BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE NEEDED TO UNDERSTAND ROHINTON MISTRY’S TALES FROM FIROZSHA BAAG

PARSI WOMEN

Embroidery

Parsi man

BOMBAY PARSI CAFE

Parsi women praying for the welfare of their families.

Dadabai Nawroji –freedom fighter of India

BEHRAM ROJE (PARSI NEW YEAR)

PARSI PRIESTS BLESS SACRED FOOD, BOMBAY, C. 1969

"THE NAVJOTE (PERSIAN: سدره پوشی, SEDREH PUSHI) CEREMONY IS THE RITUAL THROUGH WHICH AN INDIVIDUAL IS INDUCTED INTO THE ZOROASTRIAN RELIGION AND BEGINS TO WEAR THE SEDREH AND KUSHTI. THE TERM NAVJOTE IS USED PRIMARILY BY THE ZOROASTRIANS OF INDIA (THE PARSIS), WHILE SEDREH PUSHI IS USED PRIMARILY BY THE ZOROASTRIANS OF IRAN. THE WORD 'NAVJOTE' IS A LATINIZED FORM OF THE PARSI GUJARATI COMPOUND OF NAV "NEW" AND JOTE "RECITER [OF PRAYER]", "INVOKER", "SACRIFICER"

ZOROASTRIAN SYMBOL; ZOROASTRIANISM IS THE ANCIENT, PRE-ISLAMIC RELIGION OF PERSIA. IT SURVIVES THERE IN ISOLATED AREAS BUT MORE PROSPEROUSLY IN INDIA, WHERE THE DESCENDANTS OF ZOROASTRIAN PERSIAN IMMIGRANTS ARE KNOWN AS PARSIS, OR PARSEES. IN INDIA THE RELIGION IS CALLED PARSIISM.

CHICKEN DHANSAK IS ONE OF THE MOST FLAVOR SOME AND FAMOUS PARSI CURRY DISHES.

THE ODD RITUAL OF THE PARSIS: SKY BURIAL (DAKHMA) IN INDIA. THE STORY ABOUT THE PIT OF BLOOD IS FAKE. THIS IS THE REAL IMAGE. THESE DAKHMA ACTUALLY EXIST

PARSI COMMUNITY AT THE CENTENARY ANNIVERSARY OF JAL PHIROJ CLUBWALA DAR E MEHER, POPULARLY KNOWN AS FIRE TEMPLE, CHENNAI, INDIA.

THE TOWER OF SILENCE ON MALABAR HILL, MUMBAI, INDIA - THE PARSIS ORIGINATED IN IRAN AND THEY BROUGHT THEIR BELIEFS TO INDIA IN THE EARLY 20TH CENTURY. THEIR FUNERAL RITES DICTATE THAT THE REMAINS ARE TO BE LEFT EXPOSED IN THE TOWER SO THAT FLESH-EATING BIRDS WILL CONSUME THEM - THIS TOWER IS STILL IN USE SO ACCESS TO WHERE THE REMAINS ARE IS RESTRICTED

DADAR PARSI COLONY - MUMBAI, INDIA

THIS IS THE OLDEST SURVIVING PARSI (ZOROASTRIAN) FIRE TEMPLE IN MUMBAI. IT WAS CONSECRATED IN 1733.

TWO YOUNG PARSI MOBEDS(PRIESTS) AT AN ATASHKADEH (FIRE TEMPLE) IN INDIA."

DHOBI GHAT (1890-95) - DHOBIWADA ROAD, MAHALUXMI. HANGING WAS THE PREDOMINANT METHOD OF EXECUTION IN BOMBAY

PARSI WRITERS

CRAWFORD MARKET, BOMBAY