Pinaz Master scholarships

The first Pinaz Xerxes Master Foundation scholarships for the academic year 2005-2006 were presented to six outstanding students on January 26, 2007 at the 15th Free Community Lunch program of the Malcolm Baug Zoroastrian Association (MBZA) at the Bombay suburb of Jogeshwari.

The scholarships, meant only for Parsi/Irani students from Malcolm Baug and those residing in Gul-Dhan Abad and Meherhomes just outside the colony, were instituted by Xerxes Master of Prudential Shipping Corporation in memory of his late wife Pinaz who was killed in an unfortunate accident in 2003. The successful candidates from various faculties were Hanoz Tarapore (Rs 10,000), Yazneen Rana, Khushnam Dalal, Tushna Dehnugara (Rs 5,000 each), Hoozan Tara and Afrin Kanga (Rs 4,000 each).

The prize distribution was preceded and proceeded by Housie after which all those present partook of the delicious dhansak, kachumber and kulfi at the food counter. A unique aspect of the lunch program is that volunteers prepare the meals in their own homes. Individual dishes are later mixed into a large utensil so that various flavors and spices are blended with a dash of love. The tradition of having dhansak and kachumber dates back to 1992 when Phiroze and Homai Katrak along with Alloo S. Tavaria, Gulshan K. Kapadia and Khushru E. Kapadia, honorary secretary of MBZA first mooted a community lunch which became a reality on January 26, 1993.

Earlier, Homai Katrak and Gulshan Kapadia with a few others would cook for 60-80 persons, but now there are as many as 35 volunteers who help with the arrangements, including the preparation of food and collection of funds. Many others donate the sweet dish in memory of their dear departed. Adi Tarmaster and Nariman Kotwal, MBZA trustee, work hard at organizing the event, while Phiroze Panthaki provides the music equipment for this day of meeting, eating and bonding.

Based on a report by Benaifer J. Mirza