Dadar Madressa annual day

The Athornan Boarding Madressa at Dadar which celebrated its annual day on January 25, 2009 at the Madressa’s Mancherji Joshi Hall, is all set to be renamed the Dadar Athornan Institute, announced Dastur Khurshed K. Dastoor who presided over the function. A new logo and website are being designed, as per information contained in an e-mail received from Noshir Dadrawala, the Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) trustee and chief executive officer of the Bombay based Centre for Advancement of Philanthropy, who was chief guest that evening, along with his wife Mavaz.

Dastur (Dr) Peshotan H. Mirza, vice president of the Athornan Mandal, trustees Ervads Irach S. Kuka, Vispi S. Dastur and Parvez M. Bajan, committee members and office bearers of the Athornan Mandal, several prominent community members, parents and ex-students of the Madressa were also present at the occasion, the e-mail states.

The evening’s proceedings, conducted by young Madressa students, commenced with a humbandagi, followed by a monajat. Those present maintained two minutes silence to honor the memory of the late Jalamai Rustomji Panthaki, Ervad Jal S. Kuka, Dastur Nadirshah P. Unvalla and Ervad Parvez R. Karanjia. Thereafter, couplets from the Shahnameh were recited to welcome the president and the chief guest who were introduced by Dastur, trustee and honorary secretary of the Athornan Mandal. In his welcome address Dastoor complimented the Madressa as it entered the 90th year of its existence. He also announced the winner of the first Rustomji Panthaki Memorial Award to the best ex-student of the Madressa and later that evening presented it to Ervad (Dr) Ramiyar P. Karanjia, principal of the Madressa for the latter’s outstanding contribution in the field of Iranian studies and dissemination of Zoroastrian religious knowledge, the e-mail reveals.

Clockwise (from top): Noshir Dadrawala and wife Mavaz with trophy winners; Dadar Athornan Madressa; Dadrawala addressing the audience with priests and trustees on the dais

While reading out the annual report for 2007-2008, Karanjia mentioned that during that period one new student joined the Madressa, and six passed out after appearing for the SSC examination. Three students underwent the navar ceremony. Outlining the recreational and religious activities of the students, the principal expressed satisfaction at their progress and extra-curricular achievements. Special mention was made of Ervad Sherezad Rohinton Pavri who has consistently brought laurels to his school and the Madressa and Ervad Rayan Darayas Dastur who has performed the boi ceremony at Iranshah Atash Behram in Udvada.

Karanjia urged athornan parents to avail of the facilities offered by the Madressa for all round priestly and academic training of their children. He thanked the staff members for their cooperation and expressed gratitude to donors, well-wishers and the management of the Madressa as well as to the management, principal and staff of The Dadar Parsee Youths Assembly High School where boys from the Madressa receive their secular education.

Knowledgiate, the annual in-house magazine of the Madressa, edited by Ervad Cyrus D. Sidhwa was released by Dadrawala. Ervad Jimmy A. Unwala invited 17 senior priests to come forward to be felicitated by Dastoor and be presented a purse by the Athornan Mandal. Later, Sidhwa announced the prize winners as Mavaz gave away trophies, medals, book and cash prizes to students in various categories such as bhantar, school studies, religious knowledge, discipline and knowledge of the Shahnameh, as per the e-mail. Dadrawala’s address highlighted the key ingredients of success — faith, pride, determination and the ability to dream. He congratulated the young students and expressed admiration at their achievements, calling on athornan parents to admit their children to this wonderful Institute. He concluded his talk with an anecdote in which he impressed upon the students not to let criticism and setbacks affect them, but to make adverse conditions a stepping stone and rise above them.

Ervad Cyrus D. Darbari, joint honorary secretary of the Athornan Mandal, proposed a vote of thanks, after which the students presented a historical play, The Miracle of King Darab, in which they enacted the historical account of Queen Homai abandoning her infant son in a river and how, despite amazing twists and strange circumstances, this child became the king of Iran. The evening ended with the singing of Chhaiyé Hamé Zarathoshti and Jana Gana Mana after which everyone partook of snacks.