The new priests

"On behalf of the Cawnpore Parsi Anjuman and its president Parvez Rustomji and all the Parsis of Kanpur, I thank you for the great favor that you have done us by sending behdin pasbaans…” The letter of appreciation by Adil Byramji, trustee of the Byramji Nowroji Javeri Dare-Meher was written to Ervad Cyrus Dastoor, course co-ordinator of the 13th Residential Refresher Programme for Ostas and Ervads and Sixth Residential Workshop for Behdin Pasbaans. This was fleetingly touched upon at the valedictory function at the Cama Baug small otla on May 17, 2014. Kanpur’s octogenarian mobed Ervad Kershasp Aibara being unwell and unable to manage the Dare-Meher single-handedly, "your arrangement has prevented such a disastrous contingency as closing the fire temple…the only regularly functioning fire temple in the whole of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand since 1930,” continued Byramji.
Whilst they are still on the lookout for a second full-time mobed, the Cawnpore Anjuman is relieved that they are periodically sent behdin pasbaans trained at the refresher courses conducted by the Ex-Students’ Association (ESA) of The M. F. Cama Athornan Institute (MFCAI).

All photos by Cyrus Shroff and Pervez Tavaria

Recognizing that "the behdin pasbaan scheme is a real boon for fire temples, especially those which are outside Bombay,” it was suggested that it "should be encouraged to the maximum, due to the paucity of mobeds in India. In fact, please encourage more participants to attend your workshops.”
Lamenting that "lessons étlu vadhi gayuch ké (studies have increased so much that) parents cannot give religious education (to their children),” Dastur (Dr) Peshotan Mirza, high priest of Udvada and president of the ESA extolled the foresight of the founder Seth Merwanji Cama who had said that if there were no mobeds’ children to join the Madressa then take on behdins and train them. In his keynote address that evening Ervad Parvez Bajan, panthaky of the Mevawalla Agiary said that the Arabs came to plunder Iran, not rule. "Ek haath ma Koran né beeja haath ma talvar lainé aavtatha (They came with the Koran in one hand and a sword in the other). You either had to convert to Islam or be slain!”
"Desperate situations call for desperate measures. The only way to save the religion is to become a Taliban!” emphasized guest of honor and Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) trustee Yazdi Desai. "The vada dasturs are the generals and you (the mobeds) are the soldiers… Feel proud as only you have the right to pray before a consecrated fire,” he reminded. Appreciating the work that his co-trustee on the BPP board Jimmy Mistry is doing for the mobed clan, Desai said that Mistry "spends from his own pocket but does not get the acknowledgement (he deserves).” He ended his speech making a personal donation of Rs 50,000.
Sharing the dais that evening were BPP chairman Dinshaw Mehta, trustee Khojeste Mistree, and ex BPP trustee Dadi Engineer who came dressed in a dagli with a pheta. At a prior meeting which he had attended, his attire had evoked many queries of "Kaun mari gayu (who has expired)?” he jested before announcing a personal donation of Rs 20,000. Mistree was particularly happy to see "young bachchas (children) whose minds we can mold,” and extended his "support to this project.” Mehta felt this "excellent” teaching course should be undertaken every quarter.

Lifting the Best Ervad trophy for the second time was 13-year-old Ervad Farzad Driver. Osta Behram Motafram, all of 10 years, bagged the Best Osta award while 60+ Farrokh Katgara walked away with the best Behdin Pasbaan shield. The first, second and third to clinch the prize in bhanter were Driver (Ervad category), and brothers Behram and Sarosh Motafram (Osta group). Juniors Kermanshah Kolah, Jamshid Kolah and Zubin Fanibanda came first, second and third respectively among behdin pasbaans. Faredoon Patel, Meherji Malegamwala and Katgara were declared winners in the senior category. Special consolation prizes were given to behdin pasbaans Dr Danesh Chinoy, Mehernosh Jivasa and Marazban Wadia. The written test taken on the last day of the 13-day program resulted in Fanibanda, Driver and Kermanshah Kolah emerging winners in the junior group, while Chinoy, Katgara and Malegamwala were the senior winners. Firoza Mistree, wife of Khojeste, who took a special session with the children gave each child participant a special cash token. In addition, every participant received a silver coin (courtesy Tanaz Kerawalla in memory of her late husband Keki), Rs 1,000 from the late Jamshed Guzder (a tradition carried forward by his son Cyrus), an overnight bag courtesy Feroze Sethna of Feroze Foods and Flavors and a certificate of participation.
After floral felicitations to a few dignitaries on and off the dais and a vote of thanks by Ervad Keki Ravji, vice president of the MFCAI, the valedictory (as also the inaugural) function ended with a sumptuous dinner catered by Ervad Nariman Dalal.

The inaugural function
"Being a full-time priest has many benefits, the most important being spiritual upliftment of the soul,” emphasized Ervad (Dr) Ramiyar Karanjia in his keynote address on "The Position of a Priest in the Zoroastrian Religion” at the inaugural function on May 5, 2014.
Today’s world has become very materialistic, very technologically advanced, he said. "We are living in world wide web. At one click of a mouse one can find a lot of religious knowledge on the web.” The priests of yore were contented and respected. They learnt the religious scriptures, enquired about holy wisdom, wrote manuscripts, imparted religious knowledge to their succeeding generations…
He urged the parents of the young osta participants to enrol their children in a seminary for only the training given there will make them full-fleged priests. "Mai-baaponé patthar nu kaléju joiyé (Parents have to be stone-hearted to put their children in a madressa),” stated the principal of the Dadar Athornan Institute. He ended his speech by commending Dastoor who is "the heart, mind, soul and life of the Programme, a born director.”
Presiding over the inauguration Mirza explained that the main aim of the course is to refresh the knowledge that has been gained.
The evening started with a jashan when ervads who had enroled as participants of the Programme, prayed along with Mirza. After a brief humbandagi Dastoor introduced the 29 participants (five ervads, four ostas and 20 behdin pasbaans). Lamenting that ostas and ervads are not availing of this wonderful 13-day course which is free of cost, he was happy though that more behdin pasbaans are getting readied to do kriya kaam (rituals) in agiaries located in smaller towns and mofussil areas. He gave the recent example of the Kanpur Agiary. Adil Rangoonwalla was sent there for the muktads in 2013. He was followed by Malegamwalla, Katgara, Patel and Wadia. Currently Jamshed Mistry is helping satisfy the religious needs of the Kanpur Parsis.
"In spite of being invited year after year by Cyrus, this is the first time I am attending,” said BPP trustee Arnavaz Mistry who was amazed to see many children as participants.

Participants and volunteers with Firoza and Khojeste Mistree