Awards for athornans

Thirty-three athornan boys who had become navars and maratabs during 2006-2007 were felicitated by the Rustom Baug Association (RBA) at a function held at the Neville Wadia Hall in Rustom Baug on January 12, 2008, as per a press release sent to Parsiana by Kumi J. Daroowalla, president emeritus of the RBA. Eight of these boys had become navar as well as maratab within two years, which is a noteworthy feat, notes Daroowalla. Among the elite list were boys from Australia, Canada and UK as well as from all over India. The RBA has been consistently recognizing such boys since the past 20 years.

The function began with a jashan led by Ervad Behram Karanjia, joined by six of the newly ordained mobeds. The felicitation function was presided over by Ervad Vispi Dastur, a trustee of the Athornan Mandal who is very active in the affairs of mobeds and chief guest Dr Banoo Lashkari, a microbiologist, who has been a teacher of Zoroastrianism for many years. Both the honored guests stressed the importance of having children ordained into the priesthood so that they can take our religion into a fruitful future. They also underlined the need for the laity to respect the mobeds and ensure their well being, informs Daroowalla in her write-up.

At the prize distribution, cash prizes and gifts were awarded by the RBA from its own funds, from donors and from the Contractor family in memory of Roshan Sohrab Contractor. Handsome cash prizes were also given by Rustom Baug residents Anahita and Yazdi Desai to each navar and maratab who was felicitated. Special prizes were awarded for excellence in Avestan studies in memory of Jerbanoo and Pirojshaw Pandey, and Contractor to Ervad Zubin Vaid, Shirin N. Karanjia, Meher Contractor and Adil Rangoonwalla. The function concluded to the happy strains of Chhaiyé Hamé Zarathoshti.