Dialling Indore

The 12-page community directory brought out by the Indore Parsi Zoroastrian Anjuman (IPZA) covers 58 families constituting 159 individuals, some of whom may have expired or migrated. The volume lists dates of birth, mobile numbers and blood groups of most Indore residents, and in some cases, email addresses, residential and office contact numbers. Nine outstation members are listed separately, although some who live outside the city have also been inadvertently listed as residents of Indore. There have been no marriages in this central Indian city for the last two years. A navjote was performed in June 2019; the community welcomed a child in June 2020.

Clockwise from above: fire temple, bungli and priest’s quarters in Indore

The directory was the handiwork of two managing committee members, Rayomand and Jasmine Jagus, stated secretary Dara Unwala. "They took it on themselves to bring out the volume and did it on the quiet... The last directory was published about eight to 10 years ago... quite a few had left Indore (for other cities) or passed on,” he stated in a call with Parsiana on September 24, 2020.
Community members get together generally on Jamshedi Navroz, Shahenshahi New Year and for "about five or six gahanbars annually,” clarified Unwala although that was not possible, because of the lockdown this year. IPZA maintains and runs the 141-year-old Hormasji Manekji Bhumgara Daremeher. A dharamshala with three double rooms and one three-bedded room is maintained by the IPZA. Ervad Adil Toty is the resident priest. "Our dakhma is over 135 years old and still in use... We also have a place for burial if anyone opts for that mode,” the secretary emphasized. Most community members opt for dakhmenashini. "We have had about six to seven burials only and a couple of people opted for cremation at the municipal crematorium,” he noted.
The current managing committee members, besides Unwala and the Jagus couple, are Bomi Heerjee (president), Minoo Engineer (vice president), Firdaus Avari (treasurer), Jasmine Bharucha (joint secretary), Mehernosh Elavia, Zarir Patel, Farid Boga and Jehangir Poonegar. Heerjee, who has served as president for 25 years, has expressed a need to step down as he and his wife Shireen will move to Calcutta to be closer to his family, said Unwala who is expected to take over the role of president soon. Appointments are made "by consensus nominations. No elections take place,” he noted.