“Disturbing denial”

I came across two very interesting items in the same issue of your magazine, the first titled "Disturbing denial” by Zal Cowasji (Readers’ Forum, Parsiana, September 21, 2007) and the second in "So they say” by Sam Vesuna, president of the Zoroastrian Society of Ontario.

Cowasji forgets that agiaries and dar-e-mehers all over the country are closed between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. In some small agiaries the panthaky is the sole mobed, without any assistant, and has to perform the boi prayers in the sanctum sanctorum, ringing in all five gahs, with the Ushahin Gah past midnight. Does the poor priest not have the right to attend to his family matters or take an afternoon siesta?

Cowasji’s daughter, due to some genuine problems, reached the dar-e-meher at 2 p.m., when it was closed. She was a genuine devotee who wanted to pray for just 10 minutes. I sympathize with her and feel that the priest should not have acted in the manner that he did. However, some vagrant Parsi robbers could also use prayer as an excuse to enter the prayer hall during these deserted hours and rob money from the chamach as also the silver torans from the entrance to the kebla.

Vesuna’s quote bears testimony to my statement. He writes that somebody pinched money from the handbags of some lady Scout volunteers when three groups of Zoroastrians were using the Darbe Mehr in Toronto and no non-Zoroastrians were present. Is this not reason enough to keep the fire temple closed during the afternoon hours?

MINOO B. DALAL

"Apostle of acceptance”

I was happy to read the two-part article on Dastur Framroze Bode titled "Apostle of acceptance” (Parsiana, September 7 and 21, 2007). He had performed my navjote, along with that of my brother Firdaus in Delhi just as World War II ended. The ceremony was held at the Imperial Hotel and I clearly recall walking down the aisle to the stage at the end of the ballroom.

Before the ceremony Bode delivered a talk on the meaning and purpose of the ceremony. He spoke in English as most of the guests were not Parsis. During the ceremony there was pin-drop silence. On ending, Bode got up and asked the guests: "Any questions?” and provided the appropriate responses. Thereafter, we all went to the lawn of our bungalow at No 6 Curzon Road, and I had a sip from a glass of (home-made) wine for the first time.

My father kept in touch with Bode for many years and I have his book, Songs of Zarathustra.

NAWSHIR D. KHURODY