Zoroastrians Abroad
Global celebrations
Zarathushti communities are coming of age in various parts of the world but as their celebrations attest, are at different levels of development. The Zoroastrian Association of Western Australia (ZAWA) based in Perth celebrated its 10th anniversary last October; the much older Zoroastrian Association of Houston (ZAH) has been celebrating the 10th anniversary of its Zarathushti Heritage and Cultural Center with a series of events through 2008; the even older settlement in Chicago — the Zoroastrian Association of Metropolitan Chicago (ZAC) — has plans for a three-day celebration beginning August 30, 2008 to commemorate the silver jubilee of its Arbab Rustom Guiv Darbe Mehr which the community had constructed using its own brain and muscle power.
"In 1980 when the Chicago community purchased 1.7 acres of land with $ 55,000 they had raised, some of us, little kids at the time, gave $1 to $10 from our pocket money every month,” notes the ZAC newsletter (August 2007). Arbab Rustom Guiv had donated $150,000. With dedicated community effort the construction cost was kept below $ 200,000. In a phased expansion in 2000-01, the prayer room was remodeled, the kitchen enlarged and a new 2,000 square foot addition — the Rivetna Hall — constructed with the community donating time, talents and funds. In 2002 ZAC purchased the adjoining one-acre property with a four-bedroom house for $ 305,000 with community generated funds for the down payment and a mortgage of $189,000 which is still outstanding.
The Chicago Darbe Mehr is 25 years old
"We would be delighted if all those who were with us at the inauguration of the Darbe Mehr 25 years ago, come and share this momentous occasion with us. We will be honored if those mobeds who had participated in the inaugural jashan in 1983 as well as mobeds from across North America will honor us with their presence at our grand jashan,” states the ZAC newsletter (June 2008).
The Silver Jubilee Gala — a ‘black tie and gara’ affair — flags down the proceedings on the evening of August 30 when the accent is on showcasing Zoroastrian history and culture. The opening ceremony is slated to feature a multimedia presentation featuring all ZAC presidents, cutting the silver jubilee cake, Indian and Persian dances and fashion parade, a banquet incorporating the delicacies from both Zoroastrian streams, music and dancing.
The following full day festivities focused on ‘Honoring the past, building for the future,’ begins with the grand jashan. The buffet lunch is followed by recognition and honors for the mobeds, the next generation and the elders. The ZAC vision for religious cultural infrastructure for itself (the ZAC wish list includes paying off the outstanding mortgage on their ‘House Next Door’ so that rental income from the property will provide a steady stream of income for ZAC’s many religious and social projects, notes their April newsletter. The Association has been requesting a donation of $ 2,000 from 100 families to realize this goal) and the Federation of Zoroastrian Associations of North America (FEZANA) is expected to be unveiled. A musical skit, The Story of ZAC, a game show for the youth and renditions by the ZAC choir are also scheduled among the day’s events.
The Chicago chapter of the World Zarathushti Chamber of Commerce (WZCC) has organized inspirational speeches, lunch and the showcasing of Zoroastrian business and enterprise on September 1, bringing the celebrations to a close.
The enthusiasm and energy that is going into the organizing of the 25th anniversary is best explained in the words of Bachi Damkevala whose husband Bomi had been the ZAC secretary and master of ceremonies at the inaugural. As Damkevala recalls in the ZAC newsletter ( January 2008): "It seems just yesterday that the community was eagerly looking forward to the inauguration of this magnificent structure designed by aapro Rohinton Rivetna. We had all toiled the entire summer to get the building ready on time for the inauguration. Innumerable members had given up their weekends and spare time to come and work at painting the interior and cleaning up…
"The day dawned clear and sunny. By 4 p.m. the hall was filled with ladies in their garas, beautiful saris and dresses, with men dressed in suits or daglis. The inaugural jashan was performed by 17 priests led by the ZAC head priest, Ervad (Dr) Kersey Antia. On his right was Dastur Sohrabji Kutar, the head priest of Europe. This was the very first time in the history of this continent that a jashan ceremony was performed by 17 mobeds, seven of whom were from Chicago!
"After the ceremony, the afargan containing the sacred fire was carried down the aisle to the prayer room in a very moving and dramatic procession where (the atash) was transferred to the main afargan as the priests recited the Atash Nyaish with the guest of honor, Morvarid Khanum Guiv laying the first stick of sukhad. At this point, the Darbe Mehr was officially dedicated.
"Among the dignitaries were Dr Rostam Sarfeh, Arbab Mehraban Zartoshty and Shari Merabi, all of whom were members of the Guiv Trust. As the inaugural address by the president Rohinton Rivetna was announced, the crowd burst into applause and gave him a standing ovation, an indication of our love and gratitude. Keikhosrow Mobed presented a tribute to the late Arbab Rustom Guiv, the great philanthropist, whose vision was responsible for this Darbe Mehr and so many other Darbe Mehrs in North America. Minoo Press who was the treasurer thanked all other donors, and Kayomarsh Mehta, the then vice president, presented a tribute to all of the ZAC workers for their hard work and dedication. In a surprise deviation from the program, a silver plaque was presented to Roshan and Rohinton Rivetna on behalf of a grateful community for their single-minded dedication.
Gahanbar jashan at the Zoroastrian Association of Victoria
"Twenty-five years later, our community has grown in size. Over the years, many new Zoroastrian families have moved into the area. Many of our children are married and have kids of their own, and we have added on to the original structure the Roshan and Rohinton Rivetna Hall. This Darbe Mehr has become our home away from home, a place we have played and prayed together, shared happy and sad memories, celebrated numerous navjotes and weddings, Pateti and Navroz functions, muktads, gahanbars, jashans, youth camps and sleepovers. It has become a fabric of the community’s religious and social life…
"This is the legacy that we, the first generation of Zoroastrians in the Chicago area, leave behind for our children, grandchildren, and future generations of Zoroastrians. We can only hope and pray that they take the fire (so to speak) and run with it. In the words of my husband Bomi (who had noted), "This structure stands as a testimonial that the religion that we will pass on to our children will not be one that is dying and on the verge of extinction. On the contrary, it will be alive and vibrant.”
Houston
The ZAH celebrations began with the much publicized Gala weekend of May 24 and 25. After the customary jashan the elegant ‘Treasures’ exhibition arranged by Behroze Daruwalla and Meher Rustomji was unveiled. Panels of pictures and write-up, courtesy the Zoroastrian Association of Greater New York (ZAGNY) traced the history of the Zoroastrian exodus from Iran to India and highlighted the Parsi sethias of yesteryear along with textiles and artifacts peculiarly Zoroastrian, notes an account by Aban Rustomji:
"Over 420 attended the premier event…Many came from out of town, specifically to share in our rejoicing …Comperes Darius Byramji, Mitra Khumbata, Andia Yazdani and Neville Medhora gave a brief history of the Center interspersed with music and dancing by Arzan Gonda and her talented troupe and the ZAH troupe of singers. The hall and atrium were festively decorated with banners of ‘Rejoice in Our Heritage’, and the table settings were beautifully decorated in chocolate brown and tiffany blue with candles as centerpieces.”
Guests came from neighboring Dallas, further away New Jersey and California, Chicago, Indiana and Michigan, and all the way from India. They witnessed an awards ceremony honoring the visionary donors Feroze and Shernaz Bhandara, Mehraban and Faridoon Zartoshty, and Yazdi and Shahnaz Sidhwa. Kersi Engineer who as president of the Zarathushti Group was instrumental in getting the land for the building, was also recognized, Rustomji informs us.
Four of FEZANA’s six presidents to date attended the event where Byramji and Zarina Pundole were hailed as winners of the Congress Legacy Scholarship 2008 and presented $ 3,000 each. Darioush Vafadari was hailed as the bridge builder between the Iranian and Parsi communities, and Purvez Rustomji received the lifetime achievement award from a grateful community.
With dinner and dancing the celebration continued well past midnight. The next day the WZCC function — The Global Business Connection (see "WZCC in Houston,” Zoroastrians Abroad, Parsiana, July 21, 2008) hosted local and international business dignitaries.
Lay all your love on me – a comedy written by Kamalrukh Gandhi— had won a standing ovation. A Persian Night is scheduled for September 27.
ZAWA’s young celebrants relate the Zoroastrian story (Photo: Behram Cooper)
Perth
"It was the coming together of vibrant energy flowing from the very young (five-year-olds) to the much older but young at heart and all ages in between. It was the culmination of a multi-dimensional effort that couldn’t be thwarted in the face of innumerable hurdles,” notes the account of "ZAWA Nite — a decade to remember,” sent by Homee Wadia to Parsiana.
The clarion tones of Richard Strauss’ Thus Spake Zarathushtra heralded the night as the screen presented a sparkling, multicolored fravashi followed by scenes from ancient Persia. "The proud narration with screen imagery of a small fraction of our world Zarathushti luminaries, past and present,” was very well received by an audience that included chief guest Michael Sutherland, the deputy mayor of Perth. "In his short but succinct speech he acknowledged our small but vibrant community. Remembering his own father talk in glowing terms of the Zarathushtis in South Africa many decades ago, he seemed delighted to be amongst them. He also acknowledged how our numbers had grown from a mere handful of families just decades ago, upto the present,” states the write-up.
The "smorgasbord of variety entertainment” was provided by children, coached and vigorously rehearsed, as they enacted 1,000-year-old scenes of Zoroastrian migration. Kathak and Gujarati dances as well as Bollywood music and dancing showcased India’s diversity. The Parsi bawaji humor of the skits and repartees of the comic duo Mehernosh Buhariwalla and Homiyar Randeria proved infectious. And there was Wadia who did a great job as master of ceremony.
Leading up front in putting the show together was Villie Mistry described in the write-up as "an indomitable Zarathushti spirit ZAWA is lucky to call its own. Her daughter Delara and Zeenia Bharucha, an Indian student studying in Western Australia who helped choreograph the dance routines, shared the credits.
"At the end of the show it was difficult to tell who had more fun — the audience or the participants!” notes this report. The three tales however demonstrate how community settlements change their focus with increasing maturity and confidence.
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From the archive