Bonhomie in Baroda

With the active participation of the board of trustees of the Vadodara Parsi Panchayat (VPP) and the presence of Col Adi Chinoy, the Parsis of Baroda celebrate all festivals, whether Jamshedi Navroz, Holi, Christmas, Diwali, Parsi New Year or Avan Yazad nu Parav, writes Rustom M. Daboo in an e-mail to Parsiana.

Baroda is fortunate in having Irani families like those of Yasmin and Dhanu Patel, Armaiti and Marzban Patel who set the haft sinn table every Navroz, Daboo mentions. People usually visit these families to see the table in the morning after going to the agiary or in the evening before the fun begins at the Parsi Dharamshala hall and grounds at Fatehgunj.

The evening’s entertainment program on March 21, 2009 began with a painting competition for children aged five to 11 years and older ones up to 18 years, followed by housie and a sumptuous dinner. Food being a passion with Parsis, caterers Ruby and Marzban Khajotia are in demand at community celebrations to titillate palates, Daboo mentions.

(Bottom): Baroda’s newly built Umrigar Adaran; (top): children taking part in fancy dress contest on Navroz

The newly built Umrigar Adaran building housing the 175-year-old atash adarian, which was upgraded from a dadgah five years ago, was bedecked with garlands for its birth anniversary falling on roz Adar, mah Avan, March 25, 2009. The Panchayat organized an evening jashan, followed by refreshments. The renovated structure was decorated with lights and garlands thanks to Aspi Vajifdar, VPP trustee who, despite being incapacitated due to an accident, managed to organize everything lying in bed, Daboo notes.

Later that evening noted scholar Dr Homi Dhalla spoke at the Godrej Hall grounds on "The contribution of the Zarathushti religion to humanity at large.” The talk was followed by a community dinner arranged by the Panchayat and catered for by the Khajotias.

As they do every year, a large number of co-religionists celebrated the Avan Yazad nu Parav on March 26, 2009 on the banks of the Mahi river, about 20 km from Baroda. The management of the Hindu temple there always allots to the Parsis a hall on its premises for the jashan. The youth wing of the Panchayat, BUZY (Baroda United Zoroastrian Youth), has been organizing this celebration for a number of years now. The hall is first cleaned with water and carpets are rolled out for the ceremony. After padyab (cleaning limbs and face with water) and kusti, devotees recite prayers facing the river. The 5 p.m. jashan was led by senior priest Ervad Homi Bhesania who prayed along with young ervads, after which malido and fruits were offered to those present followed by tea and refreshments. The Parsis then departed for their homes with bottles of Mahi river water to sprinkle on the umbers (thresholds) and otlas (verandahs) of their homes.