Felicitating the faithful

"Our Bomansha has been the heart and soul of the religious activities of the Zoroastrian community of Ontario,” summed up Putli Mirza in her write-up referring to the function on December 11, 2011 when the Zoroastrian Society of Ontario (ZSO) felicitated Ervad Bomansha Kotwal for his 45 years of service to the community. He was presented with a shawl, a plaque, a garland and a purse by those present at the function. His wife Silloo was honored with a bouquet of flowers.

"The activities of Bomansha in the area of maintaining Zarathushti tradition have allowed him to successfully harmonize his physical personality with the innate spirituality,” commended Ervad (Dr) Jehan Bagli, adding, "This harmony has made Bomansha the foundation stone of rituals and traditions at ZSO.

"To bring the community together” has been the mainstay of 81-year-old Bomansha’s vision to which end he introduced the annual observance of muk­tad which is one of the most well attended religious activities for the Toron­to Zoroastrian community. In this activity he was supported by the ladies who volunteered to cook in rotation and other priests who came to conduct prayers. Ervad Nozer Kotwal and the late Ervad Yezdi Antia worked alongside Bomansha for many years, acknowledged Mirza.

To Bomansha too goes the credit for starting the celebration of gahanbars. On gahanbars and muktads he rallied the community to contribute to various causes in India and Navsari in particular where he was born, schooled and ordained as a navar. Having raised Rs 250,000 for the renovation of the Navsari Atash Behram, he was instrumental in making Toronto the second largest donor towards the project. The Navroz jashan and the Jamshedi Navroz jashan that draws over 300 participants were initially under Bomansha’s supervision as were other religious events like Zarthost no diso, Dastur Kookadaru’s baj, Homajini baj, paravs.

"My introduction to Boman when we came to Canada in 1976 was his cheerful volunteering to pick up my children and drive them to the children’s religion classes which he and Silloo organized… Thirty-five years later these classes continue to be the backbone of our community.” The kids loved these classes because they were invariably rewarded with candy. Besides teaching and preparing children for their navjote ceremonies, he must have performed innumerable initiation and wedding ceremonies, housewarming jashans and funerals. "You are there in our joys and sorrows,” declared Mirza appreciating how he was required to travel to other cities in Canada and USA to perform ceremonies for Zoroastrian families.

Erstwhile ZSO president Sam Vesuna’s speech referred to one occasion when Kotwal was performing a navjote in Washington when torrential rains caused the stage to sink in the soft garden soil. To divert the attention of the assembly away from his wet bottom, he told the young initiate that his father had a surprise gift for him if he said his prayers loudly. Fortunately the young boy shouted his guts out and saved the day for the priest!

His unwavering adherence to continue with the prayers, rituals and traditions "the way our elders taught us… brought him into a lot of conflict with his peers and laity but Boman never budged. He refuses to bend or give in to pressure. With Boman you know exactly where you stand and what he stands for!” noted Mirza.

In recognition of his sterling services to the community in North America, he was honored with a commemorative gold coin on behalf of the Foundation for Development of Udvada at the behest of Dastur Khurshed Dastoor of Udvada and Dinshaw Tamboly of the WZO Trust Funds. As assured Ervad Hoshang Udwadia, "We will try to carry forward the torch that you have lit and kept alive for so long in keeping with the best traditions of our religion. For that we are and will be eternally grateful.”