Fun and felicitations

Jamshedi Navroz was celebrated by the Delhi Parsi Anjuman (DPA) with a musical evening showcasing the vocal and instrumental talents of its members, both young and old, reveals a write-up by noted Delhi-based community scholar and demographer Ava Khullar. Orchestrated by two dynamic mothers of the Young Farohars (a group that runs religious classes for the four to 14 age group) the enthusiasm of the participants who sang and played, be it the guitar, piano, violin, or the tabla accompaniment, was catching and the audience often responded by joining in for the more popular numbers. The program commenced with a fashion show woven around the enactment of a wedding and a navjote ceremony, staged by the tiny Farohars. The initiate, bride, groom with kakas (paternal uncles) and mamas (maternal uncles) came on stage displaying their traditional garas, jhablas, daglis and phetas to the delight of doting parents and friends. Predictably, cameras were noticed clicking away.

The evening belonged to the youth, a happy augur for the community. The finale was a ‘sing along’ of popular ‘oldies’ in memory of DPA’s late beloved president Lt Gen Adi Sethna.

Khullar notes that, as is the tradition, the DPA felicitated two of the commu­nity’s stalwarts who were honored during the Republic Day celebrations. Fali Nariman, who was awarded the Padma Vibhushan for distinguished public service and Dr Jamshed Irani, who was awarded the Padma Bhushan for his notable contribution to trade and industry, were presented asho farohars on a peepal leaf dipped in gold.

The Anjuman also honored four of its elder members who were over 90 years of age: Piloo Jungalwala, Rusi Gae, Peroja Eduljee and Banoo Sooi. In a touching ceremony, with all present applauding, the nonagenarians were presented with shawls and flowers as a token of the community’s respect, says the write-up.

The Parsi bhonu of chicken dhansak, patra ni machi, kachumber and falooda with ice cream was enjoyed by around 300 members and guests.