Jul 1992

i>;. * < ____ S: I ¦» MM* I' X s i^. -i' 'te' • 1. •. u < ^-3 II July 1992 Volume 15 Number 1 EDITOR Jehangir R. Patel MANAGING EDITOR Amavaz S. Mama EXECUTIVE EDITOR Parinaz M. Gandhi ASSISTANT EDITOR Roxana A. Mirza DESIGN Kranti Shilotri, Varghese Fernandez MARKETING DIRECTOR Veera Patel ADVERTISING MANAGER Zarin Mistiy ADVERTISING EXECUTIVE Cheryl Sequeira CHIEF EXECUTIVE Rustom Thanavala FINANCE B.L Arora EDP Rohinton E. Daroga CIRCULATION Behram Umrigar MANAGEMENT Jasmine Driver OFFICE Khurshid Panthaki, Patricia D'Silva, Bakhtavar Batliwalla, Nowzer Batliwala, Bindu Pillai, Sugatha S. Kurup, Asha Pillai 2 Readers* Forum 9 Events and Personalities 13 Zoroastrians Abroad 14 If it’s Monday it must be Banaji* s by Parinaz Gandhi 17 Behram Ghista: ambassador of Buddhism by Gustasp Irani 20 The Parsis of Siivassa, Dadra and Nagar Haveli 24 Keeping the community in line by Dosabhai Karaka 33 Wedlock’s end: 4 by K. C. Vajifdar 4 35 Books OFFICE ASSISTANTS Umesh Poojary, Selvan Mark, Sunil Sakhare, Pramod Patil 38 Milestones Cover: Banaji Atash Behram hail Photograph by Homyar Mistry. Homz Prints Parsiana is published by Jehangir R. Patel for Parsiana Publications Pvt Ltd, at C/o H.L.Rochat, Navsari Chambers, ground floor, 39 A.K.Nayak Marg, Fort, Bombay 400001 and printed by him at Kaiser-E-Hind Pvt Ltd, 300 Perin Nariman Street, Bombay 400001. Color processing. Comart Litho­ graphers; and black and white processing, Samir Scantech Pvt Ltd. All rights reserved. Phone: 2048730 Fax: 2042922 For editorial enquiries: 2048183 Telex 11-85710 RABO IN Annual inland subscription Rs 100 for one year (12 issues); Rs 180 for two years (24 issues). Foreign subscription rates: Sea mail Rs 260ZUS $ 12/UK £ 7 for one year, Rs 475ZUS $ 20/UK £ 12 for two years (please allow six months or more from the time of publication); Air mail Rs 550/US $ 24/UK £ 14 (for Pakistan, Indian Rs 290) for one year, Rs 1,050/ US $ 45/UK £ 26 (for Pakistan, Indian Rs 560) for two years. For Indian upcouniry cheques add Rs 5 for bank charges; for US cheques add $ 5; for UK cheques aM £ 3. Cheques and drafts are to be drawn in favor of Parsiema ano posted to.GPO Box 892, Bombay 400001.READERS' FORUM » » » I «!»••*» ’ ¦: - ( ( M * * ’ » > » * ' • , 11 n IM > H i t . » ‘ i I » I f » « I * t , f»r ? M » « * M » ? * ‘ * • * ’ • ¦ p i ‘ J O » • t * * M * •»t»M»> I»»f » 7 ! » • » M r 1 » * to*''**’***-’*’*' Jo f 1 * * • ^ * ' ? » I > I / »M » 7 r < It t«««t f» iltiyf Mt* ’1 4 «•* * * i < I *re ¦ »»»»»»»«» ^^tvl****** ]•’ What is it that makes our physical ken of this greater self (our soul) in a form breathe? We (i.e. our souls) have very demeaning manner by using words I**' been living through centuries, either in like “consumed, ” “destroyed, ” “dis- the physical form on earth or out of it in carded. ” She has also mentioned the iHb- ----------------J -----o ------------------------------- r-_ —. --------------------------------------------------------------r----------- vides a barrier to all the extrasensory vancement of his followers, divine powers and thus the higher or spiritual enough? We certainly do not need to HK faculties of mind lie dormant behind the lessen the powerful effects of our Avesta conscious mind. But if the subconscious by some modern, improvised version of mind were to be tapped during hypnosis prayers. we would remember the past lives in a To have faith in Zarathushtra and to ¦ flash. What about the yogis who ‘astral look upon the immortality of our soul travel ’ while in a trance? Now all this with respect would be the first step to- would not be possible had our minds and wards spiritual progress. H astral bodies been “discarded. ” To dis- card our soul would mean an end to our existence. Regarding paying off karmic debts, we on earth are in no position to judge I was surprised and shocked to read what ¦ that. We suffer or rejoice according to Ms Roshni Anand had written against the H the life we have led on earth, irrespective panthaky of the Bomanji Mevawalla of what is donated, borrowed or lent. Agiary near Victoria Gardens, Byculla, The spiritual and the universal laws are Bombay (“Safeguarding the rights... ” ____ not as simple as Ms Damania makes Readers ’ Forum, Parsiana, April 1992). them out to be. It is the intention and motive behind every deed one has per ­ formed that counts. An individual suf ­ fering hardships on earth does not neces- Zoroastrian. The panthaky of an agiary sarily mean that he was wicked or do- is empowered to disallow any member of nated parts of his body. On the contrary, the community from entering the agiary; he may have been a very good person he is the man who runs the agiary in ^1 and his suffering may be a test to further respects; he is as it were “the captain of prove the spirituality of the soul by being the ship. ” I must congratulate die pan ­ able to withstand hardships and plough thaky for the courageous action he took through life in the best possible way. Suffering is one way by which one can >»» Readers* views are welcome on any subject of interest to the community and should be sent to the Editor, Readers' Forum, Parsiana, G.P.O. Box 892, Bombay 400001. Letters are subject to editing for reasons of space and clarity. Unsigned letters or those without an address will not be published. been living through centuries, either in the physical form on earth or out of it in carded. ” the other world, and remember all the possible arrival of ‘a divine soul ’ to past lives that we have lived. Our physi- change our prayers. Wasn ’t Zarathush- cal body being very cumbersome pro- tra, who did much for the spiritual ad- To have faith in Zarathushtra and to Ms VERA R. DAROGA New Bombay “Safeguarding the rights...” Personally, I feel that the panthaky was within his rights to prevent the entry of a Zoroastrian lady married to a non- “An intact astral body” I would like to point out that Ms Dama- nia ’s concept of an astral body (“An in ­ tact astral body, ” Readers ’ Forum, Par­ siana, April 1992) is rather incorrect. She has stated, “... at death a human prayers which help to a great extent, that any person (whether man or woman) being continues to live in his astral and Regarding “the donor finding it difficult married to an alien caste should not be menul bodies till these are also dis- to sever links with this earth, ” in our reli- allowed. He is well wkhin his rights and carded and he returns again to earth in a physical form... ” when he knew Ms Roshni was married to a non-Zoroastrian. The panthaky of the advance in spirituality along with our Bangalore fire-temple is very particular prayers which help to a great extent, that any person (whether man or woman) to sever links with this earth, ” in our reli ­ gion the after-death ceremonial rites are the trustees of the fire-temple support powerful enough to sever all ties and vi- ' ~ This statement shows how confused brations with this world, leaving the soul the writer is regarding the topic. Who is “he? ” First of all, after death we are no - , . longer considered “human, ” but spiritual souls are concerned. The only logical when there are Parsi boys available. I • " "1 think part of the problem is sex. Our girls cremate is because the dead body is and boys prefer to marry against our considered impure and since we revere marriage rights because they want any- him. Ms Roshni can take legal action but I can ’t definitely say she will win the free to proceed on its way. case! I am very sorry that our Parsi girls “Fire-proof? ” Quite unheard of where prefer to marry outside the community beings. Secondly, the astral and mental reason as to why Zoroastrians do not bodies are nothing but our soul which is t ------„ ' *. . . .. eternal and immortal. If our soul is dis- t ----------- , _ _ carded then who is entering our physical our holy fire we do not pollute it and body who is interested in them. I may be form? Our astral body is the soul, our show disrespect by tossing the dead flesh wrong. They say they are walking with own real self and our physical body, its ~ home, a cage. The fact that we discard our astral bodies means to discard our ­ selves from ourselves. If a soul is so de ­ structible then how is it possible to live either in a physical form or otherwise? in it. The question of something eternal the times and so we should not go against getting “consumed ” by fire just does them! not arise. If fact, we Zoroastrians al- There is another controversy about a ways do have our spiritual fire burning retired brigadier who wanted to steamroll within us. the panthaky of an agiary in Bombay and Ms Damania, in her article, has spo- entered without the proper headgear There is another controversy about a 2 Parsiana July 1992(Parsi topi). His treating the agiary as translating an ancient faith into contem- though it is an army under his command porary society. I " 'J and issuing orders to the pathaky is, I changes in terminology, the articles in think, quite wrong! This hurts the reli- Parsiana could be transposed to any gious feelings of the other behdins! The American Jewish journal, ex-brigadier could do anything within ............... the precincts of his house, not in a reli ­ gious place! I feel very sad that in the name of reform or modernization, some Zoroastrians perform controversial acts! F.K.TARAPOSE Madiu not lead us to the path of broadminded- In fact with slight ness. Many Roxan Shahs will have to be sacrificed at the altar of bigotry before the light of truth dawns and a new era of peace is ushered in. Till then let us be I decided to renew my subscription to patient. Parsiana to learn more about Zoroastri ­ anism, not for conversion but for appre ­ ciation of the richness of your ethical heritage. In Judaism we have never world what tolerance and patience mean! claimed to be the sole arbiters of truth These are turbulent times for all. Can and revelation, therefore we do not God reside in the hearts of priests who ; • 2 _ J spew forth venom and condemn innocent - _ -------- -» women when in death and deny them a that M American of the Jewish faith, and just as beloved to God as the High Priest decent funeral? Think and ponder. ** -A _ . . - :-- L 2._.-- j MfOOOLOOR. MEHTA It ’s no use saying the first pioneer in various fields of endeavor was a Parsi. Be a Parsi pioneer today and show the Jewish parallels proselytize. A non-Jew who is devoted Your readers will probably be surprised to loving, kindness, mercy and justice is I' * ¦ ..................... .. ¦ ¦ ; a religious Jew at that, would write a let- of Israel. Our rabbis teach that each ter to Parsiana. They might even be people has a covenant with God. When I more surprised that this religious Ameri- i can Jew subscribes to Parsiana. But I do, faith and culture I can sinco-ely appreci- I am a numismatist and a fellow of the and how I came to be interested in the ate this dictum. Dtstephenm-mallinger Royal Numismatic Society, London. I Parsi community may also be of interest. Pemuyivanu, usa am especially interested in Achaeme- Over 20 years ago, as a graduate stu- nian, Parthian and Sasanian Zoroastrian dent I lived in India for six months and "Twe PorseeS.J^ coins and was instrumental in bringing worked with the Jewish community of How many of the members of our com- distinguished numismatists like Dr A. D. Bombay. I was Uving in the BycuUa s^- munity saw the documentary The H. Bivar, Dr Kreyenbroek, Dr Simms- tion of Bombay, a section filled with Parsees — The Zoroastrians of Bombay Williams, Ms Susan Tyler-Smith, David temples, churches, synagogues and telecast on the Star TV network? What I Sellwood, etc to the Zoroastrian House, mo^ues. Each morning for me was an ____ ___j ____ excitin^ta^s^ of the human experi- an attempt) depicting*^the tj^icarBom- as I was quietly praying on my balcony I the apartment house across the street. Dressed in white and wearing a strange looking hat, holding a small book in his hands, he was quietly praying. I thought looked like a fundamentalist padre spew- he was Jewish and enquired about him i,,^ 2_.2. ____ __ with one of iny Bene Israel friends. Ire- hj^onious* ’religron. a Parsi. The Parsis are a very ancient Imran to our temple and said in Urdu" read about your efforts to preserve your Sasanian COlnS faith and culture 1 can sinco'ely appreci ­ ate this dictum. Dtsiephen m. malunger Peniuylvania, USA **The Parsecs,,,^* saw was a good attempt (mind you, only London for lectures. . ----- 1—-r ) ™ Nfr Furdooiyee D. J. Panick was the ence. One morning, soon after I amved, bay Parsi. first Zoroastrian to produce his master- . - I am afraid the interviewees were not piece Saranian Coior in 1923; and is to impressive. Hilla Sethna was giggling this day referred to by eipinent nn mism a- t onarfmont *1... ... like g school gfrl though she was trying tists the world over. David Sellwood, to be very erudite. Dastuiji Kotwal was author of Sassanian Coins and also at his sanctimonious, pompous best and Parthian Coins, has updated F. D. J. ing forth dogmas about our b^utifui and ceived the following reply, “Oh no, he is married to a Muslim, who "took her cWld r "—’ . community, highly respected for their industry, ethics and devotion to educa- tion... a go(^ i^ple similar in many What did she expect? There are rules and doonjee D. J. Panick who produced his ways to the Children of Israel. ” Fasci- i—'......... ............................ nated by a people of whom I until then erately do something insincere (not un- culties 69 years aeo! JmAw nnthinn T ikon \ _ j • .. .. . « . . _ . . . - ® about the community and their faith. Al ­ though I never had the privilege and op- __________ ____ __ _ portunity to visit an agiary or observe the clean, he is a child of G^, but why siwil rituals firsthand, I have kept up my inter- f’-=--------' ....................... - est in your community. i Perhaps the most fascinating aspect of better to have avoided taking him to the It is only with the combined resources of Parsiism to me IS the similarity to the ------- . . .. . _ Jewish community. Both were exiled from their origind homeland, both em- _________ _______ _ phasize family, faith, education, industry learn to believe that all religions and pride in heritage, both have been persecuted, both continue to use ances ­ tral languages for their liturgy, both have problems of intermarriage, conversion, _______ ___ _ assimilation arid both have great tasks of worth! A policy of confrontation will Panick ’s book of 1923. Parsiana could occasionally carry ex- That Parsi lady tracts from F. D. J. Panick ’s book as he covers not only coins but also other is ­ sues of Zoroastrian interest like art, tap- 'Tmran wahan mat jao," deserved estry, history of our Zoroastrian kings, the scolding she got from the Driest, etc. Let not forget this great man Fur ­ regulations in every religion. Why delib- masterpiece under severe financial diffi- the scolding she got from the priest. knew nothing, I then began to learn holy) and invite the wrath of the dogma- thp. rnintniinitv anH thAii* No madam, your little boy is not un- I wish that fellow Zoroastrians would not use Parsiana to wash their dirty linen in public! There is so much to be done to , . improve the lot of our poor, handi- his image of our religion by making him capped, disabled, terminally sick Zoroas- I trians who need help now and can ’t wait! a scapegoat? Would it not have been agiary and yet taught him at home the Zoroastrians the world over that we can vast beauty of thought in our Zoroastrian improve the lot of our poor Parsi and ethos? Till the rules change and people Zoroastrian brethren in Gujarat, Mahar- , _ ..... . . gfg g ashtra,etc. noshirp.patel message of love and harmony given by Middie$«,UK various prophets at diffwent times in his ­ tory for the spiritual growth of mankind, Navjote at Visakhapatnam .1 I— c V-* .L. Undaunted by the disasfrous experience of the earlier family navjote during the let us respect the rules for what they are 4 Parsiana July 1992 ashtra, etc.devastating cyclone of 1990, the stal- 23 years. We give financial help to wart of the Kapadia clan of Visakhapat- nam, Sorabji Bomanshaw Kapadia, cele ­ brated the navjote of his younger grand ­ son Naushirwan around the same time in Vizag this year. Though Naushirwan ’s parents had al- guardians to bear the entire cost of edu- ready booked a baug at Bombay, they eating their children. Therefore the de- handled much pharmaceutical literature, bowed to his wishes and Sorabji came all mands on our Fund are constantly in- Among its leading clients are Bharat Pe- the way to Bombay to arrange for the creasing. troleum, Zuari and Hoechst. Creative same two priests, Ervad Yezdi Pestonji Panthaki and Ervad Jamshedji (Jemi) generous persons, the donations received recording studio. Jehangirji Charna to travel to Vizag with by us are also growing, enabling us to his son Russy and other members of the give financial help to an increasing num ­ family. The trip during the 1990 cyclone ber of students. Our resources, however, had taken six traumatic days but this are limited, and we cannot meet the full time the party reached Vizag after two requirements of all applicants, nights ’ journey, at 4 o ’clock in the mom- - ing. The navjote ceremony was performed in the hall of the three-star Hotel Apsara quantum of help to be given to individu- i“ *'--------------- '¦ _ _ ' ¦ about 300 people which included the mayor, naval officers from the Eastern Naval Command, government officials, businessmen, relatives and all the mem ­ bers of the Parsi community present in abroad. gentleness. Hd? was noted for his lack of Vizag. The guests raised numerous ques- Our accounts are regularly audited aggressiveness — the hallmark of his tions regarding the applicability of the and we can submit to you copies of our profession. religion to modem times and its stand in statement of accounts and financial re- A less-known facet of Mr Nariel- comparison to other religions. port from which you will gather that we wala ’s early days was a soccer bulletin | On the entertainment side, the liquor are utilizing more than 85 percent of our he brought out and distributed- free to < the buffet spread on the spacious lawns of the hotel, sumptuous. Ervad YEZDI PESTONJI F. PANTHAKI Patel Agiary needs funds Our Patel Agiary completes 150 years on drawn in favor of “Mancherji Joshi rived his surname from his roots in Ker- Sunday, May 9, 1993. It is the oldest Memorial Education Fund ’’ and should ala ’s Alleppey where his family had a Agiary in Poona, established and nour- be crossed and made account payee only, thriving business. n.sekar ished by my ancestors. Poona now has a They should be sent to the undersigned very large Zoroastrian population and we at 614, Jame Jamshed Road, Mancherji EvOCatlvC SOngS wish them to cherish and sustain this Joshi Parsi Colony, Dadar, Bombay By chance I came across at Chor Bazar a Our official receipt for the couple of old Parsi Gujarati songs on 75 RPM records. They need to be played.on a gramophone. (Remember the instm- ment which has to be wound by a - r crooked L-shape handle?) of Sardar S. R. Patel Agiary Fund ’’ and Mr Piloo D. Narielwala, a veteran adver- The songs — Goto golab ne cham- sent to the undersigned at 613/B, Nana rising professional, passed away on June pano har, Jer Jehangir no jagdo, Ek eda Peril, Poona 411002 28, 1992 at the age of 64 after a terminal ni Jadai, Tapeli chula per - pluck the Dastur HORMUZDIAR N. K. DASTUR illnacc __ j n______ ______ e Chainnan-cum-managing trustee Sardar Sorabji Ratanji Patel Agiary, Poona Help for students With the blessings of the late Mancherji he joined Burmah Shell (now Bharat Pe- Edulji Joshi, founder of the Dadar Parsi troleum) and left the oil company to start Colony and a ^eat social worker, the Aiyars Advertising in 1959. When ........„v ..va.u Mancherji Joshi Memorial Education Aiyars collaborated with London Press Goto golab played in anyone ’s house in .o H... the Soonawalla Mohalla at Khetwadi, we came the managing director of LPE- needy and deserving Parsi Zoroastrian Aiyars which was one of the fastest students for their school and college edu ­ cation. As costs are spiralling, it becomes more and more difficult for the parents/ growing ad agencies of the time, han ­ dling some of the plum national ac ­ counts. Mr Narielwala started Creative Work ­ shop, a partnership firm, in 1969 which i mands on our Fund are constantly in ­ creasing. Thanks to benevolent institutions and Workshop also has a modem in-house Mr Narielwala was a self-effacing person, committed to clients whom he never chased for business or ingratiated himself with to retain accounts. He was an ad consultant; not an agent. For him, successful advertising meant meeting the This, therefore, is an appeal for gener ­ ous donations to enable us to reach out to clients ’ objectives, not winning awards, more students and also to augment the He won their trust by looking at the busi ­ ness from their angle. His cheerful and helpful nature is reflected in the personal bonds he forged with his clients to whom he was a family friend. He avoided self- i in the presence of an august gathering of als according to their needs and merit. Last year we gave educational aid to 180 students, totalling Rs 1,00,000 which included Rs 18,000 given to two students projection and interfaced with people at for studies in their specialized field all levels with extreme consideration and abroad. Our accounts are regularly audited statement of accounts and financial re ­ port from which you will gather that we are utilizing more than 85 percent of our he brought out and distributed- free to total income for such aid, while the fans at Cooperage. The bulletin carried amount spent for administrative purposes is minimal. Thus our donors are ensured that every rupee they give is utilized for struggling youngster. The cost-plus the purpose of education. recovered through advertisements, a Cheques for donations should be technique much in vogue today. He de- ' e_____ <____ i____ •• t i ¦ .... „ . . . * evocative sketches by Mr R. K. Laxman who charged a nominal fee to help out a i was crossed and made account payee only, thriving business. 614, Jame Jamshed Road, Mancherji EvOCatlVC SOngS place of worship for many years to come. The building is badly in need of re ­ pairs. I am therefore appealing to you to ately. jalkhan contribute towards its repair and furnish ­ ing, Cheques may be made in the name Nsrielwala’s Creativity of “Sardar S. R. Patel Agiary Fund ’’ and Mr Piloo D. Narielwala, a veteran adver- 400014. r - •' •_ - ¦ donation will be sent to you immedi- 28, 1992 at the age of 64 after a terminal i ' ''' illness. Educated in Bombay and Banga- strings of your heart. Even those in the 30-40 years age- group may not have heard of these songs. What a pity. It is a must for those who want a whiff of bygone days of baWajis in mohallas. In my childhood, whenever we heard lore, he started working at a young age, beginning with D. J. Keymer, a front ­ ranking ad agency in the ’50s. In 1955. Fund is doing excellent work for the last Exchange in 1963, Mr Narielwala be- 6 Parsiana July 1992 Ithe elections) and Jawaharlal Nehru elected Prime Minister of India. knew there was a birthday and that sev person like JRD would be an asset and in (vermicelli fried in such a way that even would guide the government with practi- provincial Congress an Italian won ’t recognize it) and dahi cal and pragmatic suggestions. Thereafter various S-o^s (yoghurt) would come to our house. So ‘Jn far we have had eminent Hindu, committees were asked to elect their can- no broon maska (bread-butter) for break- a..u fast that day. We would patiently w^t eupy <^0. Why Bombay for the dahi and sev, generously gar- J* nished with fried shavings of almonds [those were the days when almond generousjy, shaping various mamro ( ” at two rupees a kilo]. Ek eda ni ladai, 9 literary barrage, will make you enjoy the early morning would guide the government with practi- So far we have had eminent Hindu, committees were asked to elect tneir can- Muslim and Sikh representatives to oc- didates for the post of chief ministers of notaParsi? . . r, „ The Parsi community has contributed Pradesh Congress Committee, r. H. .a educational Nariman, who had fought and suffered a and offering great deal for the freedom movement was expected to be chosen as the first vivvu c.K. ..............................J -.o- ______ chief minister of Bombay. But somehow Soup'S^Hos^tSir the ! j7 School of Mr B. G. Kher, a solicitor of Bombay fights between es'tranged neighbors; no Arts, the Bhabha Atomic Research who was comparatively unknown tdl , sending of expensive legal notices then. Centre and the Tata Institute of Social then, was elected chief minister of Bom- Tan^li chula per is a regular anthology of Sciences. They have contributed eminent bay. ! forgotten Parsi cuisine^ doctors and scientists like Homi Bhabha Sir H. P. Modi was the only eminent I I was inspired so I got these records and Homi Sethna, as also administrators Parsi to be appointed as the governor of taped by Behram Mistry. The tapes are and politicians. They have produced Uttar ^Pradesh ^during Nehrus regim available at cost at Yazdani Bakery, eminent national leaders like Dadabhoy Cawasji Patel Street, Fort, Bombay Naoroji, Sir Pherozeshah Mehta and 400001. z. M. ZEND Mme Bhicaiji Cama who contributed a j For a Parsi President i I feel Bharat Rama J. R. D. Tata would _ _ ’ have been the ideal choice for the ixjst of vation of seats in government institu- i President of India. He is a leading Indus- L_ , trialist, respected in business and Indus- thing, trial circles not only in India, but all over the world. Now that our government is thinking of a progressive economy, a (superior quality) was available and medical institutions munificent scholarships irrespective of caste, creed and community e.g. the J. J. the Bhabha ’ Atomic Research who was comparatively unknown till I eminent national leaders like Dadabhoy from 1947 to 1952. 1 C. S. Bhabha was the only cabinet iriii.v x^t.avt*. * ^u....v. ______________ I minister in the central government and lot to the freedom struggle. When other after him there has been no^Parsi gentle ­ minorities were asking for various privi ­ leges like separate electorates and reser- tions, the Parsis never asked for any- In 1947, when India attained freedom, the Indian National Congress formed the central government (due to their majority man as cabinet minister at the center. It would have been an act of grace and confidence and fair play if the most eminent Parsi J. R. D. Tata had been chosen for the highest office in the land i.e. of the President of India. ' S. V. GULVADI - Gokak Rotary Screw Air Compressors Crawlairs and Blasthole Drills Portable Compressors Process Gas Compressors I |- -| f i' Water Well Drills 9 9 1/ ? 4' A — ft -I * I Air and Gas Compressors • Construction & Mining Equipment INGERSOLL-RAND Ingersoll-Rand (India) Ltd., Maybaker House, S-K. Ahire Marg, Bombay 400 025 7 Parsiana July 1992 IIL191JS IEvents and Personalities Operation Sahara Losing one of the team mem ­ bers in the desert, going with ­ out water for three days, en ­ countering bandits along the way and pushing their two- wheelers over long distances of calf-deep sand were only some of the problems over ­ come by the six intrepid Indi ­ ans — with Neville Darukha- nawala at the helm — who crossed the Sahara desert from the north to the south on their 100 cc Kinetic Honda scoot ­ ers. They created automotive history in the world when they traversed this path on their Kinetic Hondas, notes a press release from Car and Bike In­ ternational magazine. This expedition was the brainchild of Adil Darukha- nawala, the editor of Car and Bike International, who de ­ puted four members oP his publication: brother Neville, the sports editor of Car and Bike; Dilip Bam, road test edi ­ tor of the magazine; Roland D’Souza, the magazine ’s edi ­ torial coordinator and Farookh Shaikh, associate editor of the Pedal Power section of the publication. Additionally the team benefitted from the expe- rience of ace two-wheeler ral- HoUSing CrUSHdC lyist C. K. Chinnappa from Neville Darukhanawala (top, center) with his teammates who “Three thousand applicants on Bangalore and an Indian Air made history in the Sahara desert on their Kinetic Honda Force bomber pilot Wing scooters (below) Commander Koka Rahul Rao from Delhi. The members took turns rid ­ ing the two Kinetic Hondas, with Rao trie push button start. Special ‘knobby ’ driving the Mercedes Benz 240 GD jeep patterned tyres for the desert soil and an as escort. The distinctive mark of this journey made on the Kinetic Hondas before they was the team ’s use of the small-wheeled, small-engined Kinetic Honda known for ft w- I * i sandy wastes and thick equato ­ rial jungles. The marathon 5,995 km I distance from Casablanca in j Morocco to the Nigerian capi- I tai Lagos was traversed in just I 22 days instead of the antici- I pated 42. The journey which I began on December 19 last I year meant that the sextet had I to brave severe winter condi- I tions. En route to Algiers Ch- I innappa, who was riding in sub-zefo temperatures with three pairs of gloves, -found it “so cold that my fingers were frozen in a throttle grip throughout the next two days, ” he reports. Conversely riding through a sandstorm gave the members an experience of wading through a furnace! Riled for setting out on such a “foolhardy ” venture, the group had to endure additional penal ­ ties for risking this journey and offer bribes at almost ev ­ ery check post in monetary terms or by way of a song and dance. The ordeal finally ended on January 9 this year when the team entered Lagos to a standing ovation from the Honda staff, the release further informs. I the files of the Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) have been led along the primrose path of its strong chassis, light weight and elec- promises for several years. Many of them have given up the quest in frustra ­ tion and disgust. Others are still floun- additional headlight were the alterations dering in the slog of despond. We have, therefore, felt that if all the articles on this subject are compiled in the form of a booklet, the BPP and Mr Justice Bakhta- crossed the formidable desert over vary ­ ing terrains including rocky mountains. 9 Parsiana July 1992 i'I war Lentin (the ombudsman of impec- even at midnight, ” says Bakhtiar Keki him a suitable combination of subjects at cable integrity appointed by the BPP to Dadabhoy, divisional operating superin- the UPSC exam where he ranked hear grievances from disgruntled parties I ’ •••--. - •• — who feel they should have qualified for a 28-year-old class I gazetted officer of the flat but have not been granted one) central government who is affiliated to painting, chess arid astrology. A keen swimmer and tennis player, he had also dabhoy is now represented his school in table-tennis at working in the the junior level, informs his bio data. Bombay division at Bombay Cen- Veteran winner tral. As one of The only athlete to win four gold medals the few Parsis in at the Seventh Asian Veteran Athletic the higher ad- Championships was Calcutta ’s Ms Pro- ministrative serv ­ ices of the Gov ­ ernment of India, press release from the family. Dadabhoy has At the four-day meet from June 11-14, 1992 held at the Toa Payoh Stadium in Singapore, Mehta participated in four events (the maximum permissible for any contestant) in the 35-39-year age- group. She set a new Asian Veterans ’ record in the triple jump with her leap of tendent with the Western Railway. The amongst the top 300 candidates. ' Bakhtiar ’s other interests include oil would have a better opportunity to study the Indian Railway Traffic Service, Da- the whole matter in depth and find out what has gone wrong, where and how. If our efforts succeed in fulfilling this aim, we shall consider it a matter of service to those members of our community who have approached us with their griev ­ ances, ” writes Jehan Daruwala, editor of The Bombay Samachar in his introduc ­ tion to the 49-page booklet. Housing Pol­ icy of the BPP, brought out in mid 1992. Reproduced in the booklet are scores of letters complaining against the anoma ­ lies of the BPP’s merit rating system; the sale of flats at Spenta on Gibbs Road; the pointment involves planning the routes unauthorized occupancy of flats in cer ­ tain Parsi bangs; the disuse of certain flats left locked and unoccupied for long gaon routes on the Taptiwali section, intervals; the demand for donations to ­ wards the construction of the Godrej Bang agiary; the appointment of an om ­ budsman... The responses elicited by the ice) is by means of a civil service exami- authorities have also been carried. All nation conducted by the Union Public such correspondence had originally ap- Service Commission (UPSC), a constitu- peared in the weekly Parsi Tari Arsi col- tional body to recruit among others, top umns of The Bombay Samachar from brains for the government ’s administra- February 1990 to April 1992. tive apparatus, ” notes a letter from Bakh- “These are the matters which need a tiar ’s father Keki, director general, thorough probe and full explanationjor civil defence, ministry of home affairs ’ “This is perhaps the most competitive and taxing examination in the country with a three-stage selection procedure 1 has offered his assistance to any one seeking to join the civil services. His present ap- and coordinating the movement of trains on the Bombay to Surat and Surat to Jal- “Recruitment to the...class I services of the central government (which in ­ cludes the Indian Railway Traffic Serv- the satisfaction of the community. The general belief in the community is that some of the measures and remedies taken up by the BPP are the quick-fix type of which takes a full year to complete, ” he solutions which solve nothing but only writes from Delhi. Competition is intense aggravate and accentuate the problems and miseries of the people, ” Daruwala writes. Suggested solutions and recommenda ­ tions to ease the pressure on housing stage, about 10,000 to 11,000 become have also been put forth in the booklet. “It is self-evident that in public life, one has to be responsible and ready to accept criticism. Those persons and the newspaper who point out these facts are medical examination consists of about doing it in public interest. They are actu- 800-850 candidates. To get a coveted al 1 - ally helping the trustees by bringing to India or central service appointment (in- their notice that things have gone wrong come tax, railways, audits and accounts, in spite of all the care and precaution etc), one has to find a place among the taken by them. This is being done as a first 300 successful candidates, ” the let- among fresh graduates, postgraduates and professionals from the science, com ­ merce and arts streams. “From about 3.5 lakh aspirants at the preliminary exam eligible to write the main examination. From these about 1,700-1,800 are called for an interview/personality test. The fi­ nal list of successful candidates after a chy N. Mehta who was acclaimed the most successful participant, informs a 1*1 1 7^ i 1 Oli I p Mehta (center): another gold for the record winner 8.98 m. Additionally she came first in the 100 m, 200 m and 400 m races. Her . . - -• .. r .... ------ „ .... inclusion in the relay team which came taken by them. This is being done as a first 300 successful candidates, ” the let- third won her an additional bronze, moral duty. No thanks are expected for ter further informs. Retaining her active association with It, but our only request is that the criti- A first-class student throughout his sports for nearly 27 years, 38-year-old cism or the presentation of facts should - ¦ not be taken in bad grace, ” Daruwala stood third in his Bachelor of Arts clanfies in the booklet. In coveted service “It ’s a 24-hour job with calls to attend to A first-class student I’ \ _____ school^ and college career, Bakhtiar Mehta is currently vice president of,the “ h:; .‘...s ex ­ aminations, graduating in economics from the Hindu College, Delhi. His post ­ graduation was in sociology. The reason for this change, he explains, was to give Women ’s Basketball Association of West Bengal. Under coach Santanu Biswas the athlete works out for two to three hours at a stretch, six days a week continued on page 29 11 Parsiana July 1992ZOROASTRIANS ABROAD The Moment of Pride “The Atash Kadeh was built and they designs, sound and lights put together by came. Zarthoshtis as far as the eye could see. The hard work of laying the cornerstone celebration was a Farsi rendition of Damkevala, of cooperation and coexistence between Beethoven ’s Ode to Joy, urging the gath- the Persian and Indian/Pakistani ering to shed their cultural differences Zarthoshtis, bore fruit on that pleasant and join together in a fraternal bond. day in March when the fire was lit by the mobeds at the Atash Kadeh, ” notes the colorful ethnic dance depicting spring, gust newsletter. Chicago high priest Er- May newsletter of the Zarthoshti Anju- informs the newsletter. The day ended vad Dr Kersey Antia continues on the man of Northern California (ZANC). with the 700 guests participating in a cel- board. Members at large include Ms The opening of the Atash Kadeh in ebratory dinner. The whole proceedings Dilshad Antia, Shahroakh Bankwalla, San Jose on March 28, 1992 marked not were professionally videotaped and pho- just the building of one more edifice but tographed, the set. The Moment of Pride, the proof that given the will, Parsi and being available against a donation of $ Mehroo Patel, Ms Roshan Patel and Ms Iranian Zoroastrians could be creative 50. And now the PZO and ZANC are Dinaz Weber. together. looking out for a caretaker priest, fluent A significant amendment in the The Atash Kadeh was sanctified with in English and willing to learn Farsi. constitution has been proposed by the a jashan performed by 10 officiating priests representing both communities, scheduled to be held at the Atash Kadeh who fails to attend four consecutive “Witness the occasion today, and you and the momentum carried over to the board meetings or 50 percent of the will see the fiuits of our joint efforts and Sunday School where the students were meets in one year, automatically ceases ability to get along, ” noted ZANC presi- initiated into the art of making sudrehs to be a member of the board. The dent Feroze Bhandara in his inaugural and kustis during May by Pervez and amendment could not be put to vote at address. Shirin Mody. the annual general meeting for lack of a “Both our communities share com- . . quorum. A mail ballot has been circu- mon goals and concerns, and working The growing Community lated in the July newsletter. The news- jointly will go a long way towards giving The Chicago community at last count letter also carries a warning of com- a lasting foundation to the Zoroastrian numbered about 550 Zoroastrian men plaints from the Darbe Mehr neighbors community in North America. “Ours is a cross-cultural marriage and Bomi Damkevala of the Zoroastrian As- as well as private functions, we have to make it succeed. First by sociation of Metropolitan Chicago understanding our cultural differences, (ZAC) in their June newsletter. A major- President SCholur DeboO second by fostering trust and tolerance ity of the newcomers have found homes for each other ’s ways. within a 15-mile radius of the Darbe “Our goal and emphasis should be a Mehr at Hinsdale, he adds. policy of cooperation for the sake of our children and youth. We do not want to creasing participation in interfaith dia- lose them to the outside through inter- logue. Members of the Interfaith Dia- gratulatory mailgram from President marriage or other influences. Let us start logue Committee were scheduled to visit George Bush to Ms Shanaya Deboo, a by using the facilities here for the benefit the Darbe Mehr in June with a presenta- high school graduate, in New Canaan, of our children who in turn can start to tion by Kayomarsh Mehta and others on Connecticut. The missive placed Deboo break down the barriers growing up as the cards. Also, with the second Parlia- among the elite 141 students from the Zoroastrian Americans. I propose that in ment of World ’s Religions being due in United States considered the cream of the future we sponsor common events for Chicago in 1993, ZAC has established a the 1992 batch of high school graduates our children and youth, ” Bhandara was temporary new fund to meet the ex- optimistic. penses connected with the event next The newsletter relates how the Atash September. Kadeh was built with the joint efforts of ZANC and the Persian 2^roastrian Or ­ ganization (PZO), ever since the con ­ struction began a year ago. The collabo ­ ration goes further back as the two com ­ munities joined hands to create the funds of $ 25 per name to be made by August the basis of academic andTartistic essential for the task. 14. Individual prayers have also been When it came to dressing up the Atash provided for at the rate of $ 300 for the Kadeh for the function Dr Homai Kasad five days, to be performed at the conven- painted a full-length portrait of ience of the priests on a first come first Zarathushtra. Flower garlands, chowk served basis. ZAC’s new board was unanimously There were well-wishers and willing young Zoroastrians proclaimed a elected on June 14. Office bearers for memorable occasion. A highlight of the the 1992-94 term include president Bomi vice-president Pesi Vazifdar, secretary Rumi Jamsetjee, treasurer Ms Arnavaz Elavia, assistant secretary Ms Anahita Antia, assistant The Persian youth then performed a treasurer Minoo Press, informs their Au- and Hosi Mehta, Kayomarsh Mehta, Ms Roxana Mehta, Keikhosrow Mobed, Ms looking out for a caretaker priest, fluent in English and willing to learn Farsi. Muktad prayers have already been board to the effect that a board member scheduled to be held at the Atash Kadeh women and children, notes president regarding littering and noise during ZAC Bomi Damkevala of the Zoroastrian As- we have to make it succeed. First by sociation of Metropolitan Chicago A regular feature at ZAC has been in- “My Commission on Presidential Schol ­ ars has determined that you have made outstanding achievements and is recog ­ nizing you as representing the finest in American education, ” notes the con- by using the facilities here for the benefit the Darbe Mehr in June with a presenta ­ tion by Kayomarsh Mehta and others on the cards. Also, with the second Parlia ­ ment of World ’s Religions being due in across the country. Handpicked by the group of eminent private citizens who constitute the Com ­ mission, the finalists comprise one young Muktad prayers on each of the five Gatha days have been planned at the man and one young woman from each Darbe Mehr, informs the July newsletter. For the inclusion of the names of the de ­ ceased ZAC has requested a contribution Rico and US families living abroad, on ____ ; suc ­ cess, leadership and involvement in school and community, informs a press release. The final selection was made continued on page 16 state of the US federation, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto 13 Parsiana July 1992i RELIGION COVER STORY I i If it’s Monday, it must be Banaji’s Parinaz Gandhi A new cult figure named Jalbawa lures crowds to the Banaji Atash Behram on Monday evenings mufl every Monday, accompanied by his wife, and occasionally by his daughter too with a ''murad ke baal bachha saath^ sukhi rahiy^ (a wish to live happily with the family). ” Irani, a storekeeper at the B. D. Petit Parsee General Hospital, . too has been coming here over three to four years. While he was seated in the lobby outside, his wife, daughter and son-in-law * were inside the dadgah room mmill while the boi ceremony for the adarian was in progress. He men­ tions that his son-in-law who is a panthaky at the Thoothi Agiary at Walkeshwar also comes here regularly because he has faith. The important crite ­ rion is "khara antakaran saathe aavanu "'Maai, rupiyo aapjo” a beggar outside the Banaji Atash Behram pleads for alms. When she asks for a rupee, she is re ­ warded with two! The donor even looks around to see if she can aid any other bystander. Such is the magnanimity wit ­ nessed on a Monday evening at the Banaji Atash Behram. Mon ­ day evening is of special signifi ­ cance here for it is Jalbawa time. The twilight hours in the Aiwisruthrem Gah (from sunset to midnight) on Mondays is the time when swarms of devotees visit the Banaji Atash Behram with a prayer on their lips and a wish in Banaji Atash Behram: gaining popularity their hearts. There is a growing belief that wishes made in Jalbawa ’s name, dur­ ing the boi ceremony (when the fires are kari sakiye (If there is faith, what can we (come with genuine feelings), ” he stresses fed with sandalwood) in the Aiwis ­ ruthrem Gah, are fulfilled. Of Jalbawa as a person, nothing is known, yet in his powers is reposited considerable faith, weekly trips have been rewarded with fa- The faith usually starts with one individ ­ ual whose success story inspires the other members in his family, his neighbors, his Jalbawa. They only know that they re ­ office colleagues, his... to try their luck. While initially it was a select follow ­ ing that came to the Atash Behram relig ­ iously on Mondays, as word spread it has seek solace at the Atash Behram. Poone- become a mass phenomenon, more so in the last four to five months. Nearly 200 three years back he was advised by ^fvad doctors had given up hope as he lay in a Zoroastrians come to the Atash Behram Aspi Nalladaru, a boiwalla at the Atash comatose condition following an acci- every Monday from near and faraway Behram, to come regularly for seven or dent. The cousin is now able to attend the Andheri, Vasai, Thane. The trustees of nine Mondays, then take a break for one the Atash Behram are aware of this de ­ velopment but they do not wish to in ­ volve themselves by endorsing or refut- the Banaji * 14 Parsiana July 1992 ing any beliefs. '"Aastha hoi to home su do)? ” managing trustee Burjor Antia asks drawing an analogy with the believers a rhetorical question. who are drawn to St Michael ’s Church at The devotees who claim that their Mahim where throngs stand in queue for hours on nine consecutive Wednesdays to attend mass and to light a candle, in the vors are unable to confirm whether the credit should go to the atash padshah or hope that their cherished desires will come true. It is not only minor wishes that devo- ceive definite help. Internecine family squabbles have brought many like tees seek to fulfil at the Banaji Atash Tehmuras Poonegar and Sohrab Irani to Behram. Ervad Jehanbux Chithiwalla, a boiwalla at the Atash Behram, relates the gar, now retired from Godrej, says that incident of his cousin ’s recovery after the Atash Behram himself. Ervad Faramroze Monday, and if he so chose, start the Behramkamdin, also a boiwalla at the round again. His abiding faith now con ­ tinues to bring him to the Atash Behram Atash B eh ram, had heard of two cases where after prayers on three consecutivefor success at an examination. But others Mondays, wishes had been fulfilled: In JamaspAsa, a trustee of the Atash one instance of a house burglary, the thief Behram, ruling out any historical or as also Rs 60,000 of the stolen 70,000 mythological reference to Jalbawa. One were traced; in another episode when senior devotee of Jalbawa remembers Uiere were no sign of a boy who was sus- children of yore being instructed to offer pected to have committ^ suicide, his sukhad (sandalwood) in Jalbawa ’s name remains were finally found in a ravine. The help received is not always in the of the same generation discredit this ver ­ nature of miracles. It could be in the form sion. The Aiwisruthrem Gah, informs of right guidance, right approach or right JamaspAsa, is significant for it is the insight People from all walks of life, all time when the Angel Sarosh is propiti- strata of society, and all age-groups con- ated, for protection through the night. On stitute the regular Monday crowd. But not all the coreligionists seen on a Monday c©me for wish fulfilment. One devotee who refused to divulge his iden ­ tity said he had been coming to the Atash Behram for the last nearly three months behrams appears to be strong. Not only is but had not asked for anything. It was he venerated at Bombay ’s Kadmi Atash only faith in the atash padshah that Behram — the Banaji Atash Behram, brought him there. Since when has Jalbawa got associ ­ ated with this Atash Behram? Why only Mondays when people with faith in Jal- on Mondays and that too only the Aiwis ­ ruthrem Gah? Who was Jalbawa? No one seems to have any definite replies. There Surat before coming to Bombay says that are no pictures of him — “but neither is in Surat this has been going on for sev- there one of Homaji (venerated in the eral years. The antecedents again are ob- community for his prophetic statements) scure but it is said to be a known fact that who was an asho nar ^ure soul), ” argue one aged Parsi gentleman, Ratansha his supporters. The absence of knowledge Patvi, has been visiting the Surat Kadmi leaves everyone free to rely on their own Atash Behram religiously for years ever imagination. since his mother instructed him that in “You know how things start in the Jalbawa ’s name he should offer sukhad community... Just a few people start it and it is taken up by the rest of the com ­ munity, ” explains Dastur Kaikhusroo to be an add-on development But in all other queries he maintains, “I know as much as you do. ” Whether Jalbawa was a behdin or an osta, is in the region of speculation. Yet his connection with the Kadmi atash even in Surat ’s Kadmi Atash Behram the attendance is said to be the largest on bawa visit it regularly. Chithiwalla who was serving the Kadmi Atash Behram in on a particular day at a particular time. The nine-Monday connection is believed aaifrA < IB Parsiana July 1992 ¦ ¦ F'."I iffl J' 4' il*.? J Above and left: Banaji Atash Behram on a Monday morning, readied for the innumerable devotees who will congregate at sunset time Photos: Homyar Mistry, Homz Prints most cases, the nine-Monday formula stretches to infinity once faith is estab ­ lished. Those who are used to praying in the quiet precincts of the fire-temple find the Monday ritual a little tedious. [The crowd on a Monday evening reportedly outnum ­ bers the congregation on the evening of the Atash Behram ’s salgirah (anniver-she amplifies. Significantly, when asked to compile a few important personal facts for the introduction to President Bush, sary) or even the morning of the New ZOROASTRIANS ABROAD Year.] With great difficulty they may continued from page 13 manage to find space for parking their from 2,5(X) semifinalists who were ini- vehicles in the compound outside. And tially selected and invited to participate Deboo began by identifying herself as a prostrating before the fire is well nigh by submitting essays, self assessments, " impossible if their timing happens to co- secondary school reports and transcripts. incide with the boi ritual. Simultaneously Deboo has bagged Of the multitudes who converge at the four other national awards — the Gerald- Atash Behram, several come well before ine R. Dodge Foundation Grant,2he Na- sunset to assure for themselves a vantage 1 position facing the fire, refusing even to Corjwrate Scholarship and the Robert C. budge to accommodate the latecomers. F. ~ The adarian room in particular gets more crowded as compared to the padshah room when respective ceremo- are being conducted. Since all san- dalwood must be offered to the fire I Absence of knowledge leaves everyone to their own imagination Zoroastrian, informs her aunt Hutoxi Contractor of Pittsburgh. Women to the fore Currently doing her master ’s in veteri- tional Merit Scholarship, the Citibank nary science (MVSc) at Colorado Uni- ; ___ 2 ¦ \ ~ versity, Bombay ’s Dr (Ms) Tina Rus- Byrd Honors Scholarship — plus school tomjee is majoring in surgical oncology, __________________________ notes a letter from her mother Katie. j||||M||||||H||||||||||H||||||^H||M________________Alongside she is participating in research on a new of heart valve requiring from a type of open heart surgery, the work is done on a by-pass machine, notes the letter. If successful, the valve may be patented by the professor conducting the research and used on children. Rustomjee also researching in orthopedic surgery on own, adds mother, and hopes to use the new technology she sets up her own good time, occasionally a second boiwalla goes round with a khumcha (platter) for the convenience of the devo ­ tees. Invariably the ashodad on a Monday far exceeds that collected on any other and law, as per her bio date, weekday but the priests cbim that it is not the money but the presence of so many devotees that brings them happiness, two Schubert Club gold cups, has repre- [Competition among the' boiwallas is minimized because at Banaji ’s they have a system whereby each of the boiwallas has a vaari (spell of duty) for 15 consecu ­ tive days when they have to do the boi in all the five gahs. The responsibility of a full Adar month also comes by rotation.] Not all the believers are particular about facing the fire. Some are content to boy each Sunday. He s taught me to sit on a chair in the hall outside under the ready appreciate things, she say^. comfort of a fan with a prayer book in hand. Although many rows of chairs are arranged in the hall for the convenience of the devotees, those who arrive late have no choice but to stand or squat on the carpets. While some of the regulars during her stint at Princeton which com- patiently sit through both the boi ceremo ­ nies (for the adarian and the padshah), for the others restlessness sets in after the adarian boi and one may even overhear idle gossip in the nature of which boy gave which girl what kind of pendant and in what metal, and how the girl recipro ­ cated... I The College of Wooster has recognized 1 Ms Scherezade Pocha ’s academic excel- I lence by naming her a college scholar, I informs a press release from the College, I The daughter of Shema and Dr Nusly Pocha of Bombay, Scherezade was se ­ lected by the Wooster faculty committee^ ’ awards for excellence in English, history on the basis of academic records, indi-' vidual mterviews and a competitive ex- ____________ amination. The 125-year-old institution ing the piano for nine years and holds has an undergraduate enrolment of ap ­ proximately 1,800. The talented teenager has been play- sented her school in lacrosse, basketball and swimming, participates in mock leg ­ islature sessions, literary journalism, etc. Staff writer Larry Hartstein in the tional honor society for sophoinores who ship and service, notes a press release from Lawrence iJniversity in Appleton, islature sessions, literary journalism, etc. Ms Pia Cyrus Vachha of Bombay has been elected to Lambda Sigma, a na- Newsbeat column of The Advocate of exhibit outstanding scholarship, leader- May 5, 1992 speaks of Deboo ’s partici ­ pation in the school ’s Buddy Program as she walks with a mentally handicapped Wisconsin. Similarly Ms Rashne Rustom Jehangir has been elected to Mortar Board which honors seniors on the same The n-year-old daughter of Gulistan basis. Both girls are ex students of Bom- and Farokh Deboo intends to tie up her bay ’s Cathedral and John Connon disparate interests in biology, political School. Compiled by Amavaz S. Mama science and history by going into envi ­ ronmental law or environmental politics mences this fall. Deboo ’s real life hero is retired Supreme Court justice Thur- good Marshall: “He really overcame a great deal and 1 think it ’s important as a minority to try not to focus on what you don ’t have and don ’t make a big deal that you ’re slightly disadvantaged, but to compete with people on the same level, ” Required Sales and marketing person re­ quired for selling adverting space for magazine publishing concern. Write giving full details to: The Advertiser (Sales) GPO Box 892, Bombay 400001 16 Parsiana July 1992i- RELIGION A globe-trotting ambassador of Buddhism A Parsi by birth and Buddhist by faith, Behram Ghista Relieves that religion is a matter of choice Gustasp Irani In the silence of the remote heights of the through in his interpretation of Buddhism, that Zoroaster was meditating and that, mighty Himalayan mountains sat a lone Take, for instance, his definition of he believes, is one aspect of the religion Parsi in cosmic contemplation. And as he karma; “It means-action based upon worked out his spiritual equation with his choice. ” According to him, man is not a Creator he found that Buddhism answered hapless victim of predetermined destiny, from the chatter of mindless prayer and his questions better than Zoroastrianism. rituals and listen to what one ’s inner “I won ’t say I have converted but I follow ... j- 1 - i being has to say. ” the Buddha ’s teachings, ” says the 37- Zoroastrianism, Ghista believes, has a year-old Behram Ghista, a US qualified strong moral and epical code which ac- graphic designer who has today b^ome a counts for the conimunity ’s outstanding globe-trotting ambassador of Buddhism. ccHitributions in the field of material de- Ghista, who studied the major relig- velopment. But since the religion pays ions and spent years meditating in the no attention to meditation, it falls short mountains, now girdles the world spread- of the expectations of someone seeking ing his message of love and meditation. spiritual development — which is the “I see myself as a Parsi and Buddhist and second of the three stages of the progress perhaps I don ’t really belong to any one of man (the first being material). The group, ” he adds with a smile that mo- third stage is the realm of wisdom and mentarily softens his sharp, intense fea- enlightenment which is for the few. “But hires. even they have to return to the world and “The one thing I can ’t accept about share their spiritual enlightenment, ” he Zoroastrianism is that karma and reincar- observes. nation are not talked about, ” says Ghista. Yes, Ghista has been there and has re- He adds that he did read about and take a turned. In 1988, while meditating in the look at a Zoroastrian sect, the Ilm-e- Ghista: "listen to the inner being” mountains, he had a profound spiritual Khshnoom, that attempts to incorporate Photo: Gustasp Irani experience which compelled him to re- these concepts into their theology, but turn to the mainstream of life again, according to him it fell far short of what Buddhism, he clarifies, is not a religion (Ghista values that experience and refuses was required. which advocates a frugal and ascetic life- to share it lightly with all and sundry.) As The other failing of Zoroastrianism, style for the masses (but only for the se- a result he went to Nepal to work in one according to Ghista, is that its practice lect few), which encourages its followers of the 50 worldwide centers run by Lama today is steeped in dogma. “F''- —.. c— .i------------------- --------------------------- v— Zoroastrianism has become a religion of Instead, like Zoroastrianism, it encour- meaningless prayers and endless rituals, j . . They do not pay attention to the need for points out that the Buddha took six years self-development or self-advancement. ” But he is quick to clarify that he is not returned to the active world and partici ­ passing judgment on the Prophet; the pated in it few 45 years. “He did not _________ _______ ___ ,________ fault lies with his followers who have withdraw into a cave, ” he observes, authorized by Lama Rimpoche to conduct reduced his teachings to meaningless Ghista pushes the comparison further classes in meditation. In 1990 Ghista dogma. The other consideration is that a when he asks; “Why did Zoroaster go into turned to India and in Dharamsala started large part of Zoroaster ’s teachings has the mountains for 10 to 12 years? What to conduct his own meditation classes. At been irretrievably lost in time. was he doing there? ” first he put up posters advertising his Yet Ghista ’s Zoroastrian roots filter that is ignored and lost. “Meditation is very important One has to stop the mind 17 Parsiana July 1992 n Ghista: "listen to the inner being” ‘For most, to withdraw from the mainstream of life. Zopa Rimpoche with whom he believes he has a karmic connection from past ages man to participate in creation. He lives. Ghista explains this karmic link; i “As soon as I saw his'picture for the first to attain enlightenment after which he time, I knew that I knew the man and had to meet him again. ” While in Nepal for a year, Ghista was re- was he doing there? ” f ' The answer, according to Ghista, is classes in restaurants where foreign tour- r I i I I i I I i I i I ! I Ii I. tek'Sr allend^, went classes at the California Institute of the oacK ncner tor the experience. On their * ¦ ¦ — ~ retmn to their native lands some of them invi^ Ghista to come over and conduct meditation classes there. Recently Ghista has started flying around the globe, both physically and spiritually. On his visits to Bombay, Ghista has f------ ’ ¦ ;_________ J. B. Petit High School for Girls ’ prem ­ ises, thanks to the encouragement of the School ’s principal Ms Shirin Darasha, and also at the residence of some of his students. “Most of my students in Bom ­ bay are Parsis and Hindus, ” says Ghista. family; the world is my family, ” he states. A smile softens his imperturbable face as ---- ! are favorites in this large family. Like his parents Phiroz, an architect, and Freny, now retired in Can ­ ada after spending years in the Punjab and in Lagos, Africa, where young Ghista spent his formative years; like his brother Jimmy in the UK and sisters Arooza Irani in Canada and Firooza Bulsara in Cal- Arts in the US. Disillusioned by the ram- .. j pant materialism around him he sought to he admits that'^there explore the realms of spirituality for in ­ spiration in his work. For his master ’s degree thesis he studied seven major re ­ ligions — Hinduism, Zoroastrianism, ssa les into his designs. “AU religions say The pretadiry of Buddhisn. was u, influence him greatly. On graduating he foster parents. ” Or Eke Ssis For r Buddhist countries — Thailand don ’t tell him how or why or what loving hT^^te? detei?^]^ retuS lhe really is... It is not just a question of sit ing%Tonk to h^d bS^o^h/^ k ^e was to .®«*‘a ‘ing; because that tains till in 1988 he had his intense soiri through an initiation bnd of ?n "’^P^rience in XalL S S- to Ae to the world of mpn to tne surtace and unless you know how to handle this, you might have a prob ­ lem... Meditation may be termed as self ­ psychoanalysis, ” says Ghista. Ghista ’s spiritual strangely enough. Ghista may wear white but he also wears a sudreh and kusti — especially when he visits the agiary. Karma, he points out, decided what ) pelled him to return to the world of men again and share his spiritual wisdom with them. Ghisia informs us that he has not be ­ come a monk or lama, but wears only in hiJ f------ ’ color, he explains, means that in his graphic arts he has renounced family life. quest started. did not decree which religion he inherit. “««••• — *«— ceremony — the navjote - if you are bom into a religion? ” he argues. “Yet every religion has it, because religion is a matter of choice. ” The choice Ghista made was a Zoroas- bian and honest onf . When he did not find what he was looking for in Zort^stri- “T u anism, he looked elsewhere and to Bud- 1 have no dhism to satisfy his spiritual needs. % Steamship agents - master stevedores dubashes — lighterage contractors Darabshaw B. Cursetjee Sons (Bombay) Pvt Ltd s j 19 Parsiana My 1992 Oarabshaw House. Ballard Road, Bombay 400038 Grams: DEADWEIGHT Telex: 5824 DBCB IN Phone: 2610021 (4 lines) (Dock Office: 2612230) Also associates at Kakinada, Mangalore, Bhavnagar, Bedi-port, Navlakhi, Veraval, Porbunder & Kandla Also sole Government Landing contractors at Jamnagar, (Bed!) Bhavnagar Calcutta, Vishakhapatnam, Kakinada, Mangalore,HISTORY The Tribal Connection Gustasp Irani The Parsi-tribal connection in Dadra and Nagar Haveli goes back to the early history and development of the union territory Farhang Irani who, along with his brother selves in possession of land with more Aspi, recently purchased land and a hotel jungle and forest than revenue. To cor- in the union territory. The information is “At Karchond village, a cluster of 20 to 25 huts, the memory of Ratanshah (Pan- thaki) is still revered. He was a rich in the union territory. The information is rect this imbalance they, according to Parsi landlord. He freely mingled with not surprising for we learn that Devji, too, Vaid, offered plots of land to anyone who the tribals and had a tribal ‘wife ’ in each is the son of a Parsi and a tribal woman. would bring one-fifth of the area under of the several villages he owned. ” This report by Ms R. Hussain in her book to the early history and development of Dadra and Nagar Haveli — A Study in Tribal Resur­ gence on Ratanshah ’s ex- ploits in the union territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli, a few kilometers off Vapi in Gujarat, is at best an exag ­ geration. Ratanshah, according to Dara Vaid whose family still owns land in the union territory and who knew the man, had only two wives. One, a Parsi lady back in Nargol and the other, a tribal in Karchond village. Ratanshah ’s claim to fame was that, unlike many of *’ his fellow community men who left their wives and families back in Nargol and kept tribal mistresses, he made his tribal woman his legally wedded wife. “By tribal rites, of course, ” adds Portuguese India. According to Vaid, the cared for them and their families. ” Vaid. British gave the 72 villages to the Portu- ' And some took tribal women for mis- Ratanshah had a son from his tribal wife, according to a rich Muslim farmer political convenience; only, their gift was and landlord at Khandvel, a forest resort parcelled out from the tenitory that be- area, a half hour ’s drive from Silvassa, the tenitory ’s capital. The son died re ­ cently. But Ratanshah ’s grandson is alive and married to the daughter of none other than the village sarpanch - Devji. On the walls of Devji ’s house in Karchond, hang pictures of Zarathushtra, an afargan fire and the farohar, informs Either way the Portuguese found them- Tn I ; -fr’ 20 Parsiana July 1992 is the son of a Parsi and a tribal woman. The Parsi-tribal connection goes back cultivation. The Parsis from neighboring areas, f>articularly from Nargol, grabbed the offer. Bit by bit, they cleared parts of the. forest and brought it under IHH tillage. The adivasis or . tribals, both local and those brought by the Parsis from* Naigol and the neighboring areas, helped them in this • i (*¦*** Perin Guest House in Silvassa ¦ task. The Parsi landlords established these adivasis as their tenants and moved on ¦ to develop and claim the ¦ next plot of land. Soon the |B ctxnmunity owned over 50 percent of land in the Portu- guese territory. “The Parsi landlords look^ after their adivasi tenants, ” Vaid explains. “They built huts for them, provided them with seeds and the union territory that was once part of other inputs and during the drought years British gave the 72 villages to the Portu- ' guese as part of a dowry in a marriage of tresses. The problem, according to Vaid, was that the Parsi women stayed back in Nargol and did not accompany their hus- ionged to the Maharaja of Dharampur! bands into the wilds. He rec^ls how up According to A Study in Tribal Resur- to 1954, once every month bullock cart gence, however, the Portuguese were al- convoys would leave the villages of lowed to collect revenue from these 72 Dadra and Nagar Haveli laden with rice, villages as compensation for a warship wheat, pulses, vegetables, firewood, that had been mistakenly sunk by the Ma- eggs, honey and a whole lot of provisions ratha Peshwas who ruled the area in 1779. for the families back in Nargol. It was because of the close links theI r settlers maintained with their home base states Vaid ’s Portuguese wife Claudette, was till 1961 when the small pocket of over the years that no Parsi institutions of She first met her husband when she had land became part of the country. “I was „ ~ signatories when Dadra and ding. After the liberation of the territory Nagar Haveli was merged with India,"' from the Portuguese and its subsequent says Vaid. merger with the Indian union, things V.'l/.. - ---------- — — _— any sort were built in Dadra and Nagar gone to Silvassa to attend an aunt ’s wed- Haveli. No agiaries, no dharamshalas, no I ¦ ¦¦ ¦ ¦ _! With the introduction of the Land changed radically: better roads, electric- Ceiling Act the Parsi influence in Dadra ity, education... and sadly, deforestation and Nagar Haveli started to decline mark- too. edly. The Act also sparked massive de ­ forestation in the region. In the 1970s, Vaid informs us, the tribal tenants were made owners of the land ’Jiey tilled with no compensation paid to their landlords, But first things first. The liberation in 1954 was effected not by the Indian gov ­ ernment but by a handful of civilian vol ­ unteers. Here the Parsis played a dual role. On one side was freedom fighter many of whom were Parsis. All excess Vaid marching with a group of civilian land above the ceiling limit was pur ­ volunteers who were trying to force the chased by the government at a paltry sum Portuguese out; on the other was a Mr Contractor who was helping the Portu ­ guese to flee! According to A Study in Tribal Resurgence, the freedom fighters on their property and selling the wood, intercepted the car in which Contractor was helping the wives of the Portuguese and here, too, a Parsi, Vaid again, made a I administrator and police chief to flee the significant contribution. He claims to I territory. The two ladies were detained have developed the first industrial estate I and Contractor was forced into playing in the region and lured industrialists from the role of a messenger shuttling between Maharashtra and Gujarat to set up units the liberators and tlie Portuguese. The here. Union territory tax shelters also latter eventually slipped into Indian terri- helped the project along. “It was the first tory and surrendered to the Indian police, cooperative industrial estate in the. coun- rather than to the freedom fighters. Though free of foreign rulers, it was sanatoriums, no dokhmas... One tradition another seven years before Dadra and that sprang up as a result of this contact Nagar Haveli joined the Indian union, was die annual tour of the area by the According to S. V. P. Raikar, currently priest of the Nargol agiary. For one the chief of police and director of trans ­ month each year, he went from one Parsi port, the territory was administered dur ­ settlement to another and at each stop his bullock cart was filled with provisions: rice, dal, vegetables, honey, wood... “Everything he would need to see him through a full year, ” says Vaid. Similarly, every year young Parsi boys from Nargol would organize a month-long trekking tour of the territory: an initiation and familiarization program of sorts. Vaid recalls when he was a teenager, he and other Parsi boys would meet at Silvassa which served as the start ­ ing point of the journey. From here, they would start trekking from Parsi farm to Parsi farm right across the territory. The stop at Ratanshah ’s farm was one of the highlights. “He was a jolly man who would be ­ come a young boy with us around. He was small made, five feet nothing and a crack shot. He had shot over a 100 ti­ gers, ” says Vaid. Yes, wild animals infested the dense forests that covered large parts of the ter ­ ritory. “There were no proper roads, no electricity, no facilities of any kind, ’- of Rs 33 per acre. To cash in on the land before they lost it, many landlords, and not Parsis alone, started felling the forests It was the dawn of a new industrial era Time for toddy tapping Photos: Gustasp Irani try, ” says Vdid. Today there are three such industrial estates in the territory. The Vaid family were among the first to recognize the tourism boom in Dadra and Nagar Haveli and built the first ho ­ tel, Dariz Hotel Pvt Ltd, in the territory in 1985. Vaid ’s daughter Zeena ran the es­ ing this period by the freedom fighters tablishment up to 1991, when she got who appointed people from amongst married. Now the Hotel is managed by themselves to the various posts. This Vaid ’s son Rohinton who also looks after Jer Bar, reputedly the oldest and most popular bar in the region. “Tourism is a relatively new development and it offers tremendous scope for the future, ” says Rohinton. Recognising this opportunity the Irani brothers, Farhang and Aspi, recently bought over the Dan Hotel at Silvassa. They plan to make it the first hotel in the region to offer Star TV to its guests. Also in Silvassa is the Perin Guest House owned by Parsis who live in Devka and Daman. The Irani brothers, who hail from Dahanu and who purchased land in Dadra and Nagar Haveli, represent to many a resurgence of the community ’s enterprise in the union territory. With the establish ­ ment of a new thermal electric plant at Dahanu many expect other Irani Zoroas ­ trian farmers located there to move in and This Dan Hotel in Silvassa 21 Parsiana July 1992 1 i F I I *start buying land here. Land prices which i ’ ' ' T__ 1 _ _____ are between Rs 20,000 and Rs 30,000 per has another word of advice for young Par ­ acre are expected to spiral. ' “The soil here is very fertile and good for orchards and crop cultivation. You can grow chikoos, mangoes, coconuts, bananas, or rice, wheat, sugarcane... the choice is yours, ” says Farhang, whose family also owns the Santosh Sagar fast food restaurants at Napean Sea Road and Tardeo in Bombay. But there is a ‘catch 22’ situation in ­ volved in buying agricultural land. “You can ’t buy agricultural land unless you are an agriculturist, ” says Aspi. And, accord ­ ing to him, to be deemed an agriculturist by the authorities you have to own agri- ________ cultural land. It is a problem you can get Haveli: “For tourists the place may be tion of prohibition, but it s till survives at around, ” his brother assures us. ’ .’'....I_____ _____ _______ “Don ’t buy land from a tribal. The settle here permanently. ” Yes, certain tra- title will not, and cannot be legally trans ­ ferred, ” warns Khushru Vaid, a young once a thriving Parsi settlement. And he sponsor this ghambar in memory of one of their members, Jehangir, who died in sis wanting to settle in Dadra and Nagar 1990. Today, the ghambar is a time for feasting and people from Bombay come in luxury buses to join the merriment Earlier, the farmers came in bullock carts to feast, meet, discuss problems and if necessary raise funds to help a fellow community member over a difficult patch. And as we discuss this age old tradi­ tion, another beckons; it ’s time for the round of the toddy tappers. We go into the fields and watch diem scale the trees that line the embankments between fields. The traditional toddy trade of the Parsis died in Gujarat with the introduc- To cash in on the land before they lost it, many landlords started felling the forests great, but no Parsi woman would want to the Vaid farms in Dadra and Nagar Hav- eli. “The Parsis ’ toddy is the best in the . - ----------------------------------------- entire region, ” says a tourist official at tomer Union Bank of India employee droves is when it is the turn of Dadra and Silvassa as he advises us to sample it. We who has been looking after the 250 acres Nagar Haveli to host the annual village do. It is excellent. And as we sip the of the Vaid family farms over the last ghambar of the region which includes brew we contemplate the silhouette of three years. The farms are the only places Nargol, Sanjan and the neighboring areas, toddy tappers perched on palm trees of some significance left of what was In 1992, the Vaid family farms plan to a gain st the evening sky. ditions die hard. The one occasion when Parsis come in areas. z? * Best Wishes From RUSY & PURVIZ SHROFF J/ 22 Parsiana July 1992I HISTORY Keeping the Community in Line There was a time when Parsi women ven­ tured from their homes unescorted, after sunset "to fetch water or to go to market, and (to ^attend) pleasure parties without the protection of male companions or servants." There was a time when Parsis wor­ shipped at Hindu and Muslim shrines. There was a time when Parsi priests flocked "uninvited to the house of any Parsi who might have any ceremony to perform for the purpose o/ obtaining, as if by right, their share of the ashodad (gift in money) and not infrequently were they riotous on such occasions." In this extract from Dosabhai Framji Karaka's two-volume History of the Par ­ sis including their Manners, Customs, Religion and Prominent Position, pub­ lished by Macmillan and Co in 1884, ____ __________ _ read how the Bombay Parsi Punchayet a friend or relative she should not return membering that the authority of the tackled these in the eighteenth century. “without a servant and a lighted lantern, Punchayet in thdfee days was so greatly dreaded that none of the community dared In its heyday the Punchayet could—and did—keep erring Parsis in line Dosabhai Framji Karaka on any pretence whatever before sunrise be admitted that these were high-handed or after sunset, and that if any woman proceedings, and we can only account for was unavoidably detained at the house of the passive submission to them by re- ‘without a servant and a lighted lantern, Punchayet in thdfee days was so greatly and if any woman was found walking on (’ / / _______ ; J. Whije the Punchayet punished offenders the road unaccompanied as above, she to question its behests. against caste rules and social laws with would be seized by nassessalars (corpse- Another important step which the firm impartiality, it earnestly desired at bearers) or persons employed for that Punchayet took in the direction of reform against caste rules and social laws with would be seized by nassessalars (corpse- the same time to eradicate from the people ’s minds the pernicious and superstitious customs which had taken root among them through their contact with the other races of India. Little by little practices which were regarded almost as outrageous to the purity of their religion had crept into vogue among the Parsis; and these the Punchayet consid ­ ered itself bound to extirpate. Numerous meetings were held, and various decisions were arrived at for the well ­ being and general advantage of the community. In 1819 it was brought to its notice that Parsi women were in the purpose, and publicly disgraced and con- _____ habit of leaving their houses after sunset fined in the nasakhana (a place where the the general attainment of any wishes they . , ’ might cherish. It was further brought to This edict proved so effectual that for the notice of the Punchayet that many some time after it was proclaimed a Parsi Parsi women and men also were in the woman was scarcely ever to be seen in the habit of wearing charms, amulets, and streets of Bombay before sunrise or after threads, obtained from conjurors and ma- was that of prohibiting Parsis from sending offerings to Hindu temples. Parsi women in earlier days were very credulous and full of supersti ­ tion. They believed every- thing which was poured into their ears by crafty and de ­ signing persons, whether they were Parsi priests, Hindus, Brahmans or Mahomedan fa ­ kirs. They were ready to make vows to Hindu gods and Ma ­ homedan saints for the fulfil ­ ment of their desire to be blessed with children if they were barren, or to secure the undivided affection of their husbands if they happened not to be on good terms with them, and for to fetch water or to go to market, and also funeral biers are kept). ” that they attended pleasure parties without the protection of male companions or servants. The Punchayet held this con ­ duct to be discreditable to the good name of the Parsi community and especially of sunset because the Punchayet, true to its gicians in the belief that by wearing them the female portion. A proclamation was threat, did actually punish such offenders they would not only be protected from therefore issued to the effect that no woman was to go out of her house alone as were detected by placing them in their evil spirits, but that they would also se- so-called prison, the nasakhana. It must cure their own happiness and the realiza- 24 Parsiana July 1992ASHOEAP.’ <7 fl I i ! I I rich man committed bigamy he not only escaped punishment, but members of the Punchayet itself held free intercourse with him. The terrors of its law were reserved for the needy! A body acting on this prin ­ ciple deserved to die, and it passed away without regret in the year 1836. « ( I r In a letter published in the Bombay Times of December 9, 1844, Mr Manakji Khar- shedji Shroff gave an abstract of these rules which we quote below as they are not only interesting in themselves but also show the nature of the social evils from which the Parsis were then suffering: “Il was usual previously to the passing of the above-mentioned regulations for ! > __ _ • -- -____ '-J—-- ¦ the old cause, with the seats of the origi- Parsi priests (who form a begging frater- able practices the men too often connived nally elected members having on their nity, and they are some hundreds in num- at the weakness of their better halves. deaths been usurped by their sons, worth- ber) to flock uninvited to the houses of The Punchayet therefore, with a view ily or unworthily, or by others whose sole any Parsi who might have any ceremony to effectually suppress these pernicious recommendation was their influence or to perform, for tht purpose of obtaining, customs which were dishonorable to the connection with the surviving members, as if by right, their share of the ashodad Zoroastrian religion, proclaimed on No- A Punchayet thus constituted could not (gift in money), and not infrequently vember 4,1819 that no one should make and did not act with the fearless independ- were they riotous on such occasions. In ­ vows or give offerings to Hindu temples ence of the body elected in 1818. It there- dependently of this, how exceedingly * * ¦ • “ ~ hard upon individuals having very lim- munity at this time had also considerably ited means was it to be compelled to increased in numbers, and when an influ- distribute ashodad to all! However, such ential or wealthy man committed a breach was the influence exercised at that time tion of all their hopes. In these objection- deaths been usurped by their sons, worth- or Mahomedan mosques, or wear charms fore fell into contempt. The Parsi corn ­ er amulets or threads, and that if any one was found to break these orders, he or she would be “seized and publicly dis ­ graced. ” This threat had a good effect of the social laws enacted by the old by the priests that parties preferred to in- upon erring Zoroastrians, but only for a Punchayet, he relied on the support of his cur debt rather than the displeasure of the time, and through fear of public disgrace, friends and adherents; and the existing priests by sending them away without In after years, when the power of the members of their body had not the moral any ashodad. Under these circumstances 4 Punchayet was again on die wane, the objectionable practices were revived, but happily the greater enlightenment of the present day has resulted in their almost entire discontinuance. The Punchayet also directed its efforts towards correcting the evils arising from many injurious customs which prevailed about this time among the Parsis, and passed some very salutary rules for that purpose at a public meeting held at the fire-temple of Dadi Nasarvanji Seth on December 15,1823. But the healthy influence of the Parsi Punchayet did not last for any lengthened period. So long as its members were elected by the voice of the whole commu- the late Punchayet wisely or­ dained by the said regulations that no priest should go unin ­ vited to the house of any Parsi, on any occasion, for the pur ­ pose of asking ashodad', nor was any layman to give it to any priests other than those whom he may have invited (and he might invite un ­ restrictedly as many priests as his inclination prompted or rather his means would admit of his doing). “On the fourth, the tenth, and the thirtieth day of every month in the first year, and af- nity, and so long as it conscientiously and courage to deal with such offenders in the terwards on every anniversary of the impartially dealt out even-handed justice same manner as their predecessors had death of any Parsi, either male or female, to all, its acts commanded the respect and been in the habit of doing. The fact was ‘custom ’ obliged them to circulate trays obedience of the people. But the soon made clear that they had one law for loaded with sweetmeats, fruits, cooked Punchayet began very soon to decay from the rich and another for the poor. When a dinners, and even pots and pans, both 25 Parsiana July 1992MATRIMONIAL copper and earthen, among their relations, age, they should meet but for three days; friends and acquaintances, in addition to and on the death of any one above that giving extensive feasts and dinners to the ---- whole caste, on such occasions. All these _______ practices appeared to the late Punchayet to state, “It so happened that, shortly af- to be both extravagant and unnecessary, ' - - - and merely indulged in to ‘vie with each other ’ and for the gratification of vanity; Bamanji Wadia (then the most distin- age, they should meet but for three days; age, to meet 10 days, and 10 days only. ” Mr Manakji Kharshedji then goes on Matrimonial correspondence invited from well-settled Parsi boys, by parents for their educated, working daughter, aged 29. Please reply with full details to: The Advertiser Parsiana Matrimonial (July/21-92) GPO Box 892 Bombay 400001 MATRIMONIAL Matrimonial alliance invited from educated and well-settled Parsi boys, by parents for their daughter, aged 27. Please reply with details and preferably photograph (returnable) to: The Advertiser Parsiana Matrimonial (JuIy/22-92) GPO Box 892 Bombay 400001 26 Parsiana July 1992 ter the passing of the aforesaid regula ­ tions, one of the sisters of Hormusji and therefore it was ordained by the guished and influential gentleman among dinners, nor sweetmeats, nor fruits, nei- aforesaid regulations that neither cooked the Parsi community, and one of the lead­ ing members of their Punchayet) trans- ther pots nor pans, either copper or earthen, should be sent from one house to another amongst the Parsis; that they were not to give extensive feasts nor din ­ ners to the whole caste on the performance of any ceremony for their dead; that any Parsi who chose to invite a limited number of guests from amongst his relations, friends and acquain ­ tances might do so; but or to No woman was to go out of her house alone before sunrise or after sunset gressed one of the said regulations by sending round dressed dinners from her house to her relations. “As soon as the in ­ formation of this cir ­ cumstance reached an ­ other member of the late Punchayet, he directed his informer to seize upon the pots and dishes containing such dinner, even if in the most con ­ spicuous part of the town, which was ac- their number should not be so great as to cordingly done;^and the pots and dishes consume more than 200 lbs of meat, which was the maximum quantity al- ____ _ _____________ lowed to be purchased for a single feast; indigent P^sis together in hiT church* nor should any poultry be used at such i ‘ _____"___ feasts; that any individual wishing to give dainties seized as above mentioned a dinner to the whole caste might do so, “The said member of the Punchayet, but only during the days of the gaham- after having thus acted, intimated to the bars, and that such caste dinner should consist (as hitherto) of plain rice and curry, without any kind of meat or poul- “Another, and a most abhorrent prac ­ tice, sanctioned by custom (borrowed en- __ , _________ ____ tirely from^Hindus), which prevailed making an example of her who*had ’thus disregarded the Punchayet ’s order, al ­ were sequestrated by the said member of the Punchayet, who collected a number of where they were allowed to feast upon the “The said member of the Punchayet, said Hormusji Bamanji Wadia what he had done, which was nothing more nor less than his duty to the Punchayet; and he now called upon his distinguished fnend and colleague, the said Hormusji to do his also, by causing a general assembly, and among the Parsis, was the going back- disregarded the Punchayet ’s order, al- wards and forwards, on the part of the though so intimately connected with him. women, to the houses of their relations “A*';’ b?:: czil, and friends and acquaintances daily for Hormusji Bamanji ^adia that? however months after the death of any male or fe- * ' ' nowever male member thereof, and when as ­ sembled to cry, and beat their breasts, and __ ______ , uppuvvu bemoan their loss. They were also in the and applaud^ the act of hr^coll^gue habit of keeping fast, and denying them- t " * selves beds to lie upon, in order to indi ­ cate their excess in grief on such occa- __ ___ ____ sions. This being forbidden by the Parsi that body -he expressed * hiTdiwte^ religion, and found also to be injurious in ' •-••••-- the extreme to the health of those who indulged in such displays of their feel ­ ings, the late Punchayet most humanely the Punchayet. ” ordained that such practice should be checked as much, as possible, and that on the death of any infant the meeting of the women should be as short as possible; on that of children from one to seven years of And be it said, to the credit of the said exalted he was in rank among the Parsis, far from taking any offence at what had occurred, he highly approved of ---- —ri —*•*** V* vuiivaguC, and consented to the assembly of the Punchayet, which accordingly met the next day, when in the midst of at what his sister had done, and caused one of her sons (Ardeshir Framji Wadia) to pay on her behalf the (due) fine to Dosabhai Framji Karaka, scholar and author, was also chairman of the Municipal Corporation and sheriff of Bombay. He was a presidency magistrate and chairman of Her Majesty's Bench of Justices, Bombay.EVENTS AND PERSONALITIES continued from page 11 at the Institute of Athletics, West Bengal, reads The Statesman of June 24,1992. nt- 4 mil Mowji is ready with her bunch of letters ^m that she posts to famous personalities around the world. The daily postage cost HB works out to Rs 500 for this 60-year-old ¦ woman who has cultivated a unique hobby of obtaining autographs of well- miite known personalities throughout the m world. Dinshaw D. Naterwalla provides HB the details in The Bombay Samachar of ¦¦ May 31,1992. Her efforts so far have been rewarded m with signatures of 556 dignitaries like RH Ronald Reagan, Jane Fonda, Kurt Wald- heim, Norman Vincent, Rajiv and Sonia 1 Gandhi, Greta Garbo, Julie Andrews, George Bush, Richard Nixon, Roger Moore, Jimmy Carter, Teddy Kennedy and Boris Becker, to name a few. Reac ­ tions to her hobby have varied. Some of the VIPs encourage her by compliment ­ ing her work or enclosing autographed 80 Scouts excel in academics SKI Scouting helps the students to concen trate on their studies, writes scoutmaster I r Bahadur A. Palkhiwalla of the Ho- mavazir ’s 11th Central Bombay Bharat Scout Group, listing the achievements of his scouts who had excelled at various examinations. Reference was made to rover Zubin Adi Mistry who scored 9.7 on an index of 10 at the Indian Institute of Technology ’s MTech (Civil) examina ­ tions. Rover Nekzan JNoshir Wadia passed his BE (Meeh) exams with dis ­ tinction. Standing fifth in the BCom Homavazir’s scouts’street service merit list was rover Farrokh Feroze Tar- apore. At the Secondary School Certifi ­ cate examinations in 1992, assistant pa ­ trol leader Baizad Todiwalla scored 89 percent and patrol leaders Ariz Roozva pack for boys in the six-lO-year age- Master and Farhaan Parvez Dubash scored 87 and 82 percent respectively. The Group ’s civic conscious scouts recently painted the road dividers on the Mancherji Joshi Colony Directory. Mancherji Joshi Road at Dadar. “After this good tum...there are fewer accidents Autograph obseSSlOU on the road, ’’reports scouter Hormuzd E. Dastur in a press release. Founded by Ardeshir Homavazir in photographs. One unexpected response 1927, this Group has three sections: cub was from the Italian opera king Pavarotti who sent her a marriage proposal. Sev- group, scout woop for the 10-18-year eral others have refused to oblige. boys, and rover crew for boys over 18 ~ years, informs the fourth edition of the any headway are Zubin Mehta who re ­ portedly despite 12 reminders did not part with his signature, Madona, Mikhail Gorbachev, BorifYelstin and J. R. D. Every morning Ms Eirene Marzban Tata. Yet Mowji is one who refuses to Those with whom she has not made Kermani Transport Service Truck Owners & Contractors H.O. & Admn. Office: Guru Himmat ‘A’ Wing, Dr. Mascarenhas Road, Mazagaon, Bombay 400010 Booking Office: Opp. Jakeria Masjid, 7-C, Dhobi Street, Bombay 400003 Phone: H.O. 872-3333, 851-2715 Bkg. 320271-72 Branches: Delivery Godown: B-Anjirwadi, Mount Road, Mazagaon, Bombay 400010, Phone: 872-5002/872-4273 Thane: (1) Chitalsar, Manpada, S.V. Road, Next to Tatwadyan Vidhyapeeth, Phone:594823 (2) Puma Village, Thana Bhiwandi Road, Near Uttam Roadways Vapi: Near R.T.O. Check Post, G.I.D.C. Phone: 887 Valsad: Kamla Nehru Road, Phone: 2284 Billimora: Gohar Baug Road, Phone: 2493 Navsari: Opp Central Bank, Phone: 4008/4009 Delivery Gc^own: Zaveri Sadak, Phone: 1601 Udhna: Road No 2, Phone: 88611-12 Surat: Delhi Gate, Dangi Sheri, Phone: 29995 - 35428 Delivery Godown: Ring Road, Near Surat Textile Market, Phone: 24026 29 Parsiana July 1992 IMATRIMONIAL give up hope and persists with her hunt nevertheless. This obsession for her began in 1986 when she came across a magazine called American Collectors at a local library. Thereafter she subscribed to it which made her feel the need to collect some ­ thing of value too. It is said that buyers all over the world have an eye on Mowji ’s collection but she would rather sell it in bits and pieces, further writes Naterwalla. A family-oriented Parsi girl, 37 years, 5'5", fair, attractive, well-groomed, widely-travelled, trained abroad in Continental cuisine and coming from a respectable Bombay family, wishes to marry a Parsi from a similar age-group and social background. Responses should give details of social, academic and occupational background. Please write to: The Advertiser Parsiana Matrimonial (JuIy/23-92) GPO Box 892 Bombay 400001 Dastur’s philatelic gold His research exhibit, India Used Abroad —Aden Victorian Era, won Vispi Dastur yet another gold medal at the Granada 92 World Stamp Exhibition. It was under Dastur ’s deputation as the national com ­ missioner for India that the Indian team won 10 medals of which two were gold, informs a press release. This exhibition in Spain in April 1992 was celebrating the SOOth anniversary of Christopher Columbus ’ discovery of America consequent to an agreement with Queen Isabella to discover a shorter sea route to India. After this exhibition, Dastur, a mem ­ ber of the Government of India ’s phila ­ telic advisory committee in the ministry of communications, stayed on to attend the world congress of the Federation of International Philately as the Indian par ­ ticipant, the release informs further. Vice president of the Philatelic Con ­ gress of India and honorary secretary of the Empire of India Philatelic Society, Dastur has authored two books on phila ­ tely and is reportedly the first Indian and Asian to win the Roake International Trophy for original research in philately. ‘Aunties Classes” cross 50 “Aunties Classes ” in Dejlali is where many a doctor, advocate, engineer, busi ­ nessman and military officer have re ­ ceived their first introduction to formal education. It is here that the present stu ­ dents, ex-students, parents and well- wishers congregated on March 15, 1992 to celebrate the golden jubilee of the Contractor Classes run by Ms Khorshed and Ms Roda Contractor, writes Ms Hufreen Rohinton Desai in a press re ­ lease. Beginning in 1942 with five children of close friends, the popularity of these pre-nursery classes has increased over the years requiring them to employ an additional six teachers when the strength of the children had reached 90. Love and care, the hallmark of the Contractor sis ­ ters, won them in return recognition as “universal aunties, ’’ further mentions Desai. The law-abiding Parsis In Bombay, where little concern for the city is the prevalent attitude, the delayed monsoons in the city this year led A. B. Parmanand, a retired civic hydraulic en ­ gineer to reminisce in The Times of India of July 13, ’92 about a similar situation 26 years ago. Due to the late onset of the rains in 1966, in July the Bombay Municipal Corporation (BMC) appealed to Bom- bayites not to use water for washing cars and similar purposes. Subsequently, it rained and all forgot about the crisis and the appeal. In De ­ cember, Parmanand ’s office received a telephone call from an old Parsi lady who wanted the BMC’s permission to wash her car! The Parsi community is “always law- abiding, ’’ believes Parmanand. Compiled by Roxana A. Mirza '***'**'-^ip ’ ft, BO’® ineSoori pHONt 30 Parsiana July 1992 I i s 4 ILAW Wedlock’s end: 4 K. C. Vajifdar Since direct proof of aduitery is difficult, the court has to rely on presumptive proof based on circumstances What are the responsibilities imposed by marriage and what redress does one spouse have when the other spouse chooses to disregard them? Answers to the question have been a part of the gen­ eral social environment, changing with time. The Parsi Marriage and Divorce Act (PMDA) was the first to codify such so­ cial expectations in 1865, becoming the most advanced concept of social justice in India at that time. It was amended in 1936 but, 50 years later, contemporary Parsis were chcfing at the restrictions and prejudices of a bygone social era. What is more, in comparison to other, later legislation in the arena of personal law, like the Hindu Marriage and Di­ vorce Act, the PMDA had lost its preem­ inence as a legislation that was in keep­ ing with the spirit of the times. Legal personality K. C. Vajifdar analyses the main clauses of the PMDA since its last amendment in 1988. In a series of six articles Vajifdar explains the changes that have been incorporated as also the main heads under which either party to a marriage may apply for di­ vorce. Vajifdar’s fourth article deals with adultery as severally defined in the PMDA and the Indian Penal Code. Prior articles dealt with impotency, non­ consummation of marriage, bigamy, de­ sertion, etc. Future articles will deal with the concepts of cruelty, change of religion, alimony and the custody of chil­ dren. Adultery, as defined under Section 497 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) implies sexual intercourse with a person who is, and whom the offender knows or has rea ­ son to believe to be, the wife of another man, without the consent and connivance of that man. Such sexual intercourse, not H V amounting to the offence of rape, is guilty of the offence of adultery and shall be punished with either simple or rigorous imprisonment for a term which may ex ­ tend to five years or with a fine or with both. However, under the law the wife of any person who commits adultery shall not be punished under any circum ­ stances, even as an abettor. Thus under the IPC the offence of adultery can be committed only by a man and not by a woman. Evidendy, the law contemplates that the married woman involved in an illicit relationship with a man is a victim of circumstances and is not the author of the crime. The legisla ­ ture in its wisdom has thought it fit that the sanctity of a matrimonial home should be preserved at any cost Hence, when a man has an illicit relationship with an unmarried or divorced woman there is no crime in law and the man committing the offence cannot be prosecuted. Adultery, under the Parsi Marriage and Divorce Act (PMDA) however simply means voluntary sexual intercourse bet ­ ween one spouse and a member of the opposite sex, during the subsistence of marriage. It is to be noted that direct proof of adultery is absolutely impossible. In fact, it is highly improbable that any person could witness such an act Then, what is the evidence that is required? The evi ­ dence given must be clear and cogent regarding conduct so as to lead to irre ­ sistible inference that the offence in fact has been committed. Thus, almost al ­ ways as a general rule, adultery is proved by presumptive proof based on circum ­ stantial evidence. What could be the circumstantial evi ­ dence? It is evidence of visits to broth ­ els, contracting venereal disease and, most of the time, confessions and admis­ sions. Thus, adultery may be inferred from proof of inclination, association and op ­ portunity. It is to be remembered how ­ ever that circumstantial evidence pro ­ duced must be acceptable to the court which should be left in no unreasonable doubt regarding proof of the fact of the commission of the act of adultery. Cir­ cumstances must be such that it would lead to no other conclusion but that of adultery. In a particular case, a wife left her husband and started living openly with a man. Thereafter, she started going eve ­ rywhere with the man she was living with and sometimes, she even called her ­ self his wife. In these circumstances, the court held that it was proved beyond a reasonable doubt that the wife had com­ mitted adultery. Adultery can be proved by circum ­ stantial evidence or the court may pre­ sume adultery when it is satisfied that a guilty attachment exists between the par ­ ties. Still, if there is any doubt about the parties coming together the inference of 33 Parsiana July 1992nl II w K — 9 W 4 ¥ adultery cannot be raised. Thus, the court would not as a general rule infer adultery i from evidence of opportunity alone. It is to be remembered that a very com ­ mon proof of adultery offered is the entry in a hotel register, a hotel bill, etc. Even though false names are given, the hand ­ writing of the person signing the register is good evidence. However, where there is no evident background of an adulterous association, the court is not prepared to come to the conclusion of adultery merely because a hotel bill and register is produced. In one case, the husband adduced no I evidence at all of any adulterous associa- I tion by the wife nor any medical evi- I dence, yet he contended that his wife I must have committed adultery because I of the lapse of time between their last I cohabitation and the date of birth of the : child. The court declined to give a di- X cniiu, inc UUUll UCUUUCU lu a ur vorce on the ground that the husband had Ip Jhaveri Bros., stands for the ever- popular classic collection of silver-plated ware since 1914. Visit us today for quality and dependable silver-plated ware like Diva-nu-glass,Khumchi ,Sopara , Gulabdani , Ph igani , Ch ipio, Chamcho, Afargaliu,teasets,trays,salvers,tumblers, bar accessories,cutlery etc. Also available is a wide range of sports cups, shields and medals. JHAVERI BROS. 1914 • 5,Metro House,Dhobitalao,Bombay 400 020. Tel : 29 14 23, 29 70 26. •345,Abdul Rehman Street,Bombay Tel : 32 00 65,32 61 96/97. 400 003. o 2 m <£> 34 Parsiana July 1992 not shown that he did not have any ac ­ cess to the wife during the period that the child was conceived. Generally, the court is very reluctant to act on the ground of adultery on ad ­ missions and uncorroborated confessions of the defendant. Its conclusion would be based on the weight of the evidence. The court must be satisfied by the sur ­ rounding circumstances where the evi ­ dence which is adduced may or may not be trustworthy. If the court is satisfied, it is up to it to grant relief notwithstanding the absence of independent testimony on the subject. In a particular case, a wife admitted having committed adultery in a number of letters. Thereafter, she recanted when a suit was filed. On the evidence of the husband and the letters written by the wife, the court held that adultery was proved. The onus of proof is always on the person who alleges adultery. Evidence tendered must be clear and convincing so as to lead to the irresistible conclusion that adultery has, in fact, been commit ­ ted. The court should be satisfied be ­ yond a reasonable doubt even though di­ rect proof of adultery is not possible. However, I must state that it would be unsafe to come to a finding of adultery on the uncorroborated testimony of a de ­ tective. Acceptance of such evidence is not illegal but certainly not advisable. koover C. Vajifdar is an advocate of the Bombay High Court. He is a frequent contributor to the general Press on the implications of the Rent Act ¦ general Press on me impucaxions or rne nenr and the legal ramifications of marital problems. With best wishes from Farah & Tanya 4 4BOOKS The Sanjan Saga Homi Rogers Kisseh-i Sanjan by H. E. Eduljee. Published in 1991 by H. J. M. Desai and Ms H. N. Modi, joint honorary secretaries, K. R. Cama Oriental In ­ stitute, 136, Bombay Samachar Marg, Bombay 400023. Pp: iii+197. Asa, who “for piety and love towards the Good Religion had no equal. ” When Kaikobad put this saga (spanning over 600 years) to verse, he prayed in Few places in the Indian sub- his epilogue that “when continent have fired the psy- some devout man in the fu- che of generations of Zoroas- ture reads this, he will bless trians as much as Sanjan. me... ” But, as the saga cap- Priestly families trace their tured the imagination of lineage to this small port • more Zoroastrians, and as it town. A march — albeit to _ got translated again and a Western beat — is com- again (especially around the posed by virtuoso Mehli Ka- turn of the present century) shinath to immortalize the into Gujarati and English, place. And even in architec- Kaik^bad ’s work got bogged ture Sanjan figures: a stumbh down in controversies and (memorial column) was debates, and was even re ­ erected here at the beginning ferred to as a “palpable false- of this century through sub- hood. ” scriptions from 2,860 mem- One of the main reasons bers of the community from for this was that chronology over 46 towns and places be- was not Kaikobad ’s strong yond India like Canton, point. Throughout the saga, Colombo and Aden. he gives no dates but only The mystique of Sanjan mentions intervals between continues to enthrall us. Only events, and even these inter- a few years ago, the youngest vals are usually quoted in of all Zoroastrian atash kadehs round numbers or centuries, was consecrated here; and a This has led to an unending religious revivalist group debate and as the Kisseh is battles against all odds (in- the oldest account of matters eluding meager finances) to that are ¦x)f great historical set up a Zoroastrian College in this reaching Sanjan, where they received importance to the Parsis, the story has humble township. sanctuary. been subjected to microscopic examina- Much of the aura that surrounds this ‘ ‘ ‘ ' 2 Z _ _ small town in Gujarat can be traced to band who, in order to honor the promise self-appointed purists, the fact that the oldest extant account of they had made when hit by a violent With a view to placing the many facts the community ’s migration to India is ’ ' ----- celebrated in a work of Persian verse called the Kisseh-i Sanjan (the story of Over the centuries, facing many vicissi- column) sanctuary. The Kisseh continues the story of this tion by leading Zoroastrian scholars and the fact that the oldest extant account of they had made when hit by a violent storm during their voyage, proceeded to before the community, Parsiana pub ­ set up the first fire-temple in Sanjan. lished two decades ago (in 1971) a two- ---------------------- , —.—MM.- part article on the Kisseh by Eduljee. Sanjan). Written in 1600 AD by Bahman tudes imposed by war and weather, they Ms Piloo Jungalwalla then suggested to Kaikobad (Sanjana) of Navsari, the protected the fire with their lives, be it up the K. R. Cama Oriental Institute Kisseh narrates the saga of one band of Zoroastrians who at the end of the rule of the unfortunate Yazdegird, the last Sas- sanian ruler of Persia, fled to the moun ­ tains of Kohistan and thence to Hormuz, before setting sail for India. They landed at Diu, where they spent 19 years before Kaikobad (Sanjana) of Navsari, the protected the fire with their lives, be it up r, , .. . , , jjjjj ggijj-Qj, Qj. ijj (KRCOI) that the articles be brought out swampy slush of Bansda. The Kisseh as a pamphlet. Eduljee agreed, but feel ­ ends with the'Iranshah (the holy fire ing that the articles were too slight in brought from Iran) being installed at substance, extended the work to its pres- Navsari amidst pomp and pageantry. It ent form. As published by the KRCOI, was brought here from Bansda at the in- the book is a full study of the Kisseh'. It stance of a behdin from Navsari, Changa narrates the story, explores its chrono ­ 35 Parsiana July 1992 ' 4' *r logical aspects, and through extremely Sanskrit shloKos (a translation of which high adventure, including a Moses-like informative and well thought of append!- is provided in the book) or referring to recession of waters of the Par river to ces sheds more light on Parsi history in them, date from the middle of the 17tli enable the Sanjanas to cross into India before and after the event of bring- century, whereas the Kisseh was written Udwada, while their adversaries (the ing the Iranshah to Navsari, at which in 1600 AD. Probably, the sholokas were point Sanjan ’s story ends. interpolated later, or as Eduljee con- Bhagarias of Navsari) had to return sans Iranshah. Of similar stirring valor is the For a task as onerous as this, the eludes, quoting M. P. Khareghat, the tale of the massacre at Variav, though KRCOI (and Peu'siana) could not have shlokas may have been there, but on the even Eduljee ’s erudition cannot provide entrusted the work to anyone better basis of their structure and thought, could a date to it. than Eduljee. Years ago, this reviewer not have been written or recited by a Yet another appendix (the book has had read an article by Eduljee in an an- Zoroastrian. six) of great interest and relevance is an thology on Zoroastrianism, edited by _ Vishwanath Pandey. Here Eduljee sue- the fallacy of the long-standing conten- left by early European travellers in India cinctly marshalled facts to prove that * ....................... .. Zoroaster must have lived during the pe ­ riod 1,700 to 1,400 BC thereby demol ­ ishing, ever so gently, the cherished be ­ lief of those who maintained that the reli ­ gion was over 6,000 years old. It is in the same cogent manner that Eduljee ex ­ amines thb many sources of the events occurring in India, and with references and notes listed comprehensively, enables tl^e reader to view the history of the Parsi diaspora and its aftermath. Eduljee lays before the reader three scholarly studies of the Kisseh before tion of Parsi orthodoxy that accepting ranging from the defensive and the criti- presenting his own comments and sug- converts is to go back on our promise to cal to just plain elaboration. Within this gested chronology. It is indeed surpris ­ ing how three scholars of repute like dia. No shloka, be it recited by a Zoroas- Jivanji Modi, the intellectual heir of K. R. Cama, gnd the two Hodiwalas (S. H. and S. K.) can differ so radically in their cious interpretation has arisen, Eduljee book on Parsis as viewed through the interpretations of the same source mate ­ rial. It is hence even a greater delight to of the 11th shloka, “the only one to say read Eduljee ’s comments and critical as- in clear terms that Parsis do not convert. ” sessments, written without the prudish- Eduljee points out that Hodiwala himself appendices makes for a book worth read ­ ness of a puritan, or the polemics of a had in his notes on the shloka mentioned ing and preserving. The only reservation pamphleteer. One need not necessarily that he had amended the Sanskrit original one has is that it does not provide any in ­ agree with his suggested chronology, but by giving it this meaning. the manner in which he lucidly sets about quotes Hodiwala ’s reason verbatim for it, and indulges in some open thinking, is doing so in the book under review, very commendable. It is equally praise ­ worthy that after mustering up over 38 created and perpetrated, and Eduljee rank in comparison to Persian literature, pages of deductive history, Eduljee can- needs to be commended for drawing the including the Shah llfamah, which was didly admits that “it is not possible, on community ’s attention to these facts, the basis of the Kisseh to give exact dates for the movements of the first Zoroastri ­ ans.., (though) we can say that some for a fresh reading of other works of an- 2foroastrians... arrived at Sanjan some tiquity, so that the community can re ­ time in the early 780s. ” What Eduljee is quite precise about, however, is the mistaken identity of Das ­ tur Neryosang Dhaval who is popularly believed to be the dastur who expounded startling facts, Eduljee ’s narration of the the religion to Jadi Rana, the Hindu king/ other aspects of Parsi history in India is (the book has only four, including ihat of chieftain of Sanjan. As per evidence equally interesting. Notable amongst the Revayats) or a manuscript of the Kis- quoted by Eduljee, it is even doubtful these is the tumultuous transfer of the seh would have enhanced the value of whether Kaikobad had before him the 16 Iranshah from Sanjan to Bahrot to the work. And though the making Of an Sanskrit shlokas attributed to Dhaval, Bansda to Navsari, and the final transfer index is a painstaking task, its absence in when he wrote the Kisseh. to Udwada. It makes for a good epic a volume like this — rich with names. Most manuscripts containing the 16 abounding in court drama, treason and and ideal for reference — is largely felt. not have been written or recited by a Zoroastrian. A reading of the shlokas also exposes 80-page section on the accounts of Parsis The Kisseh is the oldest account of matters that are of great historical importance to the Parsis from 1322 to the end of the 18th century. These accounts describe Parsi occupa ­ tions, beliefs and customs, and show the changes that have taken place in the community over the years. Sample a few surprises from the section: “Parsis are less bigoted in their customs, manners and dress than most nations. ” “Parsi merchants lie repeatedly for the sake of profit. ” What makes this appendix all the more interesting is that Eduljee spikes the accounts with his own comments converts is to go back on our promise to Jadi Rana, who gave us sanctuary in In- appendix, which occupies nearly, half the length of the book, is the seed for yet trian priest, or interpolated later, upholds another publishing venture — which a non-proselytization clause. This falla- probably the KRCOI could consider -- a points out, due to Hodiwala's translation eyes of other communities, both .travell ­ ers as well as the local populace. Eduljee ’s Kisseh with its interrelated This is an example of how a myth is Eduljee formation on the work itself or its literary merit. How many verses was the Kisseh? What was the meter used? How would it then a part of our oral heritage? And, how would it compare to literature pro- without being controversial or hurtful. Eduljee ’s rendering of the Kisseh calls duced in India contemporaneous to it? Generations to come may never get to read, or be able to read, the Kisseh in its view the facts in their proper perspective, original. Perhaps a transcription in Ro- and not through the agency of bigoted man script of a few of its moving pas- interpreters. If the Kisseh has thrown up certain sages, which would give a feel of the text, would be welcome. The inclusion of more picture plates 36 Parsiana My 1992BOOKS A Recap of the Raj Khusro F. Rustamji In The Districts of The Raj by Y. D. Gundevia. Published in 1992 by Orient Longman Limited, Kamani Marg, Ballard Estate, Bombay 400038. Pp: 233. Price: Rs 75. The one characteristic of Yezdi Gunde ­ via that set him apart from many of his peers in the Indian Civil Service (ICS), was that he never posed as the 'bora saheb (big boss). ’ He was always him ­ self — the lad from Bandra — unspoilt, straight and warm-hearted. He was brought up in a cultured family: “My fa ­ ther was a lover of art and my mother a lover of music. ” At the beginning of his book. In the Districts of the Raj, Gundevia says he lays no claim to being a hot nationalist, having come from a totally apolitical family. He was the grandson of a one- track loyalist — Kaikhusro Kabraji — editor, novelist, playwright and musi ­ cian, who translated the British national anthem into Gujarati, Raksa Dev Too Maharani, which was sung in a grand chorus led by Kabraji *s sisters at Ballard Her when an important dignitary landed. Throughout his college career Gundevia gave tuitions, and half the money he wsimcTs OF TsSmJl wj IY. D. GUN&EVtA| on that cultivated them. ” And there was in ­ debtedness and begaar (forced labor). At the age of seven he was present when a daughter was born to his mater ­ nal uncle, a policeman. She was named Rokshana. When he came back with ICS tagged to his name, he asked her for a waltz and fell in love with her. Rokshi, the pigtailed girl, later become his wife. She certainly turned out to be a versa ­ tile woman: an angler, shikari and con ­ stant companion. “So there we were, Rokshi and I, in a series of camps under canvas day after day, month after month... lost in admiration for our cook Niamat. ” And in the heat of the districts, running barefoot, was his daughter Rapti, who could speak the Purbi dialect like a native. Floods, fairs, jungle camps and clubs — Gonda, Gorakhpur, Bahraich, Mirzapur, more and more towns and tribal dances — all figure in the book. Also working with the Congress; tiger shoots and a eulogy on a horse, whom he rode from camp to camp. A useful chapter in the book is about . . , - - the Christian missionaries. What they earned he gave his mother. that he should go to England and try for did in the past to educate, tend the sick As in all Parsi homes of the past, there the ICS. He wrote of boarding houses in and develop the backward district areas, were hundreds of English books in the England, travels on the continent, music house; poetry, drama, novels, he read concerts... and then the unexpect^ se ­ them dl. “I was gradually becoming an lection on his first try for the ICS, fol ­ agnostic, ” he wrote, as almost the whole lowed by his posting in the out-of-the- of that generation turned out to be. He " ’ -- ---- - - - began service as a lover of England, and retired as a lover of India. Then that tragic day. About his sister Tehmina^and her husband Dick Rutnagar landlords); there is the local tyrant in bosoms and be a guide to future histori- he says, “The 4th August 1929 is an in- embroidered sherwani and flannel pyja- ans and administrators. It shows the type delible imprint in my memory. It was a mas, a glittering sword hanging from his of work that a district magistrate did, his Sunday. Tehmina and^Dick motored Mt, an elaborate turban with a peacock close contact with the rural folk and his were going for a swim at Juhu — that the rest of die population there was noth- I__ ..’I* ««««» « * * ban Bandra. I could have joined them day they produced too, but did not. Two hours later came at Rs 2 for 80 pot the thunderbolt. Dick, Tehmina and two friends bad drowned. ” Despite the tragedy, the family felt ________ _______ that he should go to England and tiy for did in the past to educate, tend the sick were hundreds of English books in the England, travels on the continent, music makes a saga of service and sacrifice which has never been understood or ap ­ preciated in independent India. Many Englishmen have written about the Raj, few Indians have done so. In the way district of Gonda in Uttar Pradesh. _____________________ _ There are vivid pictures in the book of Districts of the Raj is a book that is easy district life during the Raj: camp, settle- to read, a picture of district life in the ment work, the zamindari rajas (kingly past which can stir up nostalgia in many embroidered sherwani and flannel pyja- ans and administrators. It shows the type m^, a glittering sword hanging from his of work that a district magistrate did, his down to our house in Bandra — they feather peeping out of its folds... ^But for insightsTblo their "problem^ Auhe s^e were going for a swim at Juhu — that the rest of the population there was noth- time it talks of shikars, of dak bungalow^ beautiful palm beach just beyond subur- ing but starvation. Working night and with scorpions on the roof: and of a woman, Rokshi, who braved it aH and , . was, moreover, a delightful hostess and Very often I rode mile after mile and finally the editor of her husband ’s last I grain which was sold at Rs 2 for 80 pounds. Gundevia says, **\Zz**ll ZvflAM T __ J the fields looked as starved as the people book. 37 Paraiana My 1982 *MILESTONES The age of Zoroastrian brides hormone), liver disease and tu- Homi Harda-, June 9 (as listed in this issue) ranged berculosis were the isolated Hutokshi Jehangir Bhathena between 23 and 55 years, the cases registered last month. ' " '' arithmetic mean — the total number of individual ages di­ vided by the total number of brides — being 33 years. The corresponding figures for the grooms were 25 and 59 years, averaging at 37 years. There were 16 births in Bom ­ bay in June. From the 97 Zoroastrians who died in Bom ­ bay last month, 22 succumbed to heart disease of whom six were 80 years and above. The other major killers were pneu ­ monia and lung disease (11), cancer (eight) and general debi ­ lity and old age, diabetes and brain disease (seven each). Shock and anemia took the lives of five patients each. Parkin ­ son ’s disease and hypertension unless individuals send us infor- claimed four victims each while septicemia, ulcer and malnutri ­ tion claimed two lives each. Ar ­ thritis, atherosclerosis (deposi ­ tion of fatty substances in the ar ­ teries), high blood pressure, hemiparesis (slight paralysis or wealmess of one half of the face or body), nervous disorder, asthma, viral fever, hematoma (a swelling filled with blood), pyrexia (fever), thyrotoxicosis our readers would appreciate (a condition due to the excessive production of the thyroid gland BOMBAY Born A boy to Hira and Rohinton Pavri on June 1,1992 A boy to Mahrukh and Zubin Sutaria-, June 1 A boy to Parvene and Darayus Baria-, June 4 Twins (boy and girl) to Kashmira and Farokh Ardclesh- waria-, June 5 A girl to Neeta and Kayomaz Dastoor, June 11 A boy to Mahnaz and Farhang Pashootan-, June 11 A boy to Kerbanoo and Cyras Solaina-, June 11 A girl to Zenobia and Hormazed Jehangir, June 12 A boy to Dinaz and Naozer y/ankadia-, June 13 hormone), liver disease and tu- cases There was one murder case re ­ ported. One teenager, two youths in their 20s and three youths in their 30s were lost to the community. As compared to the highest age at death, 96 years, the youngest to die was a four-month-old baby girl. The data on births, marriages and deaths has been compiled from information supplied by Died various newsletters and anju-' Tehmina Sapur Desai (91) mans in India and abroad, courts and hospitals. This information is not always complete or con ­ sistent. For example, the birth figures for Bombay are supplied Neelam, 14th B. Rd, Khar, by four hospitals; births in sub- 400052; May 31 urban hospitals and private Tehmi Naval Daruvala (78), nursing homes are not included mation together with a copy of the birth certificate. In the breakup of deaths according to Garda Bldg, Panthaki Baug, illnesses, especially of the eld- Andheri (E), 400069; June 1 erly, death is often due to a Frenie Peshotan Sanjana (19), combination of several diseases. 5, Devdutt, B. J. Rd, Bandra, If readers have any births/ 400050; June 1 marriages/deaths they would Bomi Hormusji Sh^ff (12), like published, some proof to ~ ~ ensure the veracity of the report would be required. We are sure this requirement and cooperate with us. A girl to Pervin and Jimmy Kasad-, June 16 A girl to Tanaz and Karl Naoroji-, June 18 A girl to Zarine and Xerxes Mistry-, June 21 A boy to Sanober and Adil Bharucha-, June 27 A girl to Ruby and Yezdi Parekh-, June 27 A boy to Homai and Yezdi Irani-, June 28 Married Farzana Khodadad Izadyar of Poona and Shahriyar Shahbahram Alar, June 7 Nilufer Dehram Dotiwalla and Viraf Gustadji Ichhaporia of Ichhapore; June 7 Rashna Bomi Peer and Kersi and Percy Adi Desai', June 12 Tehmi Minocher Bharucha and Minoo Rustomji Amrolia-, June 14 Chandan Bamansha Tavadia and Jamshed Nasarwanji Jijina-, June 21 Shirin Khodayar Mehri-kalan- tari and Bijan Dehgonpur Pur- dehgon-, June 30 residing at Rele Chmbs, Raghavaji Rd, Gowalia Tank, 400036; May 31 Veera Dinshaw Desai (66), 4, 119, Daruvala Hse, Parsi Clny, M. Joshi Rd, Dadar, 400014; June 1 Adi Hormusji Dubash (M), Dadyseth Agiary, Flora Foun ­ tain, 400001;June 1 Noshir Rustomji Joshi (61), 8, Milan, 191, Perin Nariman St, Fort, 400001; June 2 Sakarbai Ardeshir Mehta (92), Wadia Baug, Parel Tank Rd, 400033;June 2 Keki Hormusji Arjanwalla (86), Gool Mans, 88, Walkeshwar Rd, 400006;June 3 Villoo Dickie Makati (34), 22/10, Brindavan Soc, Thane, 400601;June 3 Ratan Nadirshaw Sukheswala (81), 4/45, Jal Darshan, Nepean Sea Rd, 400006; June 3 Zenobia Behram Adarboman (66), 91, Windsor Chmbs, 7, Cawasji Patel St, Fort, 400(X)l; June 5 Nurgez Hormusji Amrolia (84), Aderbad, Patkar Marg, 400007; June 5 Yezdi Burjorji Engineer (38), 21, Prem Court, Peddar Rd, 400026;June 5 Phiroze Sorabji Mirza (63), 11/A, Sayaji Bldg, Balaram St, Grant Rd, 400007; June 5 Keki Maneckshaw Siganporia (61), 307/8, Sarita Bldg, Jesal Park, Bhayandar (E), 401105; June 5 Soli Kaikhushru Fanibanda (61), Windsor Chmbs, Cawasji Patel St, Fort, 400001; June 6 Alu Cawasji Satta (74), 17, Kala Niketan Bldg, M. Karve Rd, 400020;June 6 EvaA.R. Wadia (jil), 15/A, Prabhu Kutir, Altamount Rd, 400026;June 6 Tehmina Dinshawji Billimoria (80), 15, Khareghat Clny, Hughes Rd, 400007; June 7 Sheroo Dhunjishasv Chawda (71), 275/D, Soona Bldg, Chikalwadi, Tardeo, 400007; June 7 Soli Muncher Mithaiwala (58), 301, Asha-Sadan, Anand Ngr, Vasai (W), 401201; June 7 Mamjeh Burjorji Rana (86), Bhabha Hse, 191, Bora Bazar St, Fort, 400001; June 7 Goolbai Dossabhoy Bhesania (87), Sahani Villa, N. Gamadia Rd, Off Peddar Rd, 400026; June 8 Dinshaw Kavsi Dastur (87), Thakur Niwas, Churchgate Reel, 40(X)20; June 8 Minocher Bejanji Sadarwala (80), 764/F, Sarosh Court, Opp BEST Depot, Parsi Clny, Dadar, 400014;June 8 Framroz Rustomji Balsara (87), 503, Joanna, 10, Pali Rd, Bandra, 400050; June 9 Mani Peshotan Bamji (79), 800, Burjor-Behram Bldg, Parsi Clny, Dadar, 400014; June 9 Firoze Bomanji Irani (76), 619, Banoo Mans, Jame Jamshed Rd, Dadar, 400014; June 10 Shirin Boman Irani (80), 8, New Mistry Bldg, Balaram St, 400007;June 10 Pestonji Kharshedji Jasawalla (75), 8, Saidunissa Hse, Sleater Rd, 400007;June 10 Hilla Shavaksha Engineer (72), Mody Bldg, Marzban Clny, Gilder Lane, Lamington Rd, 400008;June 11 Pestonji Jamshedji Saher (77), C/2, Captain Clny, Tardeo, 400034;June 11 Freny Hormusji Bharucha (76), B, The Reward, Tardeo, 400007; June 12 38 Parsiana My 1992 Ife Nariman Ardeshar Golwalla (96), 32, Bakhtawar Annexe, 22, N. Dabholkar Rd, 400006; June 17 Putlibai Rustomji Laskeri (78), 17, Tarachand Bldg, Gamadia Adi Shavaxsha Dhondy (85), R/2, Cusrow Baug, S. B. Rd, 400039; June 12 Soonamai Pestonji Doctor (85), 28/B, Sidhwa Bldg, Balaram St, Grant Rd, 400007; June 12 Beji Ratanshaw Daruwalla (54), Clny, Tardeo, 400007; June 17 A-3/41, Greenfields Avillion, ~ ................ ... Mahakali Caves Rd, Andheri (E), 400093; June 13 Hormusji Rustomji Havaldar (67), 7/C-lO, Tata Clny, Tardeo, B/76, Empire Est No 2, 400034; June 13 Shireen Burjor Irani (53), 317, Kooka Bldg, Sopari Baug, Parel, 400012; June 13 Freny Nadirshaw Karwa (88), Crown Bldg, Uranwala St, Grant Rd, 400004; June 13 Homi Khodad Irani (43), Orient Baug, Lam Rd, Deolali, Dist Nasik, 422401; June 14 BapuArdesher Mistry (78), E/10, Shapur Baug, V. P. Rd, 400004; June 14 Meher Dady Pastalda (58), C/4, G/15, Nowroz Baug, Lalbaug, 400012;June 14 Amy Honu Jeejeebhoy (85), Ratan Manor, Garden Rd, Colaba, 400005; June 15 Behram Hormuzd Kermani (75), R/26, NowrozBaug, Lalbaug, 400012;June 15 Jal Bejonji Lakdavala (80), 14, Cricket Club of India, D. Vatcha Rd, 400020; June 15 Dina Darabsha Nilgiriwala (76), A/1, Jer Baug, Dr Ambedkar Rd, Byculla, 400027; June 15 Aloo Sorabji Wadia (58), 4/12, Tata Clny, Tardeo, 400034; June 15 Freny Nariman Pardiwalla (JI), 62, Khatau Apts, 243, Walkeshwar Rd, 400006; June 16 Minoo Behramshaw Patel (85), 53, H. N. Petit Bldg, Opp Grant Rd Rly Stn, 400007; June 16 Cyrus Parvez Sabawala (20), 11, Malcolm Baug, S. V. Rd, Jogeshwari (W), 400102; June 16 Perin Hormusji Sethna (78), X-101/15, Godrej Clny, Stn Rd, Vikhroli (E), 400079; June 16 Dina Tehmurasp Bharucha (81), 54, Sunshine, Dr R. Patel Rd,,Off B. Desai Rd, 400026; June 17 Shirinbai Jehangirji Bhoot (87), Tara Mans, 11th Lane, Khetwadi Main Rd, 400004; June 17 Banu Maneckji Baria (84), Balaram Bldg, 33, Balaram St, Grant Rd, 400007; June 18 Jer Hormusji Gorimar (34), Bank, Parsi Clny, Dadar, 400014;June 24 Freny Hosi Khajotia (58), B/13, Mody Bldg, Zoroastrian Compd, Parel, 400012; June 24 Dali Sam Mistry (43), 16, India Hse No 2, Kemps Comer, 400036;June 24 Sam Eruchshaw Mody (71), C/o Mr B. Gandhi, Tata Clny, Bandra, 400050; June 24 Dara Cavas Dastur (72), 401/402, Sai Dham, 719, Govind Patil Rd, Dandpada, Khar, 400052; June 25 Bhikhamai Ardeshir Patel (82), P/34, Cusrow Baug, S. B. Rd, 400039;June 25 Dina Soli Patel (70), F. S. Parukh Dharamshalla, 34, Hughes Rd, 400007; June 25 Manekshaw Temulji Patel (1^6), 9, Doctor Bldg, S. B. Bharucha Baug, Andheri (W), 400058; June 25 Freny Phiroze Doctor (85), Chinoy Mans, 162, B. Desai Rd, 400036;June 26 Sovak Khodabux Kermani (Irani) (50), C/1, Petit Chawl, Balaram St, 400007; June 26 Banoobai Manchersha Titina (il), 182, Enterprise Apts, Forjett Hill, 400036; June 26 Gool Nariman Fardunji Vaid (83), Munsiff Bldg, 635, Parsi Clny, Dadar, 400014; June 26 Navajbai (Najamai) Pirojshaw Bhathena (85), 220, Tara Mans, 11th Lane, Khetwadi Main Rd, 400004;June 27 Homai Kavasji Boman Behram (71), Modi Mans, 49, Mere- weather Rd, 400039; June 27 Rohinton Behramsha Ghamat (43), Ali Manzil, Balaram St, Behind Apsara Cinema, 400007; June 27 Cumballa Hill, 400026; June 18 Pesi Cawasji Pithawala (61), E/2, Nowroz Baug, Lalbaug, 400012;June 18 Sirus Kaikushru Irani (65), 145, Daruwala Bldg, Alibhai Premji Marg, 400007; June 19 Mani Rustomji Katgara (Ji), 619, Rustom Baug, Victoria Rd, Byculla, 400027; June 19 Minoo Byramji Morena (60), 1/1, A. H. Wadia Baug, Parel Tank Rd, 400033;June 19 Dinshaw Maneckshaw Patel (79), 406, Vijay Apts, Caesar Rd, Amboli, Andheri (W), 400058;June 19 Faraum Jehangirji Bulsara (68), 61, Milan, 87, Tardeo Rd, 400034;June 20 Dhanjishaw Ardeshir Wardcadia (82), 0/13, Dalal Est, Near Bombay Central, 400008; June 20 Mani Shiavax Bachana (59), 601, Namdar Hse, Opp Bandra Police Stn, Bandra, 400050; June 21 Nariman Bhikhaji Boga (69), 5/7, Panthaki Baug, Andheri (E), 400069; June 21 Katy (Katayun) Eddie (Edulji) Dastoor (65), 5, Akash Ganga, 89, B. Desai Rd, 400036; June 21 Kekasru Rustamji Pavri (85), V1I9AID, Madhav Bhavan, Pars! Pervin Minoo Balsara (28), Wada, Lower Parel, 400013; June 21 Burjor Dinshawji Bharucha (81), 405/65, Sygille Apts, Worli Hill Rd, 400018; June 22 Aloo Behram Kharadi (72), 25, Bombay Fire Fighter Hsg Soc, J. R. Boricha Marg, 400011; June 22 Framroze Sorabji Billimoria (78), Reshma Bldg, Dongre Rd, Mumbra, 400612; June 23 Gaimai Adi Engineer (80), B/7, Tardeo Chmbs, Kashinath St, Tardeo, 400034; June 24 Freny Naval Katrak (65), 811/7, Tilak Rd, Above Central Freni Fredoon Naoroji Mehta (81), Pehlvi Bldg, 315, Lamington Rd, 4OO0O7; June 28 Kaikhushroo Cawasji Mehta (Driver) (83), Alpaiwala Bldg, Stn Rd, Mahim, 400016; June 28 Ardeshir Naoroji Mistry (72), Shroff Hse, 42, Sleater Rd, 400007; June 28 Zarin Aspi Dapoliwala (14), Bhadwar Bldg, Khan Est, Mahim, 400016; June 29 Avabai Kawasji Lalkaka (88), Dubash Mans, 20, Mt Mary Rd, Bandra, 400050; June 29 Mehroo Phirozsha Abadan (78), A/239, Botawalla Bldg, Tardeo Rd, 400007; June 30 CALCUTTA Born A girl, Freya, to Zarene and Sarosh Gazder, May 14 Married Bakhtawar Chothia and Boman Parakh', Ju^e 14 SURAT Died Khushroo Sorabji Jussawalla (44), Botawalla Bldg, Tardeo, Bombay, 400007; June 1 Mani Darabshaw Suwaliwdlla (51), Kuka Chawl, Shahpore, 395003;June 3 Dadabhoy Nowroji Nogamwalla (70), Lal Gate, Kanapith, 395003;June 5 Homi Cawasji Amalsadiwalla (71), Gam Amalsad, Taluka Mandvi, Dist Surat, 394160; June 6 Alooben Nusserwanji Elavia (64), Rajendkumar, Sasapati, Rajpipla, 3931^; June 9 Burjorji Nusserwanji Dordi (92), Alati Baug, Rustompura, 395002;June 26 Faramroze Hormusji Vestma (95), Bhapa Mohallo, Nanpura, 395003;June 29 E/2/1, Tata Hsg Centre, Lallubhai Park Rd, Andheri (W), 400058; June 28 Rustom Padamji Bharucha (68), 6, Jehangir Baug, Juhu, 400049; June 28 Dina Khurshed Choksiy (72), F, Dalal Est, Lamington Rd, 400008;June 28 Pestonji Gustadji Engineer (81), Thrity and Yazdi and Tom B/3, Bhairavi Apts, Bhardawadi Edmund Stazyk-, May 6 Rd, Andheri (W), 400058; June 28 Farzin Xerxes Lakdawalla (4 mths), A/9, Daruwalla Bldg, Below South Frere Bridge, Grant Rd, 400007; June 28 AUCKLAND Married Mahrukh Mistry, daughter of BRITISH COLUMBIA Born A girl, Natasha, to Rashna and Shahrokh Kianipour; April 4 39 Parsiana My 1992 4r CALIFORNIA Born A boy, Farhan, to Dilshad and Hoshang Hormasji; June 9 CHICAGO Die3 Sorour Kadkhodaian, mother of Hooshmand, Arjomand, Broomand, Farahmand, Niroomand and Parvin Khosravi; May 16 BORN Boys Girls TOTALS FOR 1992 Bombay Other Indian cities A B A B Foreign cities A B 9 7 63 67 1 2 1 3 5 9 13 Piroja Kaikhushru Khambatta (,96)-, May 24 SINGAPORE Born A girl, Alexandria Susan, to Tehnaz and Michael Crook; May 8 DETROIT Died Alamai Deboo, mother of Behroze Ghandhi and Jamshed; June 2 MARRIED Parsi Intercommunal DIED Male Female 7 46 53 135 24 171 242 1 3 1 1 1 3 4 5 2 28 38 7 5 19 14 HOUSTON Born A boy, Zal, to Ava and Noshir Bhathena; March 22 A: Total numbers in this issue TORONTO Born A girl, Zara Jacqueline, to Khorshed and Darrin Tooth; May 7 A girl, Ava Kureshan, to Mahroukh and Bejan Raffi; May 10 A girl, Katy Jinny, to Allane and Rohinton Gatta; May 23 B: Running totals for 1992 (February-July issues) KARACHI Born A boy, Daniyal, to Havovi and Jehanbux Bharucha; May 18 Died Pestanji Khurshedji Minwalla (94); May 1 These figures pertain to information provided to or collected by Parsiana. They do not represent the total number of births, marriages and deaths in the Zoroastrian community in India and abroad. Aspi Cowasji Patel (69); May 1 Burjor Meherwanji Anklesaria (93); May 1 Pestanji Piroshaw Randeria (69); May 8 Gustad Sohrabji Nanavati (19); May 9 Khorshed Cowas Daruwala (63); May 11 Soonoo Minoo Malbari (65); May 18 VANCOUVER Died Adt Joldii (61), husband of Soonu and father of Cyrus, Rusi, Dinshaw and Roshni; February 6 WESTMINSTER, California Married Avan Amalsad and Gustad C. P. Sagar ef Ottawa; April 19 Compiled by Roxana A. Mirza With the compliments of P. S. KUKA Chairman ? ? ? GOODWILL THEATRES PVT LTD BOMBAY OWNERS: "NOVELTY CINEMA" THEATRE MAGNIFICENT BOMBAY Luxuriously air-conditioned with latest 70MM Projection, Stereophonic ond 4 Track Sound Equipment. 40 Parsiana July 1992