STATISTICS PROJECT REPORT GROUP 1

TOPIC:- TO BRING OUT THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE IDEAS OF THE YOUNGER AND THE OLDER GENERATION IN THE PARSI COMMUNITY

INTRODUCTION

A History of the Parsis in Mumbai

Zoroastrianism is a religion and philosophy based on the teachings of Prophet

Zoroaster (also known as Zarathustra, in Avestan), probably founded some time before

the 6th century BC in Iran. The term

Zoroastrianism is synonymous with Mazdaism, i.e.

the worship of Ahura Mazda, exalted by Zoroaster

as the supreme divine authority.

In the Indian subcontinent today, there are two communities that follow the

Zoroastrian religion. One of these as the Iranian community and the other is the Parsi

community.

The history of the Parsis is one that dates way back to the 10th century AD. In the

year 636 A.D, the Sassanid armies of the Sassanian Empire were defeated in a battle

at Quadisiyyah. Subsequently, King Yezdegerd, the last king of the Sassanid Dynasty

was murdered in the year 651 A.D.

The Sassanid dynasty

This paved the way for the Arab invaders and the Persian Zoroastrian Empires

came to an end. Once the Arabs were in complete control, the Zoroastrians were forced

to leave their faith and become believers of the Muslim religion. They were pressurized

to convert to the religion of the Muslim invaders.

According to Tarikh-i Bukhara, “The residents of Bukhara became Muslims. But

they renounced [Islam] each time the Arabs turned back. Qutayba Muslim made them

Muslim three times, [but] they renounced [Islam] again and became nonbelievers. The

fourth time, Qutayba waged war, seized the city, and established Islam after

considerable strife….They espoused Islam overtly but practiced idolatry in secret.”

Under the Arabs, Zoroastrian Iranians were forcibly converted to Islam. They

faced much religious discrimination and harassment. Those who clung to their faith fled

to the mountains of Kohistan in Khorasan. According to tradition, they stayed there a

hundred years. Then they went to the Persian Gulf port of Hormuz where they are said

to have remained for fifteen years.  From there they set sail and arrived at Diu or Div, an

island off the southern extremity of Kathiawar. They stayed there for about nineteen

years and then again set sail, this time for Sanjan, a small village on the west coast of

Gujrat. This was about 785 A.D.

The Kissa –I-Sanjan or the Story of Sanjan, a Persian poem of 864 lines , written

in 1600 by Bahman Kaikobad of Navsari, is the only material we have about the early

history of the Parsis of India.. It is not a historical document, but the very fact that is a

narrative about the landing at Sanjan and not at any other place shows that there was a

tradition about the Parsis landing and settling at Sajan. The Kissa – I -  Sanjan recounts

that the chief  priest of the party went to the Hindu ruler of Sanjan, Jadhav Rana or Jadi

Rana for permission to settle in that place and the Raja put down put down five

conditions before them. These were : the explanation of the Zoroastrian religion by the

High Priest who accompanied the refugees and had safe guarded the sacred fire all the

way from Iran to India; the adoption of Gujrati as their mother tongue; the adoption of

the sari by Parsi women; the surrender of all weapons and finally that the Parsi wedding

processions be held in the dark. This last request may have been from the refugees

themselves as a protective measure to avoid the attention of other communities to an

alien community in their midst.

The priest is said to have agreed to the Raja’s terms in the sixteen Sanskrit

slokas. But the whole incident appears to be the poet’s imagination. Parsis who came to

India at that time could not have replied in Sanskrit. The name of the priest of given as

Neriosang but he is mixed up with the Mobed Neriosang Dhaval, the learned priest of

the twefth century who translated many Zoroastrian scriptures into Sanskrit.

Some believe that a far more vivid account of the incident is given in the Gujrati

Garbas, group songs and dances composed by the Parsis. Parsis women sing these

songs on happy occasions such as Navjotes and weddings. The story which was once

sung in verse goes like this

Jadhav Rana issued a proclamation inviting all citizens to assemble in the open

maidan. On a throne covered with rich drapes, the Raja took his seat. He was dressed

in royal robes, wore a magnificent turban and embroidered velvet slippers. Around him

were his   were his body guards dressed in white, holding spears.

The Persian refugees were then brought to the center of the assembly. nTheir

frail, old priest holding a small Afarghan with the sacred fire , was the spoke person for

the group. There was an interpreter was helped the Raja and the priest to converse.

“What is it that you want from us, O strangers from a far land?” asked Jadhav Rana.

“Freedom of worship, sire,” replied the priest.

“Granted. What else do you wish?”

“A small piece of land that we could cultivate, so that we may not be a burden the

people among whom we live.”

“Granted. In return, what will you do for our country?”      

The old priest asked for a brass bowl to be filled with milk and brought it to the

assembly. After the bowl was brought, the old priest stirred a spoonful of sugar in the

bowl and holding it up in his trembling hands and asked, “Does any man see the sugar

in this bowl of milk?”. Everyone shook their heads and said, “No.”

“Sire,’ said the priest, “we shall try to be like this insignificant amount of sugar in

the milk of your human kindness.”  Thus the Parsis became a part of the vibrant culture

of India.

Some believe that the Jadhav Rana gave the priest the bowl filled with milk

stating that there was no place for the refugees. The high priest mixed sugar in the bowl

saying that they would mix and adjust to the culture and the people of this country

making it their home.

 

In the 18th and 19th centuries the Parsis had emerged as the foremost people in

India in educational, industrial, and social matters. Some of the famous Parsi individuals

in Indian history include Dr. Dadabhoy Naoroji, the

first Asian member of the British Parliament, Dr

Homi Bhaha, an eminent nuclear scientist, J.R.D

Tata, who is known today as the Father of Modern

Indian Industry, Freddie Mercury, a member of the

popular Queen band and Zubin Mehta, a well known

name in the field of western classical music. Be it in

technology, politics, theatre, music, or science, the

Parsis in India have integrated themselves into

society and become an integral part of Indian society and culture.

In Mumbai, they are now considered an indispensable part of what sonstitutes

this bustling metropolitan city. There is no doubt that the Parsis, with their rich cultural

background have influenced the culture of Mumbai in more ways than one. However,

the question arises as to how much the culture of India has impacted the Parsi beliefs

and way of living.

In the following paper, we endeavor to observe whether the Parsis as a

community in Mumbai have changed their way of life over the past few years. And if so,

to what extent have these changes influenced their traditional beliefs and culture.

Famous musician, Zubin Mehta

ORIGIN

The question deals with the origin of the respondent. This question has been

included in our questionnaire in order to compare the differences in customs or habits if

any. Also it helps us find out if they have carried any tradition from their native place into

their lives here.

TABLE NO.1: (ORIGIN OF THE PARSI COMMUNITY)

Origin Frequency

Mumbai 28

Gujarat 45

Iran 7

Total 80

The above table shows that the out of 80 people that we have interviewed the

maximum number of Parsis in Mumbai have come from different places in Gujarat.

While Gujarat ranks first with 45 coming from Gujarat, quite a number of Parsis have

from the very beginning only settled in Mumbai itself. Around28. A very few have

migrated from Iran, the original birthplace of the Zoroastriancommunity. About 7 people

among our sample have migrated from Iran.

This helps us to draw the conclusion that sincethe Parsis have their base in Gujarat

their way of life is very similar to that in Gujarat. For example the traditional Parsi attire

for women is the sari worn in the Gujarati style. Even traditional cuisines like dhansak

and patra ni mirchi have its origin in Gujarat. Even the ones who have settled in Mumbai

also have some Gujarati influence because their ancestors have lived in Gujarat first.

The ones from Iran had migrated to Mumbai long ago and follow their own traditional

customs.

REASONS FOR MIGRATION

The above question mainly focuses on the reasons for the Parsis to settle

in/migrate to Mumbai. This question allows us to look at the various reasons as to why

they integrated themselves with Mumbai and under what circumstances they migrated

here.

Our analysis has been tabulated as follows:

TABLE NO.2 :( REASONS FOR MIGRATING TO MUMBAI )

Reasons Frequency

Job/Business related 35

Fled from Iran 16

Marriage 3

Total 56

Reasons for migration

Job/Business Fled from IranMarriage

The above pie chart shows us that there were three main reasons why the Parsis

chose to settle in Mumbai. The three reasons are

1.Better job prospects

2.Fled from Iran

3.Marriage.

As we can see the major reason why the Parsis have shifted base to Mumbai is

for better job prospect or for growing their business, which accounts for nearly 65%.

Ranking next is to evade from tyrannical Muslim rule in Iran, which forced many

Zoroastrians to convert to Islam. They comprise of about 29% of the sample. Very few

people about 3% have migrated due to their marriage in Mumbai.

Thus we can conclude that since major part of the population have migrated with

a hope of leading a better life in Mumbai, they are very much the young and open

generation ready to accept changes happily. We can also observe that this working

class of people is the ones who belong to the younger generation and do not usually

follow the traditional customs or patterns. Since they have not migrated out of

compulsion some of them have accepted the way of life in Mumbai very happily.

The other reason for migration is to escape from the Muslim rule in Iran. The

ones who have fled from Iran are the ones if you see further, who follow the traditional

Parsi way of life and have not changed much.

ORIGINAL SETTLEMENT IN MUMBAI AFTER MIGRATION.

The above question deals with the place at which the Parsis first settled in

Mumbai when they migrated. Through this question an attempt is made to study areas,

which have a concentrated Parsi population.

TABLE NO.3: (THE PLACE OF SETTLEMENT OF THE PARSI COMMUNITY )

Our data collected is presented as follows:

Place of settlement frequency

South Bombay 50

Suburbs 12

Total 62

South MumbaiSurburb

From the above diagram it is very clear that once the Parsis migrated to Mumbai

they preferred to stay in South Mumbai than the Suburbs. The number of Parsis staying

in south Mumbai is as high as 81% of the population. As compared to South Mumbai,

only 19% of the population resides in the suburbs.

Areas such as Grant Road, Lower Parel, Tardeo, Lal Baug, Marine Lines etc

comes under South Mumbai. Among this we have noticed that maximum number of the

Parsi population live in either Grant Road or Tardeo. This has led to the establishment

some small Parsi colonies known as ‘baug’. The popularity of these places is very

evident from the fact that in the area around Grant Road, which comes up to 1 or 1 ½

kms, there are at least 3 or 4 such baugs. In these predominant Parsi areas,

generations and generations of Parsis have been residing and often see them living like

a close-knit family. These baugs show us that the Parsis since they are a minority

community find it much comfortable to stay in such baugs where a number of Parsi

families reside.

Another interesting fact that we realized is that the younger generation of Parsis

no longer stay in such baugs but have moved to that suburbs of Mumbai. This shows us

that the present generation of Parsis is more open to coming out of these baugs and

moving to different places. An attempt is made by them to mingle with the other

communities in residing in Mumbai.

Difficulties faced by Parsis after migrating to Mumbai and if yes then what kinds…

TABLE NO.4: (DIFFICULTIES FACED AFTER MIGRATION BY THE PARSI

COMMUNITY)

Difficulties faced after migration

frequenc

y

Yes 17

No 63

Total 80

TABLE NO.5: (KINDS OF DIFFICULTIES FACED BY THE PARSI COMMUNITY)

Kind of difficulties

frequenc

y

language 4

housing 6

employment 5

Financial problems 2

After the survey we observe that not many people faced problems after migrating to

Mumbai as compared to people who faced problems. Although the Parsis originally

emigrated from Greater Iran over 10 centuries ago, they have lost social or familial ties

to the people of that region, and do not share language or recent history with them.

Over the centuries since the first Zoroastrians arrived in India, the Parsis have

integrated themselves into Indian society while simultaneously maintaining or

developing their own distinct customs and traditions (and thus ethnic identity). This in

turn has given the Parsi community a rather peculiar standing: they are Indians in terms

of national spirit.

The problems which some people faced were related to language, housing,

employment in terms of getting good jobs and financial problems.

Contrast between occupation carried out by ancestors and occupation by current

generation

The following table shows that most of the Parsi population were engaged in their

business and some in service whereas the others were mostly school teachers lecturers

or Principals. Ancestors were also involved in agricultural activities like farming and

many of them were horticulturists. Owning hotels and running shops were also

occupations carried out by them.

On the other hand most of the current generation were involved in business carried out

by their ancestors and what their parents were involved in. occupation like teaching,

owning a restaurant and service was common among them.

TABLE 6 AND 7 (THE ABOVE TABLES)

Occupation carried

out by ancestors

frequenc

y

Bank job 1

Farming and

horticulturist 5

Engineer 5

Principal and

teacher 6

Make alcohol 1

excise inspector 1

Work in village 1

Own a shop 3

Businessman 12

Carpentary 2

Theatre 2

Service 12

Government jobs 1

Priest 1

Hotel business 5

Lawyer 3

total 61

Occupation carried out

by current generation

Frequenc

y

Teacher 9

Business 7

Accountant 1

Steel fabrication 1

Service 5

Librarian 1

Theatre 1

Carpentry 1

Student 7

Owns a restaurant 4

Priest 1

Owns a shop 4

Traditional parsi attire and do they still continue wearing it

TABLE NO.8: (PARSI ATTIRE WORN BY THEM)

Total parsi attire Frequency

Men-dagli,pheta and pagri 70

Female- saree and kusti 70

Female-western dresses and frocks 10

TABLE NO.9: (IF THE PARSI COMMUNITY STILL CONTINUE WEARING THE

TRADITIONAL ATTIRE)

Do they still continue wearing it?

Frequenc

y

Yes 22

No 58

The current generation avoid wearing the Parsi traditional attire and even the older

generation prefer to wear it on big formal occasions.

Parsis were quite aware of their traditional attire yet some were modern who wore

frocks and dresses. As advances were made in living, in education, in culture and in

sports, the Parsis of both sexes made rapid strides in the innovations and alterations in

the traditional mode of dressing. Clothes do make a difference. The famous saying

cannot be disputed, and most of us, in trying to visualise the past in India, probably

forget to make allowances for the change in the clothing of Indians. The Europeanised

Indian is of course quite modern: it may be wise but is certainly less picturesque than

the ancestors, and, in this respect, none has lapsed farther from grace than the Parsee

of today.” This proves that the Parsi males were among the first to change over to

Western or European modes of dress.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Parsis being a minority community.

TABLE NO.10 :( ADVANTAGES OF BEING A MINORITY COMMUNITY)

Advantages of a minority community

Frequenc

y

reservations in terms of seats at educational

institutions 19

scholarship funds,expanding and housing the

community 1

surviving in parsi colonies 1

government priviledges 10

culture and heritage different 1

No advantages 38

TABLE NO.11 :( DISADVANTAGES OF BEING A MINORITY COMMUNITY)

Disadvantages of a minority community

Frequenc

y

No disadvantages 73

Looked down upon 1

too small to be recognised 2

Insecurity 1

fading of the community 1

Inter caste marriage is increasing 1

No unity 1

Advantages according to them are reservations in various educational institutions in

terms of seats and various other government facilities also available.

According to parsis there are no disadvantages except the dying out or fading of the

community.Indian census data has established that the number of Parsis has been

steadily declining for several decades. The highest census count was of 114,890

individuals in 1940–41, which includes the crown colony populations of present-day

India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Post-independence census data is only available for

India (1951: 111,791) and reveal a decline in population of approximately 9% per

decade. According to the National Commission for Minorities, there are a "variety of

causes that are responsible for this steady decline in the population of the community",

the most significant of which were childlessness and migration (Roy & Unisa 2004, p. 8,

21). Demographic trends project that by the year 2020 the Parsis will number only

23,000 (less than 0.0002% of the 2001 population of India). The Parsis will then cease

to be called a community and will be labeled a 'tribe'(Taraporevala 2000, p. 9).

One-fifth of the decrease in population is attributed to migration. A slower birthrate than

deathrate accounts for the rest: as of 2001, Parsis over the age of 60 make up for 31%

of the community. The national average for this age group is 7%. Only 4.7% of the Parsi

community are under 6 years of age, which translates to 7 births per year per 1000

individuals.

INTERCASTE MARRIAGE

The above question attempts to find out the views of the Parsis on intercaste

marriage. This question has been included because it is a general assumption that the

Parsis are very rigid in their way of thinking and through this question we can find out if

it is true. We have chosen intercaste marriage, as it is one thing that can show the

openness of a person.

TABLE NO.12: (VIEWS ON INTERCASTE MARRIAGE)

Intercaste Marriage Frequency

Yes 19

No 53

Intercaste Marriage

YesNo

The above diagram shows that about 74% of our samples did not favour

intercatse marriage and only about 26% were in favour of it.

The major reason that made them go against intercaste marriage was that the

community is anyways small in size and with intercaste marriage it will diminish even

further. They want to protect their community and not dilute it. It was also observed that

the people against intercaste marriage generally belonged to the age group above 30-

35. They want to preserve their tradition and culture.

In the younger generation, they are firmly in favour of intercaste marriage and

think that this way people will become more aware of the Parsi traditions and with it

mingling with other communities it will flourish further.

The Parsis have always known to be very rigid but the younger generation is now

moving away from it and choosing a different.

PARSI COMMUNITY IS VERY CULTURALLY RICH WITH REGARDS TO MUSIC,

THEATRE. VIEWS ON IT..

In its remarkable century long history traversing the colonial and nationalists eras, the

Parsi theatre was unique as a site of communal harmony. The Parsi theatre began in

Mumbai in the early 1850s and fanned out across south and southern Asia by the

1880s. During the twentieth century, major Parsi theatrical companies flourished in

Lahore, Delhi, and Calcutta exerting a huge impact on the development of modern

drama, regional music and cinema .The Parsi theatre incorporated the love for

theatricality and the abundance of theatrical talent that are widely distributed throughout

.It is the knowledge about the parsi theatre circulated, that has perpetuated a

communalized understanding of this highly significant theatrical form.

PURPOSE: Basically the objective of asking this question to the Parsi community is to

know about their rich culture regarding music, and theatre. We are also trying to

compare the views of the the two different age groups and their take on the theatrical

related culture of parsi community. The two age groups considered by us are : the first

age group is 1-40 years and the second age group is 40 years and above.

TABULATION :

TABLE NO.13: (VIEWS ON RICH THEATRICAL CULTURE)

Rich theatrical

culture

Frequen

cy

Yes 57

No 18

Nil 5

Total 80

F

YesNo Nil

FINDINGS AND ANALYSIS: From the table above, we can see that 57 out of the

total population of 80 people feel that the Parsi culture is a rich culture regarding

theatre, and music.18 people feel that the Parsi culture is not that rich or it is

declining. And the remaining population has no take or personal opinion to give.

We can clearly come to a conclusion that majority of the population feel that

Parsi culture is rich regards to music and theatre and has contributed a lot to

India or in that case Mumbai.

OUR VIEWS: We agree with the majority of the population, while doing the

research work on the Parsi community for the project we realized that this

community has given a lot to the theatrical industry and the theatrical companies

were usually owned by Parsis. Therefore we agree that this community is rich with

regards to music and theatre.

CHANGES BROUGHT ABOUT IN THE TRADITIONAL PARSI CUISINE

The basic feature of a Parsi lunch is rice, eaten with lentils or a curry. Curry is made

with coconut and ras without, with curry usually being thicker than ras. Dinner would be

a meat dish, often accompanied by potatoes or other vegetable curry. Kachubar (a

sharp onion-cucumber salad) accompanies most meals.

The Popular Parsi dishes shared by the parsi’s interviewed include:

Chicken farcha (fried chicken)

Patra ni machhi (steamed fish wrapped in banana leaf)

Dhansak (lamb, mutton, goat or chicken and/or vegetables in lentil and/or toor daal

gravy)

Sali murghi (spicy chicken with fine potato crisps)

Jinga no patio (shrimp in spicy tomato curry)

Khichri (rice with toor daal and/or moong daal)

Saas ni machhi (yellow rice with pomfret fish fillets in white sauce)

Jardaloo sali boti (boneless mutton in an onion and tomato sauce with apricots and

potato strips)

Tamota ni russ chaval (mutton cutlets with white rice and tomato sauce)

PURPOSE: Basically the objective of asking this question to the Parsi community is to

know about their parsi traditional cuisine and whether it has undergone any changes.

We are also trying to compare the views of the the two different age groups and their

take on the changes in the the traditional aspect of the parsi cuisine. The two age

groups considered by us are : the first age group is 1-40 years and the second age

group is 40 years and above.

TABULATION:

TABLE NO.14:(CHANGES IN PARSI CUISINE)

Changes in Parsi

cuisine

Frequen

cy

Yes 27

No 44

Nil 9

Total 80

F

YesNoNil

FINDINGS AND ANALYSIS: From the table above, we can see that 44 out of the

total population of 80 people feel that the Parsi cuisine has not undergone any

change and is prepared in the traditional form only.44 people feel that the Parsi

cuisine has undergone changes and flavours from other communities have been

introduced. And the remaining population has no take or personal opinion to give.

We can clearly come to a conclusion that majority of the population feel that

Parsi cuisine has not undergone any change and is prepared in the traditional

manner only.

OUR VIEWS: We do not agree with the majority of the population as we feel that the

parsi cuisine has undergone a change as todays generation brings modern touch to the

traditional cuisine. Therefore there are changes in the parsi cuisine and the traditional

aspect is missing.

PARSI FESTIVALS CELEBRATED IN THE TRADITIONAL MANNER OR NOT AND

REASONS FOR IT…..

Parsi festivals are not highly visible. Another, and equally important, reason is that Parsi

festivals are not accompanied by public ceremonies and attendant features like music

and celebrations. The Zoroastrian religion is founded on the three tenets of 'Good

thoughts, good words, good deeds.' The Zoroastrians are fastidious and meticulous

where their religion is concerned, and their festivals are also structured to reflect the

chief aims of Zoroastrianism. 

Take into account that the Parsis are a very close-knit group, and you have festivals

that are celebrated almost strictly within the community, and confined to the homes,

community centres and temples. The Zoroastrian year has six seasons, and there is

one major festival in each season - feasts known as Gahambars, that later got

associated with religion. The Zoroastrian feasts are elaborate affairs.Festivals are ritual-

oriented, and temple-worship, feasting and community interaction are central to them.

So does munificence. Charity plays an important role in a Zoroastrian's life. During

festivals or sacred days, the Zoroastrians are instructed to be especially generous and

rededicate themselves to their pledge of justice and charity. 

In traditional Zoroastrian society, celebrations are closely communal and, as a rule, non-

Parsis are not allowed into their places of worship. The other important Zoroastrian

festivals are Khordad Sal, the birthday of Zarathushtra; Muktad, All Souls' Day;

Zardosht, the day commemorating the death of Zarathushtra; and Adar roj nu Parab,

the birthday of fire. There are also festivals in homage to justice, water, the rains and

fertility.

PURPOSE: Basically the objective of asking this question to the Parsi community

is to know about their rich festivals and tradition. We are also trying to compare

the views of the the two different age groups and their take on whether parsi

community celebrate their festivals in the traditional manner.The two age groups

considered by us are : the first age group is 1-40 years and the second age

group is 40 years and above.

TABULATION:

TABLE NO.15: (CELEBRATION OF PARSI FESTIVALS)

Celebration of parsi festivals in

traditional manner Frequency

Yes 27

No changes 49

Nil 4

Total 80

F

Yes No changesNil

FINDINGS AND ANALYSIS: From the table above, we can see that 49 out of the

total population of 80 people feel that the Parsi festivals are celebrated in the

traditional manner and have not undergone a change.27 people feel that the Parsi

festivals have lost the traditional touch and is not celebrated in the manner it

should be. And the remaining population has no take or personal opinion to give.

We can clearly come to a conclusion that majority of the population feel that

Parsi festivals are celebrated traditionally and should not be modified or

changed.

OUR VIEWS: We agree with the majority as we feel that every community has

their identity and its own uniqueness and to bring changes in its festival is bringing

about changes in its identity. And we feel it’s wrong, therefore the festivals should

be celebrated in the traditional form.

Articles

Reference : 22 august 2010 in Midday pg no.1 and 6

The article published on 22 august 2010 in Midday gives a highlight on the 3,500

year faith, which has found new and savvy ways to save their culture. The article

focuses on how parsi – zorastrians youngsters are using facebook, speed dating,

paintball competition and biking rallies to meet others from the same faith.the parsi

youth has come up with groups like zyng which stands for Zorastrians youth for the next

generation, to make the young zorastrians meet each other over thrilling gams or social

networking sites rather than the ‘uncool’ matrimonial platforms. This has brought the

community to a whole new level.

ZYNG has been a huge success among the youth as well titled it ahs made

youth meet cute by coming up with different and unique methods to make the

youngsters from the parsi community to know each other and tighten the bond within

them. In June last year when ZYNG conducted its first meeting session it got a

whooping crowd of around 40 men and 40 women from Mumbai’s Parsi community. The

crowd not only enjoyed each minute of the session but also asked for one more such

session. Except for the speed dating the forum also organized a paintball competition

which brought together 24 teams of eights youngsters each. The forum is under the

Bombay Parsi Panchayat, community’s largest representative body. It was inspired by

easy to connect social networking sites such as facebook, Orkut etc.

This article brings out the new dimension of the year old tradition which highlights

the new ways of the new generation. The new parsi youth does believe in traditional

ways but at the same time is looking for more exciting ways to follow them. such forums

do not change the tradition of same religion marriages within parsis but helps the

youngsters to meet in a more comfortable and unconventional way.

The article also highlights the enthusiasm of the parsi youth for such forums or

groups. The large number of crowd supporting such activities can be seen as the

upcoming of fresh modifications in the Zorastrian culture.

Parsis get Navroze cheer going

Bella Jaisinghani | TNN

Mumbai: On Thursday, the Parsi community will celebrate Navroze or new year

with lavish meals and comedy plays. While this is the visible face of the festival,

few outsiders know that it marks the end of a period of prayer and austerity.

    Wednesday was the last day of the old year, or Pateti. It is a fallacy to greet

people on Pateti for this is a day of repentance when the community atones for

the sins and pledges not to commit them again. Interestingly, rather than seek

forgiveness, they ask for the strength to bear the repercussions of their

misdeeds. The ‘patet’ prayer carries the essence of this sentiment.

    Navroze marks a fresh start. In the run-up, an elaborate and touching ceremony

unfolds within the privacy of the fire temple. The 10-day period that precedes new

year is observed as the ‘Muktad’ or All Souls Festival, when fire temples host

intensive day-long prayers for the souls of the departed. Initially an 18-day

observance, it was later curtailed to 10 days due to logistical reasons. However,

the Boyce fire temple in Tardeo and the Behram Baug agiary in Jogeshwari

continue the 18-day tradition.

    “It is believed that during this time, the souls of the dead visit the earth and

demand to know who will feed them, dress them and offer them sweet smelling

flowers,’’ says writer Firoza Punthakey Mistree. “Every agiary lays out a ‘satum’, a

grand display of tables laden with food, clothes, floral offerings, sandalwood and

incense in honour of the deceased members of every family that prays there.’’ An

array of 182 tables has been laid out in the Watcha Ghandi agiary on Hughes

Road. Each table has four or five silver vases, one for every member of the family

that may have passed away in the last two or three decades.

    In what is very hard work, the wives of the priests rise at 3 am to begin

preparing the day’s meal, comprising breakfast, lunch and dinner for the spirits.

“On the night of Pateti, we visit the fire temple to bid goodbye to the departed

souls by arranging a ‘farewell dinner’,’’ Mistree says.

    New year is a celebration of prayer and feasting, but it is also a time when the

community remembers those that serve them. It’s not just the priests’ families

and fire temple attendants, but household servants are also rewarded on

Navroze.

Referene : 19 august 2010 the times of india pg no. 5

The article in the times of India, gives an insight into the most important festival

of parsis. This year Navroz, parsi new year was celebrated on 19 august 2010, the day

the article was published. The article begins with mentioning the way in which the

festival is celebrated in the typical parsi manner with a good mix of lavish meals and

theatre. Where on one hand Navroz marks the beginning of New Year on the other

hand Pateti the day before marks the end of the prayer and austerity.

The article gives a glimpse of the traditional essence of the community. The

author highlights uniqueness of the community by bringing out the custom of asking for

courage to face the consequences of the misdeed instead of forgiveness. As mentioned

the ‘patet’ prayers carries the essence of this sentiment. After the patet, Navroz is

mentioned as the beginning of fresh start. The author then mentions the rituals for the

10 day long ‘muktad’ or all soul festival.

This article is a jest of the most important festival of the Zoroastrian community. It

covers all the significant rituals of the festival and brings out the traditional side of

Parsis. The rituals followed though changed on the ground of logistics still more or less

are followed in the manner as they were years ago. The 10 days of mukhtad are

celebrated in various agiyaries all over the city. The customs like preparing dinner for

the souls shows the devotion of the community.

This article also points out the jovial and merry nature of the parsis. The huge

celebrations of the community are not over without a grand meal and fin plays. Theatre

is an integral part of the community and has been always related to it.

ALL SET: M J Wadia agiary in Lalbaug gets a scrub before Navroz

The clips above are the narratives of some famous celebrities about how they

celebrate the auspicious day of Navroz and what it means to them.

CONCLUSION

Ashishwang Godha holds up an arsi (mirror) to her Parsi community 

The Parsis have been intimately connected with the history of Bombay ever since the

city was a chain of seven islands.In fact,even the physical shape of what we know as

Mumbai today,has been hugely determined by the sheer quality and vision of the Parsi

community.The word Parsi stands for one who gives alms in the Sanskrit language and

truly,the Zoroastrians have given both in cash and kind,to build an iconic Mumbai.A look

at the Parsi contribution to Mumbais quality of life over the centuries.

1640 

Dorabji Nanabhai Patel was the first Parsi,on record,to have settled in Bombay.When

the plague epidemic broke out in 1689,most European settlers succumbed to it.The

Siddi of Janjira took advantage of the situation and attacked in full force.Rustomji

Dorabji Patel,trader and son of the citys first Parsi settler defeated the Siddi with the

help of the Kolis.Bombay was saved by a Parsis integrity and patriotism for his land.

1735 

Lowjee Nusserwanji,master shipbuilder,was granted land in Bombay by the East India

Company.He took on the name of his trade,Wadia,and built the Wadia empire one ship

at a time.Nusserwanji put in 50 years of service,at a salary of Rs 40 per month,passing

on his skills to the next generation.Even as mere craftsmen,the Wadias never

compromised on quality.They built ships of Malabar teak for an international

clientele.The Wadias built a ship called Minden and it was on board the ship that

Francis Scott Key composed the US national anthem,Star Spangled Banner.

1812 

Today,Asias oldest newspaper stands tall to the belief and pristine quality of a Parsi.The

Mumbai Samachar continues to read the pulse of the Parsi and Gujarati communities

each day.Fardoonji Murazban,scholar-founder was not only a pioneer of journalism in

Western India but of most Gujarati literature.

1834 

Mumbais Panjrapole in Bhuleshwar is proof of Parsi patronage.It was founded by two

businessmen,Jamsetjee Jeejeebhoy and Amichand Shah and helped along by Parsi

philanthropist,Cowasjee Patel (the man who has lent his name to C.P.Tank).Today,the

176-yearold infirmary primarily looks after 350 cows as well as an assembly line of stray

and ill animals in distress dogs,goats,ducks,donkeys,hens and birds.The foresighted

Jeejeebhoy also built a market with 200 shops around the area.Revenue from these

was intended for the upkeep of the animals.

1845 

Lady Avabai Jamsetjee Jeejeebhoy,wife of the First Baronet Jamsetjee

Jeejeebhoy,donated Rs 1,57,000 for building the causeway that connects Mahim and

Bandra.Her condition was that no toll would ever be charged for using this

causeway.Today,it is the vital link that connects South to North Mumbai.

1854 

The cotton boom was initially fuelled by Parsi entrepreneurs.Cowasji Nanabhai Daver

established Bombays first cotton mill in 1854.The Bombay Spinning Mills was the bud

that bloomed and transformed the city forever.

1903 

The Tatas gave Bombay the iconic Taj Mahal Hotel.The Taj Mahal Palace was

commissioned in the Indo-Saracenic style by Tata and as the attacks would prove,it is

Mumbais pulse.Since the day the Taj first opened its doors to guests on December

16,1903,its corridors have been witness to the shaping of Mumbais history.

1932 

The Parsis gave Mumbai its place in the sky.JRD Tata founded Indias first civilian

airlines,Air India.Known as Tata Airlines,it took wing on October 15,1932 and was the

first to take off in India.

1940 

Nariman Point,Mumbais premier business district is named after Khursheed Framji

Nariman.Nariman was a Parsi visionary,Congressman and BMC corporator,who

proposed to reclaim the area from the sea.What was then built at Rs 3 lakh,today

commands the highest real estate prices in the city.

1945 

The Parsis have created the notch for some of the best Mumbai has to offer: whether in

the field of science or the arts.Homi Jehangir Bhabha,father of Indias nuclear

programme established the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (T.I.F.R.) in

Bombay in 1945.Bhabha played a crucial role in the development of the Indian atomic

energy programme and was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1954.Then,come the

artistes.Homi K.Bhabha was director of the Humanities Center,Harvard University.He is

the name who laid the foundation of seeing colonialism by applying post-structuralist

methodologies.Then there are other renowned Parsis musicians,Freddie Mercury and

Zubin Mehta and Sam Manekshaw,the first field marshal of the Indian Army.

BIBLIOGRAPHY