Editorial Viewpoint
Look homeward, angel
When on a visit to our office this January a longtime subscriber to Parsiana from Canada stated that while he continued to subscribe to the magazine he had stopped reading it.
The reason? We had carried an Events and Personalities item regarding the increasing prevalence of Ganpati idols in Parsi homes especially at the time of the Ganpati festival.
He said he had expected some condemnation of the practice but instead it appeared the magazine was not only condoning the practice but indirectly encouraging it.
We replied it was not for us to sit in judgment on what our coreligionists do. If they derive succor from worshipping before a Ganpati or praying at a church or going to Shirdi or Ajmer who were we to say they were wrong? Religion is a matter of personal preference. If individuals look outside of their religion then either we accept the reality or we take steps to reinforce Zoroastrian traditions, customs and beliefs.
Businessman-designer Jimmy Mistry may place a Ganpati idol at the entrance to his office but he has put his heart and soul in reviving the Zoroastrian priesthood. Whether one likes or dislikes the person, few can deny that he has devoted more time, energy and money to promote Zoroastrians and Zoroastrianism than 99 percent of community members.
And certainly his efforts have not been of a negative or destructive type. Unlike those who claim to espouse the orthodox cause and yet attempt to bar any constructive development.
People turn to different religions/ cults/godmen for varied purposes. In his book Rajasthan, an oral history: conversations with Komal Kothari by Rustom Bharucha, Kothari conveys: “What is ‘folk’ about ‘folk gods and goddesses?’ What makes them ‘folk?’ Remember what I had said about Pabuji – he is no great god in the Hindu pantheon, but a bhomiya god who has the power to intervene in the problems of everyday life faced by nomadic communities like the Rabari of Rajasthan. For example, if a cow owned by a Rabari family is ill and is not capable of giving birth to a calf, neither Lord Krishna nor Lord Shiva is likely to be approached to deal with this problem. Likewise, if there is a family problem – more often than not related to childbearing or some mental illness attributed to an evil spirit – it is assumed that the great gods are not likely to solve the problem. At such junctures, communities like the Rabari turn to folk gods and goddesses who are believed to solve everyday human problems…
“For the moment, keep in mind that Krishna, Shiva, or for that matter, Buddha and Mahavir are not folk gods. When devotees turn to them for personal salvation, they have to embark on a rigorous process of different disciplines – tapasya, sadhana, yoga, or whatever. But so far as folk gods and goddesses are concerned, they can be approached more directly with the faith that they will be able to intervene in the most ordinary problems of everyday life.”
So also with Parsis. You came across many individuals who claim they are staunch, even orthodox Zoroastrians but will worship at a Sai Baba mandir or attend Novena masses at Mahim church. In many of their homes the images of other prophets, religious leaders and holy persons adorn their walls or stand atop a table.
Particular gods or religions serve specific purposes. Thus if a couple is unable to conceive, they may look elsewhere for solutions which they regretfully believe their own religion does not offer. So the deity of fertility may be other than Ava Ardevisur.
Are we to term them heretics? Are people not entitled to try each and every conceivable, legal and morally correct avenue to achieve their basic needs? Do not people turn to Christian Science and alternative medical treatments when conventional methods fail? That does not mean they will turn their back on conventional medicine for other ailments.
And why comp
The reason? We had carried an Events and Personalities item regarding the increasing prevalence of Ganpati idols in Parsi homes especially at the time of the Ganpati festival.
He said he had expected some condemnation of the practice but instead it appeared the magazine was not only condoning the practice but indirectly encouraging it.
We replied it was not for us to sit in judgment on what our coreligionists do. If they derive succor from worshipping before a Ganpati or praying at a church or going to Shirdi or Ajmer who were we to say they were wrong? Religion is a matter of personal preference. If individuals look outside of their religion then either we accept the reality or we take steps to reinforce Zoroastrian traditions, customs and beliefs.
Businessman-designer Jimmy Mistry may place a Ganpati idol at the entrance to his office but he has put his heart and soul in reviving the Zoroastrian priesthood. Whether one likes or dislikes the person, few can deny that he has devoted more time, energy and money to promote Zoroastrians and Zoroastrianism than 99 percent of community members.
And certainly his efforts have not been of a negative or destructive type. Unlike those who claim to espouse the orthodox cause and yet attempt to bar any constructive development.
People turn to different religions/ cults/godmen for varied purposes. In his book Rajasthan, an oral history: conversations with Komal Kothari by Rustom Bharucha, Kothari conveys: “What is ‘folk’ about ‘folk gods and goddesses?’ What makes them ‘folk?’ Remember what I had said about Pabuji – he is no great god in the Hindu pantheon, but a bhomiya god who has the power to intervene in the problems of everyday life faced by nomadic communities like the Rabari of Rajasthan. For example, if a cow owned by a Rabari family is ill and is not capable of giving birth to a calf, neither Lord Krishna nor Lord Shiva is likely to be approached to deal with this problem. Likewise, if there is a family problem – more often than not related to childbearing or some mental illness attributed to an evil spirit – it is assumed that the great gods are not likely to solve the problem. At such junctures, communities like the Rabari turn to folk gods and goddesses who are believed to solve everyday human problems…
“For the moment, keep in mind that Krishna, Shiva, or for that matter, Buddha and Mahavir are not folk gods. When devotees turn to them for personal salvation, they have to embark on a rigorous process of different disciplines – tapasya, sadhana, yoga, or whatever. But so far as folk gods and goddesses are concerned, they can be approached more directly with the faith that they will be able to intervene in the most ordinary problems of everyday life.”
So also with Parsis. You came across many individuals who claim they are staunch, even orthodox Zoroastrians but will worship at a Sai Baba mandir or attend Novena masses at Mahim church. In many of their homes the images of other prophets, religious leaders and holy persons adorn their walls or stand atop a table.
Particular gods or religions serve specific purposes. Thus if a couple is unable to conceive, they may look elsewhere for solutions which they regretfully believe their own religion does not offer. So the deity of fertility may be other than Ava Ardevisur.
Are we to term them heretics? Are people not entitled to try each and every conceivable, legal and morally correct avenue to achieve their basic needs? Do not people turn to Christian Science and alternative medical treatments when conventional methods fail? That does not mean they will turn their back on conventional medicine for other ailments.
And why comp
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From the archive