Secunderabad snippets

A solar concentrator installed on September 8, 2003, mah Fravardin, roz Fravardin, at the Seth Viccajee and Seth Pestonji Meherji Dakhma will serve the needs of nearly 450 Zoroastrian families in the Secunderabad-Hyderabad area. Many members of the community attended the jashan led by Ervad Kaikobad Dastur. Seven mobeds from the three agiaries in the twin cities joined in the jashan. A concentrator here had become imperative due to the total absence of vultures and the resulting delay in the disposal of the bodies, wrote Jehangir Bisney of the twin cities. The entire cost of the erection and installation was borne by Air Vice Marshal (Retd) Eruch Lala and his wife Coomi in memory of Eruch’s late parents Shiavax and Tehmina.

The initiative for acquiring the solar concentrator was taken by Hilla S. Moos, president of the board of trustees of the Seth Viccajee and Seth Pestonji Meherji Trust, writes Kerfegar Antia, honorary secretary of the Zoroastrian Club. It was installed in a record time of two months, writes Antia, adding, "It is worth appreciating that in addition to donating the entire cost of the solar concentrator, including the installation charges which also are substantial, Lala himself visited Vadodara and Bombay to study the system and its practical application at the site. In this noble venture he was ably assisted by Capt Kayar-min Pestonji, Kersi Patel, Petarasp Nalladaru and Capt Jehangir Darabna. The installation was undertaken by Nevil Soonawala of Rashron Energy and Auto Private Limited of Vadodara.

Solar concentrator installed at Secunderabad

With a population of 1,244 Zoroastrians, there are two dakhmas in the twin cities. The Zamistanpur dakhma is managed by the Parsi Zoroastrian Anjuman of Secunderabad and Hyderabad (PZASH) and the Seth Viccajee and Seth Pestonji Meherji Dakhma at Bholguda which is more in use because of its proximity to the city. To strengthen the Zamistanpur dakhma, 1,500 trees were planted last year which have already started attracting birds, reported the August 21, 2003 PZASH newsletter. "The dakhma at Zamistanpur is available for the disposal of...all Zoroastrians residing in the twin cities and is not reserved for any particular family,” reiterates the newsletter.

Over the period August 19, 2002 to August 6, 2003 there were 29 deaths as against six births, reports the newsletter, urging parents to notify births at the Anjuman office to update the census records.

Among the community institutions currently in the news is the Bai Ratanbai Jehangirji Chenoy Parsi High School which was adjudged the best school at the All India General Knowledge 2002-03 competition, as the best school by the Vijaya Art Academy and prizes in a computer competition (south zone) held by NIIT, states the newsletter.