Events & Personalities
Sponsoring a special meal
Anyone desiring to add a little zing to the lives of the over 100 Zoroastrian senior citizens living in the F. S. Parukh Dharamshalla, managed by the Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP), may do so by sponsoring a special meal which, on an average, eight to 10 persons do every month revealed Mehli Colah, chief executive officer of the BPP. "Of course, during Jamshedi Navroz and Parsi New Year many more people come forward. In fact, in August, this starts right during the muktads. So much so that sometimes the manager has to inform would-be sponsors that that particular day has already been booked, and arrange for an alternate date,” he explained in response to Parsiana’s query over the telephone.
The modalities are simple. The donor needs to contact the manager of the Dharamshalla, Kurush Randeria (tel: 23645982) and select items from a list of the food options available. For example, for breakfast, there are six items listed such as akoori, ravo, sev (Rs 1,300 each), or malai and bun (Rs 3,000), sweet curd or boiled eggs. The 17 items available for lunch include chicken/mutton dhansak, chicken/mutton pullav dar, chicken/mutton/vegetable curry rice, dhan dar patio, and range in price from Rs 3,500 per item to Rs 5,000 for dhan dar masala bheja and Rs 6,500 for masoor ma khariya with salad. Twelve items are listed for dinner, including chicken/mutton salli, chicken/mutton bafat, vegetable stew, mutton cutlets and eggs on salli/kheema/vegetables. The prices range from Rs 2,200 for eggs on vegetable to Rs 5,000 for bheja cutlets with tomato gravy. Desserts have the longest list with 21 items including ice-cream, Parsi delicacies like chapat, oudh, khaman/date ghari, kumas, as well as pastries and custards. The rates start at Rs 1,200 and reach a high of Rs 2,700 for falooda.
A team of dedicated women led by BPP trustee Arnavaz Mistry and comprising fellow BPP trustee Armaity Tirandaz, Zenobia Adajania, Zarine Chothia, Maharukh Noble, Bakhtavar Tarapore, Pervin Shroff and Zarin Havewala ensures that the residents receive the best of care. Randeria looks after the day-to-day running of the institution along with his staff of assistant manager, supervisor, day and night nurses and ward boys, mentions The BPP Review of December 2012.
In its income and expenditure account for the year ended March 31, 2012, the Review shows that the total expenditure for the Dharamshalla was Rs 1,14,43,579.11 for 2011-12, while for the previous year the figure was Rs 95,31,695.07. For the same period, dietary expenses were Rs 17,03,929.55 and Rs 17,75,464.83 respectively. Medical expenses were Rs 21,360, a considerable drop from Rs 2,09,337.99 in the previous year. Donations received amounted to Rs 42,76,895.58, an appreciable increase from the previous year’s figure of Rs 23,62,293 and income from licence fees from the petrol pump next door, on land belonging to the Dharamshalla rose to Rs 32,20,000 from Rs 11,90,000.
The elders are provided food, clothing and medical assistance, in addition to shelter. They watch television and are treated to a party every month. Movies, music and dance shows are organized for them, in addition to religious discourses. Their birthdays are celebrated at the monthly parties with the cutting of cakes and much merriment. Every October, a special program for Senior Citizens’ Day is much looked forward to by the residents.
The modalities are simple. The donor needs to contact the manager of the Dharamshalla, Kurush Randeria (tel: 23645982) and select items from a list of the food options available. For example, for breakfast, there are six items listed such as akoori, ravo, sev (Rs 1,300 each), or malai and bun (Rs 3,000), sweet curd or boiled eggs. The 17 items available for lunch include chicken/mutton dhansak, chicken/mutton pullav dar, chicken/mutton/vegetable curry rice, dhan dar patio, and range in price from Rs 3,500 per item to Rs 5,000 for dhan dar masala bheja and Rs 6,500 for masoor ma khariya with salad. Twelve items are listed for dinner, including chicken/mutton salli, chicken/mutton bafat, vegetable stew, mutton cutlets and eggs on salli/kheema/vegetables. The prices range from Rs 2,200 for eggs on vegetable to Rs 5,000 for bheja cutlets with tomato gravy. Desserts have the longest list with 21 items including ice-cream, Parsi delicacies like chapat, oudh, khaman/date ghari, kumas, as well as pastries and custards. The rates start at Rs 1,200 and reach a high of Rs 2,700 for falooda.
A team of dedicated women led by BPP trustee Arnavaz Mistry and comprising fellow BPP trustee Armaity Tirandaz, Zenobia Adajania, Zarine Chothia, Maharukh Noble, Bakhtavar Tarapore, Pervin Shroff and Zarin Havewala ensures that the residents receive the best of care. Randeria looks after the day-to-day running of the institution along with his staff of assistant manager, supervisor, day and night nurses and ward boys, mentions The BPP Review of December 2012.
In its income and expenditure account for the year ended March 31, 2012, the Review shows that the total expenditure for the Dharamshalla was Rs 1,14,43,579.11 for 2011-12, while for the previous year the figure was Rs 95,31,695.07. For the same period, dietary expenses were Rs 17,03,929.55 and Rs 17,75,464.83 respectively. Medical expenses were Rs 21,360, a considerable drop from Rs 2,09,337.99 in the previous year. Donations received amounted to Rs 42,76,895.58, an appreciable increase from the previous year’s figure of Rs 23,62,293 and income from licence fees from the petrol pump next door, on land belonging to the Dharamshalla rose to Rs 32,20,000 from Rs 11,90,000.
The elders are provided food, clothing and medical assistance, in addition to shelter. They watch television and are treated to a party every month. Movies, music and dance shows are organized for them, in addition to religious discourses. Their birthdays are celebrated at the monthly parties with the cutting of cakes and much merriment. Every October, a special program for Senior Citizens’ Day is much looked forward to by the residents.
◆ ◆ ◆
From the archive