Secunderabad snippets

On August 20, 2005, the Zoroastrian Club of Secunderabad-Hyderabad celebrated the Shahenshahi New Year by staging two plays, a religious one, Sant Kookadaru and a comedy, Chalo Mari Jaiye. The function "attracted an unprecedented crowd of over 600 which was never witnessed at the Club earlier,” notes a write up from the president of the Club Kerfegar Antia. The children of the religious classes conducted by the Zoroastrian Stree Mandal were appreciated for their roles in Sant Kookadaru, with Ervad Urvaksh Bharu­cha as Sant Kookadaru and Ervad Yazdan Unwalla as Dastur Jamasp winning the maximum acclaim. Seeing Shazneen Wadia acting as Tehmina, and Antia and Farshutana Debara as ‘Mr and Mrs Naval Khambata’ the audience enjoyed the hilarious play too.

Both the plays were written and directed by Farida Antia who along with Gool Plumber conducts the religious classes. They were presented mementos on behalf of the Club by past president Petarasp Nalladaru and on behalf of the Zoroastrian Stree Mandal by its president Nergish Kalyaniwalla. The children participating in the religious play were each given a silver coin, thanks to the largesse of Dhunji Mistry and his wife. On behalf of the Club too mementoes were presented to each of the participants.

The evening’s program commenced with a welcome address by the honorary secretary of the Club Dinshaw Parakh and a hambandagi led by Kerfegar Antia. After a round of Housie, prizes were distributed to the winners of the indoor sports competition by veteran sportsman Rohinton Noria. The rotating shields were donated at considerable cost for each event by the treasurer Pestonji Baria.

Right: Kalyaniwalla presenting a memento to Farida Antia; (below) scenes from Chalo Mari Jaiye and Sant Kookadaru

The function ended with a sumptuous dinner subsidized by the Club and catered by Abad Wadia who had also made excellent stage arrangements free of cost. Providing free sound system for the evening was Bomi Patel. Both of them were presented bouquets on behalf of the Club.

Three days later was organized an exhibition and symposium on "Shahnameh Ferdousi an immortal heritage” at the Salarjung Museum under the joint auspices of the Iran Culture House, New Delhi, the consulate general of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Hyderabad, the Parsi Zoroastrian community of Secunderabad and Hyderabad and the Museum authorities. Hossein Ravesh, the consul general of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Hyderabad and Dr Geeta Reddy, minister for tourism, sugar and major industries, government of Andhra Pradesh who was the chief guest were appreciative of the commu­nity’s participation in the proceedings, notes Parakh. Among the prominent speakers who presented their papers on the Shahnameh was Farida K. Antia who made special reference to the impact of the epic on Zoroastrians.