“Be together in strength”

Don’t throw flowers, milk, sugar or other items into the water and pollute it, Vada Dastur Khurshed Dastoor of Udvada exhorted a large number of Zoroastrians congregated on the pier of Bombay’s Radio Club at Colaba to observe the Ava Ardvisur Parav on the evening of March 26, 2008, as they have been doing for years. Along with 20 other mobeds he had just performed a jashan in honor of the deity of water, Ava Ardvisur Anahita who had been propitiated earlier in the day at strategic spots along the seaside with offerings of coconuts, flowers and dar-ni-pori, as per a write-up received by Parsiana. A humbandagi followed the jashan.

When worshipped, Ava Ardvisur Banoo brings fertility to women who will be blessed with offspring, Dastoor enlightened the gathering. He enjoined those present to follow the teachings of Zarathusthra and not be influenced by extraneous influences and urged parents to perform the kusti and other prayers along with the family on a daily basis for the family/community that prays together stays together, the write-up revealed.

Kersi Limathwalla, co-organizer and member of the group of individuals that arranges the event every year, spoke of the need for hamazor in the community, the need "to be together in strength.” Is it not a paradox that Parsis can co-exist peacefully with all communities except their own? he expressed. All too often controversies raise their ugly heads, breaking the community into groups and factions, the latest one being conversion. Both the orthodox and the reformists think that they are upholding and protecting the faith while doing the most irreligious and Zoroastrian things. There is an urgent need for Zoroastrians to convert within, to become better human beings.

At the Avan Yazad Parav function (from left): Zarine Commissariat, Dastur Khurshed Dastoor, Kersi Limathwalla, Zarir Bhathena and Ervad Asphandiar Dadachanji

Ervad Asphandiar Dadachanji, the main speaker, then elaborated on the significance of the parav-nu-jashan. Ava Ardvisur Anahita, a river in Iran, originates in the Elburz mountains and empties itself into the Caspian Sea. Ardvisur Anahita, a female angel supreme over all good waters created by Hormazd helps only the good and not the bad. According to Ava Yasht para 21 if we invoke Ava Ardvisur after sunset it is equivalent to invoking bad energy, hence the Yasht should not be prayed in Aiwisruthrem and Ushain Gahs. Jashans are performed on parav days for the Yazads and Ameshapands who look after the welfare of mankind, the animal kingdom, trees and all living things, Dadachanji explained.

Zarine K. Commissariat, who ably guided the smooth flow of the program, brought it to its logical termination with a vote of thanks, expressing appreciation to the management of the Radio Club for the use of its premises, the mobeds for the jashan, the panthaky of the Sethna Agiary for organizing the jashan, Marzban Mehta for musical entertainment, Sarosh Daruwalla for his superb stereo and public address system given free of charge, Masru Decorators for the décor and finally the audience who assured the success of the event.

Musician Mehta then regaled those present with Gujarati songs on the religion, Iran and India and was joined with gusto by senior members of the audience.