Propitiating Avan Yazad

Dastur Khurshed Dastoor of Udvada pleaded with people to "change with the times” while addressing the gathering on the pier of the Radio Club for the Avan Yazad parav celebrations on Avan mah, Avan roz, March 25, 2013. Some people feel that donating organs is not encouraged in our religion he said, but if a new knee can make you walk, why not have a different eye or a different kidney? After all, such donations are also a form of charity he stressed, while relating his experience at the navjote of a little boy which he had performed two years earlier. The eager young initiate asked him how many priests were present — because he was blind.

The Avan Yazad parav jashan

Dastoor, in his keynote address, while acknowledging the philanthropy of our forebears like the Tatas, Wadias and Petits, spoke about "a different kind of charity” which is urgently required today by his own "athornan tolo,” the priestly class. Right from Peshdadian times it was the duty of the athornans to protect and serve the atash padshah and spread the Mazdayasni religion, which they have done to this day. But what has the community done for them? Priests who slog with religious studies from an early age, perform the rituals of baj, charum, vendidad and boi at night with piety, are not properly appreciated. Because of the low salaries offered, priests’ sons opt for more lucrative careers. Also, as scant respect is meted out to mobeds, many are unwilling to take up the priesthood full-time. Huge sums are spent on entertainment, food, decorations and even make-up during lagans and navjotes, but priests who perform the ceremonies receive the least amount. Is this fair? he queried. "If a mobed exists he will take care of a ruvan, but if there are no mobeds left, where will our community go?” he asked. Thanking the World Zoroastrian Organisation for its Athornan Mandal Fund and the Parsi Resource Group for its Mobed Amelioration Scheme, Dastoor said upliftment of mobeds is crucial for the community which should "awaken now” to this reality.

Girton School choir

A report on the function sent to Parsiana by religion teacher Roxane Desai mentions that earlier that evening Dastoor led a jashan while many Zoroastrians present thronged the waterfront with their offerings of flowers, coconuts, dar ni pori and sugar to propitiate Avan Ardavisur Banu. Following the jashan, chasni was offered to the gathering. Young children of Girton High School sang I am proud to be a Zarthushti and other songs conducted by Rustom Chothia, Desai mentions.
In his welcome address Kersi Limathwalla referred to the fact that this annual celebration was started 40 years back by the late Rustomjee Kuka, Dinshaw Merchant and Naval Unwalla, and is being continued to this day by a group of Zoroastrians of which he is a member. He spoke about the image of the community, cultivated over centuries, which rests on four "legs.” Firstly, everyone likes to be associated with us because we adapt to changes, are firm yet easygoing and we never interfere. We have adapted to the lifestyle of the locals from the time of our advent at Sanjan, later with the British and today with other communities in a secular state. Besides, our philosophy of "eat, drink and make merry” endears us to others, Desai reports.

devotees

Secondly, we have the ability to excel in any sphere of human endeavor. We work and prosper; in fact we welcome being prosperous as it is laid down in the Yasna. Thirdly, we set aside a certain portion of the wealth to share with others by way of "meaningful charity.” This is largely due to vohu mana (the good mind), because of which Zoroastrians have been the first to practice labor welfare and corporate social responsibility long before these concepts were enacted as laws. Lastly, we are honest, as emphasized by the term "Asha” (righteousness). Limathwalla called on all Zoroastrians to live by these principles, never compromise with these ideals, smile in adversity and go ahead in life. Loud applause followed his statement that "We are one for every 20,000 Indians and we are proud to be Zoroastrians,” the report states.
The evening ended with a vote of thanks by Rusi Bhumgara and some lilting Parsi melodies provided by Marazban Mehta and his group.