Religious refreshment

Parents of teenager Yazad Sidhwa were upset that their son forced the family to cut short their visit to South India so that he could be a part of the Fifth Residential Refresher Programme for Ostas and Ervads at the M. F. Cama Athornan Institute (MFCAI) at Andheri during the summer vacation in 2006. Similarly Sheriar Aibara convinced his mother Hutoxi , principal of Girton High School, that he be permitted to attend the course conducted by the MFCAI Ex-Students’ Association.

What induces these youngsters to keep coming for the Refresher Prog­ramme? Is it the unique course content or the lucid manner in which the serious and intriguing religious knowledge is imparted by a galaxy of religious scholars including Dasturs (Dr) Peshotan Mirza, Meherji Meherjirana, (Dr) Firoze Kotwal, Ervads K. N. Dastoor, Nadir Modi, Burjor Antia, Ratanshaw Motafram, Khushru Panthaki, Keki Ravji, and others like Dr Homi Dhalla, Noshir Dadrawala, Meher Master-Moos, Aban Sethna, Hutoxi Doodh­walla, Rustom Chothia. The thoughtfully constructed subject content is not only vastly relevant but also participant friendly, notes a press release mentioning how the 25 participants aged between eight and 70 years benefited from the program.

Above: Cyrus Dastoor (ext right) being conferred the D. Litt degree

The talks are interspersed with Shah Nameh recitals, film and slide shows to make the participants clearly understand the nuances of Iranian history, ancient culture, traditions and practices. The participants are introduced to the present-day religious controversies so that they debate and discuss these issues with religious scholars and are well prepared to answer the behdins’ queries. Training in performing essential religious ceremonies like navjote, lagan, jashan, baj is imparted as also preparation of papdi, malido, bhakhra, etc to make them well rounded mobeds, adds the release.

Besides providing free boarding and lodging, the participants are also given complimentary study material, books, stationery, etc financed by donations received from Jamshed Guzder, the Narimans of Parsi Dairy Farm, Rohinton Mehta, Firoze Sethna, Tannaz Kerawalla and some past students like Ervad (Dr) Soli Dastoor of USA and Ervads Jam­shed Bhesadia and Nariman Panthaki. On behalf of the organizing team, Ervad Cyrus Dastoor thanked the chairman and trustees of the Institute, the donors, and guest speakers and referred to his band of tireless coordinators — Ervads Homi Gowadia, Keki Panthaki, Pirojsha Sidhwa and Mahiar Panthaki — for their efforts in helping restore the respect and affection accorded to the athravans of yore.

On January 20, 2006 Cyrus Dastoor was conferred the honorary degree of doctor of literature honoris causa by the Zoroastrian College, affiliated to the Open International University for Complementary Medicines and Medicina Alternative in collaboration with the United Nations Peace University for his pioneering teleserial Humata, Hukhata, Hvarshta which has completed 100 episodes. The function at the Russian Cultural Centre was graced by the consul general of the Russian Federation in Bombay, the consul general of the Republic of Poland and consul of the Democratic Republic of Sri Lanka, states a write-up.