Attending to assets - II

Whilst executive council meetings of the Federation of the Parsi Zoroastrian Anjumans of India see maximum attendance from West Zone B anjumans of Gujarat, the other strong contingent comes from West Zone A that includes Maharashtra. No report was forthcoming from the Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) although representatives of the Holiday Programme for Youth, the Zoroastrian Youth for the Next Generation and a school counsellor highlighted their success stories.
There are 62 Parsis from 20 families in Solapur, of whom 35 are aged over 65, reported Zubin Amaria. There is one ailing priest tending to their 170-year-old dar-e-meher, and their dakhma with five acres of land in the center of the city is drawing attention with the collector asking them to donate land to the Muslim community.
Nagpur too has an ailing mobed who with the assistance of a behdin pasbaan looks after the fire temple and caters to the needs of a community numbering 494, reported Shiraz Doongaji. The Iranian Zoroastrian Anjuman (IZA) donated around Rs 40 lakhs during the year, mentioned Pervez Irani who referred to the elections that were scheduled for September 28 (see "Excitement at IZA elections,” Events and Personalities, Parsiana, October 7, 2014 ).

Bungli and graves at Panchgani aramgah

(From left, 1^st row): Agiary and dharamshala in Belgaum;

(2^nd row) Badnera Dare Meher; aramgah property in Belgaum

"There are 1,200 Parsis in and around Thana, of whom 600 are from Thana,” said Zarsis Udhnawala, president of the Thana anjuman. During the year there were four births, six marriages and 14 deaths, and the anjuman was able to disburse five lakh rupees. By February their agiary should be rebuilt after which they would like to create a community hall. Citing their experience in protecting community land in Thana when each time miscreants removed the anjuman board at night, the trustees would ensure that a new one replaced it "again and again and again,” Udhnawala advised anjumans facing encroachment problems to fence their land first "to establish rights on the property.”
Between Mahableshwar and Panchgani there are 50 Parsis, reported Geeta Choksi who observed that "most Parsi property in the area is being sold except for a few hotels.” She referred to their efforts to renovate their 85-year-old agiary thanks to the community service of Bomi’s Boys who saved Rs 15 lakhs in labor. Emails were sent to the Parsi alumni of eight schools in Panchgani whose total contributions amounted to nearly nine lakh rupees, she mentioned. She also appreciated the financial support of Rs 20 lakhs from Dr Cyrus Poonawalla that helped build the wall of the aramgah to save the area from encroachment.
"We have no problems because we have no property,” declared Khurshed Pastakia of the Borivli and Suburban Zoroastrian Association. They have regular "programs of religious and cultural nature with good food and drinks and do a little charity with whatever money we have.” Badnera-Amravati has nine members from two families. Three years ago their agiary was renovated with the financial support of World Alliance of Parsi Irani Zarthoshtis founder trustee and former Ahmedabad Parsi Panchayat president Areez Khambatta and the hard labor of Bomi’s Boys, conveyed Anahita Desai.
In Dahanu, "no doles are given to anybody...because all are in good (financial) health. There is no bawal problem because it is donated by some family or the other. We have two years’ stock in the godown and two years’ outside. An anonymous donor renovated the agiary,” conveyed West Zone A vice president Mancher Mubarakai. In neighboring Zai Bordi, the Tower of Silence was renovated. "Our income is less than our expenditure but we are sailing through,” he summed up.
Belgaum in the South Zone has 70 Zoroastrian residents, stated Cmde Medioma Bhada. Two to three decades ago there was a large percentage of Iranis who were in the hoteliering business. Their agiary, aramgah and dharamshala are "well maintained with no problems at all,” he asserted.
In Madras there are 250 Zoroastrians for whom their social association organizes activities on the third Saturday of every month, always followed by dinner, stated South Zone vice president and Madras trustee Mani Clubwala. They have a close-knit anjuman "where everyone knows everything about every family.” The community is happy that their priest has brought his parents to reside with him in Madras "so hopefully he will not leave.” To be continued