The five-day flavor!

From bumper breakfasts by the poolside of the Taj Blue Diamond under the starbursts of the morning sun to dancing in the light of the silvery moon, the Third World Zoroastrian Youth Congress (3WZYC) set high standards in hospitality! The fun and frolic began on the first evening when, coiffed and coutured, manicured and made-up, the youngsters of Poona wore style and attitude on their sleeve as they stepped out on ramp in the Garden Court of the Blue Diamond, self-conscious at first, poise and personality growing with each foot forward!

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is their first time on ramp, they are not professionals, so indulge them and give them a big hand,” announced Poona’s Zarine Boyce who conceived, directed and compered the fashion show using local talent. Just a few days’practice had gone into the show, she added.

With the Congress logo set within a frame of flowers, behind a diaphanous curtain, tableaux of Persian history unfolded as the show went along, to the accompaniment of adrenaline pumping music and an extravaganza of light by Poona’s Marzban Irani of Decibels Pro Audio. In melody and movement, Boyce narrated the story of Ahura Mazda’s seven creations and their guardians the Amesha Spentas, the tale of Jamsheed Padshah, the dawns and twilights of Achaemenian, Parthian and Sasanian history, to the loss of the Persian empire and the landing in India. In keeping with the cosmopolitanism of the community, the show featured ethnic ghagra cholis, achkans, dhotis, pants and kurtis, shimmering gowns with belly buttons and bare backs on view, and the perennially popular garas and traditional duglis and phetas.

Depicting the changing styles in the draping of the gara from the early 1900s to the present day was "Mehramai Mer-wanji Sodawaterbottleopenerwalla” and four generations of her family! Shuffling down the ramp sportingly was Roshan Bharucha as Mehramai with her gara, ijar, sapat and snuff, cracking her knuckles against her forehead as she wished everyone "sukhi raho” (be happy). There are really three generations of one family on stage, announced Boyce, exhibiting the work of the fourth generation direct descendant (Zinobia Schroff who makes hand and machine embroidered garas and restores old ones) of one of the traders who brought the gara to India.

Choreographed by Rashnae Boyce, the costumes for the pageant figures were by Banu Boocha, the designers for the different rounds being Monisha and Pinky Vakil, Mina Joshi, Mahrukh Maro-lia, Schroff, Sheela Patwardhan and Zaheer Taherbhoy. Arnavaz Damania and her daughter Anahita Kohli of Gazelle and Arnavaz Izedyar of Anu’s Beauty Saloon were responsible for the models’ make-up and lovely locks.

The final round presented showstop­pers by Delna Poonawalla who holds a degree in fashion designing from London. Having done an internship in London and worked under leading fashion designer Manish Malhotra in India, "our very own haute couture designer has launched out on her own,” announced Boyce with pride.

Rounding off the evening were the 500 plus lighted candles held aloft by delegates and invitees so that "from this little corner of Poona the light will spread...” said Boyce. The delegates then moved to the Russet Room and poolside for cocktails and delicacies, followed by a sumptuous dinner hosted by Dr Cyrus, Villoo and Adar Poonawalla. The lavish spread included the tradition of turkey, albeit two days after Christmas.

The next evening saw bus loads of delegates being transported to the Nehru Memorial Hall in the Camp (Cantonment) area for the play The Good, The Bad and the Googly by Bombay’s Dinyar Contractor and his troupe. Thereafter it was back to the buses for the drive to the spacious terrace of the Bombay Brasserie! The hosts for the Tandoor Night were the Forbes family whose Forbes Marshall group of companies are among Poona’s leading corporate citizens. The drinks and pungent tandoor food spiced up the balmy evening, with delegates gyrating to the music well into the night! The liquor throughout the Congress was courtesy Shaw Wallace.

The pièce de résistance was undoubtedly the evening at the green fields of the Poonawalla Stud Farm at Hadapsar, resembling a fairyland fiesta with twinkling lights on trees, tall, standing candelabras lending luminescence, while glowing campfires along the periphery added to the ambience and kept out the chill of a Poona winter. Seated at first in the viewing gallery delegates watched a video presentation of the achievements of the Stud Farm — Derby winners poun­ding the race track or sizzling past the post in Hongkong. And then the racehorses were brought out into the paddock by uniformed grooms. Please don’t applaud while the horses are in the field, "these are sensitive animals,” cautioned champion breeder Zavaray Poona­walla. His daughter Simone, who is Delna Poonawalla’s twin sister, enlightened the delegates, most of whom had probably never seen a racehorse at such close quarters in their life, with bits of information on sires and broodmares, chestnut colts and bay fillies. Pointing out the strong Parsi presence in the racing field, with champion trainers like father and son Rashid and Darius Byramji, champion jockeys like Pesi Shroff (who recently won his eighth Indian Derby title at the age of 38!), Zavaray noted how happy he was to have racehorse owner Capt Jamshed Appoo with them that evening.

Getting to know you — Icebreakers on the first day; exuberance on New Year’s Eve at the Turf Club Annexe Photos: Hilla Guzder

With Zavaray’s wife Behroze, son Yohann, daughter-in-law Michelle and other family members mingling among the guests, Zavaray gave credit to his children for planning and executing the arrangements which included pulsating music from a "made-in-India” live band, musicians from outside India entertaining the enraptured crowd with rhythmic percussion, a belly dancer and a "fire dancer” swinging red-heat on a wire in a series of swirls and twirls in time to the music!

Choices by the poolside

Catering to every discerning palate with a variety of cuisine was the buffet spread over an array of tables, including an exquisitely decorated salad table. Also present that evening with his wife Jasmine was Brig Soli Pavri who has taken charge some months ago as commander of the Poona sub area and president, Poona Cantonment Board.

"I was greatly heartened by the marvellous hospitality of the Poonawalla brothers (Cyrus and Zavaray) and their families. They treated us like royal guests!” Bombay Parsi Punchayet chairman Minoo Shroff told Parsiana. "We have to give special thanks to the Poonawallas. When I first approached Dr Cyrus he told me he could spare just five to 10 minutes and I was so nervous! Eventually he spoke to me for over an hour! His wife Villoo too kept in touch, inquiring often whether we needed anything,” commended organizer Navaz Palkhiwala. Remarked Congress secretary Behafrid Patel: "Sarosh and Navaz have been the driving force. The Congress wouldn’t have taken off without them.”

With the "theme night” on December 30 requiring the delegates to be in traditional Parsi attire, the J. J. Agiary compound was packed to capacity with young men, even from abroad, in duglis and white trousers, the girls in Parsi style saris in a variety of tints and tones, displaying gold and silver kors or rich embroidery. The short talent contest was won by Nahid Dashtaki and Negin Sharyari of California for their Iranian dance, while Sanober Parabia of Bombay picked up the runner-up prize for her song in Gujarati describing the arrival of the Parsis in India. While Feroza Kham-batta and Roxane Anklesaria had judged the preliminary round, Anklesaria was the judge for the finals. In keeping with traditional flavor, Soonu Doctor’s choir sang monajats, including one especially composed on the "brave, bold and beautiful bawaji.” The next couple of hours saw an explosion of youthful energy and exuberance on the dance floor, while the patra nu bhonu (traditional wedding feast on plantain leaves) proceeded alongside, sponsored by Dr Keki (Hector) Grant and his Grant Medical Foundation and catered by Poona’s well-known Dorabjee Caterers.

With the visit to the Tata Motors plant being cancelled (the company not allowing visitors during that period), busloads of delegates were taken on a long drive to Khadakvasla to visit one of the showpieces of "shining India” — the National Defence Academy which transforms, after years of rigorous training, callow cadets into officers and gentlemen of the Indian army, navy and air force. Then it was back to the J. J. Agiary for those interested in Khojeste Mistree’s continuation of the "winding down” session of the previous day.

The lawns of the Turf Club Annexe were the venue on December 31 for the final countdown towards 2004 — which arrived in a cacophony of sound and light, with babies in bonnets, mamas, papas, matriarchs and patriarchs craning their necks to see the fireworks lighting up the cold night sky. After the dinner, sponsored by Balaji Rao of Poona’s famed Venkateshwara Hatcheries, came the adieus and Godspeeds as delegates dispersed in the early hours of the new year, carrying with them snapshots, memories and mementos of the 3WZYC.