Events & Personalities
Respected ‘Shree’
"Ever since it became a registered body on November 13, 1953 and it came to be known as ‘Shree Parsi Panchayat, Vadodara,’ few in this city or for that matter in the country would know the reasons for the prefix ‘Shree’ being attached to a registered body like ours,” writes editor Pesi Muncherji in the March 2002 issue of Zend, the quarterly newsletter of the Panchayat.
Quoting from Dastur Hormazdyar Mirza’s explanation in The History of Holy Fire Iranshah, Zend conveys to the reader: "In Avesta literature, Daadar Ahura Mazda, Amesha Spentas and Yazatas are referred to as ‘kharenaughat’ (full of ‘khorreh’), so also in the Rig Veda, Indra, Marut, Pushan and for the light of other daevas, the word ‘Shree’ is used. In Avesta the word ‘khareno’ is used for the light of Khorshed (sun), Mohor (moon), Tir (stars) and Adar (fire). Similarly in the Rig Veda the word ‘Shree’ is used for the light of the sun, moon, stars and fire since the time of the Aryan kings. Both have a royal touch about it. Besides this in Vedic literature the word ‘Shree’ is used with the name of any holy man or item.” It also means luck, fortune and prosperity...The atash behram in Udvada is thus often referred to as Shree Iranshah, points out Muncherji.
"The Avesta ‘khareno’ became ‘khorreh’ in Pahlavi. After coming to India the Pahlavi books were translated into Sanskrit and the Pahlavi word ‘khorreh’ has been translated as ‘Shree,’” it is further elaborated.
"If one had to scrutinize the list of Parsi punchayets and anjumans of India, one will find that ours is the only Panchayat which holds this distinctive title with the prefix ‘Shree,’” states Zend. When Parsiana had done a survey of the workings of different anjumans of India (see "The Crux of the Community,” Parsiana, January 1993) we learnt that there are others like Sri Ajmer Parsi Jarthosti Anjuman, Shree Nagpur and Kamthi Parsi Zarthosti Anjuman, Shri Saronda Parsi Jarthosti Anjuman, Shri Surat Parsi Anjuman Panchayet and Shri Zai Bordi Parsi Jarthosti Anjuman Trust Fund in this league too.
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From the archive