroastrian. The booklet is curiously schizophrenic on this account —an ability for painstak ­ ing research and erudite technical jargon complete with detailed charts are mixed with a peculiar though not uncommon ‘Zoroastrian bias. ’ Running parallel to the theory about the alphabet is the elucida ­ tion of the evolution of the numeri ­ cal signs. The discussion of the For all his eflForts, Pithavala has three theories concerning the only succeeded in reiterating the development of figures to express close relationship between the numerical quantities is one of the 0 I I : *The Iranian Basis of the Devanagri Sanskrit Alphabet, The Numerical Signs and The Sacred word ‘AUM’ and Its symbol; Bombay; Rs. 4 (pp 60). its derivates on the one hand, and the Avestan script on the other. Such a relationship, however, need . bers to the peculiar arrangement not mean that one is borrowed of the sacrificial sticks of wood in from the other; it might also point the Yagnakunda or the fire recep- to a lively intercourse between the taele. In the second theory, a two peoples, which inevitably leads distinct value is allocated to every t — - - - - ..... than the “one-way track ” suggest ­ ed by the author. If we still main ­ tain that the relationship is one ­ sided, then it might also hold true to a mutual give-and-take rather letter of the alphabet, whereas the third theory divides the alphabet into groups and assigns the letters in each group, values of upto nine. Please turn to page 63, col. 1- Anything that promises richer dividends deserves undivided interest L&T shares are an example. For the wise investor the sum total of these multiplying factors is security.The security rests in the knowledge that L&T has never missed a single dividend since its inception. In fact it has never been less than 10% in the last twenty five years. And in fifteen of those years L&T has declared an 18% dividend twice and 15% six times. Facts about L&T make the figures possible. L&T is a vast manufacturing complex with a paid up capital and reserves of Rs. 143 million and a turnover of Rs, 600 million. The growth is fostered by L&T's high rate of reinvestments And it is planned with a purpose. The purpose is to design, manufacture and instal plant and equipment for every vital industry. To make that plan a reality. L&T has carefully accumulated a rich reservoir of technical know-how. manufacturing skill and fabrication facilities for over 35 years. But L&T's greatest asset is its people —10.000 specialised talents in its group of associate and subsidiary companies and its network of offices all over India. Together they contribute creatively to the j company's vast industrial plan. f tf I 1^1 LARSEN &TOUBRO UNITED P.O. Box 278 7 7 & I mS602 42 S' ?*« •¦ ll 'I >' S> F < U tIN FOCUS, OUT OF REALITY P be sure that it was intended to be a flower then one could comfort- as may just be a phallic symbol in mufti, one ’s appreciation is under ­ ignoring this nixing sensation, however, the paintings are re- freshingly undisciplined. Not thoughts on canvas is Firdaus Dadabhoy, a thirty year-old archi ­ tect whose first exhibition was Gallery. The show consisted of ten large canvases, mostly in sober, muted colors. A viewer is imme ­ diately moved to ask for a list of names only to find there isn ’t any: the artist believes, “Some ­ one looking at my paintings should be able to feel the image I want to project on his own. ” Rather than guide the ignorant by­ stander across the rugged ter ­ rain of each painting he feels each panels in"ochre-drab^ enam^fpSrit his own conclusions as spontane- r r In the golden age of abstract art, chrome yellow. If only one could artists could shoot at paint-filled be sure that it was intended to be balloons strung on canvas to gain ___ ____ instant fame, and chimpanzees ably react to its vitality; but _ monkeyed round with tubes of oil long as the suspicion lurks that it paint to earn a fast buck for their ' * — ' keepers. Since then of course many more zany forms of art have standably restricted, taken centre stage, leaving the abstractionists staid and intelligi ­ ble by contrast. Among those still ___ dedicated to capturing fleeting having been through the wringer .1 u*- — g formal art education, Dada- bhoy ’s work is free of the self- conscious and sterile cliches so held recently at the Jehangir Art frequently put out for the public purview. It is so rare to find “modern ” paintings which are not weighted down with heavy sym ­ bolism — either Tantric or Freu ­ dian — that one can even appre ­ ciate the freedom offered to inter ­ pret the paintings as one pleases, instead of having to follow die tor ­ tured course of “inner meanings ”. For instance, number ten is a striking painting, blackish brown, broken by a few rough irregular - 1 Z ---------------- ^UlU^ person must be left to come to which dribbles sluggishly down the his own conclusions as spontane- canvas. It could represent tall ously as possible. Yet, when the yellow buildings seen through viewer is confronted with swirling blackened and rain-lashed windows * masses of paint and nothing but or it could be an illustration of a a mute serial number for a guide, the journey is not an easy one. four is a large, squarish canvas fill ­ .f <» Dadabhoy: Obscure images or it could be an illustration of _ dark and melancholy mood, cut _ . - - across by a few less sombre For instance, painting number thoughts. When the artist explains four IS a large, squarish canvas fill- that it is in fact meant to be a ed with mellow flesh tones merg- Siva-figure being danced to or ing and thrusting, rather like one ' ' square inch of a Michelangelo fresco blown up to wall-size. It is .................... ........ .. pleasant in its fleshiness, in its affecting the ’ initiS^ focus" apparent portrayal of healthy, pink bodies basking in the afternoon sun, but tickling the back of one ’s mind is the uneasy thought that f‘ ' ’ ¦ ............... ¦ ' m^t it is instead a deep, philoso- a Dhical stafpmpnt Ti,„c M,. «>wer ’s large and somewhat messy canvas roam f” * ously chaotic. Perhaps it illustrates the point that by not painting realistically, the task of the abstract artist is made that much harder: it is obviously more diffi ­ cult to depict a feeling or mood than something which is sitting in front of you waiting patiently to be duplicated. The line between a scribble and art becomes really fine. In a painting like number / : it is that fine line which despite the best intentions of the artist gets blurred. A certain quiet vitality distin ­ guishes Dadabhoy ’s canvases from the work of hesitant newcomers. “I like to see images which are very obscure, ” he notes, explain-* ing his involvement with abstrac ­ tion. By painting in the abstract one is not bound down to copying merely the physical outlines of one ’s subject, but can bend them . *------ o- and fashion them to suit one ’s are their mam virtue, in a couple will. The artist builds each of his far from being a friendly hunk of that it is in fact meant to be Siva-figure being danced to venerated by three other figures, one ’s perspective shifts to allow for this too, without intrinsically While the strength and deci ­ siveness apparent in the paintings of the group displayed, that quality paintings starting with a certain definite image in mind and then improvising as he goes along. To record life as he sees it aro un d would present no challenge to him, “After all, ” he says, “I want to seems to have been overplayed. large and somewhat messy c ___ _ filled with erratic strokes and phical statement. Thus the viewer ’ mind is anyway not free to ___ ___ avru«.cs ana at will. Similarly number six im- patches. This was intended to sym- mediately evokes some sort of bolize creation ‘ flower, vivid slashes of deep crim- from the oSnal^Se^ S S’,’ ¦ on offset by a freak streak of bhoy explains, and is thus consci- Mon/ufa Padnumabhan flower, vivid slashes of deep crim- from the original slime,' paint. ”'W I comment The Economics of Dokhmenashini Prof. P. D. Sunavala J With i^e Arab oil embargo and oil fired, though L.P.G. (Liquid .1 1 Petroluem Gas) is also used in some cases. With the oil crisis, there may be a reversion to the early coke fired furnaces or to the almost sixfold increase in oil prices, -the energy crisis spread to India, Europe and the U.S.A. With the spiralling increases in __ the price erf oil, the demand for electric crematoria, solid fuels like coal and wood also escalated. For example, the pithead price of coal in India now is Rs. 60 a ton, whereas it fetches Rs. 300- 400 in the export market. The energy ‘costs in oil fired cremation furnaces will comprise the cost of coffin plus fuel oil costs. A full size wooden coffin at present costs about Rs. 300. Further, for Parsis, when the committals sands of tons of timber and thousands of litres of kerosene will be saved every day in India. Electricity on a heat basis is about three to five times as expen ­ sive as fuel oil. At the Chandan- wadi Electric Crematorium, the body is placed with or without the coffin on a wooden stretcher and inserted into the electric furnace. The charges are Rs. 25 plus costs of the coffin, if any, at one ’s own expense. Even if the coffin is eliminated, and taking the minimum additional fuel requirements for isolated cremations equivalent to 157.5 kg. of timber, then assum ­ ing the power cost as Rs. 0.25/ KWH, the cost of electric cremation works out to Rs. 173. Further, even if the power rate was 12 p/KWH for heating pur ­ poses, the cost would be Rs. 83. The Municipal levy of Rs. 25 per cremation could therefore only be possible by subsidization. In the light of rising power costs, the prospects of electric cremation be ­ coming more expensive are always there. The above figures may be com ­ pared with Rs. 10 charged at Doongerwadi for the Lower Bungli (plus minimum charge for hearse transportation Rs. 15). In burial, the cost will be essen ­ tially the manual charge for grave digging, together with cost of coffin an'd tombstone, if any. the coffin and the tombstone i! p :i' J And fuel being a basic necessity for ^d industries, this all round _____ ___ ________ _ increase in the price of energy has ly to be 30 *to 4Flitres7 been chiefly responsible for in ­ flation and the high cost of living today. We Parsis, with our ancient practice of disposing the dead, without fuel, have, and are con- v«uuui nw kk. , - ,. , . ---------- ------ tributmg greatly to the economy timber) and incomplete combus- 2:, ^^^posal m the Towers of of fuel in this respect as com- f--- ------------- _ Siiptipa WnwoTrar ------— pared to those communities dis ­ posing off their dead by cremation over a wood fire or in an electric crematorium. But we are also be prohibited, extravagantly burning wood and sandalwood day-in and day-out in our innumerable agiaries and atash-behrams. i Most modem crematoria ---- xxvvvuui.j xvi rarsis, wnen the committals are and light in homes few and far between, the fuel oil consumption per cremation is like- -___ With diesel oil costing Re 1 per litre, the total energy costs would be Rs. 340 per cremation. Open air cremation is extremely wasteful. ijiv luvi wuouiiipLUJii •.. , ¦ , . 7 — X---— is much greater (about 400 kg. he as low as with our mode If The fuel consumption burial costs will prob- , « ____ * - anlv QC IzSTAT orw _______ 1_ are I Tn Silence. However, there crops up pose^ the problem of apportioning Besides, when graveyards have reached their saturation point, the land thereafter is practically sterile. tion causes a lot of smoke, iu these days when pollution legisla- problem. Burial always tion IS becommg more stringent ' --------- q the world over, this practice should ® congested cities. Apart from the energy cost factor, as K. B. Shah points out; , , . -------- in the September 1974 issue of sentiment often prevails to Par^una that if Hindus adopt the tion is becoming more stringent • I Parsi practice of 'disposal, thou- Please turn to pag,e 47, col. 3TOO YOUNG understand what was happening. S. R. Das was another grand man. He was the founder of the Doon School and he loved talking and discussing ideas with young peo ­ ple. None of these spoke down to us; and I feel we old ones now should never “talk down ” to the younger ones. The old and the young need each other. How and why they grow necessary to each other is in the nature of their own rela- 'When difficulties arise have tionship to one another. It will be GOOL K. S. SHAVAKSHA “It is a normal trait in a youngster that he thinks he is smarter than his father. He has to reach the age of 40 before he finds out that the old man was smart enough to raise him—I don't know why the next generation cannot learn from the one before until they get knocked in the head by experience.’' Harry Truman do the best you can ” (Yas 44, verse 11). Jesus said: “Let the man with ­ out fault cast the first stone ”. Buddha said: “Man is man ’s Mohammed said: “If you are truthful to yourself, you will be lenient to others/ Years later Shakespeare said: “To thine own self be true and it must follow, as the night the day. any man. ” A lot of grown-up people were very kind to us when we were young and gave us sound advice and we try to be kind to those younger than us. I met Gandhi for the first time when I was young. I asked my father to get his signa- ____ ture for my autograph album, they reach their saturation point. Gandhi consented but on condi- Xn respect of Jewish burial, it is tion that I wove 1,000 yards of possible to estimate when the satu- ySm and said I must say “Ram- ] 7 ' __ " 7 7____ ; Ram ” as I wove. After a month the Jewish faith permits only when he visited us, he said, “fieri, burial in a grave. TZ__ _____ have you spun the yam? ” and I Towers of Silence were originally said “Yes Sir ”, r ’ ’ * - - - - - you say ‘Ram-Ram ’?” and I We are at fault: but we have also given the younger generation faith in man: Be true to self and a chance to have and to do. We thought out the “foundations ” and saved them so that the next gene ­ ration got the chance to have these scholarships and use them. We of our age did not have the helper not his keeper. ” opportunities to learn nor enough education to criticise our elders. Today ’s youngsters have that advantage. Why? Because of our thrift and foresight, our hard work and money. We laid the founda ­ tions of all this great knowledge thou canst not then be false to for others to reap. Now we are asking them to take advantage of it in a spirit of goodwill so that our sacrifices will not be in vain. We may be old and we have our faults but so do the younger folk. There should be a shade of kind ­ ness, of give and take and thanks for what we did. If scientists of our age had not discovered what they did others would not have had the ladder ready to climb ! y&rn and said I must say “Ram- ration point would be reached, as We were the ones who made the Ram ” as I wove. After a month the Jewish faith permits only one strug^e easy. Think about what when he visited us, he said, “Beti, burial in a grave. Though the we did and be more lenient to- have you spun the yam? ” and I Towers of Silence were originally wards our dogmatism. Youth said “Yes Sir ”. He asked “Did built with the idea that thou shalt should be gentle towards old age. _ __ -__-__ *7“_ 7 The aged too should be lenient cheekily" replied, “No, I said D..' to youth. So, we must start to ~ - ... like one another. If each genera ­ tion is tolerant towards the other, the gap can be filled and much knowledge exchanged and both crite. ” generations benefit. Remarks like “that old duffer ” and “that young loafer ” will disappear with consi ­ deration of each others ’ faults. “Listening ” with attention to the other man ’s view is better than all help; more than money __________ or learned lectures. So let us be had experience and cannot make kind to each other and “listen ” up their minds which side they to each other. should take; what do you young ­ sters think? ” Now I feel that she was right. forever and is undefined, older generation is always there to help the younger if needed. Ms Shavaksha, a septuagenarian, is president of the Time and Talents Club one of the leading voluntary women's social service organisations. Economics {Continued from page 45) resist any attempt to convert them to some appropriate use such as gardens. Though there has been a persistent demand for the con ­ version of old disused cemetries, the fact that several of the dis ­ used cemetries are still in existence, reflects the difficulties involved in such conversions. Even when more than one burial is permissible in the graves, a stage may be reached when further burials are not de ­ sirable. Cemetries in this category may take a period of years before 1 not pollute air, water, and land, in these inflationary days when even the pound sterling has D...!” I felt he would be annoyed, but instead he laugh- lost its sterling qualities and ed heartily and said “At least Britain and other members of you are honest and not a hypo- the European Common Market have to devise new means to re ­ gain their petro-dollars from die oil rich Arabs, our .archaic prac ­ tice of disposing of our dead to the vultures has come to stand us in i Sarojini Naidu was another per ­ son who would seek the opinion of youngsters. She once asked us, “I have told Mousy (she always called Gandhi ‘Mousy ’) that stu- good stead. When world economies V 11 .« ««.«¦¦¦. a. . -- the Government as they have not dents should not be asked to fight are being shattered by the energy ... crisis, we are contributing our mite to overcome it. References: 1. Sergeant, G. D. “The Dis­ posal of Human Bodies" The 1971 Austra­ lian Waste Disposal Conference, held by the Dept, of Fuel Technology, Untv. of New South Wales, Sydney, from 17th to I9th February 1971. Paper 18 pp. 93-96. 2. Report on the Development Plan for kind to each other and “listen ’ The Great Teachers havfe left some good examples of thought, was right. Experience is more Zoroaster said: “Truthful Justice important than impulse. with consideration is the Best - - Justice—it is Righteousness/ Dept, of Fuel Technolo^, Univ, of New South Wales, Sydney, from 17th to I9th »» Jinnah too was always kindness itself and would try to make us 'rSiSH. Greater Bombay, Bombay Municipal Co^-» 3 1' IN MEMORIAM Davierwalla with one of his works in New York V' WHIMM st-; ¦ 1 'A 'ii I s I a His 25-year long career as one of sively in India and the galleries of India ’s leading sculptors, ended at the age of 53 with cancer. But the stark metal and perspex creations of Adi, Davierwalla continue to bear testimony to his prodigious Middelheim, Belgium. Among the contribution to art. As the Lalit notable awards he won were the Kala Akademi monograph on him Gold Medal of the All India Sculp- noted as early as 1971, “Even tors ’ Association, the Bronze and should Davierwalla stop working Silver Medal of the Bombay Art at this point ... he has rendered Society, first prize in the Bombay - - ' ’ State Art Exhibition and the prize for sculpture at the annual exhi ­ bition of the Lalit Kala Akademi in 1965. He was selected also for a one year John D. Rockefeller Fellowship. Shy and extremely sensitive, Davierwalla gave up an earlier opportunity to try for the prestigi- OUS fellowship due to the tragic death of his great patron, Homi Bhabha in an air crash. “Adi was '^5; very loyal to him, ” recalled Pilloo Pochkhanavala, the noted sculpt- ' ¦' ress and long time associate of ^5- Davierwalla. ‘‘A representative of the Rockefeller Trust came to meet Adi but he was so upset, he could ­ n ’t meet the man. Fortunately he 1 got the grant later, for the year in sf , the U.S. was very fruitful to him- - 'Ji self and the family. ” As Art Cri- tic Dnyaneshwar Nadkami noted in his tribute to the sculptor in " vIS The Times of India, “Mr. Davier- walla ’s visit to the U.S. in 1968 as a Rockefeller Fellow was almost a traumatic experience for him. There his inventive mind was fascinated by the discovery of a new material: perspex. .AJready, • his work had taken a highly cere- bral direction, away from his beginnings, and one waited for him ••5., to settle down and project the new insights he had gained abroad. He had not had a show for quite some time before death struck him down in Pune where he had spent some of the happiest years of his youth. ” Davierwalla spent his youth qualifying as a pharmaceutical che- mist and then working for 15 years " ' in a pharmaceutical factory. But his love for sculpture was apparent from his college hostel days when he would whittle away wood and carve heads with a pen-knife. He experimented with a wide range to modem Indian sculpture the service of twp or three artists.' A self-taught sculptor, Davier- walla ’s work was exhibited exten- t V A g>'- I •• Europe and America. A few months before his death in Octo ­ ber his sculptures were on display at the Asiatic Biennale held in notable awards he won were the tors ’ Association, the Bronze and<< ? .,/f of materials and techniques —cary- ing, casting in lead and bronze, welding (“We barged into VJTI and learned it," _ __________ ___ iv IJanavala) and working in plastics. G^ta ]^cto\ and'pervin Mahoneu Davierwalla hesitated a long time before foresaking the cloister of --------------- -- ----------------- ------- the pharmaceutical world for his great passion but with his wife, Melba ’s encouragement he made the switch in 1959. Writing in The Economic Times, Critic Eunice de Souza noted, “Like many artists and sculp ­ tors in our post-colonial society, Adi began to work in a virtual vacuum. He once told me that ___ ______ when he first began to exhibit gatherings, lectures and are active t^re hadn ’t been a sculpture exhi ­ bition for twelve years. ’’ Though he agiary- wnere people come was familiar with traditional Indian regularly for prayers. Adjoining the sculpture, he did not feel he could o&ary is the Firoze Behram School, use it as a vantage point. “I have looked into it, ’’ he once remarked to his artist friend Gieve Patel, “but no ... our traditional sculp- „____ — ture is complete in itself. We Behram Shrine at Amira- should leave it alone. ” Davier- walla turned for guidance to the western masters like Arp and Brancusi and his earlier works were given names like Cruci- . . * fixion, Flagellation, Oedipus and ^®*tors are given a handful of lor, so on. But he soon acquired the " ‘ fluency and verve to create his own metaphors and even occa ­ sionally took a playful shot at the standard motifs of ancient Indian 5 4.1.* j 1 ’ --------------- -— temple sculpture. His last work . condolence m^eetmg. In of welded sheet metal called The * " Great Indian Torso harked back to Indian traditions. Davierwalla belonged to a gene ­ ration of artists, who walking through the chasm where there was no tradition at all, had to create a path for themselves. But once he trod that path, he helped others along it. A visiting lecturer at the Sir J. J. School of Art, he felt the growth of Indian sculp ­ ture depended on how j ———-• young people took it up. He was keen that Bombay have a sculp ­ ture workshop. Till the end he continued his search for an ideal form of ex ­ pression and this perhaps is what gives his work ____ 2__ a feeling of swift concentrated perimentation within cr.c Evm^ when%nH^w- ana me onaegroom is heral where hi^ feS Th “ clapping. The couple take wuere ms lamiiy hsd —'— ’ * • ’ -- - some of his happiest hours 99 spent forging in the local black ­ smith ’s shop. He leaves behind, his wife Melba recmls • Poch- and daughter Zarine. Forum continued from page 9 riages and other functions of joyful nature are held, and a large hall for peifonning religious ceremonies. There is a big compound for out ­ door functions. In a spacious comer is Yeganegi Library. At the side of the main building are two sizable halls reserved for women ’s activi ­ ties. Women meet regularly for in industrial activities. There is also an agiary—where people ASIAN METAL AND WIRE INDUSTRIES On Approved List of Government of India Grams: Metoolcorp Phone: 338186 Our Products : was What a pity that we Parsis in India do not have such a central place of our own. I was invited to a gathering at bad, Tehran. A Jashan is held. People who come there have great faith. After the Jashan ceremony, the reception starts and food is cooked and served. On departing, a mixture of dried fruits. Like Parsis in Stadia, Iranian Zoroastrians have the Uthamna and Cheharom funeral ceremonies, but ^eat importance is attached to __ the spacious hall on the gro und floor of the Anjuman building, which accommodates 400 persons, the relatives, friends and acquain ­ tances, even non-Zoroastrians gather from about 4 to 6 p.m. The religious ceremony consists of pray ­ ers by a mobed and a sermon by a religious head. The members of the family of the deceased, in whose honour the Porsa is per ­ formed, stand up and greet each visitor with a bow at the time of arrival and departure. Each family performs religious ceremonies in the agiary, and on Fasli Hormuzd Roj, Tir Mah, they have mass prayers for the depart ­ ed souls when hundreds of persons come from 8 to 11 a.m. Marriage ceremonies are very colourful. Guests assemble in a and the bridegroom is heralded by “ T“ “S ._1,2 a seat behind a well-decorated table, with their respective family mem- even restless quality, marriage ceremonies are very ----- [ ex- colourful. Guests assemble in a big hall; the arrival of the bride property, —a were ® Rolling-Drawing and Coating as per I.S. and B.S. Specifications Copper- Alumin ium—Brass • Wire-Strip-Rods Square and Round, Sheets, Plate, Copper Tubes Refrigeration and Electrolytic quality ® Enamelled D.P.P. and D.C.C. Wire of Copper and Aluminium (Fabrication Job Also Undertaken) Office: 50. Nagdevi St., Bombay 400 003. Factory: Rai Village, Bhaynder, Thana. -I I;; 'll: >! ibers seated on each side, arrival of mobeds is also heralded. The religious ceremony is per- The suit that the poverty of the com ­ munity is forgotten. If this is the . state of our community, its leaders formed by the mobed sitting and the Panchayat, how are we to opposite the couple. After the prosper? We are living on our ceremony, the couple signs the '_ _ __ Marriage Register and then the cushy^ jobs where they Tan have reception begins. Well-to-do people i__ * have a grand dinner at a posh effort, club or hotel later on. As far as religion and its cere ­ monies are concerned, the Zoroas ­ trians of Tehran are united. Dinshaw Behram Irani Minimum Efforts Our religion is supposed to be scientific and pure. We have scho ­ lars who feel that acquiring M.A.’s and Ph.D. ’s gives them the autho ­ rity to write books on the religion. If such books are unbiasediy scrutinized, we find that one book contradicts the other. J If the Zoroastrian religion is to the present generation of hippies and astronauts, how are we to pro ­ ceed? Do we just thrust it down change with the times? In which their throats, as has been done books do we read about our since time immemorial, or discuss religion? it with them when we know practi ­ cally nothing about it? ____ Our Panchayat has lakhs of terday, they have to p'—£:*- rupees and is busy trying to double glories, which if not better, at least the amount. But the Trustees fight equal the past ones, amongst themselves, with the re- Loveji S. Shaw News (Continued from page 11) was inaugurated in Jamshedpur in December. . - - - Russi Mody, managing director Alter the prosper? We are living on our of the company, noted in his in ­ past glories. Our boys today want augural address that the Rs. 1.5 six-storey structure con- maximum benefits for minimum - - ------ If they wish to live on their father ’s money, how do they expect our community girls to strength, also improve the quality marry them? How can you blame ' - ¦ the girls if they prefer boys out- crore, structed adjacent to the existing 600-bed Tata Main Hospital would in addition to increasing the bed of treatment. Among others who participated side our community? in the function were Lady Roshan The solution lies in our scholars Ghandy, H. P. Bodhanwalla, gene- and Panchayat getting together to ral manager (services) and direc ­ tor, D. P. B. Bharucha, superinten ­ dent, Tata Main Hospital, R. N. Master, chief architect and town planner and Michael John, presi ­ dent of the Tata Workers ’ Union. The solution lies in our scholars Ghandy, H. P. Bodhanwalla, discuss and explain our religion, not in Avesta or Pahlavi but in a language which the common man understands. The questions that ought to be answered are : How many cere ­ monies do we have? What is their ____ _ significance? Is our method of be imparted to our children and disposal of the dead, scientific and modern? Why is intercaste marri ­ age not allowed? Why do we not * * * books do we read about If the Parsis of today are to flourish as the Zoroastrians of yes- . J pursue new Dr, Khurshid M. Pavri, deputy director of the Virus Research Centre, Poona, was honoured along with eleven other medical researchers by the Indian Council of Medical Research at a public fimction in New Delhi. The award cited Pavri ’s contribution in the field of viral infections, including the discovery of a vaccine for the Kysanur forest disease and separa ­ tion of a new virus in para influenza. new The Bank that gets things done I American Express International Banking Corporation Bombay ? New Delhi a Calcutta <. OBM 2374diments retarding its progress shall be my immediate ai^, and this, preferably with the co-opezation of Msfldfesto continued from page 13 its way from Navsari to Udwada. l am a firm believer in our Zoroas- ___ , frian faith, traditions and practices, other Parsi Charity Trusts by pool- and in the preservation of our tenets, heritage and culture. At the same time, I have an open mind, and it shall always be my nity no longer retains^ its previous endeavour that the efforts of our " ' illustrious ancestors, to retain our identity and prominence as a com ­ munity in this changing world, shall not have been in vain. ____ _ In the present day world there heart rending. Immediate steps are many problems facing our com- have to be taken to explore avenues munity which, if not solved expe- for the better utilisation of our ditiously and with firmness and fun ds, so that this parlous state of determination, shall be of danger affairs is put to an end. The goal to the preservation of our ancient in this direction is not to provide heritage. The main problems cash assistance alone, but to en- which require solution, may be sure that the young and able enumerated as follows : — Those who have preceded me, and those who are to follow, can ­ not leave untouched the question BOYS’ TOWN At ing our common resources. It is a sad spectacle to realise that our once prosperous commu- position. The plight of some mem ­ bers of our community living from hand to mouth, and the once never imagined sight of Parsi men ­ dicants on the streets, is positively Public School Nasik 2 CHOICE SCHOOLING FOR YOUR SON I main sure bodied are provided means to earn their livelihood, and the old and infirm are adequately provided for. ______ ______ Coming from a family associated of acute shortage of housing with agriculture, I am mindful of accommodation faced by the com- the vast tracts of land at one time munity. With my experience and owned by Parsi families, specially contacts in the world of business, i„ __ I shall utilise all the resources at country, my disposal to raise funds so neces- i problem facing the community, also^led to a situation whereby Effective implementation of any scheme at hand in this direction, and the speedy removal of impe- in the Western Region of our _______ Apart from the attrac ­ tions of city life for our youth, sary to solve this most important the present day land legislation has these valuable lands have been lost to these Parsi families, and there ­ fore to the community. There are cases where others unconnected with the owners have made capital out of this situation. Being aware of this position where benefits from the lands have gone else ­ where, it shall be my endeavour to assist the members of our com ­ munity to best preserve their lands for their own welfare, just as my family has preserved its own. The youth of the community should be encouraged and diverted to this now prosperous avenue of agricultural operations. The need therefore is to set up a service establishment, so that air assistance, legal and otherwise, necessary for agricultural operations, are accord ­ ed to those who need them. Nowadays we hear so much of free legal aid. In the practice of my profession, I have come across several cases where poor Parsi families had to spend huge amounts for unnecessary litigation. I have in my own way given free and timely help to several mem ­ bers of our community when occasions arose. Warden is good For sandalwood . Head Office 378 Grant Road Bombay 400 007 and Branches Tel. 371464 Quality sandalwood Aggarbatties, gum benzoin (loban) and other Perfumes /» t. i; Iw J It shall be my I ! Recognised as a Public School by Department of Education—for Merit Scholars. Excellent Climate—All-round cation : Indian Edu- All Academic Subjects— Technical Subjects : Radio and Wood-Work Tech­ nology, Farming—^Training in Self-Governme nt through Elected Boys’ Office-bearers, Games— Physical Training--Daily Assembly with Congre­ gational Prayers—Weekly intensive Geeta—Koran Excellent Modem Kitchen and Dining Room facilities —Airy Dormitories. Mode­ rate Fees. Concessions to Deserving Students. Zoroastrian— classes— APPLY TO THE MANA^ GING TRUSTEE P. N. Mehta Education Trust Cooks Building, 324 D. N. Road Bombay 400 001 or to the Principal.-*w iV endeavour to devise a scheme with Messrs. Mulla & Mulla and whereby, the poor and the deserv- Craigie Blunt & Caroe, who are ing of our community are able to also the Solicitors to the Parsi avail of legal advice with the mini- Panchayat. By dint of industry mum of costs, and with no profit - - - - to those who are in charge of the scheme. One important section of the adviser of several public community which is- neglected is panics in India, including The the priestly class. Along with Century Spg. & Mfg. Co. Ltd., this is tied up the need to educate Gwalior Rayon & Silk Mfg. Co. our youth socially and morally, Ltd., Hindustan Aluminium and inculcate in them faith and Corporation Ltd. (Birla Group of zeal for our religion. I firmly be- Companies), Gaekwar Mills Ltd., lieve that this very important sec- Murphy India Ltd., Uni-Abex tion of our community should be Alloy Products Ltd., Lakhanpal well looked after, so as to enable National Ltd. and many others, the priests to have a decent living, Having handled professional work commensurate with the dignity of for several industrial houses both their calling, and with the ulti- in this country and abroad, and mate objective of its preservation also having handled work relating and continuity. to Trusts, Educational and Charit- Last but not the least of my able Institutions, Hospitals, Re- important goals is to ensure unity search Centres etc., I would sub ­ in the community. I belong to mit that I am well qualified to dis- no group or faction, and have no charge the duties attached to the affiliation with any particular sec- office of a Trustee of the Parsi tion. Being well experienced in Panchayat. If asked whether I solving amicably several disputes shall be able to spare the time for of different litigating groups, I can the purpose, my reply would be, hopefully work towards promot- that not practising independently, ing unity and cohesion amongst but as one of the several partners our community. of the above firm, and having a I graduated in Arts and Law number of qualified assistants, I from Bombay University and have full control over my time, started my career as a solicitor My partner Nadirsha R. Mulla, whilst being very active in the profession, served the community for full thirty years as a Trustee (the last twelve years as a Chair ­ man of the Board). His work as a Trustee was in no way affected by reason of his diverse profes ­ sional activities. Further, my age and providential good health are in my favour, and all these have prompted me to offer myself to the service of the community. The obligations of my new office will prompt me all the more to best utilise, my connections with the industry, and my professional experience, to create avenues for employment for the members of our community, and secure facili ­ ties for their education, to a grea ­ ter extent than has been done by me in the past. In view of what has been stated above, should I not be given an opportunity, to more fully serve our community. I am looking forward to your co-operation and support. (Text slightly abridged and edited} and devotion to duty, I am today one of the senior partners of the firm, and a Director and/or legal * ¦¦: com- RAMESH ELECTRONICS Hindustan CORPORATION I CONTRACTORS AND SUPPLIERS sec- Being well experienced in Panchayat. started my career as Children Learn through play Parents can be the best teachers of their children. Through Playgroups you can keep your children entertained and educat ­ ed. For further details on how to start a Playgroup in your neighbourhood, contact : The Hopeful Playgroup Center, Ground Floor, Parsi Lying-in- Hospital, Opp. Cathedral School, 40, Bastion Road, Bombay 400 001. Dealers in: Radio Transistors ® Television Electronic Parts and Testing Instruments 32/i 128, Multi Storey Bldg., Chembur Colony Bombay 400 074 Phone: 263432 .1 , • ’W for surer faster delivery r k nse the Pin C^de ( From experience comes faith ... To shield her baby forever...to guard him from childhood hurts...to save him from the troubles we all must suffer... what mother does not have this wish? But motherly wisdom tells her this cannot be. Only hard-won experience will protect him. A cut finger brings respect for the knife...the childish quarrel mended can lead to lasting friendship. Knowledge gained for himself will be his most useful guide. It will help him to see behind the faces of men...beyond the surface of things...and to judge them for their honest worth. The priceless ingredient of every product is the honor and integrity of its maker Squibb A Century of Experience Builds Faith I SARABHAI CHEMICALS Ltd. WADI WADI, BARODA ©represents the Registered Trademark of E. R. Squibb & Sons, fnc., of which Sarabhai Chemicals Limited are the Licensed Users. EC F 5/74 ef\sSwi-i . f " -h- constandy coming across some Sih“t &is^2^':’(a¥^:S7ri5 in the Wa'" My Sdlefj" S^fhot'hU'^ dried-looking .feh) 1! gaveup. n..book.had fete at which there was a stall of Of the 101 recipes Commodore ^^^hrv^SorTh-^jj: ^ri:- ‘T?nZfFS; - school cook prepared from ’ ’ ’’ - enthused. When side. Short of kidnapping mv mother ’s recipe disappeared in less than an hour while the stall was still well-stocked with other dishes! ” Later on. Navy life with her husband. Commodore Dorab Mehta, meant having to entertain visitors “from dozens of countries. I noticed that guests always went for Parsi dishes and asked me for the recipes, ” she said. “Per ­ haps Parsi food is liked by non ­ Indians because it has less garam masala and chili. It ’s quite similar to Armenian and Southern Rus ­ sian food —more so than Iranian food nowadays, which is more like Muslim food, and uses a lot of sugar in pulaos, for instance. ” Believing that colour photo ­ graphs were necessary if Parsi food was to become popular out ­ side India, Ms Mehta noted, “We had to go into the technique of “My school held a ) in great constantly coming across example, get very dried-looking fish) I gave up under hot lights. ” ’- • • • Of the 101 recipes Commodore Mehta ’s favourite is potato enthused. When side. Short of kidnapping my asked whether he had helped his parents ’ cook (as indeed he was, he smiled, later, by a famous actress) I could 1 broke the occasional egg —by not do much. ” After finding she accident. And, of course, I had to ask ten people in order to tasted everything. ’ - .. . r- x- Like most women, the author of Favourite Parsi Recipes dis ­ covered cooking after marriage and a subsequent move to Delhi. “Away from the Parsi stronghold of Bombay ... I realized that if I was to enjoy ‘my food ’ I’d have to learn all about it, from the start, ” writes Ms Yasmin Sibal, whose style is racier and more fun than that of the two other, more classical cookbooks, started by looking for a basic Parsi cookbook, giving everyday things in English, ” she recalled. “There was none available. Mother sent me from Bombay one written in Gujerati, of which I had a rusty knowledge. However, after rus— he enthused. When the my asked whether he had helped his get hold of one Parsi recipe, she thought of writing the book. Ms Sibal ’s racy style leads to ; “I learnt the I she reciled. a few hyperboles; secrets of the fabulous Wedding Dinner ” is one. But generally it results in a more vivid book, which attempts to evoke the place of food and festivals in Parsi life: after the recipe for dhan dar ne patio, it describes a birthday ses; after the recipe for lagan nu achar, it relates the way a wedding dinner is served; and after the recipe for milk puffs, in these days of refrigerators and mixers, she recalls: “My mother used to cover the milk with a tight cloth cover, and leave it out in the garden suspended on a pole. «' SCINDIA’S INTERNATIONAL SERVICES Sctndia's fast modem ships deBver Hoorcaroo With safety, efficiency and speed COASTAL SERVICES: Mis-Banglsdesh-Pakistan-Burma-Sri Lanka OVERSEAS SERVICES: Jndia-Bangladesh-Pakistan-U.K.-Continent ¦ndia-Bangladesh-Poland India-Bangladesh-Straita-Mediterraneaif. Adriatic Meditarranean-Adriatic-West Asia (GuH) •ndia.Bangladesh-A.R.E..Red Sea india-Bangladesh-West Asia (Gulf) india-Bangladssh-Black Sea Ports 'ndia-Bangladesti-U.S.A.-Mexico (via Colomba-Cochin-Caribbean Ports) India-Bangladesh-lndonesia-Straits* Cotombo-Cochin-E. Canada- U.S. Great Lakes India-Bangladesh-lndonesia-Straits* Hong Kong-Taiwan-U.S. Pacific- Canada India-Bangladesh-lndonesia-Straits- Uong Kong-Taiwan-U.S.N.H.-Gulf- Mexico (via Panama) India-Bangladesh-W. Africa ^pSoiAZ THE SCINDIA STEAM NAVIGATION CO., LTD. Scindia House, Narottam Morarjee Marg, Ballard Estate, Bombay-400038 Telephone 268161 (12 lines) Telex:011-2205 S 011-3519 15 Park Street Calcutta-700016 Telephone: 243466/57/58 Telex: 021-7305 <».» ’'^i« alphabets M (for Mazda) and A All night the dew and-chilly winter out to demonstrate that the i air would frost the milk enough Supreme Word of the Sanskrit (for Ahu). This conclusion is ten- for it to be beaten into puffs. ” Scriptures, ‘'AUM’, was derived able only if the earlier theory about Ms Sibal not only wrote from AHUN, the word Ahura the Avestan origin of the Devanagri Favourite Parsi Recipes—which Mazda pronounced before Creation, alphabet is accepted. would be improved m index There is a striking similarity The Avestan counterpart of the and careful proof-reading —but between the two concepts. In both symbol of AUM is the Farohar, also published and distributed it. cases, the word symbolises the be- which picturises the concept of She secured a loan, learnt about ginning of the Act of Creation by Creation. Here too we see the printing and distribution, and the release of the cosmic energy, merging of the letters A and M; ¦ - - — — - ' ' ’ ¦’ once again it is a case of the close relationship between the two civi ­ lisations, and it is in passages such as this one, and others where he Scriptures, ‘AUM’, was derived able only if the earlier theory about from AHUN, the word Ahura the Avestan origin of the Devanagri There is a striking similarity cases, the word symbolises the be ­ ginning of the Act of Creation by Creation, printing and distribution, and the release of the cosmic energy, took copies, to the bookshops “The Word was before the Earth, herself. The book is already well before living beings, before trees, into its second enlarged edition, ~ with more recipes and a whole ' Mazda, before the Holy Man, be- new chapter on mango prepara- f tions. Now she hopes to send it 1—,----- --------- — — _ abroad. creation which holds the seeds of vala is in his element. It is in his The book is dedicated to her righteousness ”. {Yasna 19). Much forays into the field of linguistic two daughters because she hopes confusion sets in at this point, pri- C ’ that the younger generation will not allow Parsi food, which is a part of the Parsi way of life, to Judging merely from the amount be forgotten. The goal has not of space Pithavala devotes to the eluded her. “One of the nicest discussion of the two hypotheses, responses I got was a letter from L----------------- ------ 2----------------- two young boys in Birmingham, tojie more correct, which said: “ ‘ ~ here! ’” Hieroglyphic (Contd.from page 41) very basis thereof is intrinsically like obstinacy which though The last two theories mark an ~ intermediate stage in the transi ­ tion between writing numbers in words and the use of figures. The last part of the booklet sets by a synthesis of the Avestan before Fire, the son of Ahura fore the demons, before all bodily is expanding on some basic con- life, even before all God ’s good cept of Zoroastrianism, that Pitha- creation which holds the seeds of vala is in his element. It is in his ______ 1 ‘ ’ ¦ theories and Hindu philosophical marily as to whether the*source of myths that he betrays a naivete ’______ * ’ '' ’ that is often disturbing. His final realisation that “our purpose in life is to bring about a union of our soul with the Divine Essence ” Aum is Ahuri or Ahura Mazda. of space Pithavala devotes to the the one about Ahura Mazda seems touches the underlying unity of ' . all religions and philosophies. But Coming to the familiar symbol it is lost in the overall impression ‘It ’s a real riot out Coming to the familiar symbol it is lost m the overall impression • of AUM Pithavala declares, “the that the book leaves of a child- _*i re- Zoroastrian ... for it is nothing lieved by occasional flashes of else but a picturization of the first sharp insight, simply hides a state line of the Yatha ”. / ’ to him, the symbol was arrived at mystic thinking. According of confused hieroglyphic and Ruzbeh Antia MAKE YOUR CAREER WITH DAVAR’S WE OFFER A WIDE RANGE OF COURSES • Personal Secretaries Course • Personal Assistants Course • Punch Operating Course • Shorthand & Typewriting Course • Personality Development Course • Hostessing Course • English Course • Business Correspondence Course • Rapid Reading Course • Special Ladies’ Course • Conversational French Inquire Today DAVAR’S COLLEGE 51, M. G. Road, Bombay 400001. Tel: 251634*• ’ r 1* ^¦' J»' %, .«^ r^ ’ 1‘^ '¦ti f- ; I ; P- <* ¥ More than ever before Wents and personalities are radioaliy chanoioo the fortunes of theParsi Community. To keep pace with these developrtients Parsiana foctises in each issqe on the social, economic, cultural, religious and political happenings in the con^unity. ^or professional coverage and analysis subscribe today. Or send a gift subscription to a friend. It's the best way of keeping in touch. (Cheques payable td Parsiana). .¦ii s J 1 •» J r I To Parsiana, Post Bex 892, G.P.O., Bombay 400 001, Please send me Parsiana by subscription at substantial savings over the single copy Prifce^of Rs. 3/- as indicated below: ? For twelve issues Rs. 30 (save Rs. 6) Foreign Air , Sea US^A. Q $13.50 or Rs. 100 0^7 or Rs.36 U.K. ? £4.50 or Rs. 80 ? £3.50 or Rs.36 ? £4.50 or Rs. 80 Name.......................... Address ..... .................. City................... Occupation (optional).. Date...............S..... S^nature........... ? Please send a'gift subscription on my behalf. My name Address : ;Post Code, ‘i' I I I"''- I I I J ¦ I I ¦¦¦ I I I I I I I r I t I I • i' |. ¦" : .* ’s* I' J » j <? -s •« . PuWMsd Md odM fey R. IMat ^,1 -e*’ ¦,‘ I fj ’i