January 2000

Volume 22 Number6

EDITOR Jehangir R. Patel

MANAGING EDITOR Arnavaz S. Mama EXECUTIVE EDITOR Parinaz M. Gandhi

SENIOR EDITORS

Dina K. Mehta, Hilla P. Guzder ASSOCIATE EDITOR Roxana A. Driver SENIOR DESIGNERKranti M. Shilotri DESIGNER NiveditaS. Dhotre MARKETING DIRECTORVeera J. Patel

2 Readers' Forum

12 Events and Personalities

22 Zoroastrians Abroad

26 ZWAS: A sisterhoodin Surat by Hilla Guzder

28 HMS Trincoma/ee: Dressed to kill by Arnavaz Mama

ADVERTISING MANAGER Jasmine D. Driver

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36 The KuppawallaConnection

39 RatiWadia: A principal's principles by Parinaz Gandhi

46 Sri Lanka Parsis: Treasuredon the Island - 5

56 Milestones

Cover: Figurehead on HMS Trincoma/ee

(Courtesy: HMS Trincomalee Trust

Parsiana is edited and publishedby Jehangir

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READERS' FORUM

but let them not have the moral right to insistthat the community should turn to cremation. When persons marry out­ side their faith, then they must bear the consequences of their action for they know what is going to happen once the step is taken. So they shouldnot expect to have their cake and eat it too! And this list can go on ad infinitum but there is no need to go into the banalities and trivialities we Parsis indulge in.

Zoroastrianism has given free will to individuals- so let them make what choices they will and bear the conse­ quences. But let therebe no whining that the religionhas not stood by them. I am strongly of the opinionthat we should, for a change, stand by our reli­gion and defend it from the crass criti­ cism of insensitive peopleand from the onslaught of the unlearned. Have we such few "defenders of the faith?" It has taken PashminaM. Contractor in the tiny Himalayan kingdom ofNepal, away from the daily contactof Parsis, with her courage and objective analysis of

the issue, to open our eyes to addressing

time I had requested a dastur to en­ lighten me on the religiousstand in this connection. The dastur's reply was that there was no mention about this in the holy Gathas, though some later Pahlavi Persian books had raiseda danger sig­ nal.

The liberalat­

mosphere of the modern West not just tolerates but en­ courages public dis­ cussion of this sub­ ject dubbed "pro­ hibited" by a hand­

ful of articulateMerchant:sets a

Parsis. Therefore, it healthy trend

is heartening to

know aboutalearnedParsiwhoex­

presses his viewson this subjectwith­ out fear or favor but with remarkable force and dignity.

It is well-known that English laws

were barbarous on this issue till the early '40s. Perhaps the most famous victim of such laws was the immortal Oscar Wilde (1854-1900). But in the

Readers' views are welcome on any subject of interest to the communityand 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 lettersor those withoutan address will not be published.

"More 'Parsi Myths'"

This has reference to the letterwritten

by PashminaM. Contractor of Kath­

mandu, Nepal in the Septemberissue of Parsiana ("More 'Parsi myths"') in response to "The three Parsi myths" published in the April issue.

I was deeply moved to finally read a defence of our glorious heritageand our lofty religion instead of the constant and cantankerous vilification of our rituals and tarikats.

We Parsis revel in revilingwhat

should be venerated. We fritter away our energies,waste time, dissipate hu­ man resources over the most trivial of issues: cremationvs dokhmenashini; to coveror not to cover our heads in the agiary; the reformiststo be lauded, the orthodoxdenigrated; why there should be no conversion and so the list goes on.

If there arc personswho prefer cre­ mation to dokhmenashini, then let them have the choice of one over the other

2 Pars/ana January 2000

the real issuesat hand instead of bog­ ging ourselves into a morass of needless controversy.

One more reference needs to be made.

NoshirL. Hansotia from Kansas, USA writes to laud the courage and determi­ nation of a handful ofParsisin Neemuch, Central India,tending to our sacred atash padshah, againstgreat odds. He callsthe Parsis "apeople of destiny." We need more such Noshir Hansotias to instill in us this deep sense of pride and commitment to our faith.

POURUCHISTI N. CHENOY

Secunderabad

"The gay crusader"

I was moved to read about Prof Hoshang

Merchant ("The gay crusader," Events and Personalities, Parsiana, Septem­ ber 1999). It is indeed a healthytrend to find an enlightened Parsi taking up what can be calleda lost cause. As all of us know,a few extremely articulate speak­ ers and writers among us have created an impression that, leave alone the act, even a free and fair discussion on ho­ mosexuality in any forumis taboo. Some 25 or 30 years ago, the late Adi Marzban had produced a play with homosexual overtonesand some Parsis started talk­ ingaboutreligionindanger.Atthat

early '50s the Britishers realized their

mistake and a bill was passed in the House of Lords legalizing homosexual conduct between adult males in private. And recently the injustice done to Wilde wasreversed when his giant statue was put up in a prominentsquare in London.Yet some of us who have been blindly copying our former rulers have not had the sagacity,openness or courage to radicallychange the approach.Let us hope that Merchant's contribution may turn out to be trendsetting, particularly for our futuregenerations. ADI P. RANJI

"On a high down under"

I have read with.interest Gustasp Irani's

write-up on Zoroastrians living in New Zealand ("Ona high down under," Parsiana, September 1999).

Irani has dealtwith the Parsismostly confinedto Auckland which,like

Bombay, is the commercialhub and largest city in New Zealand.

There are Parsis living in other parts of the country.There is a Parsi family in Hawera (pronounced"Howra") which is halfway between Aucklandand Well­ ington. In Hawera,the country's most famous mountain,Mt Egmont, is lo­ cated. Its peak is alwayscovered with snow. There is a Parsi family in Christ-

church, in South Islandwhich is well­ known to the cricketing world. Then there is a Parsi family and my son who live in Wellington. My son edits for the last three years a newsletter called The ParseeVoice Of New Zealand (TPVONZ). It deals mostly with our Zarathushti religion, for the edification of Parsis livingin New Zealand. This newsletteralso comes out with specialissues on India and Indian matters and a recent issue was on cricket.

New Zealandconsists of many is­ lands, the two main islandsbeing North Island and South Island.It is mostly an agricultural countryfa­ mous for its dairy and meat products. The cattle population far exceeds human population, 45 millionsheep to 3.5 millionhuman beings. Its most famous bird is the kiwi,a night bird that does not fly. New Zealand is also called the land of the Kiwis and a New Zealander is often referredto as a Kiwi. Each city and town has a scenic beautyof its own.

Itis said that advance reservations for hotels and other lodging in New Zealand started about five years ago for overseas visitorsto witness the first rays of the sun that fell on the country

,:0· OVER ,

when the 21stcentury, or as is more popularly called the new millennium, dawned. BHIKHAJI M. ADENWALLA

"TheFederation salutes..." According to your reportin "The Fed­ erationsalutesSam," (Parsiana, July­ August 1999)Bruch Irani mentioned that the "Baroda Dharamshala is not in the condition it should be in." When he made this statement in the last Federa­ tion meeting, our youth representative Cyrus Cooper objected to this untrue statementandtherefore themattershould have been closed. Instead,you have printed a factuallyincorrect state­ ment which has not been received well byour community members.

I think Bruch Irani has freely used our Dharamshala when he visitedthe townand neither then nor in recent times have the local authorities re­ ceivedany complaints from him. If the Dharamshala was run down, as he claims, he would not havestayed more than once. Moreover,our Dharam­ shala is probablyone of the best, sur­ passing even some in the metros. This is borne out by the steady stream of outstation Zoroastrians making use ofthe facility. Our Dharamshala man-

ager Marzban Khajotia is also a ca­ terer par excellenceand has been in­ vited by many five star hotels includ­ ing the Taj Hotel at Delhi for the Parsi food festival. Apart from cateringfor many towns in Gujarat, he has several invitations from Bombay.We believe in giving the best service.

DARA A. HAKIM

Trustee, Shree Parsi Panchayat, Vadodara

"Hallowed be thy name" JamshedR.Udvadia'sarticle,"Hal­ lowed be thy name," (Parsiana, July­ August 1999) reproduced from the FEZANA Journal, makesfor confusion over our Prophet's name, his religious system and the stylingof its adherents.

Udvadia's "standard nomenclature" and "standard spelling" straightaway

hurtles us againstdifficulties posed by an inadequate English alphabet. Its 26 letters, of which c, q and x are superflu­ ous (the first retaining valuesolely for its ch sounding), fall woefully short for the full expression of the beautiful 53- character Avestic alphabet.

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tions, this alphabetassures us that our Prophet indeed called himself Z-a-r-a­th-u-sh- T-R-A, just as his co-evangelist was F-(a)-r-a-sh-a-o-sh- T-R-A (Yasna

49.8.Note the -TRA in both cases).Scholarly precision demanded"extend­ ing" the limited Roman range by filch­ ing letters from theGreek: beta, gamma, delta, (eta), theta, and khi, to render bh, gh,dh, (ng), th and kh. Superscripted 'v's over c and s provide the ch and sh sounds. Ticks, squiggles, dots and dashes complete their arsenal. One can readily see difficulties eased but not overcome by "normal" spellings.

Think of the ch as in chemistry and then as in church. Sh does not always convey the sound of shoe: consider dis­ honest, goshawk and mishap; gh entails its own ambiguities - dough, Iough, rough, yet one mustavoid extreme equa­ tions such as G. Bernard Shaw'stongue­ in-cheek ghoti=fish!

With these rough-and-ready tran­ scriptions to hand, how did Zarathushtra finish up as Zartusht, Zardusht,Jarthost and even Jarthos? Let us not blame FirdausiTusi: he had before him the New Persian forms from the defective Pahlaviwhich had let slide the-TRA of

scribedit as Zartuhsht, whence Zartusht, etc. His father-in-law Frashaoshtra suf­ fered less: his Pahlavicized fate was to end up as plshwshtl or Frashosht(a)r, and nobody seemed particularly both­ ered -familiarity having bred negli­ gence!

In our Jasame avanghe mazda we assure Ahura Mazda that we are mazdayasno zarathushtRISH: Mazda­ yasnians of Zarathushtra'spersuasion or Zarathushtrians. Thereafterwe flip over to Zartushtis, Zardushtis, Jarthostis, and, to appeaseinquisitive westerners, we lamely agree to being Zoroastrians. We have all been wrong; now let's right it! Let us recall the chilling story of the little Parsischoolboy here who, when asked about his religion, becameso tongue-tied with embarrassment at hav­ ing to repeat"Zo-ro-as-tri-an" for an obtuse teacher,that in desperation he blurted out "Muslim!'' We do not have to ingratiate ourselvesreligion-wise be­ fore westerners, northerners or sundry botherers.

Parsiana reproduced Udvadia'sar­ ticle under the heading of etymology. Accordingly, we ask what the august name means: the -ushtra suffixtells us

our Prophet intozltwhshtandtran- "camel." Zarath is less certain: we can

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8 Parsiana January2000

have golden, olden or even sickly (!) Muchas we would wish to adhere to the late DasturjiDabu's "Golden Light," we have with genuine regret to relin­ quish that glowing explanation for an apparently dark camel.

Should we be upsetatseeingthe

horse in Vishtaspa, Jamaspa,Pouru­ shaspa?Or the kine in Bor-gav, Parshad­ gav,Pur-gav, Ramak-gav who have obligingly lined up for us in the Bundahishn genealogies? Wealth was based on cattle,and fame on fine horses and camels -scarcelysurprising in asociety with pastoral and semi-nomadic roots. Regarding the camel, the Vendidad (7.41-44, 'On Healers and Tariffs') as­ sures us that the social genderscale is matched by animal rank with a she­ camel, equivalent to a chariotand four­ in-hand, topping thelist! Similarly, the tariffs for cleansings at the barshnum­ gah (Vendidad, 9.37-39, 'On Cleansing Tariffs') are so structured that a male camel of top quality heads the scalefor a provincial governor's ritual purifica­ tion. Regarding horses, our evidence harks back to Indo-Iranian timeswhen pridein fine chargers expressed itself in extravagant poetry.Here we recallthe stratagem of Darius I's groomwhich ensuredhis master the throne of Iran, and still earlier,how Zarathushtra' s cur­ ing ofVishtaspa's ailing Aspa Siya ob­ tained his patronage. Ancientbank bal­ ances were reckonedin terms of cattle on the hoof, typified by the herdsof the mega-rich Athwyans.The old Roman aristocracy sprang from wealthypasto­ ralists; the Gaekwadof Baroda takes righteous pride in his ancestral title of cowherd! Case rests!

Standardization yes, if accompanied

by moderation; rigid conformity no, if fuelled by dissension. Zarathushtra was supremely unconcerned with what we called his religion; rather with what we culled from it. May wisdom and not whim guide us in our deliberations!

FARROKH VAJIFDAR

London, UK

"In the eye of a storm"

A very interesting and provocative ar­

ticle, "In the eye of a storm," (Parsiana,

February-March 1999) bya well re­ spectedscholar-lecturer Kaikhusro N. Dastoor calls for in-depth examination of the three issues raised- medical, mystical and traditional.

I will discuss the medical angle, leav­

ing those mysticaland/or ethical, philo-

sophical/religious areas to appropriate authorities to tackle. I will also discuss some practical and objective aspectsand offer a different point of view.

Except for the two outer layers,

the cornea (the transparent seeing layer) and sclera (the tough opaque layer) no otherpart of the donated eye is used for transplantation. These two are used as splintsor scaffolds on which therecipient's own tissuesgrow and form the seeing tissue(cornea) or supporting tissue (sclera).The rest of the removedeye is submitted to medi­ cal tests (scrutiny) to ascertain its "acceptability to recipient."

What happens to any of the organs or tissues removed from a human being (Zarathushti or otherwise) for reasons other than donation to others i.e. to treat or remove diseases, improvelooks or functions?Eyes are removed(enucle­ ated) for severalreasons in livingpeople (including Zarathushtis) to save sight (in the other eye) or life, as also are appendices, gallbladders, kidneys, in­ testines, stomach, breasts,brain and other organs, parts of body 'limbs' removed during surgeryevery day as treatmentof disease for extending and improving life. What happensto their anasars (ul­ tra-material elements) and what hap­ pens to all those Zarathushtis dying later minus one or other part of the body, organ or tissue! How, when and where do they meet in heaven?

PerK. N. Dastoor"Ourtradition ...or­

dains ... dokhmenashini." I have come across some well-to-do Zarathushtissubmitting amputated limbs to geh sarna, but not always. Mostof these removed organs, parts of body and tissues aresubmitted to anatomical studies-mac­ roscopic and microscopic -to estab­ lish diagnosis, very often to develop additional treatment(for infection ortumor) and the "leftovers" areconsigQed to the incinerator or other prevailing method of disposition. No Zarathushtihas objected to these practices or chosen death over removal of these organs or tissues.

Do Zarathushtis donate blood? What

happens here? Where do the anasars of donated blood go? Have Zarathushtis refused to receive transplants of tissues, organs, blood, bone marrow from oth­ ers? Do these people have two or more anasars of living or dead people within themselves?

As for traditions: if the scienceand

technology of transplantation existed in

thetimes of Zarathushtra would he have summarilyrejected it or would he have incorporated it into his teachings with his own blessings!

What greater act of self-sacrifice and charity can a Zarathushti perform other than offeringhis own not­ needed but good organs and tissues to a dozenor more other human beings (Zoroastrians or otherwise) so that they may enjoy better, healthierlives? A Zoroastrian thus elevates himself/herself towardshurvataat (perfection) and ameretaat (immortality). If charity is thy name, fellow Zarathushtis' donationof themselves would be the ultimate sublime act of charity.

Now that K. N. Dastoor has begun this dialog,let the storm

abate and cool breeze lead us to dialog this issue.Further may I suggest a task forceof world leaders-religious, social, medical and scientific minds- to study this and advisethe populace? It is the right of every individualto come to his/her own decisionin this regard. However, it is the responsibility of the community leaders to sustaina balanced dialogand help the laity in this decision-making process. Can this topic be worthy of a spot on the agenda of the WorldZoroastrian Congress of the millennium? Dr MEHROO M. PATEL

Westchester, Illinois, USA

Plantphysiologist

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totron at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Re­ search Organization at Canberra.In appreciation of his work, in 1973 Asana was awarded the Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Memo­ rial Prize by the Indian Councilof Agriculture Research.

Son of the late Jerbanooand Khan BahadurDr Darasha Jamasji Asana, Rustom was born on August 14, 1908 at Hyderabad,Sind (now in Pakistan), where his fatherwas attached to the Medical Schooland Civil Hospital.

Rustom obtained his mastersdegree in botany from Bombay University with distinction and his doctoratein plant physiology from the Imperial Collegeof Science and Technology, London in 1935. He returned to India in the same yearand carried out research in plant physiology at the Institute of Science, Bangalore, Agriculture College, Lyalpur,Punjab and the CentralSugarcane Research Station, Pusa,

·Bihar. In 1946 he got a permanent appointment as plant physiologist at the Indian Agricultural ResearchInstitute, New Delhiand became professorof botany and head of the plant physiology divisionin 1967, retiringin 1970. Thereaf­ter he continued his researchin Gujarat as emeritus scientistof the Indian Council of Agriculture Researchfor two years.

Heis survived by his wife Narges (nee Daruwala), who encouraged and inspired him in his work. PESIA. CAMA

Edited byParinaz M. Gandhi

11 Pars/ana January2000

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Events and Personalities

End of a successful term "We (will)say'goodbye,' not'fare­ well' because we hope you will come backasambassador,"BombayParsi Punchayet(BPP) chairman Jamshed Guzder said to the IslamicRepublic of Iran's (IRI)consul general

Sayed Kamal Yasini who was retiring at the end of a four-year term in Bombay to take up a new appoint­ment at the Center for Inter­

dial cooperation she had receivedfrom him and his staff which enabled her and theIndian delegates to the Congressto "savor memories of our forefathers on your shores." The success of that inter­ actionhadledto the organization of

moving, change is necessary ... Nation­ alism is notenoughfor any nation, ultimately internationalism is neces­ sary ... The comity of nations should be the comityof human beings..." "We need to be a world withoutfrontiers," endorsed BPP trustee

Dinshaw Tamboly. The former president of the In­ ternational Planned Parent­ hood Federation A vabai Wadia suggested the institu­

That Y asini's friendliness and ready cooperation has won him a specialniche in Zoroastriancommunity con­

tion of scholarships to enable

a cross exchange of students. The theme was echoed by World Zarathushti Cultural Foundation president Dr

sciousness was evincedby the words of several participants in the BPP board­ room on October20, 1999 when the Punchayethosted a formalsendoff to the young diplomat.

Guzder referred to the "total silence

in relations between Iran and India after the (Islamic) Revolution" adding, "that you have changed.(We) established a new relationship at the Sixth World Zoroastrian Congress (6WZC)." He commended the institution of immedi­ ate visas at the Iranian Consulate Gen­ eral which enabled a number of Indian Zoroastrians to attend the Congressand acknowledged the "very substantial re­ bate" granted by Iran Air on the occa­ sion. Referring to inquiries he had re­ ceived regardingthe establishment of commercial links with Iran,Guzder commented, "Complementary items are needed in Iran and India."

K.R. Cama Oriental Institute (KRCOI)trustee secretary Homai Modi, who as the official Indian liaison for the 6WZC in 1996, had had the maximum interaction with the Iranianconsul gen­ eral, thanked him warmly for the cor-

From left: Godrej, Guzder,Yasini

and Modi Photo: Arnavaz S. Mama

several meets betweenBombay Zoroas­ trians and visiting Iranian dignitaries like the IRI President, foreignministers and speakerof the Iranian Parliament. "You have been trying to get us in­ volved withtourism. (We)hope, God willing, it will come to pass," she added. "Inforeign service every nation sends

its best to ensure cordial relations. The Iranian government selectedYasini in thebesttradition,"remarked BPPtrustee Rustom Tirandaz, adding: "You can play a very big role in marketing India in Iran."

Sohrab Godrej, head of the house of Godrej, expressed the hope that he would beable to fulfill his father'swish to establish a Godrejpresence in Iran.While cooperation between India and Iran had increasedof late, it was yet to reach the level attained beforethe Islamic Revo­ lution, he noted.

Former sheriffJehangir Nicholson commented,"It is a happy occasionand yet a sad one (because) life is always

Homi Dhalla who urged greater cultural

activities and more exchangeof schol­ ars while journalist Noshir Dadra-wala registeredhis appreciation of the way Iran's Zoroastrian heritage was being maintained.

Acknowledging the compliments and

goodwishes of the gathering which included Dastur (Dr) KaikhusrooJa­ maspAsa, High Priest of the Anjuman Atash Behram, Yasini recalled how he had looked for "centers to create rela­ tionships" on his arrival in Bombay, "regardless of race and religion." The BPP was one such center which yielded results, he said. In the economic field he had liaised with the Tatas,Godrej, As­ sociated Cement Companies, Larsen and Toubro, Reliance and others, but "(we) worked with your community more than with other communities," he assured his happy audience. He made a special referenceto the "verygood relations" he had enjoyedwith the late politician­ diplomatHomi Taleyarkhan and how Marazban Patrawala, memberof the Government of India Minorities Com­ mission, had been an honored guestin

12 Parsiana January 2000

Tehran. (Patrawala, who brieflyattended the meet, left suddenly. An hour later the news of his death stunnedthe commu­ nity.)

Specifically Yasinithanked Modi, Guzder and Godrej for his success in establishing cooperative ties with the Indian Zoroastrian community: "Without their sincerecooperation this link betweenyou and us would never havecome into existence." He echoed the sentiment voicedby Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khameneiat the 6WZC, "Zoroastrians all over the world should consider Iran as their homeland," and welcomed "any suggestions for cul­ tural, scientific and economic ties" between Iran and India, adding,"I may never forget my memoriesof these four years."

BPPchief executive BehramDastur described the "mental bond between Iran and India" as analogous to the fire

- "always changing, alwayspure."

Thanking the consul generalfor re­ membering her husband,Thrity Tale­ yarkhan noted, "Every diplomat knows that the best service he can render to his ownand to the accredited nationis to bring the two togetherin cultural and economic affairs. We congratulate you

on a very successful term ... (and) will remember you with affection."

Arnavaz S. Mama

Youth Speak

"Donot sellthis to the chanawala (grams

vendor)," reads the parting shotof the editorial in the first issue of HPYouth Speak, the newsletterbroughtoutby the enthusiastic members of the BPP (Bombay Parsi Punchayet)Youth Club. The four-page bulletin carries news items from former participants of the BPP's annual Holiday Programmefor Youth,the diehards amongst whom constitute the core of the Youth Club. ''There is no other community will­

ing to go the distance to ensure that its youth receive leadership training at the threshold of maturity.We have all been very lucky to be part ofa family grow­ ing every year," states the editorial which continues, "Sologic dictates that right now the BPP Youth Club should be bursting at the seams...Sad as it may be, the truth is we seem to lose interest once the training period is over...With the characteristic determination Parsis are famous for, the BPP has approved bold new bids to bring you back into the fold. The newsletter you'reholding right

now is one of them ...It containsnews, views,reviews and completedhamaal. We do hope to receive feedback."

Accommodated within the pages of the August-September 1999 issue spon­ sored by Rustom Anklesaria is "Gilli Gillee" for humor, "Didyou know?" to learn more facts concerning the com­ munity, "Proud of You" highlighting the accomplishments of their promi­ nent members,"Brain Storm" to ex­ pand one's knowledge and a Registra­ tion Form inviting subscription (includ­ing the newsletter) to the Youth Club for Rs 60 or subscription to the newslet­ ter for Rs 30 by contacting Persi Mistry, at Bombay ParsiPunchayet, D. N. Road, Fort, Bombay 40000 l. The newsletter is also planning to start a "Helpline" column giving information on admis­sion deadlines, a few careertips, schol­ arships, etc.

The editorial team includes Burzin

Mehta, Meherzish Kalyaniwala, Priya Bhujwala, FabianPanthaki, Merzeen Aga, Jim Vimadalaland Diana Marfatia with assistance from the organizing committeethat includes, along with the earlier mentioned,Anupama Sharma, Dr Porus Kapadia,Neville Todiwalla, JehangirBhadha, Khorrum Siodia,

INGERSOLL-RAND

Ingersoll-Rand (India) Limited, RhSne-Poulenc House, S. K. Ahire Marg.. P. 0. Box 9138, Mumbai- 400 025. Tel : 022-493 6765, Fax: 022-4950516.

14 Parsiana January 2000

Urvakshi Mistry, HormuzdMehta, ViniferGandhi and Shirzad Khory. Any suggestions to improvethe newsletter or contributions in the form of articles may be sent to Marfatia' s office at The BJPC Institution, 33, Maharshi Karve Road, Opposite Charni Road RailwayStation, Bombay400004 or sent to them on the e-mail: hpy50@hotmail.com

Voice on the web "Vohuman.Org is a web journal dedi­ cated to distribution of information on the goodreligion of

Prophet Zarathushtra and the Zarathushti heritage. Vohuman.Org is pub­ lished quarterly on this website," noted their re­ vised summer edition of September 27, 1999 that Parsiana accessed on the

Store' names the books and CDs avail­ able. In every issue "we presentseveral interesting articles on the Zarathushti religion, heritageand history subjects," notes their site which is producedbywebmasterJamshid Varza, promoted by Khusro Mehrfar, researched by Mehrborzin Soroushian andproofread by Hannah Shapero.

Every issue also includes the 'Promi­

nent Zarathushti' series with Rustam Guiv featuringin the summer edition. For their visual theme they had selected

Navroz in Persepolis. While they had no entries under the 'Sports' head, under 'Conference' there was reference to the four­ day meet on "Celebrating Zarathushtra' s life" at Cali­ fornia from December 24 to28, 1999.Theyalsohave

solikapadia!main.htm or www .kalakar. com/solikapadia.

A visit to the websiteoffers an insight into "Soli...the man ...the singer...the composer. ..his achievements, his lau­ rels ..." The recognition he has earned from prominent names in the music in­ dustry like GhulamAli, KalyanjiAnandji and An up Jalota findsa place on this site too.

With nearlyl ,000 concertsworld­

wide behind him, Kapadia's six cas­ settes and CDs are rising in popularity. With Ek KaagalHarivame, "HMV in­ troduces a solo artistbased bhajan al­ bum in Gujarati ... for the first time in its glorious 95-year-old history," it is re­ ported therein.

"Kapadia's repertoire ranges from

intricate classics to the more popular light compositions," reminds the enclo­ sure to the pressnote. "He is as much at

Internet. Visuals (above and below)

A good assortment of downloaded from popular articles featured in their Zarathushti websites summer editionbearing

a 'Book Review' and a

'Zarathushti Festival' se­ ries. The handy article in­ dex appearsunder 'Map.'

ease with ethnicdevotional songs as he

is with liltingjingles ...(He) is capable of moving audiences to tears with his sensitive lyrics and expressivemusic ..."

papers by Dr Darius Jahanian, Rabindranath Tagore,Prof Stanley Insler, Dina Mcintyre, Dr Ali Jafarcy and JamshedPavri on topicsranging fromfire to the Magi an fellowship. Each issue also has a visual theme,where pictorial matter is interspersed with the text.

Under their head 'Zarathushti Me­

dia' they have listed the bilingual(En­ glish/Farsi) Payke Kankashand

Humata, the Fravahar Journal and

Payke eMehrin Farsi, and the FEZANA

Journal in English.Their'Vohuman

16 Parsiana January 2000

On another Zoroastrian related site (http://www. Zarathusht.com) Rita Ka­ padia of Alta Visionsis offering "web­ sites and web pagesfor all Zarathushti related materialon a special domain and server set up for this purpose... Estab­ lished in Massachusetts since1996, we specialize in putting small businesses on the Internet," writes Kapadia, assuring "this is a cost effective solutionfor Zara­ thushti businessesand individuals, no matter how big or small they are, to get a website."

A visit to their site finds a gamut of entries from advertising, arts and attor­ neys, through fashion, finance and food, to toys, transportation, travel and tour­ ism. A subject like health shows further classification into chiropractors, den­ tists, physicians, medical equipment, weight, sports... A favorite among Pars is should be the "Parsi recipes" which feature under food. The comprehensive recipes section includes entriesunder masalas, vegetables, meat, fish, eggs, desserts, breads, pickles, snacks,pre­ serves. Those seekingfurther informa­ tion could write to Kapadia at e-mail: info@altavisions.com

"Hope this missivegreets you in a musical mood," starts a pressrelease from Bombay-based SoulfulCreations announcing that ghazal and bhajan singer Soli Kapadia's music can be heard on the Internet all over the world on his websitcs:mcmbcrs.xoom.com/

AIMZ to be on web

The seventh annual general meetingof

the Association of Inter-Married Zoro­ astrians had a special guest- Bombay Parsi Punchayetchairman Jamshed Gm.der who has consistently champi­ oned the rights of Zoroastrian women vis-a-vis men who are generally seen to have the edge over them. Thoughthe brainstorming yielded no new strategies to rectifythe balance, his presence was a moralebooster to the compact gather­ ing.

While Ave Mehta read the minutes

of the last meeting and Meher Rafaat the president's statement, with no new nominations forthcoming, the manag­ ing committee(viz president Meher Amersey, vice president SmitaCrishna, secretary Khursheed N arang,joint trea­ surers Vera Mahajan and Berjis Desai, and membersat large Mehta,Rafaat, KavasPetigara and Darius Shroff) was mandated to continue for the yearahead. Of its 200 members, 95 are Bombay based, othersbeing spread in India and abroad.

Computer literacywasoneofthe

subjects under discussion as Amersey informed the gathering that Darius Kumana of UK had designed a website for the Association and required news regarding its activities.

What most botheredthemembers

was the discriminatory attitudeofZoro-

astrian priestswho had authorized the navjote at an advanced age of the late NevilleWadia whose father had offi­ cially converted to Anglicanism and who had beenbaptized asaChristian. Neville's navjotehad been followedby that of his adult son Nusli. The same priests persisted in refusing to accept the children ofZoroastrian womenmarried to men of otherfaiths, lamented the members as they pondered a legal battle. A.S.M.

Legal hat trick

"With his reappointmentas India'sat­

torney general (AG), Soli J. Sorabjee has done a hat trick," reported The Indian Expressof November 2, 1999. He had first accepted this office in 1990 and had resignedwhen the Janata Gov­ ernment was ousted in 1991. When the Bharatiya Janata Party came to power in 1998, Sorabjee was once again ap­ pointed attorney general,the first In­ dian to hold this portfolio for two terms. In an interview with Parsiana, ("Sorab­ jee' s second serve," September 1998) Sorabjee had confessed he was not sure how long his tenure would last.

His appointment for the thirdtime

followed a faux pas fromthe law minis­

try, it was reported in The Indian Ex­ press, 20days later. As is customary,

Sorab-jee submit­

ted a formal letterof resignation after

of The Gathas of Zarathustra: Hymns in Praise of Wisdom."The Gathas are being pub­ lished with relevantillus­ trated materialto empha­ size and explainthe text. Also, for the first time, background provided by the Story of Creation is examined and a page from an unpublished manu­ script at the Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris is repro­ duced. The work is in straightforwardidiomatic

English, keeping as close as possible to the originaltext, while the commentar­ ies provided elucidate the doctrinal allusions...It is very readable," stated Jungalwalla in an interview with The Times of India of October 1, 1999.

The previousday Jungalwalla was honored by the President oflndia,K. R. Narayanan who accordeda special re­ ception to the author and a group of30 eminent representatives of different faiths when he autographed a copy ofherbook which had been releasedon September 26, 1999. The functionat the Rashtrapati Bhavan was organized by Lt Gen Adi Sethna, presidentof the Delhi Parsi Anjumanand Dr L. M. Singhvi, writes Jungalwalla.

''The book is a product of several years of painstaking research and study by the 85-year-old authorwho has shared her insight into the Zoroastrian sciptures in several publications earlier,"men­

From left: Sethna, Jungalwalla and Narayanan

Saintsand seers

"We offer them homage due to their

piety and righteousness. We remember them in order that we can learn some­ thing or draw inspiration from the life of piety that they led. We respect them for the values they upheld during their life­ time. We pray to them and offer ceremo­ nies in their honorin order that they may bless us and abide with us in spirit," writes author NoshirDadrawala in his introduction to Zarathushtrian Saints: Masters, Mystics and Martyrs.

The62-page booklet capturesthe lives and trials of Shah Jamsheed,Shah Faridoon, Shah Lohrasp,Dastur Arda Viraf, DasturDinyar, Dastur Neryosang Dhaval, Dastur Meherji Rana, Dastur Azar Kaiwan Bin Azar Gushasp,Dastur Jamshed Kookadaru, martyrslike Yaz­

Sorabjee: in India'sdefence

the Vajpayee gov­

ernmentreturnedto power. The joint

tions the Times article. Some of her other published works include The Songs of Zarathustra, Fravarane, The Parsis

degird, Ardashir,and pious soulslike

Jamasp, AderbadBin Mahrespand, Ho­ ma Jamshed, Cama Homa and Ustad

secretary in the lawministry curtly asked

Sorabjee to continueuntil alternative arrangements could be made, suggest­ ing that they were contemplating ac­ cepting his resignation. "When the Prime Minister's office came to know about the slight to the distinguished AG, there were profuse apologies," reported the newspaper.

Apart from defending constitutional amendments and legislations, Sorabjee will also appear in the International Court of Justiceresisting Pakistan's claims on the alleged shootingdown of its aircraft by India, mentionedThe Indian Express.

Gathas that bridge

"It is the first of its kind," promises

Piloo (Nanavutty) Jungalwalla, author

18 Parsiana January 2000

andthe series on Our Religion.

Thepresent work priced at Rs 650 and published by Mapin is the culmina­tion of "officially" seven years of effort put in under the tutelage of her "guru" Farrokh Vajifdar, a linguist, she acknowl­ edges. "The book tries to bridge the dividing line between the layperson and scholars. That is why I feel that the book is a must for every Parsi home, librariesand researchers workingon the Zoroas­ trian tradition," she mentions.

With her "academic background, scholarly training and rich experience" Jungalwalla believes, "TheGathas teach us the sanctity oflife...The Gathas instil a very strong sense of environment­ consciousness. It speaksof the sanctity of the heavens, of humankind, and all aspects of the environment..."

Behramshah Shroff.

While somefacts concerning these

souls may be oft repeated, it is interest­ ing to recall that Shah Jamsheed is cred­ ited with introducing the use of the kllsti among the Mazdayasnis; that Shah Faridoonwith the aid of Sarosh Yazata was successful in overthrowing Zohak and that many of the nirangs prayed today are ascribedto him; that when pestered by evil thoughts, it is meritori­ ous to recite one Ashern and remember Saheb-e-Mithra Kae Lohrasp Bin Arvand for control of the mind.

Dastur Arda Viraf's spiritual sojourn

resulted in the recording of Ardaz Wiraz Namag, theancient text which upholds the principle of divine justice.Jamasp Namak or Jamaspi (Book of Jamasp) is attributed toJamasp,one of the immedi-

atedisciples of Zara­thushtra and in fact one of thebenedictions showered on a marrying couple enjoins them "to be helpers of the religion likeJamasp, the clairvoy­ ant." The editorofthe present-day Khordeh A vesta would be Aderbad Bin Mahres­ pand, notes Dadrawala. Someofhishomilies constitutethe Pand Na­ meh,a storehouse of worldly wisdom, and he is also said to have com­

posed the Patel, Afrin, Pazand Setayesh, andthe Pazand Nirang recited at the end of various AvestanYashts.

Among the Zoroastrian sages whose inf1uenceextended to other religions was Dastur Dinyar, laterknown as

Salman (Solomon)­

e-Fars, who is be­ lieved to have helped Muhammad in writ­ Ing the Quran. Dastur Meherj i Rana's prominence

Navsariand Surat and have hence not heard of the baj of Ardafarosh per­ formed In honor of those valiant Parsi ladies who, clad in men's armor, put up a brave fight against the Rajput troops. When overpowered, they pre­ ferred to jump to their death in the riverTapti and lose theirlives rather than be taken captive by the enemy.

"Noshir has done well

to cultivate his mind to be adequatelymatureto

place issues in their proper perspective,

analyze them thoroughly and remain objective when putting pen to paper," credits Dinshaw Tambolyof the WZO Trust in his forewordto the book. Pub­ lished in 1999 by the author from New Sai-Niketan(B-Wing), 4th floor, Flat No 11,MountRoad,Mazagaon,Bombay 400010, the hookletcarries a few color photos and black and white illustrations of some of these illustrious souls. The publication is dedicated to the late Rohinton Chinoy,the erstwhile propri­

shaw in her welcome address at the function on September 10.She expressed her appreciation of the panel of experts who evaluated the new technology and the Department of Atomic Energyfor sanctioning a handsomebudget which has enabled the TMC to upgrade its state of the art technologies. The TMC with its 450 plus bedded Hospital and Cancer ResearchInstitute serves as a tertiarycare and cancerreferral center for the whole country.

The hospital practices being adopted

byTMC were of the highestorder, re­ marked Richard Vanderwal, inventor of the hydroclave technology that has been adopted at the TMC. He further added how he had seen some of the best and some of the worst hospitals at work in India.

Using steam as a medium for steril­ ization,the hydroclave system permits

the agitation and fragmentation of waste at the low temperature of 121 degrees centigrade whereby the residualwaste comes out dry and greatly reduced in volume, unrecognizable as bloody hos­ pital waste, which can be safely used to landfill or recycle, explainsa handout from the company.

t

Dadrawala:

respect and remember

and close affinityto Emperor Akbar gave the Parsis as a community national visibility and fame, writes Dadrawala.

etor of Union Press.

Wise with waste

With the installation of a hydroclaveto

effectively dispose its waste, in Septem­ ber 1999Bombay'sTata Memorial Cen­

The chief guest at thefunctionDr

DilipBiswas, chairman, CentralPollu­ tion ControlBoard under whose signa­ ture the latestBiomedical Waste Man­ agement and Disposal Rules, 1998 (which came intoforce on December

Dastur Neryosang Dhaval was the celebratedpriest who led his people from Arab persecution to the shoresof Hindustan. Dastur Azar Kaiwan with his spiritual powers could bodilybe in

two or more places at the same time.

While Homaji is the patron saint of all those who are meek, gentle and

falsely accused,Cama Homa embodies

the spirit of self-sacrifice, unflinching faith and religious pride. Dastur Jamshed Kookadaru was a divine healer, scholar, alchemist and pious priest who worked ceaselessly to mitigate suffering. Ustad Behramshah Shroff was a mystic who helped Parsis of this centuryunderstand the esotericside of their religion.

Justas the martyrdom of YazdegirdIII, the last Zarathushti king of Iran may be known, the story of Ardashir who with his men laid down his life in the service of his adopted motherland may

tre (TMC) became the firstinstitution in Asia to introducethis facility, notes a press release issued by Consolidated

Waste Management India (Private) Lim­ ited.In fact it demonstrated the "girl power (of TMC's)...farsighted director Dr Ketayun Dinshaw...supported in all her endeavors by Dr RohiniKelkar, headof the department of microbiology within the Hospitaland by Zinnia Khajotia, chief executive officerof Con­ solidated Waste Management," adds the release.

Infectious waste is a potentialpublic

health risk factor to the generators, handlersand disposers raising the possibility of contract­ ing diseaseslike hepati­ tis, tuberculosis and HIV, explained Din-

31, 1999)had been circulated, lamented

that safe biomedicalwaste treatment was not a high priorityat most hospitals in India.

The hydroclave has been introduced

to India by Hydroclave SystemsIndia (Private) Limited,a joint venture of HydroclaveSystems Corp, Canada which has Vanderwal as its president, and Consolidated Waste Management, a company dedicated to waste manage­ ment in hospitals and related activities in the healthcare industry. When assess-

continued on page 23

also be common knowledge. The sig­ nificance ofroz Ashishvangh, mah

Fravardin as the Variava Behdin Parav may surprise those who do not hail from

From left: Dinshaw, Khajotia,Rashid Tamboowalla and Kelkar

;

\•,'

( \'

-L ·

·,' ,n '

20 Parsiana January 2000

ZOROASTRIANS ABROAD

Fighting tumors

"My whole life is sucked into my work,"

Dr Zaver Bhujwallaapologizes for her lack of community involvement. Asso­ ciate professor and head of the MR On­ cology Section of the Departmentof Radiology at The Johns Hopkins Uni­ versity School of Medicinein Balti­ more, ((S't(, .ff11uJwa((a runs a (a6 w1in a six-member team involving her in a fair amount of administrative work.

So vast is the Johns Hopkinscampus,

Bhujwalla needs to "keep aside time to get to the lab (from the lecture room)'' where they are growing breast and pros­ tate cancer cells in immunesuppressed mice, known as SCID mice, as "other­ wise a humantumor

would not grow" in

them, she explains.

Theyare work­ ing on the theory that "ifyou starve a tumor of blood sup­ ply, you could de­ stroyit." With the

aid of magnetic Bhujwalla: "we've

resonance imagery survived"

(MRI) which is a

non-invasive technique they have proved their hypothesis and arc now looking attheother side of the picture- the ability of a group of cancer cellsto attract blood vessels and start to establish itself, re­ ferred to in researchjargon as vascular­ ization or the migrationtheory. Bhuj­ walla was in Bombay in September 1999 to speak at a symposium, "To under­ stand why cancer cells invade and me­ tastasize," at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) - her first ever talk in India.

The soft-spoken, unassuming scien­ tist was introduced to Parsiana by Bombay Parsi Punchayet trusteeSilloo Kavarana who had known her as a top­ ranking BombayUniversity MSc scholarwith a first in the diploma in radiological physics from the Bhabha AtomicRe­ search Centre.An alumnus of Girton School and St Xavier's College,Bhuj­ walla was seeking the Tata and other scholarships to proceed to the Univer­ sity of London whenceshe emerged with a PhD in radiationbiology from the Royal Postgraduate Medical School and Hammersmith Hospital in 1988. As Kavarananotes, she is one who gradu­ ally repaid all her scholarships when she

22 Parsiana January 2000

began her workingcareer as a post doc­ toral researchfellow at Johns Hopkins where she has grown in stature over thepast 10 years. Along the way Bhujwallahas garnered awards from Germany,Japan, UK and the US and contributed prolifically to various respected profes­sionalQUblications.

«av!Ttg (ost ncr Iatner, a superinten­

dent of excise,at a young age, Bhujwalla attributes her interest in oncologyto the history of cancer in her family. "The Amazons used to lop off one breastso that they could shoot their bows and arrows," the modestBhujwalla says she tells her cancer afflictedrelatives. She assessesabout 50 types of cancer in all and, despite her professional links, does not believe that western medicineis the "be all and end all of therapy." The National Institutesof Health are funding mind-body correlation, she informs us. Nor does she believein euthanasia as a policy. It is "each one'spersonal deci­ sion." She believes in respecting "thepatient's wishes at the stage when little can be done."

While she has "nofixed views on intermarriage," Bhujwalla believes that "the fact that the (non-Zoroastrian) spouse can'tenter the agiaryor doonger­ wadi would place strainson the mar­ riage," adding, "Icould never under­ stand how any place of worshipto God can be restricted to a community!" As for adoption, "anybaby that needs a home," is a worthy candidate in Bhuj­walla's estimate.

Attending her firstNorth American Zoroastrian Congressin New York last year, Bhujwallafound it a "useful exer­ cise," in that it got people together, pro­ vided good social interaction and an open discussion of various issues,par­ ticularly for Bhujwalla who has more work-related friends.In her estimate the communityin North Americais adapt­ ing very well,particularly appreciating the religious classes held every month.

Though aware that the community is

diminishing, Bhujwallais loath to ac­ cept the Parsi disappearance scenario: "We've done so well up to now ... We've survived!" she smiles.

Daughters of Mashyani

A special session at the SeventhWorld

Zoroastrian Congressis being devotedto highlight the contribution of Zara-

thushti women to the communityand/or the world, informs an e-mail from Con­ gress co-chair Dolly Dastoor.The three part conception, titled "In celebration of the daughtersof Mashyani," includesa workshop, a hall of fame and a display ofZarathushti apparel at a special, tick­ eted lunch.

Tfie worRsfiop - ..Zaratfiusfllf

womenat the crossroads"- will wit­ ness inviteesfrom "the five regions of the Zarathushti world" (i.e. India/Paki­ stan, Iran/Middle East,England/Europe, Australia/New Zealand and North America) discussstrategies for survival and growth of the communityin the coming millennium. To be coordinated by Shehernaz JoshiVerahrami ofWash­ ington DC (e-mail: sjoshi@main.nlc. gwu.edu), the workshopis expected to yield a manifesto for publication.

The creation of a hall of fame is meant to "inspire the Zarathushti com­ munity by recognizing, celebrating and sharing the lifetime contributions of Zarathushti women," writes Dastoor. The achievements of contemporary women as well as those who lived up to

200 years ago (1800-2000 AC) arc

sought to be recognized as inspiring communityheritage. Their achievements may relate to the arts, business, educa­ tion, science, humanities, government or philanthropy. Nominations are being sought from the world Zarathushti com­ munity so that their biographies and photographs, where available, may be included in a specialbooklet to be dis­ tributed at the luncheon ceremony.

Nominations stating full name,year of birth, country and background infor­ mation in maximum 500 words may be despatchedto reach Toxy Cowasjee, 2A Mary Road, Bath Island,Karachi 7553t), Pakistan (e-mail: toxy@cyber.net.pk) by February I, 2000. A covering lettermust detail the social, economicor cultural impact of the nominee'scontribution on the community, the nation or the world and the resultant changesin society. Sources of information as also evidence of the enduringvalue of the nominee's achievements need to be cited, along with the name, address and signatureof the nominator.

Hovi Shroff of Florida (e-mail HoveS@aol.com) is coordinating the

apparel and fashion display,titled "On the wings of time," which will be a part

of the lunch (a ticketedevent for US $

25) and inductionceremony,informs

Dastoor. Featuring the evolutionof dif­ ferent styles sportedby Zarathushti men, women and children from the common Iranian past down to the presentworld diaspora will be volunteermodels from around North America. The consultants for Iranian and Parsi apparelare Shida Anoshiravani of California and Shehnaz Munshi of Bombay.

The organizers are soliciting sugges­ tions for names of speakers for the work­ shop as well as assistance regardinginformation and artifactsfor the fashiondisplay as also volunteer models.

Interim vice chancellor Beginning October1999 Dr Beheruz Sethna, president of the StateUniversity of West Georgia since 1994, has been named interim senior vice chancellor of academic affairs for the University Sys­ tem of Georgia, informs a press release

forwarded to Parsi­ ana by his mother Mithu Sethna of Bombay. Sethna' s new position relates to meeting the aca­ demic needs of over 2,06,000 students and

8,000 faculty mem-

.'Jcthna: newbers, according to the

experience write-up. "No Parsi

(orIndian) has ever achieved this status in education," writes the proud mother. Sethna maintains his faculty status as professorof business administration.

"I am looking forward particularly to tapping (Sethna' s) expertise in the tech­ nology arena, which continuesto be a high priorityfor the system," declared ChancellorStephen Portch while an­ nouncingthe appointment. Sethna will serve in the interim positionuntil the nationalsearch produces a permanent appointee.

"There will be a tremendous amount

for me to learn," Sethna is quoted in the write-up. "Ibelieve I will be the richer

. for theexperience," he adds.

The E. African connection "Mysister and I are the only two (Zoro­ astrians)in Arusha, Tanzania.I guess that makes me the head of the commu­ nity and the richest Parsi !"jokes Nauzer Bilimoria in an e-mail to Parsiana.

Working with a quantitysurveyor in

EVENTS AND PERSONALITIES

continued from page 20

ing othertechnologies, Khajotia came

to the conclusionthat hydroclave was a very robust, India-proof and environ­ mentallyresponsible alternative to in­ cineration. The jointventure plans to source local components and commence manufacture in India with a view to making India an export base for West Asia and the near and far Eastern mar­ kets, mentionsthe write-up.

Alsomasterminding theCLEAN(Citizens' Leadership for Environmen­ tal Action and Networking)- AIR initia­ tive is Khajotiawho was one of those actively involvedin the transport com­ missionerfor Maharashtra, Vinay La!, issuing an order that unless automobiles have a valid PUC (Pollution Under Con­ trol) certificate they would not be per­ mitted to ply on the roads. This resulted in the suspension of registration of some 8,500 vehicles, notes a pressrelease from CLEAN-AIR. Affronted by this order, the cabbieswent off the road and ultimately the order had to be deferred. "Whatabout our childrenwho inhale

theequivalent of two packets of ciga­ rettes a day? What about our fundamen­tal right to cleanair?" questioned ajoint statementby several non-governmental organizations in the Express Newsline of October27. According to their statis­ tics, "67 percentof air pollution is attrib­ uted to vehicles, of which 55,000plus are taxis. This does not exempttrucks, autorickshaws and other contributors ... Since October 15, 217 private vehicleshave been hauledup as versus 214 taxis ..."

Specifying that 6,000 of the 8,500

complaints receivedwere from the pub­ lic who were invited to phone in their complaints as part of their drive against pollution, spokespersons of CLEAN­ AIR declared that the banners"No PUC, No Petrol" prominently displayed at all the petrol pumps were also a part of theircampaign.

SPOTLIGHT

Calcutta's Adi BapujiRabadi was re­

appointed member of the West Bengal Minorities' Commission for a second three-yearterm in September 1999.Pres­ ently he is believedto be the only Zoro­ astrian representative serving a state minorities' commissionin India, notes a press release from The Parsi Zoroastrian Association, Calcutta.

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the building construction industry,

Bilimoria also has his own companyfor

23 Parstana January 2000

Compiled by Parinaz M. Gandhi

Clockwise from top: Overview of the agiarv;

·entrance .to the

Afargan; plaque on well dugin memory of F. M. Cama; Parsi cemetery in Zanzibar

designing graphics,business cards, let­

Rushna works as a res­ ervationsand finance manager for a tourist agency. They hope to join their parentsin the US shortly.

"Once upona time Zanzibar had the high­ est (Zarathushti) popu­ lation in East Africa­

around 600 to 700 members," Bilimoria

nian capital) we have aboutfour families and occasionally we get two to three families from India working as expatri­ ates," he adds.

Bilimoria has forwarded photo­ graphs of the Parsi cemetery in Zanzi­ bar as also the agiary with the mobed' s quarters on the first floor.The foun­ dation stone of the well was inscribed in memoryof Framroz Muncherjee Cama in 1886.

terheads, etc and for editingdigital pho­

notes. "After the revolution thingswere

tographs, he writes. Bilimoria's sister

torn apart. In Dar-es-salaam(the Tanza-

Compiled by Arnavaz S. Mama

25 Parsiana January 2000

INSTITUTIONS

A sisterhood in Surat The Zoroastrian Women'sAssembly of Surat has published the second edition of its Directory,in addition to espousing varioussocial concerns

Hilla P. Guzder

"We were only two when we started the Zoroastrian Women'sAssembly ofSurat (ZWAS) in 1993 - my friend Piloo Bhathena and myself. Peoplemade fun of us, asked us what the 'assembly' would be discussing- hairstyles, fash­ ion, etc!" quipsMaharukh

Chichgar, president of the

ZWAS. Six years down the line, "people have started takingus seriously, they look up to us now," she remarks.

On August I, 1999

ZWAS releasedthe sec­ ond editionof its Direc­ tory of the ParseeZoro­ astrian Residents ofSurat, 1999. TheDirectory lists family-wise in alphabeti­

cal orderthe names and addresses of 3,383 Zoroastrian residents of the city

-an increase of almost 500 over the 2,900 listed in the first editionbrought out by ZWAS in 1994, in the very first year of its formation, informs Chichgar. "Our girlswent from door to door,people helped us by takingl 0 to 15 forms, got them filled and returned them tous," she states. Some Parsi residents, of course, did not respondin spite of the advertise­ ments published in the local paper, she mentions, so somenames have been missed out. Parsi doctorsin Surat were very helpful in checking out blood groups,as this time the Directory in­ cludes a nine-page list of voluntaryblood donors with their blood type, which was not incorporated in the first edition due to alack of response, discloses the ZWAS president.

The Directory also includes a table of the age composition of the male and female Zoroastrian population which shows the highestnumber of individu­als, 501, in the 40-49 age group, and a total of728 youngsters below the age of

20. "Young people are doing very well

26Parsiana January 2000

in Surat," asserts Chichgar, addingthat as per her observation Parsi students are studying more nowthan they were a few years earlier. "Many Surat Parsis have their own business," she specifies, a statementborneout by thenumerous

Noshirwan Dabu releasingthe Directory as (from left) Bhathena,Kharadi, Chichgar, Dr Sam Bhacca andCyrus Dastur applaud

advertisements dotting the Directory and the 12 yellowpages proclaiming Parsi enterprise. The Directory also incorpo­ rates the names of the 46 elderlyinmates of the Nariman Home at Shahpore,as well as an enumeration of the Parsi dharamshalas in India. The Gujarati sec­ tion of the Directory, written by Dr Ratan Marshall, encapsulates a brief backgroundof the benevolence of Parsi philanthropists who have set up well­ known institutions like the Cawasji JehangirCivil Hospital,Parakh Hunnar­ shala-dharamshala-dispensary, Dr Beh­ ramji Pestonji Dispensary, etc. Printed by RobinKaranjia of Farzan Graphics, the Directory cover page is the handi­ work of textile designer and ZWAS member FaridaAnklesaria.

WhenNew Delhi-based Dr Shernaz Cama, who is spearheading a UNESCO (UnitedNations Educational Scientific

and Cultural Organization) projectto

document Zoroastrian customs,tradi­ tions and lifestyles in India, recently requested the Surat Parsi Panchayat (SPP) for help in the collection of data, the SPP soughtZWAS assistance. "Our volunteersdo go to the villagesaround

Surat around January­February every year, so we advanced our sched­ ule to Divali time so we could distribute the ques­ tionnaire to the Parsisof Surat and surrounding areas," explains Chich­ gar.

The ZWAShasre­

cently embarkedon a "self-employment scheme" whereby the Assembly providesan in­

terest free loan to Parsiswishing to set up their own small enterprise. Age is no bar for this scheme,asserts Chichgar, adding that ZWAS has so far helpeda Parsi photographer with funds toopen a shop and purchased a sewing machine for a lady who is a good seamstress. A recent applicantis a boy in calipers seeking to set up an STD booth. "If the case is really deserving, we are prepared to even forego a part of the loan," main­ tains Chichgar."But as we are a very young association, we are still building­ up a corpus."

Both Parsis and non-Parsis give do­

nations to the ZWAS, she says, and derive the benefitsof benevolence un­ der Section 80G of the Income Tax Act. "Dinshaw Tamboly and the WZO Trust Funds have also been very supportive," she acknowledges. The ZWAS raises funds too from the programs they orga­ mze.

It was when Chichgar attendedthe

Sixth All India Zoroastrian Youth Semi­ nar in Ahmedabadin 1992 that she real­ ized that there was nothing like a youth association in Surat.ZWAS co-founders

Enthusiastic youngsters(alongside and below) present Mega Masti; Chichgar at the launch

Chichgar and Bhathena, both of whom are in their early 30s ("we have been together like sisters rather than friends") started an all-womenassociation as they discovered to their dismay that boys were not interested in social work. At first, that is, chuckles Chichgar."The boys do help us now in various ways, including the collection of funds," she avers. ZWAS volunteers initially went to the Nariman Home and to the orphan­ages in Surat to sing songs, narratesto­ ries and generally cheer up the inmates. An entertainment programwas presented at NarimanHome each year in May/ June, new sudreh/gowns/lenghas were distributed on Shahenshahi Parsi New Year and other festivals.

Chichgar initially roped in

as volunteers her Parsigirl students at the Cambay Insti­ tute of Commerce where she teaches business mathemat­ ics and economicstostan­ dards XI and XII and firstyear BCom students. They joined, shejests, because they couldn't say no to their tea­ cher! Teachingthem acting, singing and dancingfol- lowed, as the presentation of cultural programs isvery

much on the ZWAS agenda."We have

trained girls whose bodieswouldn't move," she laughs,"and now even the Rotary Club invitesus to present pro­ grams!" Chichgar honed her own dra­ matic skills whilst acting from a young age in her father Yazdi Karanjia's the­ ater group (see "Family Fun," Parsiana, February-March '97). With a BA in accountancy and statistics and a masters degree in law, Chichgarhas won many prizes, includinga gold medalduring her college days at Gujarat's prestigious Bajaj inter-university elocution compe­ tition held at theWardha Gandhi Ashram. "It's very nice to be a Zoroastrian in

·Surat," declaresChichgar. From being one of the dirtiestcities in India, Surat has transformed itself following ' the plague scare of 1994 into what its local citizenry proudlyclaim to be the second cleanest city in the country. "You wouldn'trecognizeit," smilestheZWAS president who believesthat Parsi emi­ gration out of the city is less than what itwasearlier and 70 percent of Parsi youth

27Parsiana January 2000

find a spouse in Surat. Though her own in-laws

arefrom Bombay and her husband Zubin has lived both in Ahmedabad and Bom­ bay, he has established his business in Surat -a dealership in Modi copiers and fax machines. Bhathena's husband Kurush too, though not originally a Surat boy, lives and works in Surat as a gov­ ernment-approved fabricator for boilers in factories, and Piloo works in the ac­ counts department of the Cambay Insti­ tute of Commerce. "Iwould say inter­ marriageis at the level of about five percent here. We are constant!y trying to make children(which include her own four-year-old daughter Mahazarin and Bhathena' s son Daaneshof the same age) aware of the importance of being Zoroastrians," remarks Chichgar,speci­ fying that many youngsters go to the Vakil Kadrni Atash Behram in Surat for the Monday evening gah "just to be there." The agiaries are well-patronized and well lookedafter, she believes, and

the poor of the community are lent a financial helping hand by the SPP, Dr F R Parakh Trust and other benevolent organizations.

With a current strengthof 35 mem­ bers who meet almost every month,or oftener if required, the founders of ZWAS aim to teach the younger mem­ bers to be at the helm of affairs.Office bearers are rotated and secretary Dilnaz Kharadi, statesChichgar, is an extremely bright young lady doing her MBA in Surat who is capableof taking charge. Chichgar and Bhathena, who has been officiating as treasurer, plan to continueas permanent trustees,training young­ sters in the nitty-gritties of running a registered association. "I always felt there was something amiss in life be­ fore I thoughtof ZWAS," states Chichgar' s personal message in the Directory. "I have fulfilledmy dreams inZWAS."

HISTORY

COVER STORY

Dressedto kill

Arnavaz S. Mama

Britain's oldest warshipafloat, HMS Trincomalee

is ready to greet the millennium

An engraved silver nail was ceremoni­ ally hammeredinto the keel according to Zoroastrian tradition to ensure the ship's well-being as master shipbuilder Jamsetjee BomanjeeWadia began work on the building of the 46-

gun frigate HMS Trin-

comaleein Bombay in May 1816. Launched in 1817, she is today the oldest Brit- ish navalship afloat and the second oldest in the world.

Being restored as a na- tional heritageby the HMS Trincomalcc Trust at a cost of over£ IOmillion, by mid 2000 the ship will be the centerpiece of the Hartlc­ pool Historic Quay which has been designed as a tour­ ist attraction to recapture the rhythm of Britishport life in the early 19th cen­ tury.

A dearth of frigates("the

eyes of the fleet, carrying despatches and intelligence to and from the cumber­ some squadrons," as notes John Mcilwainin the Pitkin Guide,HMS Trincomalee) during the Napoleonic wars hadled to the ordering of 47 such ships, two of them at the Bombay shipyardof the East India Company where the master shipbuild­ ers were the Wadias.

The building of Trincomaleewas delayedas the first set of her original drawings were lost when the ship carry­ ing them to Bombay was destroyed by enemy attack. By the time she reached Britain in 1819, the Napoleonic wars wereover. So, insteadof being equipped with her full quota of guns, the Trin­ comalee was de-riggedand unmastcd,

28 Pars;ana January 2000

roofed over and towed to a mooringin Portsmouth Harbour where she spent the next 26 years -a state, referredto in naval terms as "inordinary."

Her mothballed existence ended in

An artist's rendition o( Trincomalce Photo courtesy: The Pitkin Guide, HMS Trincomalee

1845 when with altered gunportsto accommodate fewer but heavierguns, and a refashioned stern she emergedas a 'spar-decked corvette' in 1847. By then the new steamships were begin­ ning to replace the sailingshipsbut

their range was limited by the coaling stations available. Hence,tomaintain British presence in distant watersthe Royal Navycontinuedtoutilizethe sailing ships.TheTrincomalee under Capt RichardWarren took up

duties on the North American

and West Indies station, pro­ tecting Britishinterests in the Caribbean, quellingriots in Haiti, preventing the threat­ ened invasionof Cuba, pro­ viding hurricanerelief... By 1849 the Trincomaleewas pa- trolling the StLawrence estu­ ary and the coasts of New­ foundland and Labrador, re­ turning to Devonport with the squadron's 'sick and hurt,' in­ forms Mcilwain.

Aftera year 'in ordinary'

the Trincomalee,fresh!yre­ paired and refitted, sailedout under Capt Wallace Houstoun to join the Pacific Squadron, policing British interests on the west coast of North America. Alaska was then a Russian out­ post and she went there dressed to commemorate the crowning of Czar NicholasI, her crew clothed in red shirts and stylish caps at Houstoun' s expense as uniforms had not yet been in­ troduced for the ratingsof the Royal Navy(RN). When the Crimean Warbrokeoutbe­

tween Russiaon the one hand and Brit­ ain and France on the other, the Trincomalee joined a squadronof II ships to protect traderoutes, to seck and destroy Russian frigates and to partici­ pate in some land operations in Kamchatkan waters.

When the war ended in 1856the

Trincomalee returned to routine Pacific duties basedatVancouver,bequeath-

ing the names Houstoun Passageand Trincomali Channel to theapproaches of that beautiful port city. Calledupon by the GovemorofVancouverto protect the colony against Red Indian aggres­ sion (a band of marauders led by Tathlasut had shot a settler), the armed Trincomaleewas towed up the narrowchannel, her menacing presencethreatening destruc­ tion of the Indian village. Tathlasutwas handedover by his tribe, tried and hung.

When the Trincomalee returned to Chathamon September 5, 1857, her ac­ tive servicewith the fleetwas over. A short period of unemployment ended in 1861 when she was refitted for her new, 38-year role as a drill ship training 15 to 16-year-old naval volunteers who had signed up to serve for I 0 years on reach­ ing the age of 18, first in Sunderlandand then in West Hartlepool, at that time Britain's third biggest port.ln 1895 she was reduced to a depot ship and sold two yearslater to the breakers.

The stormthatwreckedtheHMS

Foudroyant- a former Nelson flagship

Clockwise from top le.fi: Fifth generation of"Wadia shipwrights; therestored poop deck;Jamsetjee Bomar{jee Wadia; an artistic visualization{ ( the Trincomalee as she was designed to look; the crew's galley; restoring

the fi'ames at Hartlepool

30 Parsiana January 2000

r

31Parsiana January2000

that Victorian philanthropist G. Wheatly Cobb used as a private nauticaltraining ship for 11 to 19-year-olds, teaching rowing, sailing and living alloat- pro­ vided the Trincomalee a new leaseof life,albeit with a new name. Cobb pur­ chased her from the breakers, had her repaired, refitted,repainted and renamed Foudroyant. Thus began a "90-year ca­ reer in the service of

youth," as notes Mcilwain. initially at Falmouth, then at Milford Havenand eventually at Portsmouth when, on Cobb's death his widow presented her in 1932 to the Implacable Commit tee of the Soci­ ety forNautical Re­ search. Moored behind the HMS Implacable, she provided additionalac­ commodation tothe youths undertraining until World War II when both ships were used for storage and accommo­ dation for newly enlisted ratings. In 1949, while the Implacable was

Capt D. T. Smith ( R) withlate Neville Wadia and (below) Wadia family crest and motto

ration project. Workhad alreadybegun in 1990 after a£ 2 millionfund­ ing package had been agreed betweenthe Poudroyant Trust and the TcessideDevelop­ ment Corporation and the Hartlepool Borough Council.

Other donorshave

hccn the EnglishHeri­ tage and the National Heritage Memorial Funds. As original esti­ mates of the cost of the project inchedsteadily upwardfrom the initial£ 5 million, new sources of funds have beenfound,

life again, asserts Trincomalee News. The new marina is thriving and a recently constructed yachtlock is in regular use. The Imperial

.WarMuseum is expected to open a

£ 10 millionNorthern Outstation adjacent to Trincomalee' s berth which will provide an added boost to tourism. Along with other struc­ tures which recreate 19th century Iife on the Hartlcpool Historic Quay

is one dedicated to the HMS Trincomalee Exhibition India Room with a portraitof the Wadia family,informs Satarawala.

Even as restoration work has been proceeding, the ship has had a steady stream of visitors from royal represen­ tatives like Prince Philip, Prince Charles and the Princess Royal,to school chil­ dren as well as descendants of rormer Trincomalee officers and those who were trained as sea cadets on its revered decks.

A group known as Friends of

Trincomalee has been established to glean vignettes of personalized history connected with the ship as also to help with the donation drive. The ship is open to the publicevery day of the week with the exceptionof Xmas Day, Box­ ing DayandNewYear'sDay.The

judged as beyond repair and ceremoni­

ally scuttled, the Foudroyant(Trin­ conutlee) was demobilized to continue the trainingof youth under the new Foudroyant Trust till1986. "Changes in the educational world caused a dra­ matic fall-offin the number of young people trainingon board. Reserves were too limitedto sustain an indefinite pe­ riod of inactivity and the decisionwas reluctantly made to cease training and to investigate ways and meansof con­ serving this priceless nationalasset," writes Mcilwain.

The HMS Trincomalce Trust was formed in 1992 and took over the affairs of the Foudroyant Trust with the latter's chair­ man and trusteesbecoming the firsttrust­ ees of the new trust. It is chaired by Capt David Smith,RN and enjoys the pa­ tronage of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.

The change was advised by the Char­ ity Commissioners because the training objectives of the Foudroyant Trust were not compatible with the restoration project, informsthe first editionof Trincomalee News.

The Trust's biggestresponsibility was to find financial resourcesfor the rcsto-

32 Parsiana January2000

including the EuropeanRegional Devel­

opment Fund and the HeritageLottery Fund.Private donors includedthe late Neville Wadia who was enthusiastically welcomed aboard his ancestor's creation. Other visitors to the ship from the Wadia family haveincluded

Vinci Wadi a and hisfilm­ makerson Riyad (who is said to be planninga documentary) as also Dina Wadia. Former civil servant and ambassador

K. T. Satarawala, who acquainted Porsiana with the Trincomalee project, has been keep­ ing a steady eye on its progress.

The project provides a number of local jobs and training for long-tcnn unemployed. Arter de­ cades of neglect the area surrounding Trinco­ malee's berth in Hartle­ pool Docks is coming to

The Satarawala family at Trincomalee 's berth in Hartlepool Docks

current ticket prices: Adults£ 2.50,

children/senior citizens £ 1.50. The HMS Trincomalee Trust may be con­ tacted at Jackson Dock, Hartlepool TS 24 OSQ, tel: 01429-223193, fax: 01429

864385 for further information.

The restoration of Trincomalee

-Theoryand Practice" presentedatan international conference on the Ar­ cheology of Ships at War. They con­ clude, "Itwould be easyto dismiss

The Trincomalee's chequered his­

tory, its many changes of use had led to much construction that cluttered her original features. To

which period of her long existencewas she to be restored? As she was when built? As the cor­ vette of 1847'! Or as atraining hulk'!

The HMS Trin­ comalee Trust de­ cided to restore her as an " IR I7 frigate hut to retain some original 1846 fittings and structures (in­ cludingthe stern) such as the iron car­ stan ... to make the best use of avai!able historical material.'' writes Mcilwain.

However, everything above the line of the originalquarter deck and forecastle cabins, bulkheads, washrooms, ward­ room, galley -had to go.

Working on platformsbuilt round the floatingship while the special drydoek promisedat Hartlepool was be­ ing reexcavated (it had been filled in when shipbuilding activity in Hartlepool ceased in the 1960s), all repair work abovethe waterline was taken in hand.

The hull timberswere in poor condi­ tion largelybecause of themany changes of armamentshe had undergone leading to many an alteration in her gunports. With the exception of four originals, all the frames - numbering 140 - had rotted and needed replacement. The gunports were relocated according to original drawingsof Leda class ships to which the Trincomaleebelonged.

Each old framewas copied onto a plywood template,then the new frame cut in one piece on a large handsaw. It ll'lok four men three hours to cut each frame - 12 man hours (Trincomalee NewsNo 2 -thenewsletter of the HMS Trincomalee Trust -says it took two shipwrights three days or 48 man hours tocut a frame using the traditional In­dianmethods of 1817!). Stainless steel bolts have been usedto fasten the frames in keeping with the Trust's decision to balance modern and traditional meth-

35 Pars/ana January 2000

ods and materials in keeping with their

budget. While the original teak has been replaced with other suitable hardwood,

Tile years ··in ordinmy" a painting by E. W. CookPhoto courtesy: C. Atkinson Figurehead on Trincomalee bow (below)

"all joints have been faithfully repli­ cated ... New deck timbershave been planed and re-sanded to match the pat­ terns of wear on the originalteak deck­ ing," writesMcilwain.

Thejoining of the component timbers

has been a source of sur- prise to the expertsen­ gagedin the restoration of Trincomalee. Three types of joints wereused in the originalconstruc­ tion,the principal guide being teak to teak joints versus the later use of softwood. "What is sur­ prising is the lack of any consistent pattern. It al­ most seems that a squad of shipwrights respon­ sible for a frame would choose a methodthat suited them, or perhaps suited the timber at hand.

This view is perhaps reinforced by the fact that adjacent frames always seem to have been joined by different methods..." note A. G. Bridgewater, K. M. Johnson and A. G. Wilson in a paper on "The Construction of the HMS Trincomalee

these anomalies in the construction ofHMS Trincomalee as the product ofcrudeIndian workmanship, especially

sincethey may not

fit the preconceived VIeWS of those whose knowledgeis not based on actual practice. However. the designand con­ struction of the Wa­ terway (whose func­ tion is to prevent water Ji·omthe deck leaking intothe spaces between the frames) would sug­ gest that Indian stan­ dards were at least as high as elsewhere. This view is con­ firmed by the excel­ lent workmanship of other partsof the

Ship which has. after all, survived for nearly 200 years."

The Trincomaleeentered dry dock in August 1996 -winched acrossthe ba­ sin, then drawn slowly into the dock by pulleys and cables poweredby a forklift on the quayside, records Trinconwlee News No 6. The operation began at dawn and was completed by about 9 a.m.

After the accumulatedmarine

growth and dirt from the underwater hull was removed usinghigh pressure water jets, the workers foundthe coppering on the hull very difficult tore­ move. Firmly nailed to iron-hard teakplank­ ing was originalcop­ per and original felt which had been stuck to the wooden ship with pitch. "Itisquitere­ markable howsound the teak planking is af­ ter nearly200years, protected by its cover­

ing of copper, pitch and felt. When restoration is completed, we expect to protect the underwater hull with ex­ actly the same materials. What could be better?" notes the newsletter.

continued on page 54

INSTITUTIONS

The Kuppawalla Connection

Arnavaz S. Mama

Shapoorjee Kuppawalla's expertiseas a maker of pulleysfinanced the foundingof the Kuppawalla Agiary

A frieze of Achaemenidsoldiers, a rep­ lica of the famous bas-relief at Per­ sepolis,distinguishes the Kuppawalla Agiary at Tata Colony,Bombay, from the many others in the city. But it has another claim to fame, one which it shares with the H. B. Wadia Atas Bahram: both institutions owe their being to the community's renownedcraftsmanship that earned them ship­ building commissions from the British Navy and the East India Company.

While the Wadiashoned theircar­

pentry skills to build warshipsfor the Navy apart from other merchantmen, Shapomjee Sorabjeeand his brothers Bomanjee and Dadabhoy created the pulleys (known as kuppa in Gujarati) so vital to sailing ships in furling and un­ furling their sails, for their spars, masts, to move heavy guns and as part of the steering gear asalso for loadingand unloading cargo.(A ship like Trin­ comalee probably had a 1,000of them on board.) And the brothers'profi­ ciency at their job as "kuppa-wala" gave the family its name.

WhenDastur (Dr) Kaikhusroo Ja­ maspAsa performedthe jashan to cel­ ebrate the 143rd anniversary of the holy

fire at the Kuppawalla Agiary on roz

Srosh, mah Ardibehesht (October 7,

1999) in the presence of the trusteesof the Agiary and its votaries, mainlythe residents of Tata Colony,there were but two Kuppawalla family members present. Over 20 of them reside in the UK, as per Poona based former civil servant and ambassador Kersi Satara­ wala who traceshis own membership of the Kuppawalla clan through his paternalgrandmotherRatanbai.

The Kuppawalla saga harks back to

Parsi migration from Surat and its envi­ rons to the newly emerging Bombay at the end of the 18th century. From Oomra, near Surat,came Sorabjee Bomanjee with his wife and three sons Shapoorjee, Bomanjee andDadabhoy, to seek his

36 Parsiana January 2000

fortune in the new city. According to an article by Jal Pestonji Birdi in lam-e­ Jams/zedWeekly of November 30, 1975 (forwardedto Parsiana by Satarawala) he engaged insatisfactory business in the Bombay docks whileShapoorjee found his calling as a carpenterin the local ships of the East India Company.Increasing appreciation of his fine crafts­ manship led to his servicesbeing de­ manded on ocean-going ships as well as fishing craft.

Shapoorjee rode the tide of prosperity to launch his own company-Shapoor­

jee Sorabjee and Company- in partner­ ship with his brothers, specializing in the manufacture of all varieties of pulley blocks, writesBirdi. It was only a matter of

time before the reputation of the firm

earned it substantial orders from the East India Company's shipyardsfor home-run as well as ocean-going vesselsbeing built there. In the 30 years that spannedthe life of Shapoorjee Sorabjee and Company, from 1810 to 1840, it delivered lakhs of pulleys, according to Birdi.

True to the religious benevolence of those times,the Kuppawalla brothers en­ dowed an agiaryin Oomra on June 24, 1816, notes Parsee Prakash (Vol I) com­ piled by BomanjeeByramjce PateII but no further information about it is available.

While Shapoorjee survived to a ripe age of 80, his brothers predeceased him: Bomanjee in 1819 at the age of 40 and Dadabhoy in 1842 aged 55, according to Parsee Prakash. With no male heir to help him after Dadabhoyretired in 1840, Shapoorjee wound up the company, simi­ larly choosing retirement until his de­ mise on April 23, 1856. There is no record of the offspringof the three broth­ ers except an inference based on the trust deed of 1870 that Bomanjee and Dada­ bhoy had a son each and that Sha­ poorjee'sonly child was a daughternamed Manockbai.

Barely three months before he died Shapoorjee directedthat within a year of

his death the executors of his will- his daughter Manockbai andfriend Bezonjee Shapoorjee Katruck- will purchase "a piece of land withoutthe Fortand build thereona fire-temple or agiary" at a costof between Rs 15,000 to Rs 20,000by selling a portion of his real estate. The remainder of hisestate - "both real and personal" - was be­ queathed to his daughter Manockbai, "described as the wife of ManockjeeJamsetjee,absolutely for herown sole and separateusc and benefit, free and discharged from the power and control of her said husband and his debts..." according to the Kuppawalla trust deed, a copyof which was made available to Parsiana by its managing trusteeDara Nicholson, grandson of Dhanjibhai Kuppawalla. (Various spellingsof the name havebeen standardized by Par­ siana to "Kuppawalla" on the basis of this document.)

Accordingly the Kuppawalla Agiary, duly sanctified, opened its doors to the community on November I 0, 1857 at "Dhunjee Dungeria Street in the subdis­ trict of Mandveein the island of Bombay." The first board of trustees Manockbai appointedwere Katruck, Byramjee HormusjeeGorewalla, Ma­ nockjee Jamsetjee Kuppawalla, Dada­ bhoy BezonjeeKatruck and Dossabhoy Bezonjee Katruck. She vested certaiu properties to provide income to main­ tain the Agiary and ensure the employ­ ment of two mobeds (the pious priest Jamshedji Kookadaruwas among the earliest to be associated with it) who would performthe requisite ceremo­ nies and charged the trustees afterher own death to publishonce a year a statementregarding the administration

Decorated foyer and entranceto the Agiary on the 143rdanniversal)', the mobeds at the jashanand Nicholsonfelicitating JamaspAsa

(All photographs by Gustasp Irani)

of the institution for the information of the community.

According to Birdi, Manockbaido­ nated a further Rs 20,000 towardsthe Agiary on the uthamnaceremony of her husband on October 3, 1864. She died intestate,July 12, 1868 and the adminis­ tration of her estate fell to her next of kin, Muncherjee Dadabhoy Kuppawalla and Cowasjee Bomanjee Kuppawalla, as per the trust deed of 1870.

By then there was a substantial change

in the board of trustees,Bezonjee Katruck and Manockjee J amsetjee Kuppawallahaving died and the Katruck

Replica of Achaemenidfrieze on outer wall

brothers having re­ signed leaving Go­ rewalla as the only trustee. The new boardincluded Go­ rewalla, the two Ku­ ppawalla cousins and Gorewalla' s twosons Cursetjee and Cowasjee who

"stood possessed" of the Agiary, the

propertybequeathed for its mainte­ nance, over Rs 20,000 in Government of India promissory notes,plus otheroutstandings due to the estateof the late Manockbai, informs the trust deed.They agreed to spendenough each year to maintain the premises in good order, to set aside Rs 200 to Rs 300 each year into a reserve fund, pay the salaries of the two priests and underwrite the ex­ penses of the ceremonies to be per­ formed and hold a gahambaron each anniversary ofthefire-temple in memoryofthelateShapoorjee.The

trustees were prevented by the trust deed from selling or alienating the fire-temple and its propertyunless "such sale is abso­ lutely requiredby government for the purpose of publicworks." Manockbai's earliercommandment to publisha yearly statementof management was now re­ quired to be publishedin two Gujarati newspapers. In no case was the number of trustees to be less than two and in the appointment of new trusteesthe male heirs or near male relations of the exist­ ingtrustees were preferred, as per the trust deed.

The Kuppawallafirereachedits

present location in 1941 as the original localityhad deteriorated and the commu­ nity had moved away to other areas. Houses of prayerhave their own legends and, accordingto one votary, attemptsto construct a residential block on the Agiary's present plot failed again and again as though awaitinga more benign occupant.

It is interesting to note that of the present board of nine trustees which in­ cludes Nicholson, PhirozeCooper, Erach

Chinoy, Bomi Mistry, Jamshed Shroff,

continued on page 44

For Pure Diamonds

!LfGv mu

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38 Parsiana January 2000

EDUCATION

A principal's principles

The first Zarathushti principal of Queen Mary School,

Rati Wadia is determined that her studentslearn the right values

Parinaz M. Gandhi

"I have taught a trustee's daughterand an industrialist's daughterwith as much love and affectionas a cook's daughter. This is the only reason why this miracle of God could have happened," says Rati Dady Wadiareferring to her recent ap­ pointment as the firstQueen Marian, first non-Christianand

first Zarathushti principalof the 125-year-old Queen Mary School, a protestant institution. "That's a breakthrough for our country which is the world'slarg­ est secular democracy,"contin­ ues the School's seniormost teacher who is loved and re­ spected by the countless students who have gained from her dedi­ cation and wisdom.

It was in her 36th year of service as teacher at the Queen Mary School that she was given threelettersofappointment

within the course of one month upgrad­

ing her designation from senior school supervisor, a post which she held for 20 years, to vice principalin charge of the senior school, to in-chargeprincipal, and ultimately to principal on June 3, 1999. She told the management that she would be honored to serve her School provided she was given the authorityto work independently. "Iwas the red rag to the bu11 where the management was concerned," states 57-year-old Wadia who gave a detailedaccount -lasting the entire first sessionof the interview ou October12-of the many injustices challenged by some of the School'sse­ nior teachers who were mooting for better workingconditions and appoint­ ment of principals on the basisof senior­ ity cum merit, when provoked by the autocratic functioning of certain trust­ ees.

"We must fight for what is right. We must have strong convictions and stand up for them. Don't sit on the fence.

That's the characterwe want from our children if we are to have abetter India and a better world," declares the cru­ sader who is "very proud my girls can face the world." In fact, on the landing outside the principal's office is promi-

Wadia: "musthave strong convictions"

nently positioned the quotation: "In matters of taste, swim with the current. In mattersof principle, standlike arock." Their Schoolprayer too startswith the verse, "I would be true for there are those who trust me/ Iwould be pure for there are those who care/ Iwould be strong for there is much to suffer/ I wouldbe brave for there is much to dare..."

Queen MarybeingWadia'salma

mater, she has been associated with this School for the last45 years. After taking over as principal, she has tried to revive all Schooltraditions which had lapsed over the years, like class assembly every Thursday. Convincedthat there should be no discrimination on grounds of caste, color or creed, she now conductssecular assemblies where, in additionto their regular Christian hymn, the students also receive lessons in morality and an intro­ duction to different religiousfaiths cor-

responding to the festivalsand celebra­ tions beingobserved. Her own room accommodates a prayer. corner.On our first visit to her office, we had noticed a prominent photo of Lord Jesus. And when she referred to "His" miracleearn­ ing her the principal's mantle,she

had promptly unearthed,from the heap of papers onher desk, the paperweight bearing Lord Zara­ thushtra' s impression. On our sec­ ond visit a fortnight later,we no­ ticed a diva flickering behind her table with icons of different faiths accommodated there too. She con­ stantly stressesthe need to "ap­ preciate and respect each other's religion, customsand culture."

Environmental science, fash­ ion designing,yoga and physical education are the other options she has introduced for the stu­ dents at the ICSE (Indian Certifi­

cate of Secondary Education) level. Stu­

dents who are not interested in science can exempt themselves from these sub­ jects in their final year, she mentions. In fact, yoga has been incorporated as part of the students' regularcurriculum also. Drama workshops have been introduced. Bharat Natyam too she is interested in offering to the Queen Marians.

Realizing that the prevailing system of formal education in India "isnot child oriented, with the syllabi heavily loaded with textbookmaterial, with cramming and competition being suicidal," Wadia declares, "Education is totally neglected in this country ...There is no coordina­ tion betweenthe pre-primary and the primary, the primary and the secondary, the secondary and the University ..." Being an English literature teacher who presently teachesEnglish to the Xth standard pupilsshe is shocked that the University has decided to divorce lan­ guage from literature. "You can't teach language except through literature. It's

39Parsiana January 2000

At the felicitation organizedby the Queen Marian Association of

E.x-Students: (top left) RatiWadia (center)with Dady and Jai, (middle) Mahakhurshid Byramjee presentinga shield to Wadia. Above and alongside: Glimpses of the present Schoolbuilding

40Pars/ana January 2000

The Queen Mary School when Wadia was a student

likeseparating the skeletonfrom the soul. Literature teaches and improvesthe quality ofliving.If you throw out the fine arts,there will be nothingleft of the soul." OfferingEnglish at a higher level or lower level is a better solution, rea­ sons Wadia who was one-time head of the language department and English departmentat her School, having taught English, French, geography, first aid, and physical education at different times. "The teachers,students, parents are all orushed," in the presentscenario.

Afew months prior to her appoint­ ment as principal, Wadia says she was seriouslycontemplating associating her­ self with alternative education along the lines practiced by Rashmi and Jehangir Palkhivalawhere free from pressures, the children are allowed to blossom at their own pace. She was all praise for the Krishnamurti schools in India(based on philosopherJ. Krishnamurti's philoso-

41 Parsiana January 2000

phy) where discipline for the childrencomes from within and has never to be imposed and educationtoo is an enno­ bling experience.

The ideal teacher-student ratio should be I:30. As versus that teachersnow have often to take charge of a class of70, burst their lungs in the processof getting the best results,do paperwork and cleri­ cal duties, points out Wadi a. "Whatcre­ ativity can they be expected to bring in and draw out from their students?" she asks rhetorically. "This is a countryof gurus where theguruistotallyne­ glected," states Wadia."Ateacheris expectedto be a role model,be on her best behaviorat all times, get alongwith the juniors and the seniors, be an angel on earth and live on love and fresh air!" The recommendationsoftheFifth

. Pay Commission which has granted higher scales to the teachers in India are laudable, observesWadia, but she was

wary of their slow implementation. "Consideringthat we have the mind of

the child in our hands,our major fault is that we are paying the staff so badly." There should be stiff entrance examina­ tions for those keen to join the profes­ sion, with personality tests repeated pe­ riodically to assess whetherthe teachers are inspiring the children or vegetating, says Wadia. She is also on the core group formed by the YMCA (Young Men's Christian Association) and Avehi (a social welfare body) to suggestand bring about improvements in the system of educationin India.

Wadia herself started teachingon a monthly emolument of Rs 295, earning only Rs 10 as incrementfor the next 10 years. "But our loyalty to the School was such that we stayed on. It was not a place of employment, it was our home." Hav­ ing laboredfor months to raise funds for the School in 1975, the teachers started struggling for better terms to ensure that good teachers did not leavethe School for betterprospects elsewhere. (In 1975 the management was taken over by the

Christian Medical Educational Fellow­ ship Trust from the BMMF Trust which succeeded the British missionaries man­ agedZenana Bible MedicalMission. The institution had been established in 1875 at Bombay as the Indian Female Normal School in Byculla. Subsequently

demic progress of the students was not hampered by the upheavals caused by the court cases, says Wadia. "There is something in our (Zarathushti) blood. We can't take what is wrong; we must fight for the right," she announces, for­ tified by the sacrifices and struggles. So

she recommends. Howevershe hesi­ tates to say whether this child should be permittedto visit the fire-temple. "Real­ izing that it must be very painfulfor these children," Wadia reasons, "Love is the highestemotion under the sun which can bring out the noblest quali­

it shifted premisestoMazagaonand

then to Girgaumwhen it was called the

ties. Love does not mean selfish interest.

Girgaum Girls' High School. In 1912 on the occasion of Queen Mary'svisit to the city, the Schoollocated behind KennedyBridge got its present name.) But the management which controls five units (in addition to Queen Mary, there is Kimmins High School at Panchgani, two orphanages, Jyoti Niketan in Man­ mad andManoram Sadan in Sholapur,

"There is something in

our (Zarathushti)

blood. We

can't take what

is wrong"

We have a responsibility to ourselves, to

our community and to our religion."

Hadshe more time at her disposal, Wadia would have devoted it to finding Zarathushti spouses for the youths of the community,she reveals with a smile. She has two childrenof marriageable age, son Hoshner who is an architect and daughter Jai who after completing her masters in social work has been working

and a Bible Fellowship Centre at Nasik)

for organizations like Concern India and

was unable to improvethe terms of work

for the teachers.The staff even offered to raise finance for the other units if that was the management's reason for de­ priving the teachers. First their dearnessallowance was frozen at Rs 227. A year later they were offered Rs 20 as incre­ ment as the "management was in the process of regularizing the anomalies found in the staff salarystructure," Wadi a recalls the words of the noticecirculated to the teachers. In protest, the teachers went on a hunger strikefor three days with the children in the compoundin­ stead of the classrooms when one teacher'sservices were terminated.

That's when "the parentswoke up" and formalized the Parents-Teachers' Association and with the support of some diehard parents like RusiSethna,the late Firoze Damania and Nana Chuda­ sama, pursued the matter throughthe court which recognized K. P. Rajhunsas the principal and allowed her to con­ tinue with her job until she honorably retired in June 1990, briefs Wadia. Be­tween 1990 andI 999 eight principals have come and gone at Queen Mary, with Wadia succeeding A. Sudhakar, reports the present principal. ·

During their years of conflict, the

attitude of most parentswas "apathy with a capital'A,"' noticed Wadi a. "Sad to say, it is the Indian mentality. When we see a garbage dump,we will jump over it, walk past it, but not try to remove it on the rationale'why bring troubleon our heads?'" Even during the spell be­ tween 1978 and 1981 when the parents stopped paying fees to the management, and instead gave donations to the Par­ ents-Teachers'Association which was in charge of the administration, the aca-

42 Pars/ana January 2000

when the Queen Marian Association of Ex-Students felicitated her on October8 after she was made principal, Wadia was moved "by their overwhelming ex­ pression of joy and love."

While Wadia is "very proud to be a Zarathushti (usc the term 'Zarathushti,' not 'Zoroastrian,' we are urged), I be­ lieve absolutely in the secularity of man­ kind and am very happy to read the Bhagvad Gita or to light a candle in church." She has completed one course on comparative religions at the K. R. Cama Oriental Institute. That "the sudreh is my protection," the 72 strandsof the kusti denote her faith in the 72 magav sahebs, that BahramVarzavand will visit this earth as a savior ("Ihope during my lifetime"), she is convinced."I do be­lieveprayer in our language is very powerful. And yet communicating with God in any language is also very impor­ tant..." On a dailybasis she may not visit the fire-temple or pray from the A vesta but she always has anAshemand Yatha on her lips,she reveals. She would like Zarathushti childrenin India to learn Gujarati but if they have missedout on such an opportunity, she recommends that prayerbooks in Hindi instead of the English scriptbe used.

"I definitely do not believein con­

version. Religion is God's ordained pur­ pose," she avers. "Iam not an orthodox, nor a liberal,nor a scholar," reminds Wadia. "There are several things for which I have a questionmark" despite her many discussions with religious scholarslike Behram Pithavala, she notes. Childrenof intercommunity mar­ riages should be given knowledge of the religionof both the parents such that the child can decide which faith to opt for,

Lawyers' Collective. Her husbandDady, after his retirement from Hindus tan Ciba

-Geigy, undertakes the logistics of the couple's innumerable trips out of Bombay on their self-undertaken mis­ sion to shoot all the fire-temples of the world. Already, their slides of Iran and other agiariesand atash behramsmake popular viewingat functions organizedby different anjumans. During the course of their sojourns they also got to partici­ pate in various community meets, in­ cluding jungalwasi gahambars (hosted by residents of remote jungle-like areas) in places like Garigam, Sarigam and Surangi in Gujarat.

Wadia had learnt the elementsof photography at Queen Mary (she was Rati Dara Vania prior to her marriage), as she had many other things. Duringthe course of the interview, she repeatedly gave credit to her School,her teachers, particularly her principal B. R. Shelton (the last missionary principal), her pro­ fessors at Wilson College, and Father Sologram and Dr Mehroo Bengalee at the St Xavier's Instituteof Education where she studied for her BEd.

Acknowledging her "tremendous

loveand respect" for Bengalee, Wadia added, "She will always be a role model in my life. All the positive, constructive educational schemesfor which the (Bombay Parsi)Punchayet (BPP) is praised is becauseof her erudition, in­ spiration,teacher's zeal to assist the children to do their best." While Benga­ Iee is no longer activelyassociated with the BPP's subcommittee on education, Wadia as also many other Zarathushti principals of different schools in Bombay continue to support the many projectsinitiated by her.

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With around 1,400 plus students on the rolls of Queen Mary, around 10 percent of whom must be Zarathushtis, Wadia would often jokinglytell the late Roshen Driver, her neighborat ShapurBaug who was the principal of the Byramjee Jeejeebhoy Parsec

"We have the mind of the child in our hands"

THE KUPPAWALLA...

continued from page 38

Sam Rao,AdilVadoliwala,Behram

Billimoria and FarokhHydrabadwala, only two are family members.Both Nicholson, son of Tehmina Dhanjibhai Kuppawalla and Billimoria, son of Hilla Dhanjibhai Kuppawalla had a common great-grandfather in Muncherjee Dada­ bhoyKuppawalla.

Satarawala traces his own lineage

through Muncherjee's daughter Ratan­ bai whose fruitful union with Pirojsha

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Charitable Institution, that there were more Zarathushtis at Queen Mary than at Driver's school. According to Wadia, itis understandable that

Muncherji of Sataraproducedseven

daughters and six sons. Satarawala to­ gether with his brother the late Lt Gen Jehangir Satarawala are the sons of Ratanbai's son Tehmurasp.

Sadly, there are no portraits of the

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44 Parsiana January 2000

Zarathushtis who always wanted to be at the top preferred enrollingtheir children at missionaries or convent run schools which had a foreign ad­ ministration, modern ideas and better standards with the accompanying pres­ tige and statusthan at those schools founded by Parsis.And since these schools were able to maintaintheir reputation they continued to remain leading institutions. Among Parsi schools, The J. B. PetitHigh School for Girls and Maneckji CooperEdu­ cationTrust School rank among the best because of the ICSE syllabus and elitistsegments they cater to, observes Wadia.

While she is very keen to see Zara­

thushti children and Indian studentsprogress, Wadi a is equallyemphatic that "there should be no reservation for any­ body at any time. Everythingshould go on merit. Giving reservation means ac­ knowledging that thereis a handicap. We are not handicapped ...

"A principalis the cornerstone of a

schoolwho has to ensure that no harm can come to the students or teachers," Wadia views her role seriously. She happily an­ nounces that their School has seen four generations from one family as students, three generations from another as teach­ ers, and two generations of peons.

Since teachers are expected to reach

out to the students with "love, care and concern, this is one field which no com­ puter can replace," believes the principal. "For me, teachinghas been my vocation; it's not just my profession. My students are my girls," she continues, contentwith the love and appreciation she has received in return. "Even ifl were to be born again, I'd like to be a teacher."

original Kuppawalla brothers avail­

able nor of Manockbai. The portraits facing the kebla in the Agiaryare of two sons ofMuncherjee- Firozeshah and Jamshedji and three sons of the latter.

Since the advent of rationingin post

World War II and the ban on feeding large numbers of people, the mandatory gahambar was alteredto a distribution of food grains to needy Zoroastrians by providing them with cards of predeter­mined value accredited to certain gro­ cers. In an oblique comment on the habits of the community, Nicholsonnotes that the trustees learnt that the recipients demanded money insteadof provisions from the shopkeepers in ex­ change for their cards. This led the trust­ ees to change to providingpackages of assorted provisions instead,informs Nicholson. Now they invite150 to 200 individuals on their register to come to the Agiaryand collect their packages on JamshediNavroz.

How sensitive the founding Kuppa­

walla was to the needs of his coreligionists is evinced by some of the ParseePrakash notings:When the Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) decidedin 1826to grant free funeraryrites to poor Zoroastrians, Shapoorjee Kuppawalla was one of the seven prominent individualsrequested by the BPP to supervisesuch an occur­ rence in their area; when a sweepingfire devastated Surat, his name features among the donorsto a relief fund floated at a meeting in the town hall.

TheJam-e-JamshedofApril24, 1856 as quoted in Parsee Prakash described the deceasedShapoorjee as an old gentle­ man, reclusive but good,patient, intelli­ gent and kind. His legacy endures.

HISTORY

Treasured on the Island -5

Happy tohost

Keen to serve as a bridgeamong members of the community, the Parsi Sports Club in Sri Lanka served a vital role

Afterbeing shipwrecked in the turbu­ lent waters of the Indian Ocean a hand­ ful of Parsis landed in Ceylonin the early 17th century.In the 18th century, some adventurous Parsishad sought to establish themselves on this beautiful island as plantersand shopkeepers. By the 19th century the community was so well respected that on the formation of theCeylon Chamber of Commerce in 1839, H<;>rmusjee Espandiarjee and ShapoorjieHirji were the onlytwo non­ Englishmembers invited thereon.

Atthe turn of the 20th century Zoro­ astrians in Ceylon numberedless than a hundred, reachingtheir peak of over 350 prior to World War II. Then fol­ lowed the exodus and todayaround 60 Zoroastrians remain in Sri Lanka (see "The Zoroastrians of Serendip," Par­ siana, January 1999).

Starting with the July-August issue,

Parsiana has been chronicling the achievements of prominent Sri Lankan Zoroastrians of the 19th and the 20th century. These are edited excerptsfrom BehramKaikhushroo Billimoria's his­ torical compilation, The Parseesin Ceylon,culled from the memoirsof Framroze Rustomjee and K. D. Choksy. Written about nine years ago, factually there may be a changeof circumstances for some of the individuals mentioned hereinalthough we haveimposed on Sri Lanka's respected legal light Kairshasp Choksy's time to check the episodes for accuracy.

The first instalmentdetailed the suc­

cess story ofDady Muncherji also known as Dady Parsi who was a merchantheld in high esteem by the locals as also the Europeans who patronized his shops. Transportfacilities too came within his purview in the early 19th centuryand there are references to his establishment running the palanquin facilities for the convenienceof passengers.

46 Pars/ana January 2000

The coffee estate and exports of Cowasjee EduljeeColombowalla ear­ ned him substantial wealth and he used a part of it to donatea burial ground for Parsis in Colombo, mentioned the sec­ ond instalment. (This old burialground in Kottanchina was in use prior to the present one on Jawatte Road, acquired for the communityby Pestonjee Din­ shawjee Khan.) To Framjee Bhikhajee and Company goes the credit for mak­ ing possible the influx of many Parsis from India. The Khan Clock Tower and the Crippled Children's Ward bear testi­ mony to their largesse. Framjee House was the venue for all Parsifestivities and it was also customary to have an "open house" for all Parsis every Sunday, it was recounted.

The ragsto riches storyofRustomjee Muncherjee who had assiduously toiled to build up his business empireand invariably presidedover every meeting of the community was related in the third instalment. Among the leadingpro­ fessionals of the20th century wereHomi Framroze Billimoria who enjoyed the distinction of serving as the first Ceylonese (the previous incumbents being English) chief architect of the public works department of the govern­ ment and Dr RustomPestonjee who had served the King duringWorld War I and returned with distinctions in war ser­ vice. Some of the imposing structures erected by Billimoria are the Indepen­ dence Hall, The Elphinstone and Majes­ tic Theatres and Navroz Baug. As super­ intendent of the LeperAsylum in Hendala, Pestonjeeplayed host to the Parsi community every Christmas when they gathered there to celebrate the oc­ casion with the patients.

Another revered medical practitio­ ner was Dr Dadabhoy Pestonjee Banajee who had served the Maharaja ofMorvi before being appointedmem-

ber of the Colombo Municipality, stated the fourth instalment. Even though the Maharajafollowed Banajee to Ceylon to persuade him to return, Banajee's wife would not allowit for one of his duties was to taste the food before it was served to the Maharaja which she feltcould endanger his life. The legal fraternity's claim to fame was Nariman Kaikhushroo Choksy who was appointedKing's Counsel and his son Kairshaspwho officiates as President's Counsel. The Prayer Hall and priest's residence known as Navroz Baug were constructed by Meherbai who was keen to fulfil her husband Pallonjee Nowrojee Kapadia's dream project.

TheParasmani Hall which is in use by the Parsi Sports Club was the com­ bined effort ofFramroze Rustomjee who donated the land and Ruttonshah Rustomjee who bore the cost of con­ struction, it is explainedin the fifth instalment. As per Ruttonshah' s last will, every year the community is invited to a dinner at theNavroz Baug on a date close to his death anniversary. The aca­ demicianKaikhushroo Billimoria, who as principalof the Dharmaraja College was responsible for building up the cen­

ter of learning into a: reputed institute,

was always happy to host Parsi visitors

to Kandy as theirs was the only Zoroas­

trian family residentthere.

Many other outstanding Parsishave their roots in Ceylon.Professional, busi­ ness and/or family commitments may have persuaded them to settle in other lands. But their accomplishments are fondly recalledin the final episode of this treatiseon Sri Lankan Zoroastrians.

At the commencement of the 20th cen­ tury there came from India that erudite Parsi scholar Kaikhushroo Billimoria. He was invited by BaronJayatilleke

Exterior and interior ofthe Parsi Sports Club

(laterSir Baron) to take over the office of prin­ cipal of Dharmaraja College in Kandy. The institution was thus placed in very capable hands and in a shorttime the magnificent im­ provementmade in the

College buildings, acquiring of new

grounds and construction of additional buildingsproved the worth of the man who guided the destinies of 400 boys in Kandy. He was a wonderfuldisciplinar­ ian and his mild mannered remarksto any pupil carried more weightthan the cane. He stoppedthe boys from smok­ ing by establishing a non-smoking league of youngsters and promotedthroughout his pupilsa wonderful espritde corps. He promoted scouting,established a min­ iature swimmingpool anddid all the great works during his tenure of office till1933.He then came to Colombo and died in 1938. His wifePerinwasan admirablehostess to anyonewho sought their home. In spite of his stern exterior,Kaikhushroo was the soul of wit. His humor was profoundlyinterspersed in his conversation and his intelligent quips confounded many.Perin died in Bombay

48 Parsiana January2000

in 1945 on a visit there.

After his death his

widowestablished in his memory a trust fund at DharmarajaCollege en­ titled "The K. F. BillimoriaMemorial Trust Fund" which is still in existence and do­ nates an annual scholar­ ship to the University and an annual stu­ dentship in the College.

It must be rememberedthat for 24

odd years afterhermarriage to Kaikhushroo theirs was the only Parsi family in Kandy except for a period of around fouryears when Ruttonshah Rustomjee of Grandpasshad a branch shop in Trincomalee Street. It was more or less an established customwhen any Parsi came to Ceylon for such visitorto make a beeline for the Cey Jon Bakery­ being very well-known amongall com­ munities as a rendezvous for local Parsis too. If such a visitorexpressed a desire to go to Kandy he was alwaysdirected to their house as the Parsis in the Bakery knew they were longing for the com­ pany of compatriots. The normal thing would be for them to send Kaikhushroo a telegram reading somethingas fol­ lows: "MeetMr arriving afternoon (or evening) train." Dutifully Kaikhush­ roo would go to theKandy station and

escort the visitorto his home and ac­ company them around Kandy and its sights. There were occasionswhen visi­ tors who had registered at a hotel were persuadedby Kaikhushroo and Perinto give up their hotel room and come to stay with them.

Dosabhoy HormasjeeMarker came

to Ceylonin 1904 and worked under his uncle PiroshaManekji Nagla till the latter died and then he took over the business - that of a broker in commodities. When Dosabhoytook over the business he concentrated onbeinga rice broker. This business proved lucrative and enabledhim to build a magnificent structure known as "West View" which at one time was occupied by the Pakistan Em­bassy. Dosabhoy served for many years as a trusteeof the Ceylon Parsi Anjuman Trust Funds and rendered great service to the members of the Anjuman. He was a great philanthro­ pist who unhesitatingly aided the com­ munity as well as the publicat large

-his better known donationsbeing the Sea Scout Headquarters in Co­ lombo and the lecture hallconstructed at the Rama Krishna Missionat Wellawatte. He married Jerbai,daugh­ ter of CowasjeeGobhai of Bombay and they had two sons, Mino and Homi, and a daughter Coomi.

Dosabhoy wasa keen turfman and

Alongside:Photograph of an annual social of the Parsi Sports Club (circa 1938) andplaque bearing the names of past presidents from 1928-67 (below)

hadhis own privatebox at the grand­ stand in the then race course in Co­ lombo. He used to take an activeinterest in other sports activities. When the Parsi Youths' SportsClub was formed in 1927, it was Dosabhoy who provided them with all their needs in cricket materials. When the youthsurged the oldergen­ eration to inaugurate the Parsi Sports Club in 1928, hewas its first president and thereafter in view of his many ser­ vices to the Club he was elected patron during his lifetime. His servicesto the forwarding of sports activities will not be easily forgotten.

Coming to the year 1905,Arnold

Wright wrote in Twentieth CenturyIm­ pressions of Ceylon: "From Bombay to Colombo is a somewhat far cry, but the inhabitants of the great capital of west­ern India are enterprising and they go far afield in search of trade openings. So it happens that there is a pretty consider­ able community of Bombay merchants and traders in Colombo,and they are able to form their own institution of a social or religious character. One of the former class is the Bombay Union Club which was organized in 1905 by some prominent members of the community for thepurpose of socialintercourse and recreation, and for discussions on trade matters. The Club which is open to allracesand creeds - Hindus, Moham­ medans, Parsis, etc - received in its initial stages generoussupport from lead­ ing Bombay merchants including Framjee

Bhikajee and Company, Ca­

rimjee Jafferjee,

E. G. Adamaly and Company,T.

A. J. Noorbhaiand Company, J. Rustom-jee and others.

"The Club

HouseISIn

50 Parsiana January 2000

Prince Street in Pettah, in the heart of the native businessquarter. It is a commodi­ous building, suppliedwith all the requi­ sites for comfortand entertainment, and having besides,an excellent libraryand reading room furnishedwith all the lat­ est periodicals and papers. At the Club, social meetingsare held periodically and in addition to these gatherings, ex­ cursions are organized to points of inter­ est in the neighborhood of Colombo. The Club membership numbers 35 and additions are constantly being made to the roll. H. Dinshaw acts as secretary of the Club and to him and a few other members,notably Messrs J. C. Thakore and Company and C. M. Barucha, the credit for its successful organization is due. It shouldbe added that additional members are elected by the votes of the existing members."

Dinshaw was a good and forceful

speaker and was also an active member of the community. He used to live among the other Parsis in Rifle Street,Slave Island. He passed away on January25, 1925.

Ruttonshah Rustomjee Bhoory was

14 years old when he came to Ceylon. He received his education at Wesley College which was then situatedin the Pettah. After his educationhe joined his uncle Ruttonjee Pestonjee Bhoory'sbusiness. When the business was ex­ tended to Kandy, Ruttonshah was placed in charge. He was then joined by his brother Dosabhoy who had come out to

Ceylon. Some­ time later,

Ruttonshah went back to

Parsi Sports Club benefac­ tors Rutton­ shah Bhoory (far left) and Framroz Rustomjee

Bombaybut on his return he set up a businesson his own as an exporter in fiber, tea, desiccated coconutand spices. He bought the bungalowin which their business is still being carried out at Grandpassfrom the late A. G. (later S!r Arthur)Rana-singhe.

Ruttonshah in the course of his busi­

ness career traveledabroad especially to England and Europe. He imported into Ceylon in the early1930s a very large lorry which was the first of its size in Ceylon. He had considerable difficulty in havingit registered for use there for the roads at that time were considered not strong or wide enough to allow its use.Afterconsiderableefforttheve­ hicle was finallylicensed and is report­ edly still in use by the establishment. He was alsointerestedinallcommunal matters and was a trusteeof the Anjuman

Trust Funds. By his last will he provided that once a year the trustees of his will should invite all the members of the Parsi community to a dinner at the Navroz Baug on a convenient date close to the anniversary of his death. This has been regularlydone and his memory remains alive. Ruttonshah also joined FramrozeRustomjee in erectinga build­ ing known as Parasmani Hall at Palm Grove in Colpetty. The land on which the building standsbelonged to Framroze Rustomjee while the cost of construct­ ing the buildingwas borne by Ruttonshah. The land and the buildinghave been handed over to the trusteesof the Ceylon Parsi Social Centrewho have authorizedthe use of the same to the Parsi Sports Club. The land, in extent 01 rood and 09 perches,was donated by Framroze Rustomjeein memory of his departedson J amshed and other rela­ tives. It was handed over to the trustees on November 10, 1947. The building was erected at a cost of Rs 31,000 to perpetuate the memory of his deceasedparents Maneckbai and Rustomjee PestonjeeBhoory.

Ruttonshah built his own bungalow called ''Firdoshi" on Turret Road, Colpetty in Colombobut during World

War II, the bungalow was taken over for the use of the Royal College and Ruttonshah then retired to Bilimora in India wherehe owned some land. The end of the War saw him backin Co­ lombo but later he sold Firdoshi and lived in retirementin Charles Place till he passed away in 1973 aged 90 years. His wife Cooverbaipredeceased him at the age of 76 in 1960.

Ruttonshah at one time went into

partnership with Nanji who had a busi­ ness enterprise in Colombo and bought a tea estate in Rozelle. This was later sold and just before World War II he bought a coconut estate of 150 acres in Veyangoda. The house on this land was used by some Parsi familieswho were evacuatedfrom Colombo during the af­ termath of the Japaneseraid on Co­ lombo. In view of the educationhe and his sons received, he donated a set of classrooms at Wesley College.During World War II, he was one of a numberof Parsis who joined the Colombo Town Guard. During the 1930s he was presi­ dent of the Ceylon IndianCongress. In 1944, R. Rustomjeeand Company be­ came membersof the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce.

His eldest son, Burjor,joinedthe

family business in which he remained till his demise in 1988. He was a keen Rotarian and had been president of his Rotary Club as well as its treasurerfor very many years. He was a popularand well-known figure in Colombo.He served the community in various ways and was a trustee of the Anjuman Trust Funds. He took part in all the religious and other activities of the community. He was a prominent member of the Parsi Sports Club and was a past president. He was also a past president of the Indian Mercantile Chamberof Commerce and a trusteeof the Ceylon Parsi Social Cen­ tre.

He married PirojaChaina who was keen on sports. She was a good tennis player and as at that time the Parsi Sports Club had no facilities for a tenniscourt. she persuaded her father-in-law, Ruttonshah, to allow the Club to usethe tennis court in their house, viz Carlton Lodge on TurretRoad (which in 1988 was occupied by the Capri Club). The tennis courthas now been built on. After they left Carlton Lodge, Piroja was able to persuadeRuttonshah' s brother Hormusjee Bhoory to allow theParsi Sports Club to use the tennis court on his premises nowoccupied by the British

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52 Parsiana January 2000

Car Company Limited,on W. A. D. Ramanayakc Mawatha.Later when Parasmani Hall was made available to the Club, she was a very prominent member of the tennis section. She also took part in tabletennis. She captained a team of Parsi ladies. whenthe Club arranged a cricket match bet weenthe Parsi ladies and gentlemen, where she was the only player who bowled over­ arm while all the others, includingthe men,bowled underarm!

She served on the committeeof the

Club for over 50 years and was the first Parsi lady to be elected a presi­ dent of the Parsi Sports Club. In addi­ tion, she was a member of the Inner Wheel Club of Colombo,later its presi­ dent and attended severalregional conferences. During World War II she did welfare work attending on soldiers at the WelisaraMilitary Hospital. Burjor and Piroja celebra­ ted their diamond jubilee in the year 1985. They had five children viz, two sons Kershaspand Hoshang, and three daughters, Frcny, Pehrin and Perviz.

Tehmurasp, the secondsonof

Ruttonshah, joined the finnofhis father after his education. He was a pupil of the Davar'sCollege of Com­ merce in Bombay and had the distinc­ tion of beingthefirst student from Ceylon to pass The Institute of Bank­ ers examination. He remained a part­ ncr/director ofR. Rustomjecand Com­ pany Limited until his demise in 1986 at the age of 81. He too had been a trustee of the CeylonParsi Anjuman Trust Fundsandhadpassedonthe benefit of his studies in the Zoroas­ trian religion to the members of the community by delivering lectures during the muktad days and on other appropriate occasions.He took con­ siderable interestin matters connected with the community. He was a mem­ ber of the Parsi Youths'Sports Club when this existed in 1926-1927 and thereafter was involved in matters connected with the Parsi Sports Club of which he too was a president. In 1952 the government appointed him to serve as a member of the Coconut Fibre RehabilitationCommittee.He was activelyengaged in other activi­ ties in Ceylon- beingvice president of the Theosophical Society of Ceylon. He marriedDhunmai and they have two childrenviz, son Pesi and daugh­ ter Shirin. To be continued

54 Pars/ana January 2000

DRESSED TO KILL

colltinued fro/// page35

A detailed survey has shown deterio­ ration of the woodworkalong the water­ line with sounder timberfurther down. Though severalframes have had to be replaced, allowingsound planking to be retained, the restored ship will have 65 percent of her originaltimbers intact.

Future projectsincluderestoration

of the head structure, construction of the galley stove and anchor, provision of carvings for theornamental stern andcompletion of replica armament. She is scheduled for u ndockingby Easter 2000, ready for the final rigging and comple­ tion of the I 0-ycar restoration project at the end of May 2000.

The Trust's draftsmen have researched and designedthe rigging: a frigate like Trincomalee would have over l ,000 pul­ ley blocksof many different sizes. Ac­ cording to Satarawala, the original pul­ ley blocks have been supplied by Shapoorjee Sorabjeeand Company whose partners were the ancestors of Satarawala' s paternalgrandmother.

The stern with its curved sash win­

dows, quarter galleries, moldings and carvings, has required more fine join­ ery than straightforward shipbuilding. Freshly gilded carvedswags, believed to be original, will also be reinstated, notes the newsletter. While a replica figurehead will be installed, the origi­ nal will be preservedfor museum dis­ play.

The shiphasbeenfittedoutwith

displays to providethe flavor of life at sea during Trincomalee' s Pacific days. "However, nothingcan really show us the wet clothes, rottenfood and brutal discipline that were the sailors' lot in those days," notes the newsletter no I. Hammocks, mess tables and even a meal with appropriate lightingand sound effects at' the fore end give visitors an inkling of how the crew lived. "Visitors might catcha glimpse of the ghost of one of Trincomalee' s original crew members and perhaps a rat, one of the dozens that infested the ship," the news­ letter beckonsthe history buff! At a typical gun position on the upper deck a replica IS-pounder is ready to fire with ramrods,tackle and other equip­ ment in place. The Trincomalee is ready tofloat for another200 years, to give future generations in the words of Prince Philip, "the chance to see how Britain maintained controlof the seas during a dramatic period in the world's history."

Do you have a G6PD enzyme deficiency?

The G6PD enzyme deficiency, common among the Parsis, makes them highly susceptible to certain drugs.*The deficiency may cause jaundice in the newborn and severe hemolytic crisis (destruction of red blood cells) in adults. Ask yourfamily doctorto arrange for a bloodtest to detect whether you have G6PD enzyme deficiency.lfyou happen to be a G6PD-Dpatient, it is essential that you carry your card at all times so that in any emergencyyou would receive appropriate treatment.

•Analgesics: Anetanilid, Acetylsalicylic acid.

Asprin, Acetophenetidin (Phenacetin), Antipyrine, Pyramidone.

Sulfonamides and Sulfones: Sulfanilamide, Sulfapyridine, N2 Acetylsulfanilamide, Sulfacetamide, Sulfisoxazole (Gantrisin), Thiazo lsu Idone, Sal icylazosu lfapyridi n e (Azulfadine),Sulfoxone, Sulfamethoxypyridine (Kynex).

Antimalarials: Primaquine, Pamaquine. Pentaquine, Quinacrine (Atabrine).

Nonsulfonamide antibacterial agents: Furazolidone, Nitrofurantoin (Furadantin), Chloramphenicol, Para-aminosalicylic acid.

Miscellaneous: Napthalene, VitaminK (Water soluble analogues), Prodenecid, Trinitrotoluene, Methylene blue, Dimercaprol (BAL), Pheny­ lhydrazine, Quinineand Quinidine; Sulpha containing compoundsincluding Septran, DDS and Daraprim; Nitrodurantoin, Nalidixicacid including all derivatives of this group, Antistine, Diphenylhydramine, Pronestyl, Nitrites,Large doses of Chloroquine, Chloromycetin, Vii. C & K.

Published in the public interest by Parsiana

MATRIMONIAL

Alliance invited for a smart, outgoing, funloving, 34-year-old scientist from UK. Looking for a smart,educated, outgoing girl willing to settle in UK. If inter- ested, please sent detailed information with a recent and clear photograph (returnable) to:

The Advertiser

Parsiana, Matrimonial (Jan/3-2000)* GPO Box 892, Bombay 400001

*Please make sure the reply envelope bears the reference number cited here.

MATRIMONIAL

We are well placed Zoroastrains looking for a homeloving girl under 27 for our son workingon a plantation in South India. Please send detailed information with photograph (returnable) to:

The Advertiser

Parsiana, Matrimonial (Jan/2-2000)* GPO Box 892, Bombay 400001

*Please make sure the reply envelope bears the referencenumber cited here.

MILESTONES

56 Parsiana January2000

•

58 Parsiana January2000

59Pars/ana January 2000

September 18

British Columbia

BORN

Agirl, Shania, to Shahnazand Anoshiravan Bakhtianin Vancouver; January8

Agirl, Farzin, to Shernaz and Porus Irani in Vancouver; September 18

Aboy, Daniel, to Veraand

Cyrus Billimoria inRichmond; November 14

MARRIED

Anahita Kadkhoda, daughter of Nahid and Sohrab, and

Human Alghabi, sonof Narges and Khodadad in Vancouver; October 9

Parisa Shahbandari, daughter of Shirin and Rostam, and Shahram Mehrrostami in Vancouver; November26

DIED

lrandokht Felfeli Mobarakeh(61), wife of Jamshedand mother of Mitra Kianipour in Coquitlam; September5

FIGURES AT A GLANCE*

Bombay India World

•Running totals for 1999 (January1999-January 2000 issues)

Overseas deaths are listed in the consignedcolumn as Parsiana does not have a breakup of those cremated.

*These figures pertain to information providedto or collected by Parsiana. They do not represent the total number of births, marriages and deaths in the Zoroastrian community in India and abroad.