Parsis, Iranis, Zarathushtis - ALL Under One Roof

{SDZC} – 2012 Nowruz Celebration

yazdi — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 04:54:56 +0000

Join us in celebrating Nowruz

March 31, 2012 6:00 pm – 1:00 am

The Ramada Inn

5550 Kearny Mesa Rd, San Diego, CA 92111

Persian Cuisine by Anaheim Hatam

Soft drinks, tea & coffee provided by SDBOD

Cash bar available

Entertainment by DJs Farzad & Kamran

Ticket Prices

Early Bird Special

Before March 10th

March 10th – 25th

Children below 6 free

6-18 years $25.00

Adult 18+ $45.00

Children below 6 free

Children 6-18 $ 35.00

Adults : $55.00

No Tickets at the Door

To purchase tickets email us at sdbod@sdzc.org or call: Daryush Bastani (760) 504-9970

Mahin Tchami (951) 850-1399
Bijan Dowlatshahi (858) 538-8557
Parinaz Pircher (858) 442-4509
Kiyanosh Kamdar (760) 930-8074
Jaleh Framrose (858) 679-7258

Vegan Zoroastrian club

yazdi — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 14:17:42 +0000

Vegan Zoroastrian club

Dear Fellow Zoroastrians,The world-wide vegan movement is very much in line with some of the principles of Zoroastrianism. And if the world’s population continues to grow it will become increasingly relevant. Our daughter, Dr. Armaiti Khorshed May has been an activist for many years and has “converted” many people, including myself, to a vegan diet. When people switch to a balanced whole foods vegan diet they help to :

– improve their health and increase longevity (partly by reducing their risk of heart disease, cancer, diabetes or a stroke);
– reduce health care care costs;
– conserve water and reduce water pollution;
– lessen desertrification of land areas and conserve land, including land areas containing rain forests;
– keep prices of ALL food items from getting too high;
– alleviate world hunger and thirst;
– reduce the suffering of animals;
– avoid the intake of what may be considered “naso” in our faith;
– decrease instances of overly rapid physical development among children; and
– promote peace and justice.

It would be helpful if Zoroastrians who are interested in veganism could connect for purposes of friendship, sharing ideas, support, matrimonial encounters and the promotion of healthy choices. If you or any of your friends are interested in forming a Vegan Zoroastrians club/network or e-group, please contact Dhun at

mazdayasnie@netzero.net or Armaity at veganvet@gmail.com.

We thank you in anticipation and look foward to hearing from you. Khshnaothra Ahurahe Mazdao!

Sincerely,
Dhun Daruwala May

Astad Deboo

yazdi — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 09:23:58 +0000

National Awards Initiative for Integrated Design and Research

yazdi — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 06:30:58 +0000

Open Spaces Sacred Places: The Healing Power of Nature

National Awards Initiative for Integrated Design and Research

The TKF Foundation announces the Open Spaces Sacred Places (OSSP) National Awards Program. Awards will fund development of significant new sacred public green spaces in urban settings that demonstrate a combination of high quality design-build and rigorous research about user impacts.

The total remaining funding pool is $4 million.

Funding will be provided to cross-disciplinary teams that are able to 1) conceptualize, plan, design and implement an open and sacred green space, 2) conduct associated research study(ies), and 3) communicate scientific findings. TKF seeks to identify projects replicable in their intent. Projects should also be generalizable in the challenges they address to serve as potential archetypes for urban areas across the U.S.

For guidelines, please see the Request for Proposal.

For more information on the awards program, visit www.opensacred.org

Courtesy:Behram Pastakia

Young Leaders 8 to 18 in North America

yazdi — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 06:25:54 +0000

Celebrating outstanding young leaders ages 8 to 18.

The Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes invites nominations for its 2012 awards. The Barron Prize, founded by author T.A. Barron is in honor of his mother, who worked for twenty years to create the “Touch Museum” of natural history at the Colorado School for the Deaf and Blind.

Each year, the Barron Prize honors inspiring young people who have made a significant positive difference to people and our planet. Ten winners each receive $2,500 to support their service work or higher education. Nomination deadline is April 30.

Nominees must be legal residents of and currently residing in the United States or Canada at the time of nomination.

For more information and to nominate, visit http://bit.ly/edhitj

The Barron Prize — 545 Pearl Street – Boulder, CO 80302

Courtesy : Behram Pastakia

Poonawalla Stud Farms

yazdi — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 05:48:50 +0000

F R O H A R F I L M S
Tele –Serial HUMATA HUKHTA HVARSHTA

Frohar Films Presents

“Humata Hukhta Hvarshta”
the only Tele-serial on
Zoroastrian Religion, Culture and way of life
on Zee Jagran Channel of the Zee Network
Episode for Sunday 12th February, 2012, at 12.00 noon.
————————————————————————–
“The Poonawalla Stud Farms”
A very unusual & interesting episode on the Poonawalla Stud Farms.

Our Team speaks to Dr. Cyrus Poonawalla (Chairman, Poonawalla group of Companies and the Serum Institute of India) and his late wife Villoo.

We take you around the beautiful Stud Farms, where the horses have special training tracks, a feed mill and a special equine clinic, with a veterinarian in attendance.
—————————————————————————
“Humata Hukhta Hvarshta” Designed and Directed by Ervad Dr. Cyrus Dastoor.

Click Here for their website

ZAF Newsletter

yazdi — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 05:41:15 +0000

Hello all FEZANA, NAMC and ZATAMBAY, and Orlando Group Friends:

On behalf of our President Jahanbux Daruwala and the entire ZAF Board, it is our distinct pleasure to share our latest ZAF Newsletter with you all! It vibrates with energy and sparkles with beautiful colored photos of young and old! It shows how the whole South FL Z Humdins are involved in all kinds of activities and charity drives in general and ZAF of Miami, Ft. Lauderdale and Boca Raton areas in particular. Hope you all enjoy reading it!

Love and Tandoorasti, Soli

ZafNwslt#1-2012(Feb-8, 11.56am)

Zoroastrian Religious Tele – Class

yazdi — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 14:53:33 +0000

North American Zoroastrian Religious Tele – Class -

Sunday January 22 11 AM (SST) Ervad Soli P. Dastur
A Zoroastrian Religion Class was held by Telephone on January 22nd by Ervad Soli P. Dastur from his home, Hira Villa, in Sarasota, Florida. About 40+ people joined in by calling a Tele-meeting phone number. The people were from both Canada and USA, from NY to Dallas and even LA, Montreal to Miami. The class material was a PowerPoint Presentation on The Zoroastrian Ceremonies. We followed Dr. J. J. Modi’s famous book:

The Religious Ceremonies and Customs of the Parsees which is now available on Internet at: http://www.avesta.org/ritual/rcc.htm

Thanks to my very good friend Joseph Peterson. We also introduced the two Gujarati Pav Mahel books used by all Mobeds all over the world.

The Greek historian Herodotus famous book: Histories was also introduces as a rich source of the belief and social customs of the Persian during the Hakhaminian Dynasty of Darius, Xerxes, etc. The two NAMC books on Jashan and Obsequies by our own Mobeds Jehan Bagli and Adi Unwalla were also introduced.

A very broad brush summary of all 30+ ceremonies were given with actual photos of the ceremonies. The ceremonies cover Socio-Religious, Purification, Initiation, Consecration and Inner andOuter Liturgical Ceremonies. It also put special emphasis to those ceremonies that are possible to perform in North American context. Finally, as it is becoming our custom, the permanent question: “We do not understand what we are praying in our daily prayers” was answered by suggesting some alternatives. The final prayer in English, from Dr. Dhalla’s book: Homage Unto Ahura Mazda: “Orthodoxy, courts puerilities (immaturities, childishness, foolishness) of dogmatic theology, casuistry (deceptive, fallacious, dishonest) and irrational formalism”,was recited by all together ending with our signature Zoroastrian greeting of: “Hamaa Zor, Hamaa Asho Bade” (May we be united in righteousness) performed by all attending the Class, a cyber Hamaa Zor all over North America!

Before the Cyber Hum Bandagi, we showed a part of the Bui Ceremony video performed by our own Mobed Kobad Jamshed in the beautiful San Jose Dar-e-Meher in his beautiful sonorous voice! The peals of the bell brought a magic environment to all listeners!

The PowerPoint Presentation slides and 1 explanatory file for the daily prayers were sent out to all participants ahead of time. In most homes, families gathered in front of their computers following slides of this presentation as I spoke about them from my home. These files are attached to this message.

We also request all of you to suggest what topics we should cover in the next Tele Classes.

Many of the interested Humdins all over the Hafta Keshwar Zamin wanted us to place this one hour class as an Internet video. So, we have uploaded the whole Tele Class on YouTube in 10 segments so as to be within 10 minute restriction in YouTube.

All 10 segments can be viewed underneath this message :

Thank you all for your participation and interest in these Tele Classes.

Please note that the next Tele Class will be on Sunday March 11th and we will present the details of the ceremonies of Navjote, Sedreh Pushi and Parsi and Irani Z weddings. Hope you all can join us in this Tele Class.

May the Flame of Fellowship, Love, Charity and Tolerance burn ever eternal in our hearts so we can do HIS work with humility, diligence and eternal enthusiasm!

Atha Jamyaat, Yatha Aafrinaami! (May it be so as I wish!)

Love and Tandoorasti, Soli

Click Here to download the Powerpoint Presentation to go with the videos

20120122 NA Tele Class Ceremonies 001

Tele Class 6th Prayer Dhalla Homage Unto Ahura Mazda background

Best cadet Senior Division (air) – Mehrab Kaizad Bhaya

yazdi — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 08:13:11 +0000

The Maharashtra National Cadet Corps (NCC) has bagged the Prime Minister’s Banner Trophy as Champion Directorate for the 15th time in 21 years. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh presented the trophy to the Maharashtra Directorate Saturday evening after the NCC rally in New Delhi.

The award for the best cadet Senior Division (air) to Mehrab Kaizad Bhaya

Click Here for the full story

Click Here for another report from Sify

Parsi boy’s PhD thesis to sex bestseller

yazdi — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 07:41:47 +0000

Faramerz Dabhoiwala is a Parsi boy made good — in fact, his new book on sex has very quickly become just about the hottest property in the literary world.

When an online article on The Origins of Sex: A History of the First Sexual Revolution appeared in a British national newspaper, Dabhoiwala confides to The Telegraph, “thousands and thousands of people around the world read that and hundreds of people tweeted about it — and some of those tweets are from people in India”.

Click Here for the full story