Dec 1975

I ¦¦W" 5RUARY 1976 ICE Rs 3 ig H* I Thrlti /R0S ' iA ¦ ? Wz!^/Busto HIktPiruz l>orttR faz/oaz Pervii Iposhand r I Meherj4 ^el)ntoo> \ ''iii'5 Rustc leman Preny'J^zitSz^r^ inober_: aisirj ^frehemtoi ^Shlreenj tzZVer^ Jmerxes IR r pilshai Arnayaz er/z^ **-*-*— I « ’ijefjefu r*.Z7*^ ^oo/nton^. sSiH^ushX^e tasp h.' yrusSh^hba J 'J *r A ’.V A " li tr I (Ws . r" ? ¦ ! o 'o w i December - February 1978 CONTER^S fipiTQR'3 COLUMN BEADERS' FORUM IN THE NEWS " hlO WoBEDS, NO PARStS" T SEVENTY-TWO STRANDS by Thrity Keeka THE SYMBOLISM OF'THE SUDRAH AND KUSTI by Sir Jivanji Jamshedji Modi ASHEM VOHM VAHISTEM ASTI by Pileo Aingalwalla ABAN^ ABANDOKHT, ABANHIR SHOULD WE SWITCH TO ENGLISH? .. by Feroza Paymaster . DINI AVAZ . . ......................... bi^ Sanober Marker CRIME ANO PUNISHMENT by 3eroo Gorimar BOOK REVIEWS,!, FAST CARS ANO Wt)MEN >°s^e 5 e 15 16 17 19 22 26 31 33 35 41 I- IN MEMORiAM 43 Parsiana Cover design by Manjula Padmanabhan 4% *¦’5' a *!¦- •4' * .'•'ip * 4- editor* s column •? ™ “r '4'-- ¦H' gmji ’s name is entered in the „ ---- — Cr/cfcet Manual for _ Bolshoi Ballet troupe ’ derived its iMcing three siiccesstve* catches A letter appeared in Z/ie Bowbui/ nanie from Boman Balletwalla that Wle playing the Mohii^oUah Any other items from readers are welcome. to Ii«|ia via Stalingrad, that the Samachar recently exhorting the ' original name was Jehangir Gold Cup match, community to felicitate our be- ' . - —- — - ..... — — loved ” Prime Minister Ms Indira ways in the red, we'#an be con- Gandhi ’s fen ‘.‘historical ” years in siaerea communists. 5o comrades, * * * office (also known as the ‘Decade other subject. jjjg Bombay Parsi community at of Progress ’). The writer while The Zoroastrian Association of last paid its tribute to Field Mar- calling for a celebration to be held Montreal (ZAM) “in a big way, ” lamented the com ­ munity ’s “sheer ignorance of the march of time ” and noted it was “really high time ” that someone led us “on the path of patriotism establish a library containing reli- and nationalism. ” Lest anyone say that we at Parsiana have not done our bit, I Principal of the Athornan Mad- would like it known that we have ressa in Dadar. The Association ¦ always stoutly defended the welcomes any aid that can be ex ­ Emergency and the suspension of tended to it either in the form of all fundamental rights, precensor- nioney, books, sandalwood and holding a grand function on 29th ship, preventive detention, and loban. Donation may be sent to Panthaki at the ' Madressa on Firdosi Road, Parsi Colony, Dadar, Bombay 400 014. The ZAM also held a fashion _ ___ cum dance show in November graphs you saw in the las? issue which was attended by over 400 Patelovich, and as Parsiana is al ­ ways in the red, we j^n be con ­ sidered communists. So Comrades, let us on to other subject. is collecting shal Sam Maneckshaw. At a func- funds to construct a Zoroastrian House. “The chief object of the proposed building is to keep a hosted and toasted and greatly admired. The event was organiz ­ ed by 14 different associations, minus the Parsi Panchayat, which still has a casljet it was going to present him after the Bangladesh war and before he fell out of grace with the governing party. Perhaps to compensate, the Panchayat is March to felicitate Chief Minister S. Bl Cha van on completing one year in oflice. Such is life. * * * Several of those excellent photo- ot Parsiana were taken by Noshir ed by a communal singing of Bagli and Ms Roshan Lakdawalla, having omitted his credit line. The “India is Indira ” (which if spng the show comprised various Indian shot of Dastur Bode was taken by correctly is supposed to have dresses modelled by 13 Parsi Farokh Reporter, whose photo- vibratory effects. Kshnumists women followed by Indian dances graphs have since adorned the please note). I then give a brief and most importantly, an Indian covers of several publications in ­ talk on the need for unity and dinner. eluding Eve's Weekly, Debonair discipline and then each staff ......................................... ' ~ " * member either quotes a few passages from the writings of con ­ temporary Congress ministers or brings to attention any ‘failings ’ on the part of other staffers. Cor ­ rective measures are then initiat ­ ed. As a result there has been all-round improvement in Parsi- separate hall for prayer and to gious books, ” notes a press release distributed by Rustom Panthaki, tion at Fariyas Hotel and another at Cusrow Bang, the soldier was various amendments to the consti ­ tution to make it more ‘respon ­ sive ’ to the ‘needs ’ of the ‘people. ’ Every morning before starting ‘hard ’ work (the only magic), we have a collective reading of the K programme follow- people. Organized by Ms Freny Marker and we apologize for "India is Indira ” (which if sqng the show comprised various Indian shot of Dastur Bode was taken by correctly is supposed to have dresses modelled by 13 Parsi Farokh Reporter, whose photo- vibratory effects. Kshnumists women followed by Indian dances graphs have since adorned the and most importantly, an Indian dinner. Zoroastrian Associations in both and Beautiful. Toronto and New York are pursu ­ ing the possibility of acquiring — • ------ premises. * * * In reply to our plea to readers to Engineer High School send in interesting episodes per- GAMADIA COLONY, TARDEO taining to Parsis, Dhun Mehta in- an forms us that a Parsi astrologer, Ardeshir Khabardar, wrote to ana's performance. However, the Mahatma Gandhi advising him not internal and external forces of dis- to leave his residence on 30th ruption that threatened to under- January and to arrange for special mine the unity of the magazine security at home. Mehta suggests are still active and, therefore, dear the letter should be preserved for readers, donations are necessary. ’ On a more personal note, I have broken off all relations with my American friends since I was told they had ‘misinterpreted ’ the ‘revolution ’ that was taking place in our country - and that anyway they all belonged to the CIA. In keeping with “the march of time ” I am now trying to revive the ancient links between the Rus- . sians and the Parsis and am pleas ­ ed to report that there is strong GOOD NEWS FOR. PARENTS' its “historic and national impor ­ tance. ” And K. D. Chargeman informs us that Dr. K. N. Dastur perform ­ ed the first open heart operation in India in 1961; that the Parsi owned Bharda New High School in Bornbay has produced more test cricketeers than any other in India, among the sportsmen being Polly Umrigar, Vijay Mer ­ chant, Rusi Surti, Nari Contractor etc; that wicket-keeper Meher- the K.G. to S.S.C. (English Medium) Recognised In Charge of Experienced Foreign-Trained Principal Highly Qualified Staff Will Admit From June 76 Boys & Girls of All Communities Individual Teaching Classes Restricted to 25 Students Only ADMISSiON OPEN NOW CONTACT PRINCIPAL MONDAY TO FRIDAY 9-30 TO 4 P.M. Ir A A;! 4* or S column evidence to prove that we came Homji ’s name is entered in the to India via Stalingrad, that the Cricket Manual for to India via Stalingrad, that the Bolshoi Ballet troupe derived its making three successive* catches A letter appeared in The Bombay name from Boman Balletwalla that while playing the Mohinj^ollah Any other items from readers are welcome. Samachar recently exhorting the original name was Jehangir Gold Cup match, community to felicitate our be- .—-¦ —- - ...... — — loved ” Prime Minister Ms Indira ways in the red, weSgan be con- Gandhi ’s ten “historical ” years in sidered communists. Sb Comrades, office (also' known as the ‘Decade of Progress ’). The writer while calling for a celebration to be held Montreal (ZAM) is “in a big way, ” lamented the com ­ munity ’s “sheer ignorance of the House, march of time ” and noted it was “really high time ” that someone funds to construct a Zoroastrian . “The chief object of the proposed building is to keep a separate hall for prayer and to led us “on the path of patriotism establish a library containing reli- and nationalism. ” Lest anyone say that we at Patelovich, and as Parsiana is al ­ ways in the red, wej sidered communists. 5 let us on to other subject. The Zoroastrian Association of collecting shal Sam Maneckshaw. At a func ­ tion at Fariyas Hotel and another at Cusrow Bang, the soldier was hosted and toasted and greatly admired. The event was organiz ­ ed by 14 different associations, minus the Parsi Panchayat, which still has a casjfet it was going to present him after the- Bangladesh war and before he fell out of grace with the governing party. Perhaps to compensate, the Panchayat is March to felicitate Chief Minister S. Bl Chavan on completing one year in office. Such is life. * I * * * The Bombay Parsi community at last paid its tribute to Field Mar- gious books, ” notes a press release distributed by Rustom Panthaki, Parsiana have not done our bit, I Principal of the Athornan Mad- would like it known that we have ressa in Dadar. The Association always stoutly defended the welcomes any aid that can be ex ­ Emergency and the suspension of tended to it either in the form of all fundamental rights, precensor- money, books, sandalwood and holding a grand function on 29th ship, preventive detention, and loban. Donation may be sent to various amendments to the consti- Panthaki at the ' Madressa on tution to make it more ‘respon ­ sive ’ to the ‘needs ’ of the ‘people.' tJomoay 4UU U14. * ? Every morning before starting The ZAM also held a fashion Several of those excellent photo- ‘hard ’ work (the only magic), we cum dance show in November graphs you saw in the last issye have a collective reading of the which was attended by over 400 of Parsiana were taken by No shir PM’s 20-Point programme follow- people. Organized by Ms Freny Marker and we apologize for ed by a communal singing of Bagli and Ms Roshan Lakdawalla, having omitted his credit line. The “India is Indira ” (which if sung the show comprised various Indian shot of Dastur Bode was taken by correctly is supposed to have dresses modelled by 13 Parsi Farokh Reporter, whose photo- vibratory effects. Kshnumists women followed by Indian dances graphs have since adorned the please note). I then give a brief and most importantly, an Indian covers of several publications in ­ talk on the need for unity and dinner. eluding Eve's Weekly, Debonair discipline and then each staff ” ' ‘ - - - - member either quotes a few passages from the writings of con ­ temporary Congress ministers or brings to attention any ‘failings ’ on the part of other staffers. Cor ­ rective measures are then initiat ­ ed. As a result there has been all-round improvement in Parsi- Panthaki at the ' Madressa Firdosi Road, Parsi Colony, Dadar, Bombay 400 014. The ZAM also held a fashion _ ___ cum dance show in November graphs yoii saw in the last* issye which was attended by over 400 , - - - ing the possibility of acquiring K.G. to S.S.C. (English Mejiium) Recognised In Charge of Experienced Foreign-Trained Principal Highly Qualified Staff Will Admit From June 76 Boys & Girls of All Communities Individual Teaching Classes Restricted to 25 Students Only ADMISSION OPEN NOW CONTACT PRINCIPAL MONDAY TO FRIDAY 9-30 TO 4 P.M. * to leave his residence on 30th January and to arrange for special shot of Dastur Bode was taken by women followed by Indian dances graphs have since adorned the and most importantly, an Indian dinner. _ ____ Zoroastrian Associations in both and Beautiful. Toronto and New York are pursu- ' * J —-- — premises. GOOD NEWS FOR PARENTS' ? jp sh In reply to our plea to readers to Engineer High School send in interesting episodes per- GAMADIA COLONY, TARDEO taining to Parsis, Dhun Mehta in- an forms us that a Parsi astrologer, Ardeshir Khabardar, wrote to ana ’s performance. However, the Mahatma Gandhi advising him not internal and external forces of dis- to leave his residence on 30th ruption that threatened to under- January and to arrange for special mine the unity of the magazine security at home. Mehta suggests are still active and, therefore, dear the letter should be preserved for readers, donations are necessary. its “historic and national impor- On a more personal note, I have broken off all relations with my American friends since I was told they had ‘misinterpreted ’ ‘revolution ’ that was taking place in our country and that anyway they all belonged to the CIA. In keeping with “the march of time ” I am now trying to revive the ancient links between the Rus ­ sians and the Parsis and am pleas ­ ed to report that there is strong are still active and, therefore, dear necessary. On a more personal note, I have ---------- —1 my tance. ” And K. D. Chargeman informs us that Dr. K. N. Dastur perform ­ ed the first open heart operation in India in 1961; that the Parsi owned Bharda New High School in Bombay has produced more test cricketeers than any other in India, among the sportsmen being Polly Umrigar, Vijay Mer ­ chant, Rusi Surti, Nari Contractor etc; that wicket-keeper Meher- the the» • ( A READERS' FORUM I [ I i! 1. **¦«-*——- Sit, '-V’D '31 p Vi j ¦ -r, — ) ' I I between male and female. The glory and being bereft of true Ulema Committee of 11, appoint- Zoroastrian righteousness would ed by the Parsi Panchayat at the lead to. Luckily, I feel there is beginning of this century, said un- some hope nowadays, |s more of animously in their report that us have come to und^stand our Zoroastrianism does not prohibit plight and are trying toj revive our proselytization but enjoins it. DASTUR FRAMROZE A. BODE spirit. I The only path for recovery is entirely dependent on lhe proper education of our children. This re ­ lies mostly on the selfless efforts of parents and teacher^ to guide children towards ” responsibility. Fir© Power Members of our community accuse the athravans (priestly class) of not coming forward to take up the honesty, hard work an^i common ¦ ’ sense. Zarathustra ’s message —to be patient to gain righteousness, to be generous and selfless in all eventualities —would help children noble professions of mobeds, ervads, panthakies, and dasturs in the various dar-e-mehers, particu ­ larly outside Bombay. But they fail to realize that few athravans would to be worthy Zoroastrians and like to take up a profession where worthy citizens, there is no economic security and social status. At present, a mobed is complete ­ ly at the iHifttcy of the trustees. To give a recent instance : the pan- thaky of a local dar-e-meher was sacked summarily by the trustees, who had done likewise with previ ­ ous panthakies. While the previous panthakies took it lying down, this man challenged the arbitrary ac ­ tion of the trustees in a court of law, on the grounds that a pan- thaky is to be treated as a respect ­ able individual who plays as important a part in the running of a dar-e-meher as do the trustees. After winning in the lower court, he lost in the higher court which upheld the trustees ’ contention that a panthaky is an employee. But his battle will not have been in vain if it stirs up the conscience of our community and stimulates Tolerance them to improve the financial and social status of our mobeds, ervads, panthakies, and dasturs —which is the least that can be done for them. The Right to Rites I would like to clarify some of the points made in the extracts from an interview (Parsiana, November 1975) taken with me two years ago. The present method of the disposal of the dead has nothing to do with the Zoroastrian religion. I can conclusively prove that the ancient Aryan Zoroastrian method of disposal was cremation. For years I have been lecturing on this subject and on the necessity of having the three days ’ ceremo ­ nies for the departed soul. All the dasturs have declared that the first three days ’ ceremonies should not be performed in atash behrams for those who are cremated but may be performed afterwards. The Zoroastrian religion is based on the immutable, divine law of Asha which is applied equally afld universally. Therefore, -some Parsis maintained that the Zarthoshti Anjuman Atash Behram should be open to all for religious ceremo ­ nies, and that they would go to the courts to assert their religious rights. Why can we not have the first three days ’ ceremonies per ­ formed in the atash behram, for family members who have been cremated? I said that my personal views are different, but as an honorary secretary and a trustee of the atash behram I cannot take any decision on such matters. _ I also perform navjotes for today and in days gone by. Over insists that his is the only in ­ children of Parsi mothers married 30 years ago, my late husband and spired and perfect thinking and, to non-Parsis, and make the child ­ ren Zoroastrians but not Parsis according to the present law. Many too, only a few seemed to heed ’ •’ what the consequences of imitat ­ ing foreign ways, depending on past but how little we follow it in prac- GOOLBANU SUKHIA Los Angeles, California Prayer Pages We read your November issue from cover to cover and congratulate you on a very fine production. It ’s most interesting and you are doing a fine job in educating and instruct* ing the community in its heritage and the mofussil Parsis in the doings of the community in its main centre, Bombay. Could a few pages be reserved for publishing translations of our prayers by eminent scholars? A. H. SETHNA Calcutta We carry in this issue a transla­ tion and explanation of the kusti prayers by Ms Piloo Jungalwalla. In the Gathas it is written: ‘'Tole ­ rance helps one to understand and endure the views of others and roots out bigotry, fanatic zeal, and dogmatism —^whereas intolerance is the bitterest enemy of religion, capable of tyranny and persecution. Intolerance is blind and savage — Grass Roots it stifles reason. Therefore, like a Parsiana deserves credit for frog for whom his well is the describing where our priests stand whole world, the bigot boasts and I also perform navjotes for today and in days gone by. Over insists that his is the only in- B. S. SURTI Secunderabad creditfor I had been apprehensive of our community ’s future. At that time are now ready to go to the courts and remove this discrimination morebver, that salvation lies in his views only. ” Such is the glorious message given to us through Zarathushtra, 5tice. For years the burning ques- Thy inner cosmic fire which is courageous, bringing clear guidance and joy to the The host of meanings associated Berezisavangh, the fire which is beneficent and burns in the pre ­ sence of Ahura Mazda; Vohu- friyan, the fire that dwells in the bodies of men, the fire of animal heat; Urvazishta, the fire in trees tice. For years the burning ques- Ahura, by means of Asha (the im- tion of the disposal of the dead mutable divine law) we long for has been the cause of rift in our . community. Either we are not enduring, aware of the tolerance in our re ­ ligion or, much against the spirit living. ” of this tenet, we enforce our beliefs The host of meanings associated upon others. Be it remembered with “cosmic fire ” is conveyed that reason moulds our thinking through the many fire-energies and that this age-old controversy spoken of in the Avestan texts: can be pleasantly concluded if the contending parties arrive at a mutual understanding. Aramgahs and crematoriums are in no way against the tenets of our religion. They are just cus ­ toms, and customs always change and plants; Vazishta, the fire jn with the times. Why should bigo ­ try demand that those people who choose an alternative method for the disposal of their mortal remains be denied prayers —prayers which are but the last act of a faith which they embraced and cherish ­ ed all their lives? How tragical it JEENA & COMPANY (ESTD. 1900) IATA AIR CARGO Clearing, Forwarding lightning; Spenishta, the celestial fire which burns in the abode of Ahura Mazda. Even the word dakhma is derived from, the Avestan root daz, “to bum. ” Erva'd Kanga ’s Avestan dictionary calls dakhma “the burning place, ” and the great scholar K. R. Cama is to see people at the helm of affirms that the original meaning affairs ignoring the message of tolerance. Again, the Gathas speak elo- rians, the ancient Aryan method quently about progress, saying: “Progress is the rule of life —life presses on and onward in its in ­ cessant march, until it reaches a certain goal. gress seems a backward march and the march of time plays no role. A custom-bound community re ­ quires more reformers, more men of insight. How thought-provdk- as their reason against cremation, ing are these lines from the Gathas, where Zarathushtra prays to Ahura Mazda, saying: “Let rhe not be a purist and regard those as irreligious who regard not for ­ malism. Fill my heart and mind, O Ahura Mazda, with the spirit of toleration. ” Warehousing and Insurance Agents 10, Veer Nariman Road Fort, BOMBAY-1 and method was cremation. Ac ­ cording to Greek classical histo- of disposal of the dead was cre ­ mation. At different times, pother methods were followed, but the saihe word dakhma was used. But But with us pro- to Parsis nowadays, dakhma means the open tower where the corpse is consumed by vultures. Believing in this ritual as chasni (“charity ”), they cite their reverence for fire MUNEEZABANO KAOOSJI Hyderabad flame: Cable: ‘Justitia * Telex: 2313 PHONE: 312032 ! They do not see that fire is so victoriously pure that it will not admit pollution, but destroy it. The very word fire is derived from the Avestan and Sanskrit root pu, “to purify. ” Fire was never considered by the Indo- Iranian seers to be the physical fire or the fire of the ceremonial sacrifice. The sacrifice is merely the symbol of man ’s dedication, , whereas Zoroaster speaks of the The Flarne Flickers inner flame: Athro Ahurahe The first teacher of monotheism, Mazdao Puthra means “fire, the Zoroaster energy or heat —from all thb ele ­ ments as the univ^al force which maintains all creation. With the passage of centuries after his death, mystical - and ritualistic interpretations weakened his ori ­ ginal teaching that in man there burned the cosmic fire of the spirit, and that the visible fire is Branches; E. Merc House 19/B. Shakespeare Sarani ( Formerly Theatre Road) CALCUTTA-16 PHONE: 44471 r but Athra— purifying energy of Ahura Mazda." But now the ceremonial flame only serves to dull the smart of sin or to grant material boons: wealth, position and power. The Atar may bum, enthroned and crowned and venerated, in shrines that none but a bom Pars! can enter (not so in Iran); but where it should kindle in man ’s heart, it flickers and only the outer symbol of the inner t>wrh§ low. divine Are, Zoroaster says : “O murzban ardashir choksi “Q ‘Jeena House? 50, Hanuman Road Connaught Circus NEW DELHI PHONE: 310821 Ti1 feXceptionai order.* A native of Jabalpur, the 56-year-old Admiral is married and has two daughters. Padma Shrec Ms lai Honmosji tkesia, Widely used in birth control Vakeel, 75, Founder-Princip^ of camps in Uttar Pradesh, the The School for Children in ^eed technique permits women to be of Special Care which tends to 325 ------- so treated as out-patients. ’ Ms The Republic Day Awards for mentally handicapped and physi- Engineer was awarded the B. C. 1976 singled out for honour cally defective children. Started Roy Medal for meritorious teach- several Parsis in various fields of by Ms Vakeel in 1944, the school ing in 1974 and is President of endeavour. Below we list the has a staff of 42 trained personnel the Federation of Obstetrics and awards given and the names of and its own teaching programme Gynaecological Societies of India, the recipients along with a brief which prepares individuals for a write-up where possible: Padma Bhushan to Naoroji Pirojsha Godrej, noted industrialist and _______ ____ member of the Godrej family that school ’s fund-raising activities and started and manage the well known is complemented with grants from Godrej Boyce Company, manufac- Central and State Welfare Depts, turers of diverse products ranging from office furniture to fork lift Padma Shree to Dr Amy Dhnnji- trucks. A publicity-shy person, bhoy Engineer, 60, Professor and ‘Godrej can be located more easily f ' 7.^_____ midst the obscurity of lathes and Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the presses in Vikhroli rather than in ...................... ~ the carpeted, air-conditioned head office in the heart of the city. According to his son Jamshed, Godrej is a “very serious minded ” person whose desire is that India journals has among other things. Be industrialized rapidly but not ............................... at the cost of the workers or the environment. diploma recognized by the Maha- The Param Vashisht Seva Medal rashtra Social Welfare Board. Finance is generated through the to Air Vice Marshal (Rtd.) Jamshed H. F. Manekshaw for distinguished service. Manekshaw was in the medical services of the armed forces for over 33 years before he retired last year. He was awarded the Ati Vashisht Seva Medal in _ 1971 for distinguished service to Head of the Department of the Indian Air Force, especially to J , the Institute of Aviation Medicine. K. G. Medical College in Lucknow. Her research in the field of child ­ birth and female disorders which _______ _____ . has been , published in several Assistant Commissioned of Police, Greater Bombay. In charge of four police stations in the labour areas of Worli, Bhoiwada, N. M. is complemented with grants from Padma Shree to Dr Amy Dhnnji- Indian and international medical President ’s Police Medal for meri ­ torious service to Jal Bejou Jal, 54 resulted in her devising a method areas of Worli, Bhoiwada, N. M. of vaginal tubectomy which can Joshi Marg and Mazagaon, Jal is —- • “known for his conciliatory be performed under local anaes- for Have you ever uualked on the beach alone uuith nothing on and uuith nothing on your mind except him, thinking of him. craving for him. to the zymphony of ruztiing paimz. ujith the zunzet in your hair. the cool breeze touching i^our face, the evening zun zhimmering in your eyez.and the zpray of zurf carezzirsg your body ? It? o great feeling Sniriingz flavzari . The greet feeling ridv/dfi Cotto^ df\d /ilk P(\iii/ Lirf\ited 11» Wthbds hx eooQttg' siv^ situations by talking to«3Kite| members of thu public —politicians, > * ‘X . •4-' ? ^’0’; « ft' fierea^ 'on Surgepr in th^ Jropcs held in Bombay in Januarf . , ^e newly conceived Public ¦ J - TT v - Grievances cell of the Bombay intendent, Bhavnagar. He >^g^ Police is in charge of the Assistant ing Training Centre in Calcutta during World War 11 and on his return to Bhavnagar organised the BJiavnagar Ordinance Depot Fire Service. In 1947, Bharucha joined the Bhavnagar Municipality as Fire cmlapser*''£m^|| Service Me(ttl to Jehmigir &i . members of the public —pouaciau^, ' trade unionists and labourers, ” ¦ notes an associate in the crime branch, J.* B. Contractor. A student of the Esplanade High School and St. Xavier ’s College, Jal joined the Bombay City Police Force in 1942 as a sub-inspector ^nd has risen through the ranks. The President ’s Award, to Rustom J. Parakh, Superintendent, Central ________________ Excise and Customs, Bombay, for Brigade'Sup^t^^t the detection of about 220 major cases of smuggled gold, textiles, __ _______ ______ ____ silver and electronic goods totalling Dean ‘in charge* of The Nair Hospi- six crore rupees. Parakh, a law —_ .L., 2.^,. graduate, . joined the Customs and speaker to deliver the newly in ­ Central Excise department in 1944 stituted Dr. R. Ahmed Memorial and. became Deputy Superintendent Oration. Her lecture on Public in 1962. The President ’s Policy Medal for meritorious service to Lovejoy Sicil Dadi Mebervanjee, 50, Deputy January 30. Chief Fire Officer, Bombay Fire * * * Brigade. Mehervanjee who joined The Sangeet Natak Akademi the Bombay Auxiliary Fire Ser- * ' ' ' ' vice in 1942 as a sub-leader was severely injured in the fire that followed the historic explosion of , an ammunition ship in the Bombay dockyard in 1944. He has partici- Iqg N.^h||^ha, Fire Brigade Super- his career in the Army Fire Fight- * * 9|C Dr. Tehmi Mino Ginwalla, 51, tai Dental College was the first stituted Dr. R. Ahmed Memorial Health and Dental Care was de ­ livered to the Indian Dental Asso ­ ciation Conference in Indore on * Award has been given to Zubin Mehta, conductor of the Los Ange ­ les Philharmonic Orchestra. * . * * The noted physician, Minocher B. Mody was presented a silver meda! Commissioner of Police, Kersasp Kaikhui^iroo PaUchivala. Palkhi- vala, a student of the Behramji Jeejeebhoy High School and St. Xavier ’s College, notes, the griev ­ ance office receives 15 to 2fi-com ­ plaints a day usually pertaining to petty offences committed by nei^- bours or complaints against police handling of cases. ? * * The relationship between Zoroas ­ trianism and Sufism is the subject of Visnu and Mazda, the latest book by the noted Bengali scholar Jatindra Mohan Chatterjee “The Sufi cult teaches that Mazda is God of love and is accessible through love, ” notes the book ’s preface. “The Sufi cult became very popular in Iran and continued : to be so even after the advent of Islam. ” The 90-page discourse, priced at Rs. 5 and published by Puf- nendu Bhusan Dutta Roy, is avail- {Continued on page 37, col. 2) Your city. Your bank si Intecnationai^nking Corporation i' wcorporattd wiOt fimitod liabiiitv in USA Vlfeve got s^tems that work tor you 13“No Mobeds, No Parsis’’ When the plight of the priesthood schemes to be introduced for jthe was raised in the executive coun- amelioration of the athernans. cil meeting of the Federation of Athornans have lost trust in such meeting on January 30 in Bombay The Parsi Zoroastrian Anjumans of schemes, especially they are afraid India last November.; members that some day when some well- noted that it was a “delicate mat- —J------------------------------- ter ” and that “it would be best to discuss it at some other time. ” Ac ­ cordingly the matter was scheduled for a later meeting and letters were happen under any circumstance ... sent to various priests soliciting Only then will the athornans dare their views. The replies they receiv ­ ed showed exactly how sensitive a subject it was. In a scathing joint letter high priests Hormazdyar K. Mirza and Kaikhushroo M. Jamasp ­ Asa wrote, “We are keenly aware that the question facing the com ­ munity is very grave. Our frank future prospects "for ci^gymVn. opinion, therefore, is that this mat- Dinshaw B. Irani of the Iranian ter should not be discussed any Zoroastrian Anjuman of Bombay more b ------"’ ’'2 ------- " ' ' ' ~ should be done. We frankly feel warning “No Mobeds, No Parsis, ” of papers, reports, resolutions, plans that to discuss one and the same and along with several others sug- schemes on this matter pub ­ question at intervals without any gested revised pay scales ranging lished and unpublished —lying in positive results accruing therefrom from a minimum of Rs. 500 to the files of the Parsi Pancha- is a grotesque joke and humilia- over Rs. 1,500, the higher salaries yat, Bombay and other Parsi Taking the hint, the executive council of the Federation at its decided that a “central fund ” be Created wherein “every anjuman and individual Zoroastrian should wisher expires or retires some new person will cancel or liquidate the help and contribute ” and a “central entire scheme under one excuse or another. This should NOT body ” be formed, consisting of senior priests and members of the Federation council to administer and maintain the fund. The repre- to enter into any ‘scheme ’, even if sentatives also recommended that it is for their amelioration. More fire-temples and trusts that employ is meant than meets the ears. ” priests introduce provident fund Many of the replies singled out and gratuity benefits for them. But the alarming drop in the number of priests and the low remunera ­ tion, lack of respect and bleak but J something concrete quoted scholar Richard Frye ’s u- J- - r J.- -, warning “No Mobeds, No Parsis, ” and along with several others sug- in concluding, the council “request ­ ed that the Bombay Panchayat take the lead ” in the matter and the subject may well end there. For as Mirza and JamaspAsa noted in their missive, “Meetings and dis ­ cussions have produced a number positive results accruing therefrom from a minimum of Rs. 500 to is a grotesque joke and humilia ­ tion of alT concerned. ” The letter also noted: “For the information of the Executive Coun ­ cil, we send herewith a Xerox of a paper read before the Second World Zoroastrian Congress held in 1964 at Bombay. The paper was dis ­ cussed in detail, lectures were delivered, suggestions were made, resolutions were passed at the meeting, and the matter ended tutored students upto the high there. The report of the proceed- ' ¦ - “ - - - ings of the Congress must be lying in the files of the Parsi Panchayat, Bombay. ” Dastur Khurshed S. Dabu, high who have studied in madressas have pnest of the Wadiaji Atash Beh- ram, while remarking that he was “too old [87] and weak of sight ........ ...................... to prepare a comprehensive report fluent EngiFsh. Th^d^r “need of on the topic, ” went on to state, “I have already written so often... and spoken to the public that petition would not be worthwhile. Ervad Firoze M. Kotwal, princi ­ pal of the M. F. Cama Athornan Institute in Andheri, replied in a similar vein, noting, “I do not know what new thing one can now will have to be 'created in the being reserved for madressa train- institutions.' ed and qualified priests. Sarosh B. Anklesaria, president of the Ahmedabad Parsi Panchayat, felt that only those students who were “prepared to work as priests should be admitted at the two madressas. ” And Nariman A. Panthaki of the Parsi Agiary of Ahmedabad claim ­ ed that because the madressas >9 school exam level and beyond, the youngsters naturally turned to other professions. “Today hardly 10 to 15 per cent of the athornans chosen the priestly profession, ” writes Panthaki. “Our community is not in need of priests speaking the community is that of only those priests who can perform re ­ re- ligious ceremonies and protect our temples. ” But even with the full academic curricula offered, student enrollment at the madressas is ’dwindling. Dastur N. D. Mino- chehr-Homji of the Fasli Atash - , „ - Kadeh, after listing his suggestions, f.Tm great confidence ended his letter with the exhorta- — —4 tion : “Now is the time to act. ” Warden is good For sandalwood Head Office ' 378 Grant Road Bombay 400 007 and Branches Tel. 371464 Quality sandalwood Aggarbetties, gum benzoin (loban) and other Perfumes I I?/ i V.® « 15elr - £ "S -S; Seventy by Thrity Keeka two StFand^ ¦» I t- now many kustis do you wea ? out in a year, and then tell m how much you spend dn clothef entertainment and eating out. ” Kusti-making is an art that take . years to master. “But it is nc difficult, ” insists Ms Kateli, whos kusti-makers are not residents shuttle flies almost instinctively i of Bombay. ” Another '4isincentive to the pro ­ fession is the rising cost of wool. « t r I 1 i f I 1 i i P ’r- F i' i V ¦* To some it symbolizes a ship, bearing travellers to safe harbour; to others, it is a signpost marking out the true path; to still others, an emblem which reminds the The fine yam imported from Aus- wearer to confine himself within the limits of righteousness; and called fara by Ardeshir Karai, and the Yatha ahu Vairyo. Before th to some it is merely a cream- after his death by his son-in-law, actual weaving can begin, th coloured string of wool, tasseled Kaikhushroo Pir, has today be- wool has to be spun into a fine bi at both ends. Yet, whether it is of profound significance or mere ­ ly one more item of clothing to be hurriedly wound round the wool, it shrinks. The Panchayat waist, the kusti has become supplies 125 grams of this wool to synonymous with being a Zoroas ­ trian. But like many symbols of the community, its future is uncertain. For though the demand for kustis the surnames from A to J got their still remains, the weavers who quota at New Year, ” lamented Ms spin the seventy-two strands of Kateli. pure Australian wool into the sacred thread are steadily dimini ­ shing in number. What was once considered a domestic skill neces ­ sary in every young girl has with This yields four to five kustis of the changing times become a spe- ' cialized craft practised mainly by wool for each kusti is worth is “in itself an art. ” elderly women. “Girls nowadays about Rs. 2.50 to Rs. 3, the finish ­ like to work in offices, however poorly paid they may be, ” says 69-year-old Goolbai Kateli who has been making kustis since the age of 15. She estimates that the number of kusti-makers has dwind ­ led by 50 per cent over the last 30 lively, school-going son. “Tell me, years. “Even a packer in a factory earns more and enjoys more bene- I fits, ” says Aloo Billimoria, a weaver I of kustis for over 40 years. I Attempts to revive interest in the | ancient kusti-making craft through j competitions have met with little success. Eruchshaw Dotiwalla, pre- ] sident of the N.N. Wadia Welfare I League at Navroz Bang, found that they only received seven entries, al ­ though they provided free wool and refreshments, kept no entry fee and even announced the competition well in advance in a prominent Parsi daily, ^hangir Shroff, pre ­ sident of the Bombay Parsi Asso ­ ciation which holds a competi ­ tion every year at the Byramjee Jeejeebhoy School, feels that the poor response is due to the fact that “eighty per cent of the and out of the warp threads, brinj ing to mind the steady, unhurrie rhythm of a lullaby, her silentl moving lips not counting th tralia in clean, shrink-proof bundles strands, but ceaselessly repeatin after his death by his son-in-law, Kaikhushroo Pir, has today be ­ come a rationed commodity. It is strong yarn with the help of now available only in small hand- - - fuls called pooni and, unlike fara spindle —the takli. The yam woven on the jantar, a woode loom which used to grace tl home of all athoman ladies. Tw registered kusti-makers twice a strands of the yarn are twiste year, during Pateti and Jamshedi together into a single one, whic Navroz. “It is distributed in alpha- is stretched taut across the Jantt betical order, and last time only seVenty-two times. The weaving < the weft requires great skill : the thread has to be gently pus! ed into place each time with tl kateli, a smooth axe-shap« wooden instrument. Shroff, wl describes himself as “a weav with forty-six years of weaving e perience," maintains that the tho three yards each. Though the the gentle push given to the weav The acute scarcity of wool is ac ­ companied by spiralling prices : 125 grams used to cost Rs. 7 only a few years ago, now it costs Rs. 13. After the weaving is complet the kusti is removed from tl janlar, cut and turned inside oi ed product is priced at Rs. 25 or Rs. 30. A kusti-weaver still makes a profit of Rs. 10 to Rs. 15 per Only the ends {ler) now remain kusti, after deducting all the costs. ' “Mehnat na paisa," says Ms Billi ­ moria, a widow and mother of a be finished. The unit for measu ing the ends is the kateli, two ar a half kateli being used for a sm< {Please turn to page 39, col. 1 '¦ J 16 [ i % I ¦ »' Jb&'> w 4* / .i 35^' Ms Billimoria: Hard-earned {Right) Ms Kateli: yl 50 per cent drop {Photos by Ian Pi¦ 'I....... k JI ,w j * 3 j i 7 4 i i j ! -di The J Symbolism of the Sadrah and Kusti The sacred shirt is called sudreh We owe a duty towards those who or sudrah. The word is variously have gone before us —to our an- derived. Anquetil Du Perron says that the word sudrah comes from Zend setehr paesehenghe which means ‘useful clothing ’. Dastur Edalji D. Sanjana also derives the word similarly and says further that the word sud-reh means an advantageous path. The sacred shirt is symbolic in its structure. It is made of white cambric. White is symbolic of innocence and purity, and as such is the symbol of the Mazdayas- nan or Zoroastrian religion. It must be made up of two pieces of cloth sewn together on the sides, so that one seam may be on the right hand side and the other on the left hand side. These two parts^ —the front and the back —are said to be symbolic of the past and shirt is the gireh-ban (literally ‘that the future, both related to each other through the present. The front part must remind a religion. The gireh-ban is also call- Zoroastrian of his duty to persons and institutions of the past ages. put up in the form of a bag or a purse, a little below the portion of the shirt' which covers the part of the body below the throat. It indicates symbolically that a man has to be industrious and has not only to fill his bag or purse with money but has to fill it up with righteousness. Thus the sudrah is symbolic of purity of life and actions of right ­ eousness. The Avesta wotd for the sacred thread is aiwiyaonghana. Kusti is its later Pahlavi rendering. The word is variously derived. Some derive it from Pahlavi, kosht, meaning direction. So, the word may mean “that which points out to us the proper direction or path. ” Sudreh (the sacred shirt) indicates “advantageous path ” and kusti indicates the proper direction of that path. Some derive it from kosht, i.e. waist, and say that it is so called because it is put on, on the waist. Some take the word to be Per ­ sian 'kishti,'* i.e. a ship, and say that it symbolizes the way that carries us to the safe harbour of righteousness. But the probable derivation seems to be kost, i.e. limit or boun ­ dary. Kusti then is that which keeps us or reminds us to keep ourselves within proper limits or boundaries. Sudreh or the sacred shirt symbolizes the path of cestors, our forefathers, our de ­ parted dear ones, all who have righteousness and kusti symbolizes preceded us. We also owe a duty to our superiors who have been in the front before us. The second or the back part of direction in the path of morality, the shirt must remind us of our duty to the future —to our chil- one ’s duty to confine oneself within the proper limit of the path of righteousness. It indicates a The Avesta word for kusti is as said above, aiwiyaonghana, which dren, to future generations. It must literally means “to sit round about also remind us of our duty to our ..... . inferiors who are still to rise to our position. In short, these two parts of the shirt —the front and the back —are said to indicate and to say to us as straight in the front, bearing in mind that it is the past that has come up to the present and will lead to the future. ” The most important part of the action which he has always to ob- ’ ’ ”, ’ t serve. The sevjinty-two threads, which preserves the knot ’) which which make up the kusti, symbo- ................. lize the seventy-two chapters of the Yasna, which forms an impor ­ tant part of the liturgical prayers of the Parsis. The seventy-four or to limit. ” This word then sug ­ gests that thi? last one is the probable derivation Of the word ‘kusti ’. The kusti, being prepared from it were, ‘‘Look the wool of a lamb which is in all ages considered to be the emblem of innocence and purity, is held to be a badge reminding a Zoro ­ astrian of the purity of life and signifies loyalty to, or faith in the ed the kisseh-i-kerfeh, i.e. the purse or the bag of righteousness. It is 17.itf. 4 <4 . .1 * BOYS’ TOWN Public School Nasik 2 choice schooling for your son a Public Recognised as School by Department of Education —for Merit Scholars. Excelleid Climate —All-round Ed^ cation : Indian . .1 I- * J * threads, which make up I fc , , . .1 f z>Ma P I the three ' I twenty-four sections I believed to make up ed at the time of weaving, are --- to symbolize the six rehgious or I ceremonial duties of a Zoroasri . aouve The twelve threads Havfng done so, he repeats a short above twelve parts prayer, unties it and then re-girds symbolize the f, ,rith another short prayer known the year. The six laris or Nirang.-i-kusti described above, like string ends, toe at each end as Wtr^g of the kusti, syrnbolizes times with two knots, one in the gahambars f —1 The bolizes the space earth and the tween The doubling or each of answcnh^ ^h ; fore sa^ng ptayeis, after a batn When performing the Visparad, one always turns another liturgical Ptaj^- TJ'X the three tasselAike ends of Hue knsti, which were two ____ ed at the time of weaving, are All Academi c Subjects- Tech nical Subjects : Radio Wood-Work Tech- S e 1 f - G overnment Gaines — Zoroastrian — classes — and nology, Farming —Training in through Elected Boys ’ Office-bearers, Physical Training —Daily Assembly with Congre ­ gationa l Prayers —W eekly 1 intensive Geeta —Koran Excellent Modem Kitchen i and Dining Room facilities —Airy Dormitories. Mode- l| rate Fees. Concessions I Deserving Students. to apply to the mana­ ge^ TRUSTEE P. N. Mehta Education Trust Cooks Building, 324 D. N. Road Bombay 400 001 or to the Principal. 18 and before meak. _____ _ towards li^t. In -- ; towards In the afternoon and in the morning, one turns said perform ablutions when he performs^ the kustiJ-ere- mony on ' Lv lliwixt 1 1 c A Parsi haa#to perform abbjtions the above occasions. times with two knots, one in the front and another at the back. The knots are said to symbolize certain WoTthe first knot in,the front, a Ahura Ma^da (OOQ) exisis, u.«v He is one, is holy and is match- two worlds are so what you you '..... turning of a t ____ ¦ It symbolizes the passage soul from t ”' - or • the six season &7-of a zoroastrian vear, hollow of the thread sym- between the heaven, be- this world and the next. ___— • 2 • the twisting of tljr thread ’ in the beginning sym- *’****_____- -__ KAfxAZAAn bolizes 1 and the connection between and another at the back. cerium religious and moml thoughts. ^5.fo^g,*c^t ’zoroastrian must think that Ma^da (God) exists, that UllC, to ---------- — , While forming the second that the Zoroastrian rcxxBXKxxx X. the Word of God and that he must have full faith in it. the second half of remembe7That Zoroaster is the of God, that he is his path of worship. While form- knot? he is to bear in mind that he has always to attend to Goo- thoughts, good words and good future spiritual world. ¦ 'a exx,- 30 connected that meniber yOu will sow in this world, "he tasttXS^ont Vs ^Ue forming the seco" a reso- So these knots of the for the above-said thoughts of bathing, a Zoroastrian uxuov always have the sacred shirt and thread on his body. Again, the thread is to be untied and re- airded several times during the ® — .. _ ---- J.'Uzx -tzvlloTAJinC • the following: day. The times are Immediately on leaving bed jn the morning, after i------- Kamar-bastan i.e. to tie tLe waisj or to put on t —---- - * which has come to mean to c ready for work. ” So, according t the Dadistan the putting on of tt added kusti on the waist signifies thi the Zoroastrian who puts it o thereby symbolizes his readine to serve God. A person stands c girded with ’a belt to show that io XWVXJ --- ---- J - master or superior. So, astrian with waist girded by 1 belt of a kusti shows his obediei to his Great Master. (Extracts from Sir J. J. Modi's the belt, is a phras UV OVITV t fore his superior with his wa girded with a belt to show that is ready to obey the orders of 1 ablutions and The Naojote Ceremony)i ' > i 'i 4- ) --rff H '*4 ’ - ¦.«2.W T ’ ' ¦ Asnem g ^;r, 2 * • 4' 1*1 Wtt Asti w * , composition charged with the Tying and re-tying the Kusti is a ritual,that faitVifully punc- |P’rit qf penitence ^d humility.. hurhe'dlT^Lmbied 'tothTnd '^e^kfas^; as much part of the forgotten past as the flavour of the himself wholeheartedly to the ice-cream served on that navjot day. In an effort tp dblighten Parsis as to th* significance of the Kusti /itual, Piloo Jungalwalla explains and translates the ancient prayers tuates the day of a Zoroastrian. But the meaning of those' ®y renouncing all temptation^d hurriedly mumbled prayers between bath and breakfast is himself in fhe spirit, and pledges '5 ser-9 vice of Ahura Mazda. Here is a free translation of the * Ahura Mazda Khodae'. . “O wise and living God, my mas- - ter, may You take aw'ay all power from Ahriman, the brooding dark- .................. ..................... _j ness of my own mind, and free me two widely separated verser ’taken from the fetters of ignorance. May from the Ushtavaiti Gcaha. The the Ahriman within me be bruised and battered to bits. May all bar ­ baric instincts, all deceits and sor ­ ceries of the mind, those impulses _ ......... ___ .......... which set me upon the unrighteous graph consists of a lin? taken from Path, blinding my spirit so that coher^ce and unity of the pray^ tyrannies Jfor^d by the evil genii of my lusts, the pro- fanerS of God ’s sanctity, and all such haters of truth who dwell within me be broken and destroy ­ ed. May all these tendencies to wickedness be made powerless, and every one of your enemies be de ­ feated and disarmed. ¦ “O most wise and living God; my Master, I turn away from mjr sins after true repentance. Every; evil thought which I may have thought, every evil word which may have fallen from my lips, every evil act which I may have done or which may have been con-; ceived by me or have originated from me, all these ' sins which I have heaped upon myself in this short life, which affect this world and the world of the spirit, which affect my soul, my body, my mind, my speech, my actions, from all these sins, thrice repeating this confession, and with a penitent and contrite heart, ,I turn back. “Joy to Ahura Mazda, Lord of Life and Wisdom. Down with the evil spirit. The desire of the right ­ eous for righteousness is the high ­ est of all desires, therefore I praise Asha with the Ashem Vohu. As soon as the Ahura Mazda Khodae is completed, the kusti is twice wrapped round the waist, and the two ends brought forward' and crossed in front of the wor«j shipper. The Yatha Ahu Vair^ prayer is now recited twice; and 4 The kusti prayers begin with the prayer. Its first two paragraphs are words: Kshnaothre Ahurahe, 1 . . , Mazda, ''Joy to Ahurci, Mazda, from the Ushtavaiti Gastha. The Lord of life and wisdom.” Then third paragraph is a prose exhor- follows the Ashem Vohu: “Blest is tation against evil and is taken righteousness {Asha) the highest from the Ardibehesht Yasht and good, the greatest happiness. He the Vendidad. The fourth para- who loves righteousness for its own sake, to him righteousness is bliss untold. ” The word Asha is derived from the Avestan areta which is related to the Sanskrit rta, meaning abso ­ lute righteousness. Asha, however, is more than righteousness or vir ­ tue. It is the divine law, the spirit of harmony in the ordered Universe, as well as the truth and justice of God. Asha is an integral part of Ahura Mazda. In the Gathas it is said that before Ahura Mazda created the world. He created Asha, so that divine justice may be mani ­ fest in the entire creation. In one Gathic passage, Zarathu- shtra says: **Asha is given us for our choice, the benefit of our faith, and the destruction of all false ­ hood. ” Again, in the first of _^thfc three sermons of Zarathushtra found in the Gathas, the Prophet asserts that it is Vohu Mana, the good mind, that prompts penitent sinners not to smite the wicked, but to surrender them “into the two hands of Asha”. That is why in the Ashem Vohu, Asha is said to be the highest good, an eternal joy that must be sought for its own sake and is its own reward. The worshipper having put him ­ self in a receptive frame of mind by meditating upon Asha, now be ­ gins to recite the Kem-na Mazda, which is composed in the Avestan language, as are the Ashem Vohu " >4urgT:, ’,he Sians' Kshnaothre 99 the Spenta Mainyu Gatha. The „ seeing, I see not, and hearing, hear coherence and unity of the prayer, "' not, all mental tyrannies forged by however, are in no way broken by intellect, every sin and heresy; its composite structure: “Who will protect me, O Mazda, when the followers of the Lie threaten to overpower me with vio ­ lence, what other than your flam ­ ing fire of thought, and your pure mind? The divine law is establish ­ ed through the workings of these two, O Ahura. Reveal to me that sacred doctrine through your true religion. “Who will smite the enemy ex ­ cept your all-protective, divine teachings? Reveal to me, with visionary clarity, the very essence of wisdom in the dual life (of body and mind), and let the light of God and His good mind come to whom ­ soever you love, O Mazda. “May the Lord of Wisdom and His shining devotion protect from our enemies. “Down with the Lie. Pluck it up from the roots. Burn it to ashes. Crush it underfoot. Begone from my sight, you devilish Lie. Run far from me. Vanish into the cold north where the icy winds blow. Do not dare to destroy this divinely order ­ ed physical universe. Hail, Holy Devotion. We adore you. ” As the Avestan language was not understood in Sassanian times a free translation of the Kem-na Mazda was made in Pazand, the a composite This is t^’Ahura MazdaKhodae^ US 95 19I ? *¦ * r J twice, on the word, ksha.othenenam, g/ahe Mazda, the Zoroastrian ... , ..v- . fession of faith. This prayer, which is in Avestan andJlormT the last two paragraphs of ’ Yasna 12, bodies the basic tenets of the lioinn j * “Come to my help, O Mazda. (Repeated thrice.) I am a worship- ________ per of Mazda, a follower of the pf any one religiqu. This prayer Mazda-yasni religion, and a Zoroas- ’--------- ‘ trian. I declare that I have full faith in and fully accept this religion. “I profess and have full faith in the very mind of the Good Thought. I profess and have full Ashem Vohu, the kusti faith in the very utterance of the Good Word. I profess and have full faith in the very act of the Good Deed. “I profess and have full faith in the good and true Daena Mazda- yasni, the religion which proclaims God in His wisdom through His divine revelation, the religion which breaks all fetters from the mind, sets aside strife and violence, shows the way to a perfect surren ­ der and a perfect union of the soul with God, and which cleaves to the paths of righteousness forever. The Daena Mazda-yasni is the meaning “in action, ” the first two knots of the kusti are tied. The Ahuna Vairy a or Yatha Ahu Vairyo is considered the _____ most ancient and the most sacred ligion: prayer in the entire Avesta. It em ­ bodies the religion in a nutshell. An understanding of the prayer is therefore essential. Here is' a literal translation : “O living God, even as you ex ­ ercise your free will (beyond the limits of time and space), so may the Prophet act by following right- ercise your free will (beyond the eousness for the love of righteous ­ ness. “The riches of the good mind come to him who dedicates every act of his earthly life to Mazda, and who strives to establish the sovereignty of God in this world by loving and serving the afflicted of the earth." The final knot of the kusti ritual is now tied with the recitation of the Ashem Vohu. The need to cleave fast to Asha and all it stands for is again emphasized. The ritual comes to an end with the recitation of the Jasa-me-Avan- 95 i con- greatest, the best, the most pro- . - - found of all religions which are or Avestan an^ lormtf the last which shall be, for it embodies the Laws of Ahura, the one eternal God, as they were taught to the phet. ” (ftie Ahuric law of right ­ em- re- people -by 2ar^thushtra, His Pro- revelation, eousness is not the sole monopoly was probably composed when the followers of other religions were e^ger to convert people to their - respective faiths.) Ending with a recitation- of the , ---------- J prayers re ­ mind us continually that our aim is to love and serve the drighu, the poor, the homeless, the afflicted of the earth, and through that dedi ­ cation establish the sovereignty of Ahura in this world. This is the supreme value of the kusti prayers, and their importance in our daily life. Good prices paid for glass paper-weights Post Box 892, G.P.O. Bombay 400 001. g “QUALITY IS NEVER AN ACCIDENT—IT IS ALWAYS THE RESULT OF 0INTELLKENT EFFORT. 19 c It —John Ruskin LONDON EXPERTLV BREWED FROM THE FINEST MALT & IMPORTED HOPS 650 ML EXPORT I QUALITY WILSNEIL// OTTLEO BY AUTHORITY'S MUNICH. BOTTLED BY AUTHORITY^: HASELBACH BREWERY gSTD: 1701 MUNICH, WEST GERMMIY € SY; A.B.D.. CORTAL1M. INDIA With Compliments of : ASSOCIATED BREWERIES & DISTILLERIES—CORTALIM, INDIA (Member of: Noshir Irani Group of Companies.) seooooo 211 ft - -- 4 -‘t ‘^f Aban, AbaiMirtlclit^^AO * «* ¦’' ¦ «> 1 S I. ¦b Names are forever. They are given a..t birth without our consent and depending on what we make of our lives, help or hound us till the grave and beyond. With nd alternative in sight, the best we can do is provide as wide a range of names as possible for parents to choose from. Then if future progenies are named Aban. Abandokht. or Abanhir. they will atle^st have the satisfaction of knowing their parents did so after due deliberation. Below we produce a list of names of origin j assisting us in our endeai^uf.. responsibility for an y shortccmiir)gs /s ; ,. entirely ours. In deference to our mothers, vve carry the list of female names first. The male list will follow in the next issue. Parsiana staffers SanoberMarker. Pervin Mahoney. Veera Parbhu ^nd Veera Pate! worked on the project. Alphabet illdstrations In some cases we have furnished the Avestan (Av.). Pahlavi (Pahl.) and Cuneiform (Cun.) forms. The spellings of the names maybe altered but the correct pronunciation should be adhered to as far as possible. The list is not comprehensive and readers requested to draw omissions and to our attention so that corrections be incorporated, should the list be are errors may be mcorporar^a. snouiu Liie ii:,i uc x.,,, —.......—~ produced in book form. Parsiana extends designed by Manjula Padmanabhan. ___ *^07^ h\/ ParQlftnfi Bomuc its many thanks to Dasturs Kaikhusroo Mirza and Ervad J am^hed C. ^atr&kfor Copyright 1976. by Parsiana. Bombay. I *"1 I ( i ARYENISH Of a noble lineage ARZU Wish ASBANI A miller ASBANA yyife of Pourudhakhshti, a^oly man ASHISHVANGH Good blessings, sanctity; name of an angel ; name of 25th day of month ATURDOKHT Daughter of Adar azaddokht Daughter of a freeman azadeh Noble AZAD Noble azarmidokht Beloved daughter; a polite girl; name of a Sassanian queen f ABAN Waters; name of an angel; name of 10th day and eighth month ABANDOKHT Daughter of Aban ABANHIR Possessing essence of Aban ABENAHAR Water of stream or canal ABETEHI Water from the skies, rain-water ABNAI Sons ANAHITA Stainless, immaculate AREDETFREDHI One having a righteous father; mother of a future saviour ARDVISURA Brilliant waters; name of a river of Iran ; name of the 10th day and eighth month ARENAVACH Daughter of King Jamshed ARMAITI Humility, devotion, piety ARGAVAN Red colour ARMINDOKHT Daughter of fourth son of King Kaikobad ARNAZ Purely graceful ARNAVAZ Holy comforter ARTDOKHT Righteous daughter BANUDADHUSH Lady with justice and intelligence BANUGUL Rose-like lady BANUHURAM Lady with joy; name of hero Rustom's wife BANUHUFRIZ Well-born lady BENAFSHA The violet flower BEHMANBANU Lady with a good mind BEHRUZ Good day BEHZAD Well born; name of a horse BEHAFRID Well created BOMANDOKHT Good-minded maiden; daughter of Boman BOSTAN Place of fragrance; garden; name of a book by Sheikh Saadi BANU Lady BANUGUSHNASP Lady who possesses horse; name of a brave daughter of Rustom BAKHTAVAR Fortunate BANUHURURISH Lady shining like the sun a male CHAMAN Garden CHEHERAZAD Of noble descent DADAI A nurse; tutor DADHUSH Born intelligent DADHUSHFARROKH Born with auspicious intelligence DAWLAT Wealth delaram Comfort to hearts. ; lovely woman delbahar Heart of the spring season D ELDAR Keeper of heart; lover DELRUBA Ravishing of heart DELSHAD Of happy heart DELKHUSH Pleasant; cheerful; opener of heart DELARA Adorner of heart; beloved DELBAR Loving ; DELNAVAZ Caresser of heart DELBANU Lady of heart; loving ladv DELAFRUZ Kindler of the heart DEHBANU Village lady sweetheart 11 9I' ' i - ' . ST It \«IN , >¦ B 'Religion; name •bf ’’an angel; name 0/24th day dinbanu ,LaSy of faith DOG DO Daughter; Av. Dugedhra; name of Zarathushtra's mother « i f I : i^ * *QOHAR Essence; nature; GOHARAFRID Created by nature GORDAFRND Created as a hero; name of an. Iranian heroine who fought against Sohrab GORDIEH A woman warrior GUL’ Flower; rose GULAFRUZ Dazzling like a flower GULAFSAN Rose fable GULAFSHAN Di'spersing like a flower GULANDAM Having the form of a flower; HORMAZBANU slender, delicate GULBADAN . Having a body like a rose GULBANU Flower-like lady GULBARG A roseleaf GULBAHAR A spring flower GULCHIHR Having a countenance like a rose; name of the beloved of Ao rang GULESTAN Garden of roses; name of book by Sheikh Saadi GULKHANDAN Smiling like a flower GULKHURSHID Sunflower GULLALA The tulip flower GULMOHOR Name of a flowering tree GULNAR Pomegranate GULPAEKAR Rose-faced GULROXAR Rose-faced ; rosy-cheeked GULRUKH ' Rose-faced; ruddy GULSHAN J EH AN AR AY Adorner of the world ' JER Gold JERBANU Lady of gold HVOVI Of the family of Hvov which means 'having good animals'; consort of Zarathushtra HOMA Name of an Iranian bird HO MAI N^me of Kaianian King Bahman's wife HOMAYUN August; royal; blessed Lady bearing the name of God HUFRISH One who possesses much love HUSHANBANU Lady of beauty HUTOSH Well-formed HUTOXI Diligent, industrious; name of King Gushtasp's queen FAHNIK Virtuous FARKHONDA Happy, fortunes FARIDA - Proud FARHANG Knowledge, learning FARZ^AK Learned FE RANG IS Dazzling glory; name of mother of King Kaikhusru FEROZA Victorious 4ER0ZBANU Victorious lady FRANAK Glorious ; name of King Faridun's mother FRENY Beloved; name of one of the delightful spot; daughters of Zarathushtra rose garden GULSHIRIN Sweet like a rose; name of daughter of King Yazdgird who defeated the Arabs for a time GULZAR Garden of flowers GANJ Treasure o o 0 o o IRAN Av. Airya = noble IRANBANU Lady of Iran IRANDOKHT Daughter of Iran IZAD Angel IZADAN Angels JAMRU Harp of monarch ; name of a town near Peshawar KAIDOKHT Daughter^of a king; princess KANIZ Maiden KATAYUN Name of the Queen of King Gushtasp KATIN Belonging to the house KEHERAFRID Made of chestnut or bay colour KERBANU ‘ A lady of felicity, strength and power KESHVAR Country, region KAIANDOKHT Daughter of Kaianian family KHARMEN Hero KHUBCHIHR Good looking KHUBTABA Of good disposition KHUBRUI Of fine features KHURSHID Shining sun; Av. Hvare Khshaetet, KHURSHIDBANU Lady like the sum KHURMAND Possessing glory KHUSHCHIHR Of pleasing face KHUSHNAMA Of nice appearance KHUSHMAND Happy KHUSHTABEH Having pleasant manners 23 *k? i J MAKHMAL* NAZAKAT Velvet ' Elegance, ‘politeness, MAN DANI tenderness Greek name for the Queen of NAZBANU Cyrus the Great Graceful lady MANIJEH NAZNEEN A jewel of a lady; name of Graceful maiden wife of Bizan and daughter NAZCHIHR of Afrasiab Graceful looks Ruby red wine; vermillion MASTI NAZTAB lips of a lovely woman Intoxication; cupidity; pride Shining grace; epithet LALAGUL MEHER applied by Firdousi to Tulip flower The sun; love, kindness, Mushknaz LALEH Tulip; the tulip-shaped pestle used in the Yasna ceremony -- 3^, Ik ' i s s ¦t- > Intoxication; cupidity; pride MEHER The sun; love, kindness, friendship; justice; name of NEKAKHTAR an angel; name of the 16th Of^good stairs day and seventh month MEHERAFRAZ Exalted by love MEHERAFRID Created by love MEHERAFRIN Blessings of the sun MEHERAFRUZ Kindled by love MEHERCHIHR Having features like the sun MEHERKHODA Lord of friendship MEHERKHUDA Grace of God MEHERPAEKAR Of a face like the sun meherokh With a face like the sun MEHERSIMIN MAHAFRID Created great MAHAFRIN Blessing of the moon MAHAZIVER A lady with golden ornaments Having a silvery form like MAHBANU Moon-like lady MAHCHIHR With features like the moon MAHDOKHT Daughter of the moon MAHIN Like the moon MAHINBANU Lady like the moon MAHKHATUN Lady of the moon MAHKHURSHID Moon and sun MAHPAEKAR Having a face like the moon MAH PARI Fairy of the moon MAHPARVIN Moon Pleiades MAHPERVIZ Excellent like the moon MAHRU Having a face like the moon MAHROKH Having a face like the moon MAHSULTAN Moon-monarch MAHTAB Shining moon MAHZARIN Golden moon Meher MORVARID Pearl MUNAVAR Illuminated, bright MEHERANGIZ One that creates love MEHERBANU Lady of love e 24 NEKBAKHT Of good fortune NEKCHIHR Of good appearance NEKDEL Of good heart NEZHAT Pure NURJEHAN Light of the world NURMAHAL Abode of light NAHEED Venus; stainless, immaculate NARENJ Orange NARGES Narcissus NAVAZ One who caresses, soothes; name of a musical instrument NAVAZASH Caressing, soothing PAESANGNU A decorated female PARI Fairy PARENDI An angel of prosperity PARIBANU Fairy-girl PARICHIHR Fairy-faced PARIN Fairy-like PARINDOKHT Daughter of a fairy PARIZAD Born of a fairy PARVANA A butterfly, a moth PARVIN Pleiades ; pearls PARVIZ Victorious; happy; excellent PAYENDEH Permanent POREGAV Having many cows POREMAE Of perfect quality; name of cow that nourished Faridun POURUCHI8TI Full of wisdom; name of daughter of Zarathushtra POYENDEH Swift PURAN Of red colour; successor PURANDOKHT Name of a queen, daughter of Puran •> ¦» X RAKHSHANDEH Shining RAMBANU Lady of joy RAMBEHESHT Paradise of joy RASHIDBANU Sagacious lady RASHNA Rectitude ROBAB A musical instrument ROBEAB Sweeping of waters ROSHAN Bright; shining ROSHANAK Bright woman ROSHANAF Bright ROSHINI Lustre ROXANNE Greek form of Roshan ROXENDA Flashing * * Royal SHAHBANU Queen SHAHDOKHT Daughter of a monarch, princess SHAHNAVAZ Caresser of a King SHAHNAZ Pride of a King SHAHRU Having a face like a sovereign SHAHZAN Royal spouse; virgin wedded, so named in Parsi marriage benediction SHAKER Sweet SHAKERBANU Sweet lady .f 4' Delicate as sweet words SHEHER Learned; month; moon SHEHERBANU Lady of the city . SHEHERDOKHT Learned daughter SHEHERIVAR Power at will ; name of an angel; name df fourth day and sixth month SHEHERNAVAZ Comfort of the city SHEHERNAZ Glory of the city SHIRBANU Brave lady SHIRDOKHT Brave daughter SHIRIN Sweet SHIRINBANU Sweet lady SIMBAR Having a white complexion SIMIN Silvery SIMINDOKHT Silvern girl SINDOKHT Name of a female ancestor of Rustom SAROSH Obedience; an angel; name of 17th day SRUTATFEDHRI Having a farnous father; Av. name of the mother of one of the three saviours of the world SUDABA Having lustrous profit; name of the daughter of King of Hamavaran, and Queen of King Kaus, the Kaianian SUMANNAZ Beautiful lily of the valley; name of the daughter of Kurang, King of Zabulistan, who married King Jamshed SUSAN Lily; fir tree; name of a Turanian dancing girl who trapped Iranian heroes '« » - Havjrp;: a delicate body teumiMa Strong woman; name of hero Rustom's wife and daughter of King of Samangan THRITY Third ope; Av. name for one of the daughters of Zarathushtra TOKHMESARV Having stature like a cypress TURAN Turkestan TUSHNAMAITY Contented mind TUTI Parrot USHTAVAITY Having bliss; name second Gatha YASMIN Jasmine of the VAHBIZ Bestowed by God VANGHUFREDHI Of good parentage; name of mother of future saviour VIRA Heroine VIRBANU Heroic lady VISPANFRAYA Beloved of all ZARINE Golden ZENOBIA A Greek name, possibly from Persian Zimbeh-mce ornament ZER Gold ZAMROD Jamrud, the river of Jam. a town near Peshawar TABENDA Shining TAJ BAN U Lady of the Crown; queen As the list of male names is substantially larger, they will be printed over the next two issues of Parsiana. 15The life span of most languages is limited. Whether it be Gathic, Avestan, Pahlavi or Persian, they all have to bow to the exigencies of time and space. And while it is tme old languages don ’t die, they do, however, fade away. For the Parsis, Gujerati became their mother tongue after being tempest tossed on India ’s hospi ­ table shores. With the arrival of the British, began the corruption of Parsi-Gujerati, a process that has continued to this day and left in its wake a community without a language. In Bombay where the large majority of Parsis stay, the schools no longer teach Gujerati. And except for Gujerat, the langu ­ ages taught in all other Parsi set ­ tlements range from Cantonese to cockney, but not Gujerati. So what is the alternative? N Should we switch to English ? Interviews by Feroza Paymaster and Jeroo Gorimar C - ®/S'? {« '‘^e should keep both. Our fore ­ fathers have been speaking Guje- rati for years. Gujerati is their mother tongue. Switching to Eng ­ lish would make us more westerniz ­ ed. But in the modem world and in the hotel line, English is neces ­ sary. Job opportunities are better. e z 1 Homi Irani, 21, Asst. Steward, Oberoi Sheraton Hotel a Parsi they should talk in Guje ­ rati. We can make out a Parsi by the way he speaks Gujerati. It makes us different. But we should leam correct Gujerati. “Parsi newspapers should be in both languages. So that those who speak Gujerati can improve their We can go abroad and settle. En^ish and those who speak Gujerati is useful only if you work En^ish can improve their Guje- in a Parsi concern. rati. We should also know how “Some Parsis are not proud of to speak Hindi and Marathi. To being Parsis. They prefer to speak a Maharashtrian you should speak ’ ¦ .. ........................... ’ ¦ ’ in Marathi, to the Japanese in Japanese. If we want to settle in Iran, we should leam Persian. ” * • only in English. I don ’t think Gujerati has any religious signi ­ ficance. But when a Parsi meetsS' 1 I » I A fc > .i a 7'" Tehmina Sholapurvala, 74, Housewife ’ “No, we should not switch. We am only a matriculate; I can speak are all not so educated. We should ’ and read English, but I can ’t write i keep both. Gujerati is our mother freely. ” ; tongue. It has no religious im­ portance, but it makes us dif- \ ferent from others. “The Panchayat could use both ; languages. But I think Parsi news ­ papers should be in Gujerati. The j younger generation doesn ’t touch and all those other languages. ' Parsi newspapers, as it is. They Children are heavily burdened. only read The Times of India. In The Bombay Samachar, for in- mi stance, the Parsi columns are in I English. Why? They should be in Gujerati at home. Parsi Gujerati I Gujerati, so we can understand. I should be improved. ” Ms Sholapurvala feels, however, that English is necessary today. “Children should learn English. There would be more jobs then. Gujerati, Marathi and Hindi are important too. But not French “Bombay Gujerati is very bad. I am from Baroda, my husband is from Sholapur. We speak pure Percy Siganporia, 25, Asst. Executive Officer, Tata Finlays “Certainly, we Language is for communication, not to make people distinctive or exclusive. You have to speak and live a language. You should use the language in which you are most fill a form you are expected to say comfortable and which is most widely understood. “Half the people I know cannot read Gujerati or speak it gram ­ matically, ” says Percy who feels be colloquial otherwise it becomes a section of Parsi literature should staid and heavy, 'ipjle only other be in English to cater to the language you should know is younger people. “Older people like Hindi. I find no occasion to use to read Parsi newspapers. Let the Marathi. And certainly not Persian, Parsi press keep the Gujerati because nobody understands it. ” should switch, language. I read the English papers anyway. “As far as I know Gujerati has no religious significance. Even our prayers are not in it. When you Gujerati is your mother tongue, but I speak English all the time. “When you have a language there is no need to purify it. It should Jaloo Sethna, 30, Information Assistant, Govt, of India Tourist Office, Bombay “I would like both. Gujerati has been our mother tongue since we landed in Gujerat. English is a foreign language after all, but it see why we should speak shudh is essential. There should be a Gujerati. Parsi Gujerati is quite balance between the two, so that we keep our identity. ’’ The Parsi papers and the Pancha ­ yat publications should be in both languages, says Ms Sethna, “as the younger generation cannot read or write Gujerati. Don ’t you feel that Parsiana should be in both so that even older people can read it? “Gujerati has no religious signi ­ ficance. It wasn ’t our language in Persia. It is not at all pure. I don ’t sweet. “I am so used to speaking in English that I don ’t feel it makes us anglicized. At times other communities wonder why we don ’t speak Hindi. As for our Marathi, it ’s disgraceful. We should learn Hindi, but not Per ­ sian, really. ” ?t. * 28 V 1 Bi I I f Sil 9 Kaikhushru Gorimar, 63, Insurance Agent “Of coUifse not. We have been speaking Gujerati for generations. It is our mother tongue. English distinctive. To discard Gujerati is an asset, but we should not entirely would make us more discard Gujerati. Most of our re- westernized. ligious literature is in Gujerati. - “For official purposes, such as the forms and pamphlets of the Panchayat, both languages should the national language; be used. Especially for the bene- f ...................... fit of the younger generation. They a little Marathi too. Persian is a think in English. ” Gorimar who sweet language, but it has no can speak, read and write Gujerati value. ” feels Parsi Gujerati is not pure. “just as English ' spoken by the Americans isn ’t. But it makes them “English serves as a lingua franca. It is necessary. It offers more job opportunities. Hindi is ; Parsis should be able to speak it. Maybe Mohur Sidhwa, 18, Student, Kinnaird College “I don ’t think so. Gujerati unites more jobs for English-speaking the community. And unity is what we need right now. We have been speaking Gujerati for 1300 years and English only of late. We should more people. I guess it is a hangovei from the British. In addition tc these two languages, we shoulc know Persian. That is where w« at the very least continue to speak came from originally. And foi Gujerati. Gujerati is more our mother tongue than English ever could be. “Switching to English would make us more westernized. English could be the second langu ­ age. For official purposes we could “Parsi Gujerati is not pure. T( use both, as the older generation improve it, to change the way w< is more comfortable in one, and have been speaking for years, woul'c the younger in the other. English be difficult. ” is necessary because there are those who live in India, I suppose they have to know Indian langu ages to get by. ” Mohur, who is from Lahore speaks a mixture of English, Guje rati and Urdu at home. She says “Parsi Gujerati is not pure. Dinshaw Pavri, 39, Manager, Industrial Press “We should not switch. How many in the community know Zoroastrians, If it ’s not our mothe tongue, than I don ’t know wha Engfish well? We should keep else could be. Speaking Enghsl both languages as English is essen ­ tial as an international language. The Parsi papers and the Pancha ­ yat publications should be in Gujerati and English. “Our Gujerati is not pure; our accent is not quite correct either, ” says Pavri. “But the older genera ­ tion will not tolerate any attempt kani quite fluently. I speak botl at improving the language. Besides “ ~ Gujerati helps to identify us as does not make us westernized. Bu it offers more employment oppor tunities. “I think Parsis should leam t< speak Hindi at the very least a it is the national language. I speal Marathi, Hindi, Punjabi and Kon English and Gujerati at home bu I’m more comfortable in English;5 DINI AVAZ When the Gujerati weekly Parsi Avaz closed down in July 1974, people came to Kaikhushru Das- toor and wept. Their tears bore fruit eighteen months later as a new, more < publication devoted to the esoteric For all practical purposes, the Gujerati contents are a continua ­ tion of Parsi Avaz. We didn ’t keep the same name for this magazine, in deference to the Chiniwala attractive bilingual family ’s wishes. But we wanted to _ --------—----------- have an Avaz somewhere, so we philosophy of llm-e-Kshnum rolled had Dini Avaz. off the presses. Dedicated to the late mystic leader Behramshah _______ _________ Shroff, who founded the movement, 3000-4000 rupees a 'year. To its Dini Avaz or ‘Religious Voice ’ *----- --------------• , promises to take over where modern science stops. “Our magazine is addressed to those who don ’t know the ABC of Zoroastrianism and its mystical science, ” says Dastoor, one of the prime forces behind the magazine and the mystic movement. “What we want to show is that modem today about 150 people attend the science has a limit. It doesn ’t classes. It was here the idea of understand all nature ... it has not starting a magazine was mooted. ” understood even a speck of dust. ” Within the “meagre subscrip- The bi-monthly journal, whose tion ” of twelve rupees a year, the December, is run by a committee of ten “who have a craving to work, ” and is edited by Dosabhai children), said Dastoor. According- Hormusji Desai, “r “nLiu , teacher from Navsari who is an M.A. in Persian and writes Guje ­ rati ghazals, ” says Dastoor. “No trusts have supported us, only individuals. People have donated science turned legal officer in a money voluntarily —anythingjrom leading bank. “Our aim is to show that Zoroastrianism has two inter ­ related sides : our scriptures on the one hand, and on the other our institutions such as the sudreh, kusti, manthra prayers, agiaries, dokhmas and so on. The latter is as important to Zoroastrianism as manashni, gavashni, kunashni (good thoughts, good words, good '‘Tarsi Avaz closed down in June 1974 and was running at a loss of founder, Jehangir Chiniwala, it was a mission. After his death we thought that the chapter was over. But some young people, who are now members of the Dini Avaz committee, wanted to run a class. I then reluctantly opened a class — once a month at Bharda School. We have had 17 sittings so far; Within the “meagre subscrip- - - " ’ ______ J—, first forty-page issue appeared in journal even caters for children. “People tell me; bacchao ne mate koi lakho'' (write something for the a well-known ly the “Children ’s Corner ” article, “What is navjot? ”, is subtitled “the story of a divine power-station. ” “Call us ultra-orthodox if you like, ” says Dastoor, a student of science turned legal officer in five rupees to even 1001. There is no profit motive, no salaries are paid. We ’ll just have to see how well it works out. ” The Gujerati section of the first issue is more erudite than the English. An article on atash-beh- rams describes 16 different kinds of fires with their technical names. __ ___ _______________ , By contrast the English articles deeds). The truths appearing in are more firmly rooted in the 20th ¦ — - - - century. One describes the re ­ lationship between Shroff, whose followers believe he gained spiri- tual knowledge from higher souls tual core of Zoroastrianism by its residing in Iran ’s Mount Dema- adherents and dismissed as vand, and K. R. Cama, the scho ­ lar trained in the Western tradition; Liavvwio, was another talks of the frontiers of always made very clear to the modem science.. Both are attempts to show that mere reason —in this case, physics and linguistics —can never offer ultimate explanations. “The class of readers to whom English is addressed will be entirely different from the Gujerati readers. gavashni, Dini Avaz will be mostly based on llm-e-Kshnum, the mystic science of Zoroastrianism. ” Alternately hailed as the spiri- adherents and dismissed obscure mumbo-jumbo by its de ­ tractors, Ilm-e-Kshnum was not ! puz ­ zled objective viewer. In Dini Avaz this emotional zeal has yielded at last to a more thoughtful explana ­ tion of the doctrine behind the fervour. SANOBER MARKER Let Us Pray^ To Ahura Mazda A book of prayers for Zoro- aslrians in simple English with an exposition of the religion of Zarathushtra By Noshir H. Vajifdar Available from: • Union Press, Homji 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 LF 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. Space donated by a well-wisher 31*'• xt * I Crime and Punishment by Jeroo Gorimar The telephone echoes shrilly in the lonely house by the sea. The waves swish menacingly outside. The Coroner drags himself out of bed. There has been a railway accident. In the blood-streaked dawn, he confronts “death, the only reality I know. ” After ten years of doing so, Homi Chinoy stepped down as Coroner for the city of Bombay. During that calamitous decade, the Coroner ’s Court over which he presided dealt with a reported 40,000 corpses of people who had died sudden or unnatural deaths. It also resulted I in a landmark ruling upheld by the High Court that a party making allegations had the. right to cross- I examine witnesses led by the pro ­ secution, and a 9 p.m. to 4.30 a.m. court session in which two women I demanded possession of the body ! of a man they both claimed to be ¦ their huband. When neither could substantiate their claim, they I agreed to hand the corpse over I to^ the brother of the deceased. I As a coroner I had to invest!- I gate all cases of murder, poison, I hit-and-run accidents ” and the like. Chinoy noted. He was aided by Chinoy: a servant of the Law. a jury comprising people with a ----------- ' sound and robust common sense ” and by doctors who perform post ­ mortems. Post-mortems are con ­ ducted when a complaint is filed alleging foul play or a police re ­ port is submitted to that effect. If the findings reveal “injuries which in the ordinary course of nature would not result in death, ”- an in ­ quest is held to determine the pos ­ sible causes of death. The Coroner ’s duties often con- was religious sentiments, as mcjutuura i>ock saw n SmMdX' round the clock, uuinmanaeer tne body of a Parsi — lady from Doongerwadi. Her brother alleged foul play and the Coroner, accompanied by the Re ­ gistrar and the Assistant Commis ­ sioner of Police, rushed to Hodi- walla Bungli. “The sachkar cere ­ mony had been completed but we took the body to the morgue. There was a great hue and cry about it ... uwcu I appreciate religious sentiment but everything ” to Fr, W. Pereira the a coroner is a servant of the law. .......................- ’ ’ I never allowed communal con ­ siderations to come in my way or let myself be pressured by higher- ups. con- , as wi 3^ - ?^.. “a vety poor family ” and “owed » principal of the Dr. Antonio D’Silva School in Dadar. “He took me under his wing and educated Since it was a Catholic school 1 couldn ’t be educated free, so 1 paid a nominal sum of one anna in the first standard and six annas _ J the sixth. ” Chinoy earned his way through Elphinstone College and the Government Law College by giving tuitions and writing for J the now defunct Bombay Chronicle ¦ and The Morning Standard (now The Indian Express). He started K his legal career in the chambers U of M. C. Chagla, the first Indian S Chief Justice of the Bombay High C°urt, and then in the chambers < of Sir N. P, Engineer, the one-time I Advocate General of India. In 1949 Chinoy was appointed Presidency Magistrate, the youngest man to be elevated to the post. As a magi ­ strate, he delivered two historic judgements. One concerned big ­ amy, which resulted in the all- hidia anti-bigamy act, and the other dealt with the sales tax administra ­ tion, which resulted in an ordinance being passed, the first ever to be done so on the judgement of a Presidency Magistrate. In 1965 he ¦ me. {Photo by Manjula Padmanabhan) Aside from the routine c""zz, the Coroner ’s Court also has to was appointed ’ Coroner and cope with disasters on a larger given three cnc-yeat cAien: Chinoy vividly recalls a train before retiring last November collision one misty morning in r I dv ' Matunga when over 30 bodies lay broke the law. strewn on the tracks and many <* _____ _ more were injured. “We rushed to deaths. ” As to which'he preferred^ the scene as it is our duty to re- t^" ------ , ’ lease the bodies as quickly as possible, ” he notes. Similarly the explosion some years ago at the Alexandra Dock saw his oflfice “My hair has grown grey with experience, ” says the tall, pink- __ ..v cheeked lawyer. His hankering for ed by the cold the law took its root during the i------ independence. “All oped ’ a philosophical Agnation ment were in thelegSVofesrior* ’ tha^gSs ’^mL'^rom'^th ” h cases, was one-year extensions ____ “As a jpagistrate I dealt with those who , , . , ----- As a coroner I , « with sudden and unnatural the lawyer shrugged, “You make your bed and lie in it. ” Now that his life has come to an arid pause. Chinoy would like bar.' his retirement. “One quits the iob come to ®y first love, the He has no regrets about one quits the world. ” UntouSp ; - -_:J greyness of the morgue, the Coroner has devel- tribute my mite. ” He came from and life goes on. ” « \ t a ao X I't §18'';.'.;: "''t ago Ob Or— b P 1 0 o PI \u fl 0DGOO OUD DOD dddooo dDUCSOD niJfltiaa TDD a odd r t o»*fe? the mirror in front of him. The fog. cleared and the Sahib appear- . ed. Then for twelve years there I was a break. .. “He Was working in a cable company when he developed some innovations relating to copper cables'. This prompted him to start and at one time had goods worth several lakhs stored in a godown error that brought him, Ms Noble near the docks. There was a ty- He was an obscure clerk whose near the docks. There was a ty- and his party into disrepute and reported mystical powers dre.W phoon around 1945 and his goods earned him the wrath of the re- around him a devoted, ofttimes were damaged. He was in finan- maining trustees. He instructed fanatic, group of disciples that for cial difficulty and it was during Shroff to contest the seat vacated a transitory moment affected the ' ‘ ' . ...................... course of Parsi history. Before his death last November at the age of 67, Minocher Nus- serwanji Pundole had involved the Bombay Parsi Panchayat in one of its worst crisis and had divid ­ ed the sacred city of Udwada into two warring factions. His follow ­ ers allegedly assaulted the Editor of the Kaiser-e-Hind after his weekly carried a series of articles alleging misconduct in the handl ­ ing of public funds. And it was following is estimated from any- Noble that hounded Shiavax Vakil judges —to 7,000 by some of his for his statements on the Towers disciples. They developed their of Silence. “Some of his disciples were fanatics, ” notes Jimmy Shroff who Ahura Mazda (Glory to God) began but Pundole did not live contested the Panchayat trustee- which they believe if said with to see its completion. He died of ship on Pundole ’s wishes, “but he conviction can work miracles. On a heart attack without achieving - was very broad-minded and sym- their forefinger many of them wear the spiritual renaissance he hoped pathetic to people ’s weaknesses, rings said to comprise seven to bring about. He was against a personality cqlt metals including mercury. On Mystery shrouds the life of most and worship of any individuals ..... - including himself. ” But to his closely-knit, motley group of followers, Pundole was temples they offer sandalwood of amounts ranging upto Rs. 4,000. publication. What * they" term as “Pundole emphasized the im- , his miracles could be construed Demavand Sahebs of Iran, ” noted perative need for every Parsi to by others as the action of a per- several of his disciples gathered regularly visit the agiary and ceptive and intelligent individual, at the Eranee Brothers import and ’ ’ ’ ’ ~ ----- export office on Forbes Street where Pundole used to work. “One had only to know him, to love Parsis to visit sadhus, sais, pirs, how long his movement survives its him,” says Shroff. “It was only durgas and mosques a sign of founder. after having established intimate frustration and a chronic malady Died: Bonti N. Mody, 31, the cycl- contact that I realized there were resulting from an absence of reli- divine forces working on him and gious knowledge. He laboured to every word he uttered whether bring Zoroastrians back to the in seriousness or jest proved true fold. ” to the hilt. ”, ¦ ~ ' /.-I —____ According to Shroff, Pundole peak of fame after Shiavax Vakil Bombay, first communed with the spirits issued his statement on the Bom- one day in 1939 in Cusrow Bang bay Dokhmas in October 1973. while performing the mushkil asan no divo. “When he lifted his head he found that a fog had covered were damaged. He was in finan- : was '(¦ the peak of this crisis that the by Vakil. Vakil had agreed to re ­ Sahib reappeared. The visit affor- ” ’ - - ed Pundole both solace and divine inspiration. In need of money and this alternative was reportedly with children to support, he join- acceptable to all the trustees in- ed the office of Sohrabji Irani, as eluding Ms Noble. Fearing a a typist on a salary of barely 200 Pundolite plot to control the Pan ­ rupees. Irani was the first man to ’ accept him and become his chela.” Soon after his tribe increased and included in its wake two trustees of the Parsi Panchayat, priests and people from all walks of life. His heating up, in Udwada the Pundo ­ lites were facing stiff opposition the Pundolites led by Ms Nelie where between 300—by impartial from the clergy in their efforts to construct an Adaran, a fire-temple that is supposed to complement an atash-behram. After crossing many legal hurdles, construction own set of codes, greeting each other with the words Kshnaothra which they believe if said with conviction can work miracles. On their forefinger many of them wear rings said to comprise sign on condition that Jimmy Guz- der be elected in his place and chayat and its vast assets, the trustees entered the electoral fray en masse and dealt the Pundolites a resounding defeat. While the Bombay election was a messiah who communed with God. “He saw and heafd the seven On auspicious days they travel as a people, but more so of mystics. Pundole ’s disciples are reluctant to talk about their leader to the press or even give his photograph for group to places like Udwada and on the birthdays of certain fire ­ atash-behram every day, Shroff. “He considered the pre- 9? says But however he be viewed today, ¦ his place in the annals of the sent tendency on the part of many community will be determined by Parsis to visit sadhus, sais, pirs, how long his movement survives its “It was only durgas and mosques a sign of founder. ing champion who captained the Maharashtra State team in the 1969 national meet; of multiple head injuries following a freak The Pundolites reached their bicycle accident on January 13 in Mody was on a practice run but while negotiating a turn at high Led by Ms Noble, the Pundolites speed his cycle chain slipped, hurl- made capital gain of the sensitive ing him headlong to the ground, issue and swept the elections for notes Dinyar Jamshedji, president made capital gain of the sensitive 43’r ill! -1 I ir i: (fl ( -ax =s;r.-S--SSS -K- S B^ D. Petit Parsi General Hospita^ ^.^t honorary pro- ^cr^ch,^^* Na'^sXnji' ’Mody,"Bon,i started the lARC races ' &d ”S: —:^^h= fXL'Xr ’oMhe'^n^^^^ Xe ’c&n 5:e" “=’ without any “P’””?'’" Parsi General Hospital, the latter mained a sportsman to his g years. ? tips and never raised issues tha graduate of Bharda New fied car _ would have High Scho~ ’ T:iv,u;«ctnnp College one sport of cyclmg in ote^he and Grant tribute issued y ccHpduled for ceived dip MSCA track meet scheduiea tor January 17 was postponed due to his untimely death. A trophy in memory of Mody has been donated a honorary ophthalmic the KEM Hospital in O ' 1-- edito7 ’of the All India 'I from its He also served at the Bombay till, 1958, Dr ^Cooper been the <------- Journal of Ophthalmology earned the nickname “The dropped from the Asiaii a jnppntion He also sei vcu <al v**- the eleventh hou ,„a the B. D Petit ‘vnlanation he re aion h th platter ~~n to his finger" raised issues that Parsi General Hospital, the latter for close to 30 years. A graduate of Bharda New — ' School, Elnhinstone College Medical College, he re- to be made fro: quite differei ----- 1 model. . the Ceylonese i machines and t to Indians wor well. Y rallies h( abroad, because 1 much faster there. H ¦ge speed of an unmc is 100 km; rarely d ¦ top 120 kin« , . Apart from the difficulties 11 Mill ----- and Grant ivieuicai -- -- nrpnarine the car, is the pron ceived diplomas in about where to practise, from Oxford and London After on the roads, returning to India in l93O and cant p establishing himself, he helped y^^^ r — - . . many students pay thei , y t*..* tUere are so many entrc by the cycling association ys assKiate But „ ,,ia„ee. Ah Mody was a sales manager in tn vears Dr. Rustom J. Patel, you ha y » . . nraetice tr Swadeshi Mills. He f“v^ Keenly interested in research, Dr. ' classes are heli among others, his wife, Khorsted A y Adenwala Oration “"narnw^S was Gold Medal for his study on lens chosen to team at Patiala in March. Died Dr. Schrab Naushiiwan Cooper, 72, the noted list- of a coronary attack on 16th October in Bombay. Dr. Cooper, who served as the Asian rjreswi- tative to < mittee c_ and London. After about anu 1..- practise § 42 there are peopFe wishing to *¦ -1- IxctVXH^ learn —it and advanced classes But she notes, something you 1 1 nf the Hi&h School at you. 1 ot me nigii women. Dunne ’s In stitute. drivers wives enter couldn ’t believe their ears ar plied, “But we l._ - . cars done up. Sam Daruwalla, , captain the State oyclmg pr • ¦ j |,y wife, Mah, the Inter-Zonal meet at He is ..m j Schrab Naushiiwan ---------------- 7 attack on 16th October in Bombay, .^r- Coopej, the International Com- principal Cars {Continued from page 41) using the car on city roads, rnost 1 IZiVCij and bolt has to be tight. You take the risk. I' 7 ” city roads, most things need replacement. nut and bolt has to be tight. You to me uiiciuouvo- ----- take the risk. If you are of Ophthalmic Surgeons and can t For Pure Diamonds jewellers i: ” And it may well be m i 1 „G;r.cn. However, " Bhathena suggested to that they should let the races too. 324, GRANT ROAD, BOMBAY appointed valuers by the 99 have just ha 400 007. TELEPHONE: 371483 government of INDIA