ZWAS Directory

The Zoroastrian Women’s Assembly of Surat (ZWAS) has brought out the Directory of the Zoroastrian Residents of Surat, 2014, a section of which queries whether the Parsi population there has increased or decreased. Accompanying figures according to the age composition reveal that there were a total of 2,823 persons in that city in May 1994. In May 1999 the total increased to 3,383; in May 2004 the figure stood at 3,616; while in May 2010 it increased marginally to 3,696. However, the figure for May 2014 was lower, at 3,584.
The Directory is now in its fifth edition, mentions Maharukh Chichgar, ZWAS founder trustee in the covering letter while sending the publication to Parsiana. Lavishly illustrated with color photographs, the Directory contains entries alphabetically listing 1,079 families along with names of all family members, their ages, address and contact numbers. An addendum lists another 17 families whose details had been missed out earlier or were received late. For the benefit of residents and others, details of institutions like the Nariman Parsi Girls’ Orphanage, the Parsi Boys Orphanage in Surat and the Nariman Home at Shahpore are also provided. Names of members of the Surat Parsi Panchayat (SPP) board along with their contact details are given as well as all the institutions looked after by the SPP. Adding value is a lengthy list of voluntary blood donors, mentioned alphabetically and according to their respective blood groups, which would prove most helpful in times of need.

Cheering for new team

The annual report by committee members Vira Karanjia and Benaiffer Engineer lists the activities of the 21-year-old ZWAS conducted throughout the past year. During Gatha days a prayer competition is held in which a large number of boys and girls participate, some of them as young as three years of age. There are also competitions for monajat singing, making Navroz cards and creating things out of waste. A healthy baby competition, eye check-ups, dental care camps and medical check-ups for women including mammography, sonography and pap smear tests are also organized. Grandmas, among others, participate in the good food contests, whipping up typical Parsi dishes. The rangoli competition where designs are created in chalk is also looked forward to. The younger members enjoy walking the ramp displaying garas and kor ni saris, with young men sporting daglis and phetas.
Boys and girls from all over south Gujarat are invited to take part in debates, drama, games, rain dance and other events in an effort to get the youngsters to mingle with one another, the ZWAS report mentions. Some of them have found their life partners and subsequently tied the knot. At the two-day summer camp organized by ZWAS, about 90 children went on educational field trips, built camp fires and, in short, had both fun and education.
The recently started religious classes for children are held on two Sundays of each month. Social service in encouraged by taking youngsters to the Nariman Home and Infirmary where children entertain the elderly inmates with songs, dances and skits followed by refreshments, the report mentions. ZWAS also provides financial assistance towards medical and educational expenses, cost of weddings and by performing navjotes of underprivileged children. Clothes, food grains, utensils are distributed during natural calamities. Joining hands with Young Rathestars headed by leading lights in the social service field Mithoo Jesia and Dinshaw Tamboly, ZWAS helps to promote self-employment for Zoroastrians in the remote villages around Surat. It also helped in the planting of trees around the Shahenshahi Atash Behram eight years ago, which has beautified the environs of the fire temple.